Part One: Graduation Weekend in New York
Even though my official date of graduation was January 31, 2009, Ross University has a ceremony once a year in June. All my classmates came from around North America and descended upon Madison Square Garden for graduation. It was great to see everyone again and catch up on what they're all up to. It was encouraging for me to hear that many of my classmates are going through the same thing I am (taking multiple tests to gain licensure), and are still waiting for the official "go-ahead" to practice.
I had forgotten just how much fun it is to hang out with my fellow Rossies! After graduation, we all got together at a local bar and took over the place. Bill and I were able to reconnect with my old crew and had a great time sharing new stories and old.
The other great part about going out to NY was that we got to see my family in New Jersey. Bill had never met my maternal grandparents or many of my aunts and uncles. I tried to warn him that my northern family is crazy, but he fits right in! As always during a visit to NJ, there was a lot of wine, beer, teasing, and laughing. I only wish we could have spent more time!
We did get a little extra time with Uncle Scott, Aunt Linda, and mom; we spent the day as a group just tooling around Manhattan and Central Park. Thanks to the willingness of the rest of the group, I was finally able to experience something I've wanted to do for a long time - have a drink at Tavern On The Green in Central Park!! This restaurant is one of the most famous places in NY; celebrities frequent this establishment and many movies have filmed here.
Overall, we had such a wonderful time visiting with family and celebrating my accomplishment. Graduation felt like closure on a very long chapter of my life. In the surreal moment when we recited our Hippocratic Oath, I sent a prayer of gratitude up to heaven for the gifts that God has given me, and I felt that He was proud of me.
There were so many pictures taken in NY that I couldn't put them all in the blog, but if you go here, you will see the album from our trip. Enjoy, and look for the second installment soon!
