The day that I though would never come came.
It was an emotional weekend for me. My Mum had flown down to Hobart from Brisbane six months pregnant and ripe with emotion and hormones. We sat by the fire and talked, and talked. The conversatin flowed through the past right through to the present, opening fresh wounds and old. She gave me warm and comforting hugs. She gave me hope and strength for the future and reminded me 'Mum will always be there.'
I slept well that night. The heavy emotional luggage I had carried with me during my four and a half years of university now felt light like I had tipped all the unnecessary junk out. I woke up withpuffy red eyes but an extra bounce found its way into my step. The excitment of my fast approaching graduation ceremony made me giddy.
Mum made a delicious graduation breakfast especially for me: croissants, caviar dip and bubbles - yum! All there was left to do was find the perfect pair of pantyhose and give a brief guided tour around Salamanca. I found a pretty patterned pair of pantyhose and Mum thoroughly enjoyed the commentary as we strolled around the Saturday markets, St Davids Park and the waterfront.
The afternoon came around very quickly. I didn't have much time to get ready but a rushed job did the trick; I looked absolutely fabulous. Mum insisted on snapping a million unnecessary photos before we left making us a little late meeting up with Dick and his family.
Dick and I had both been looking forward to this moment since we met back in first year. "Not long now Ash," he used to say when we were struggling to finish off an essay, "Not long at all." We were robed in our gown, cap and satch ready to head on into the ceremony. Dick was beaming, I was beaming and so was Mum. Dick and I were happy that late nights and hours in the library had purpose; Mum was proud all the years of nagging paid off.
My moment was brief. I walked up to the podium, shaked the chancellors hand, accepted my nicely rolled certificate and sat back down. I sat there watching all of the other graduates have their moment for the next hour. When the ceremony finished and everyone scrambled for the exits, I found Rahni and Amelia waiting by the doors to congratulate me (they had snuck in after they came fashionably late). With a degree in my hand and surrounded by friends and family I felt really happy.
Dinner and drinks were at one of my favourite restaurants, Mezethes. I ate, I drank and I laughed. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful day.
Sunday came too quickly and all the buzz from Saturday was now memory. Mum went back to Brisbane and I returned home to an empty house. I sat down on the end of my bed and it really sunk in. I had just spent the past four and a half years working towards one goal... and now the goal has come and gone, what next? I can focus on my travel plans for now... but what after that?
