The Day I Got My Master's Degree

As you may know (cause trust me, I wasn't quiet about it) I finally graduated with my Master's degree a couple weeks ago.

Woop woop!

And boy does it feel good!

Remember when I was just starting and I was all nervous about not being smart enough...along with a bunch of other crap? Cause trust me, I worry about a lot of crap.

You can read about that HERE.

Good news - I was smart enough (just barely), I made friends, and I never showed up to the 

wrong classroom.

Woop woop!

I keep trying to tell Nate he has to refer to me, from here on out, as "Master Rissa."

So far he's not buying it.

Graduation was everything I thought it was going to be, in all its anticipated glory.

I wore a cap and gown that had wings, and tails, and capes, and made me look pregnant, walked across the stage with all eyes on me as the screen read "Carissa Ruth Townsend," I shook hands with a bunch of people on stage I've never seen before, and received a fake diploma that when opened reads "Your real one will be in the mail in 8-10 weeks"...or something like that.

And I loved every minute of it.

My friend Julie and I were blowin' up our Google chats errry day during work with a countdown leading up until the big day. 

We counted everything down.

Number of classes left, number of papers left, days til' grades are posted, and of course, days til graduation.

We even made bets on what the speakers might say in their speeches.

She went with, "never stop learning," and totally nailed it.

I was happy to have my family there on the big day...with the exception of my sister's fiance.

He missed the ceremony and I told him it made me cry.

Don't tell him I made that up though.

Daddy and me

Me and mom

The hubs

When we were taking pictures my dad goes, "Get in there Nate, you're the one who's gonna be paying for this, you need a picture!"

True story...my dad's just glad it's not his wallet this time!

Nate has been never keen on student loans though.

He told me one night, "I don't get why this is so expensive. Can't you go to like, a community college or something??"

I hate to break it to you Nate, but you can't get a Master's degree at a community college.

Good idea though. 

My family, the King's!

My sister

The BFF Charlene

        

Hubs and Mama Townsend

My posse for the day...minus Charlene who was taking the picture =)

LOVE them all!! 

After graduation we all went out to lunch at Macayo's Mexican Restaurant.

Cause it seems like that's what you do when important things happen, considering we went there after my Bachelor's graduation, and for Nate and I's rehearsal dinner too.

What can I say, they make a mean mango margarita.

And after lunch for the rest of the day, I celebrated my graduation...by taking a nap.

Cause I feel like I deserve a nap after finishing grad school.

Uncle Si had it right:

So now that school is over a few things have changed:

My house is way messier because I can't use house-cleaning as a homework procrastination tactic...and who really wants to clean their house unless it's to put off doing homework?

Also, I've come to the realization that I now have to do all the things I said I never had time to do during grad school.

Like cook, and work out, and stuff.

Ugh.

I won't lie though, some of my coworkers and the new interns were talking about all their summer classes that started today and how much work they have ahead of them this summer, and in my head I was kinda like, "Neener neener neener!"

Ahh, it feels good to be done!