Honest Woman.

Today marks a very auspicious occasion for me. After three long (sometimes excruciatingly so) years, after toils, tears, and a few tantrums, I have finished my graduate degrees. Today I am a master. 

Forgive the cliche, but I honestly thought sometimes that this day might never come. Especially here in the last semester, it was a real slog just to get through some days. But those six little letters after my name (and a brand new name it is!) are so worth the effort.

Would I do it again? God no. Not knowing what I know now, anyway. Graduate school is the WORST. Would I do it again if I could magically erase the memory of how hard it was and start fresh? You betcha. If you’ll allow me the metaphor, I think grad school is a lot like labor (I’m guessing). The day of horrible pain is wiped clean from your memory once the baby has arrived. Granted, my baby is two pieces of paper and the labor lasted almost 1,000 days, but I digress.

I’m ready for one job instead of three, for homework-free weekends and guilt-free napping. I’m ready to jump into the next project, for today I am a master.

I don’t know exactly what the next steps will be. Hell, I don’t even know what my next address will be. But I know what the envelope will say: Lauren Cardick, MPH, MSW.

I’ve made it one quarter of the way through this year, and thought it might be time for an update. I have to say I’m really glad I am doing this project: though it isn’t always capital-F Fun, I now have close to 100 pictures (plus all the ones that I didn’t post) documenting the year 2012. That’s more photos than I take sometimes in a whole year! Seems like cause for a celebration.

As for the next three quarters, I have a couple of new goals, as well as some accomplishments I’d like to recognize:

Accomplishments

1. I haven’t missed a single day since I started taking photos on January 1.
2. I’m getting used to carrying my camera around with me everywhere.
3. I have an amazing record of what we’ve done this year so far.
4. I have faithfully posted my pictures every Sunday.
5. I’m having fun looking for inspiration!

Goals

1. Take better pictures - learn how to use more of my camera’s many features. This will include reading the giant manual.
2. Take more pictures - keep lugging my camera around and try to aim for several photos per day, which will enable me to choose from many for the blog.
3. Take more interesting pictures - look outside the apartment for things to photograph and gain new perspectives (this should be easier now that the weather is nice!).
4. Take more people pictures - get the people I love in front of the camera, perhaps more than just Sam (though he is a handsome devil).
5. Don’t get discouraged - an acquaintance of mine, who just so happens to be a very talented artist and photographer, is also completing this project in 2012, which can admittedly be a little disheartening, as all of her photos are museum-quality and divinely inspired. However, I need to remember that this does not mean my photos are worth less or somehow diminished in comparison. Remembering this fact is perhaps the biggest challenge of all.

There is a lot on the docket in the next 13 weeks - graduation, a couple of weddings, summertime, and perhaps a little bar exam anxiety - so keep visiting for more updates!!