Graduation Week(s)

 It finally happened! I AM A PHARMACIST! Wooo, feels good to say those words. After 3 years of undergrad (I finished early) and 4 years of pharmacy school I officially have my doctorate in pharmacy. And now that I'm officially done with school, reality is setting in and I'd just like to go back please. School is great. Seriously, I wish I could just stay forever. However, some student loans have other plans for me and need to shrink real fast. And I guess I actually am excited about really getting to work every day and not needing someone to sign after everything I do because I'm just a lowly student. Bring on the long coat!

Ok but really, in light of such a monumentous occasion, I knew graduation was going to be pretty great. Especially since I skipped my undergrad graduation. The celebrations started off traveling with Becky and Emily to Chattanooga for a lake day with Em's boyfriend before heading to Memphis. It was so much fun and made me seriously miss OHL. We just drank beer on the float all day and played a bit with the jet skis. I thought I was adventurous but topped out at about 30 mph which apparently isn't very fast for a jet ski but was fast enough for me! And having dinner on the deck that night was just the cherry on top. Nothing more relaxing that dinner on a screened in porch at the lake (especially with great company!)

Stop #2 was Memphis! Duh, I had to actually graduate! We spent two days "in class" for pharmacy law review but mostly just spent time hanging out and catching up with friends. One of our friends put together the most hilarious "Wall of Shame" slideshow with ridiculous pictures from the past 4 years. I honestly can't even put it into words how great it was. I love my friends and had so much fun (probably too much) in pharmacy school. School would have been nowhere near as amazing without them. We also had a great class party at a bar in Overton square where we had some funds to use from our class budget before we graduated. Commence an open bar and people ordering rounds and rounds (and rounds) of shots uhhh... because we could!

Oh yeah and then there was the real graduation part. Let's be honest... that was probably the least exciting part of the trip. But it made things official nonetheless and it was definitely fun to have my family there. After graduation we went to McEwens on Monroe for dinner. I had actually never been there before and made reservations on a whim but it was really fantastic food and a nice small atmosphere. My parents splashed out and booked Darren and I a suite at the Peabody and they stayed there also.  It was definitely a cool hotel and very nice but we all decided actually staying there wasn't really worth the hype.

My biggest supporter and stud of a hubby!

My sweet grandparents

So glad they could make it!

My crew

so lucky to be BFFs with the valedictorian.... who knew!

my favorite teacher and residency director for the next 2 years!

Had to have one with Em and Trav

7 pharmacists and.... a Darren! haha he hears way too much pharmacy talk. what a trooper!

Champagne and apps at our private hotel bar

beautiful room!

My cute parents on the roof

My new favorite memphis breakfast... fried chicken sandwich covered with sausage gravy.  I was incapacitated the rest of the day and it was worth it!

After graduation my parents and Darren went home and Becky, Emily, and I headed to Destin! I forgot how much nothing is in Alabama... but I remembered real quick. Such a boring drive, but totally worth it! We had so much fun sitting on the beach or by the pool and drinking lots of daiquiris and wine. Is it a bad thing when the daiquiri guy knows your order after only 2 days?? I also got to meet up with my BFF since Kindergarten, Lindsay, for dinner one night since we lives in Pensacola. It was such a fun and relaxing trip. I can't wait to go back with Darren sometime soon. He's never been to Destin before so I think it would be really fun. We definitely had fun at Tybee Island last summer and, in my opinion, Destin is a way nicer beach than that.

The next logical place to go after Florida would be home,  but our friends Molly and Judd were getting married in Memphis so we headed back there again. Darren and Becky's fiancee met us there and we got to hang out with our Memphis friends again and enjoy Memphis for the day before the wedding. We hit up Central (duh) and Wiseacre brewery which was really fun and had some incredible beer. I am officially a huge fan. Molly and Judd's wedding was at the Memphis zoo and so much fun. There's nothing like weddings with the pharmacy crew.

So after two long weeks we finally headed back home to Knoxville. It was so nice to get back to my own bed but now the reality is setting in that now that I've graduated I have to actually take my boards. So let the studying commence....