Australia really knows how to "do" graduation right! The ceremony was short and sweet (under an hour! Woohoo!), they streamed it live online so my parents could watch it back in the US, and they had free finger food, champagne, and other drinks afterward. Very nice!
The brick arches and hallways at UQ reminded me of my other alma mater--UCLA!
The formal graduation garb is very different in Australia than in the US. These blue hoods were extremely tough to keep on my shoulders, but the blue hoods showed who was receiving their Master's and the white hoods showed who was receiving a Bachelor's degree. The hats were also different--the base of the hat was stiff and actually easier to keep on my head than our cloth ones.
Before the ceremony
My fan club
The graduate--of Hogwarts? Or the University of Queensland?
Inside the auditorium--UQ's colors are obviously purple (and gold)!
The processional for the Aussie ceremony reminded me of a Catholic church mass a bit!
We topped off the day with a final trip to the top of Mt. Coot-tha!
After the trip to Mt. Coot-tha, I had to face the goodbye I was avoiding most--saying goodbye to Brian and Cheryl. Luckily, I had already gotten all the tears out at my final presentation to Brian's Rotary club, but still it wasn't easy. Before I knew it, my my two big bags were packed (luckily I had already sent home two other full bags with Doug and my parents!!), my room was cleared out and emptied, and I was crammed on Morgan's lap hitching the scariest and most unpleasant ride in a 2-seater Jeep for my last trip to the Brisbane airport.
Goodbye, Australia!!!!!!!
