VU commencement 5.08

wow. finished. officially.

this is coming to you from the great city of nashville, tennessee and there's no way you can imagine how big the smile one my face is :) i flew into nashville thursday night after a long day at work and landing in a city that actually feels like home was exactly what i needed after a long week. my wonderful parents were there to greet me with the biggest hugs and kisses and noticeable excitement for the upcoming weekend. 

our day started off earlier than we would have liked, but, nonetheless, it is what it is. commencement started at 9AM this morning and there was a lot to be done before making our way to alumni lawn. i was asked by the School of Nursing to be the "banner carrier" and to lead the school of nursing into commencement. and, of course, i said yes...that is just something you can't turn down. since i live in texas, i missed the meeting on wednesday, so they agreed to go over all the instructions and directions with me before the actual ceremony. thus, the early morning.

picked up the good 'ole cap and gown and my academic hooding material and it kind of started to hit me that i actually graduated from Vanderbilt. wow. getting accepted was a thrill ride. doing well in my classes was inspiring. but, receiving a masters degree from Vanderbilt is surreal. the sense of pride that i feel and always will feel can never be taken away from me. my parents made the short trip up from bama and spent the day with me celebrating, spending some time in nashville, and taking in the atmosphere on Vandy's campus today. 

vandy does it right. they know what they're doing when it comes to graduations and commencements. you feel special. you feel like you have just accomplished something BIG. you feel elite; the best of the best. you feel like the education you just received will take you wherever you want to go. and it has. my experiences, education, and diploma from vanderbilt has taken me where i wanted to go and it has brought me so much confidence and pride that i will continue to use everything i learned from here on out. 

i will post pictures soon. until then, i'll be in nashville for the weekend visiting old friends, old familiar watering holes, and re-connecting with a city that i fell in love with. 

g'night.