Graduation Day

I did not actually get my diploma on Friday. Contained in this envelope was a very cool drawing of a turtle.
The four MPH grads from our department - Talya, Megan, JAS, and Ranwa. I've had a lot of classes with these very smart ladies!
SKN and JAS.
JAS and CDW.
Talya, Anne, and Jody. I worked for Anne at my assistantship. Boy will I miss having her as a boss. She is the coolest.
Uncle Bill, JAS, and Aunt Joan.
The whole fam! Aunt Joan, Gloria, CDW, JAS, Sue, Uncle Bill, and SKN.
JAS and SKN, pre-party.

Last Friday I graduated. I am now a Master of Public Health (MPH). Truth be told, the graduate school experience has been quite humbling, and leads me to feel like a master of nothing . . . but I will take the degree anyway.

We were fortunate to have lots of loved ones make their way to Charm City to celebrate with us. My mom, Chris's mom, Aunt Joan and Uncle Bill, and my oldest and dearest friend Sarah. What a contingency! The joke of the weekend was that our house was like a clown car. If people were standing outside and watching us they must have been thinking "How did they fit all of those people?? . . ."

In addition to the actual graduation our visit included a wonderful Indian dinner, a fabulous lunch on the deck at Little Havana, and a rockin' graduation party. Again, we had no idea what the maximum capacity of our home was before this weekend! Aunt Joan and Uncle Bill weren't able to stay for the party, but Sarah and the Mom Squared team were the best party help ever. If not for them everyone might have arrived only to munch on frozen pizza bites or something. Instead, these ladies helped me assemble an overly ambitious menu of homemade hors d'oeuvres, and did an amazing job of clean-up. I'll bet they were happy to get home, and away from all of the work here in Baltimore!

So what am I doing now? Well, I'm unemployed. I'm torn because the idea of a summer off really does appeal to me, but the idea of not having a paycheck does not appeal to me. So, this week I will start the job search. I will keep you posted.