I was going to share some pictures from my doctoral graduation last summer, because I never blogged about it. So I dug back in my flickr sets and looked at the pictures, and I was like, "Whoa, I was thirty pounds heavier." Look, here I am with my beautiful friend Erika last June, and below that is one taken of me this Easter.
 |
| June 2011 |
 |
| April 2012 |
I don't know that I've actually
seen the comparison before. Even with my being slightly hunched over in this pic and thus accentuating my
honeybaked ham belly, I can really see the difference in my face and arms. It's funny, in my mind's eye I've always looked the same.
So, my graduation last June. Remember how I had wanted the whole family to go and then I almost didn't go and
there was crying? Well I am so, SO glad I went and shared those days with good friends. It really properly marked the ending of that grad school chapter in my life, in a true valedictory way. Before the graduation ceremony, I was always feeling slightly melancholy for Santa Cruz. I loved living there--we had so many happy, major, formative times there. Laura arrived there as a newborn and left ready for Kindergarten, and it was a complete intellectual, social, and emotional passage for me. I guess that is why they call it an education.
 |
| Getting my hood |
 |
| With my friend Jon |
 |
| Our engagement photo |
 |
| Braintrust: David, Erika, and Veronica |
 |
| Beach Boardwalk |
Even as we settled into our lives here in Atlanta, I always felt a little like I somehow
should still be in California. But somehow going out there and walking in the graduation helped me feel happy that it all happened but not sad it was over. There might something to this whole mark-a-life-moment-with-a-ceremony thing. It could catch on.
If you are into it, more pictures are
here.
And you guys! It's the last day of our month of daily blogging. I have loved our talks. It has been more than worth the loss of evening netflix time. (Believe it or not, it takes like an hour to talk about nothin'.) Thank you for coming around and reading and commenting. You are such a peach.
If you haven't already, go click on the facebook button up there on the left and "like" SubMat on fb. That is, if you like SubMat. Then we can be all chatty all the time. I'll be like, "OMG," and you'll be all, "I know!"
Posts
16 comments:
OMG! That was almost a year ago. You look fantastical! And guess what, JV is in town and we were just talking about post-graduation stuff. I thought for sure you would say something about how Aidell's chicken and apple sausage was featured in the commencement speech. Another time. Perhaps if you do another meat post. It's been a fun month of reading. Thank you for all of the sacrifices you've made.
I know!
You do look so fab. Starting at the beginning of this healthy living-weight loss journey, I am hyper impressed with your accomplishment.
The PhD? Meh. Losing 30+ pounds. WOW.
Ha. I KID.
Reading your daily posts has been one of the highlights of my April, srsly. See you soon!
I will miss your daily posts. You just have a way with telling the story of daily life.
You're an inspiration in nearly every way. The "nearly" is writing every day as I already do that. However, I'd give almost anything to somehow get the discipline to lose 30 lbs and get fit while doing it.
Bravo!
I have really enjoyed your April blog posts! Thanks for giving up your netflix time.
Plus, you have a diploma with Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature on it!
Brava to a month of excellent blog posts! I will never be the same since "ham taco".
You look amazing! Well done. I like to think my berating your food choices on mfp played a small role. I am the wind beneath your ham taco? Omg that sounds disgusting. Sorry.
I'll see myself out.
Wowza.
You know, I look at you and see that you were beautiful at plus-30 lbs, too. Look at that fab hair! But the extra pounds do not do much for the other 49.8%, so congrats to you and your willpower and determination.
I stopped in every day. I'm sorry I did not bring a thoughtful hostess gift, or wine at least, but please know how very much I enjoyed myself! xoxo
You look fab in both pics.
I am sad you won't be blogging every single day. But I will see you in a week, so that makes up for it.
You look great in both pics, but wowza, congrats on that weight loss! Oh, and the PhD.
And Erika, Aidel's chicken and apple sausage holds a special place in my heart now -- and I loved that stuff already!
It's true, my commencement speech contained the words "LEED-certified" and also "Aidell's chicken and apple sausage." My commencement speech was confusing.
I have loved reading your blog the past month. I hope you keep it up.
I never appreciated graduation ceremonies because I was too young but I would now. Congratulations!
You always look beautiful,Becky.
Nothing like a transition to accentuate the passage of time.
You do look damn good in both photos, but indeed, those 30 pounds are quite an achievement!
And I COMPLETELY know what you mean about leaving grad school geographically -- but certainly not emotionally -- behind. I still can't come to grips with not living near the support group 'o friends who went through my Ph.D. with me, and I miss California awfully (though I miss a part a little different from yours).
Side note: I'm SO glad to be able to cast off another semester and catch up on reading your blog!
wait -- it's been a while. but how did you lose all that weight? and 2) i'm planning my own trip to santa cruz, wishing i never left and whatever happened to my youth? except my whole family's going and i don't know how i'm going to see anyone else. wish you were there too, though.
CLS, I wish I were going to be there too! You will be glad you went.
The weight: I just started counting calories. I used the MyFitnessPal app (it's also a website). It's like Weight Watchers but free, and no points system. It was slow and steady but it works. Practically everybody I know is on there now.
Post a Comment