It's The Final Countdown... Graduation

So, I've graduated! Graduation day marked exactly seven days until I leave for my trip and all I could focus on was getting across that stage. Throughout this past week, I had been making preparations for my trip and working out last minute details, not really thinking about one of the biggest milestones of my life.



It was an extremely early morning for a graduation but after seeing the weather forecast, it made sense that it started so early in the morning. I woke up at 5:30 am, got ready and made my way to the school.



Once I got to the practice field, I got my name card and talked to some friends until they made us line up in alphabetical order. Of course, my last name being Young, I was in the VERY back. Thanks to some guy with a last name that started with Z, I was second to last. And since I was a business major, our class was next up to graduate after the masters degrees were handed out.



No feeling will ever compare to the feeling I had as we walked out onto the field to our seats. The stadium was the fullest I have ever seen and there were so many people. As soon as I walked through the opening and stepped onto the field, I broke out in goosebumps and felt true pride and excitement like I never have before, even at my high school graduation. After four years of working my butt off, I was finally getting my degree. It was surreal.



After what seemed like hours sitting in the heat and sun and listening to long unnecessary speeches, it was time for us to walk across the stage and shake the President's hand and receive our empty degree holder. I realized that I won't even be seeing my degree, since it won't be coming in for another 6 to 8 weeks. But it didn't matter. As my line got up from their chairs and made its way to the stage, my feelings of happiness and excitement couldn't be contained. I handed my name card to the announcer and broke out in the biggest grin. My face refused to wipe the goofy smile off my face as I excitedly made my way across the stage and accepted my diploma holder from the President.





I did it. I graduated college. I have accomplished something many people don't in their lives and I am so lucky to have experienced this. College and the people I have met has changed me, made me a tougher person and challenged me in ways I never would have thought of. I wouldn't change it for anything and I am glad I chose to go to college before setting out on my journey. It has prepared me and given me time to save up and learn more about myself. Without having gone to college, I would not be who I am now and am so lucky to have gone through this journey.

A Carolina Ghost Story

This past weekend, I spent some time with my family and we visited Alice's Grave. Although the story of Alice Flagg is rather popular in South Carolina, I had not heard much of it other than the story occurred in Murrell's Inlet, SC.



In 1849, Dr. Allard Flagg moved into his new home, The Hermitage, in Murrell's Inlet. Soon after, he invited his widowed mother and sister, Alice, to live with him. Dr. Allard Flagg and Alice's other brother, Dr. Arthur Flagg were prestigious doctors in the area and rather wealthy. The two brothers courted the Ward sisters, who were known to be apart one of the wealthiest and upper-class families in the low country. Alice was happy for her brothers but knew there was more to a courtship than just high class and money.

While out on a shopping trip, Alice met a lumberman and over the next few months, they fell in love. One day, the young man came to call on Alice; Dr. Allard came out to greet him and would not agree to let him see her after realizing his low class status. Dr. Allard sent him away before the young man could speak or see Alice. She was furious over her brother's treatment of her beau and decided to meet the man in secret. During their meeting, the young man presented Alice with a ring and the two secretly became engaged.



When Dr. Allard discovered the ring on Alice's finger, he commanded her to take it off and return the ring at once. She would not be married to someone beneath her and her family name. Alice promised to return it but instead, strung the ring on a necklace and kept it hidden from her family.

To help her get over her love of the lumberman, her family sent Alice to a boarding school in Charleston. Unable to take her family's oppression any longer, she reluctantly agreed to leave and go to Charleston, although promising to never forget her love. Alice continued to wear the ring around her neck and constantly grabbed at it for comfort.



Alice was heart broken when she arrived in Charleston, she hated the city and missed her true love. She became depressed and withdrew, not going out of her way to make friends or meet a new suitor. One night, Alice became seriously ill. The doctors diagnosed her with malaria and sent for her family at once. Dr. Allard left immediately upon hearing of his sister's sickness to bring her back to the Hermitage and when he arrived, Alice had already become delirious. The four day journey back to the Hermitage was not an easy one. The constant rain, jostling and ferry rides did nothing to help Alice's deteriorating condition.

There's different endings of the story:

One version says upon Alice's return, Dr. Allard discovers the ring on her neck and in anger snatches the necklace off and throws the ring in the Murrell's Inlet marshlands. Broken hearted without her ring, Alice dies a short time after.

The other version says Alice dies a short time later after returning from Charleston. While getting her dressed for the burial, Dr. Allard discovers the necklace and throws it into the marshlands.

So embarrassed and angered at Alice's love of the lumberman, Dr. Allard only had her first name carved on her resting stone.



People say that Alice can be seen wondering around in her favorite white dress at the All Saints Church and the Hermitage searching for her love's lost ring.

If you decide to go, there is a ritual you can do to have a wish granted. Go to the cemetery at midnight, walk around her grave 13 times backwards and place a token above the letter A. It is said that your wish will be granted and Alice will appear before you. While I didn't do the ritual, I placed a nickle on the grave just for fun and made a wish. People that visit the grave will place rings, flowers or other such tokens in sympathy of Alice's sad story.



The graveyard at All Saints Church is actually very beautiful and peaceful. Many of the gravestones are from the 1800's and the Spanish Moss hanging from many of the trees, give the cemetery an eerie but elegant look. Alice's grave can be found at the back of the cemetery; you will probably have to look for a few minutes but it can easily be found if you look for objects on the the gravestone and the eroded circular path around the marker.