Graduation

Hooray! I am officially a college graduate! It was a great day. Started off with absolutely gorgeous weather for walking into the Alfond Arena. Met up first with these lovely ladies, who are marine bio friends. We are wearing abalone shells around our necks, by the way. Our advisor, who we fondly call wge, made them for us haha. Apparently next year, marine science students get actual medals. I'm quite happy with some homemade medals though!

We all pondered the reality of our situation, and how quickly four years have passed...how it seems like just yesterday that we were graduating from high school and getting to know the campus as freshman with these very same people. Walking into the arena, the stadium was packed. Spotted my manically waving family :) The ceremony was not awful, although the reading of names took a long time. Very exciting to walk up to the podium and walk across the stage only to be greeted by hugs, handshakes, and congrats from the marine science faculty. All smiles :) I'm so proud of myself and my friends! We did it!!!

Another highlight: My family bought me passes to have a penguin encounter AND a beluga whale encounter at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut! AHHHH!!!!!!!! SO excited! Best gift they could have given me...other than enough money to buy me a ticket to Australia...or England. But I'm certainly not going to complain. I've wanted to do that for many years! Hooray!

Also, we are taking a trip to Bar Harbor for the next few days, so don't expect any photos from me for a bit.