And you all thought I was just going to leave you with that cliff hanger.

Yes folks, I did graduate.

After my last rotation (anesthesia at the University Hospital) we had half a week of capstone lectures in regulations, registrations, and related fun facts. Then it was a flurry of packing and traveling before graduation.

Jessica and I helping prep decorations for Capstone week

I was lucky enough to FINALLY take my long awaited trip to the Great Barrier Reef for some diving. I stayed on a liveaboard and did several dives and had the absolute best time. This boat trip was essentially the first time I relaxed in…. potentially years? Our food was made for us, all we had to do was rinse the plates, then we would lounge around on the deck in our swimsuits all day before hopping back in for another dive. It was glorious.  I went with one of my best friends who was visiting Australia. We saw hundreds of fish, coral, turtles, sharks, and even cuttlefish!! There is no feeling quite like being underwater in this completely different world…. also, I love swimming upside-down 🙂

Made some friends above the water too

I was blessed enough that my family and some very close family friends traveled to Australia for my graduation!

The world needs to see this. (Fashion not planned)

We did a bit of touring around. Some sights my parents re-visited after their first trip in 2016, but I also tried to plan some new sites for them to see. We drove the Great Ocean Road again; it may have been my 6^th or 7^th time doing this road trip but its so gorgeous I could probably drive that road until the day I died and never get bored! Then I took them to the Grampians, a popular place for hiking in Victoria; we luckily ran into a lot of kangaroos, koalas, emus, and even echidnas here. And then we rounded out all the fun activities with another dive in the Melbourne area.

Introducing my little bro to iced coffees (served in beer bottles!) at one of my favourite cafes.

The final Laksa King dinner; this place has been our favourite restaurant in Melbourne and we tried to take as many visitors here as possible. 

THEN THE BIG DAY. GRADUATION. It was so hot I focused on not passing out and faking my body into thinking I wasn’t hypovolemic when crossing the stage. When people ask me how happy I was to graduate I just show them this picture:

Trust my parents to bring about 5 different cameras to capture the moment. I felt like the paparazzi was following me, but I definitely wasn’t complaining. This was such a long-awaited day! After graduation, the rest of my days in Australia were spent packing, closing bank accounts, selling my belongings, and saying goodbye to people very dear to my heart.

Goodbyes suck

Had to say goodbye to all my friends pets

Once back in Canada, in true Ileana-style I went to several job interviews ignoring my jetlag. Then came apartment searching and move day on a freezing Alberta winter weekend.

I’ve started working now as well. The learning curve is STEEP but I’m blessed with a great clinic and some fantastic mentors. And yes, I DO love it!  🙂

Thank you so much to everyone who has read, followed, and asked me about my blog over the last 4 years. It turned out to be a fantastic way to share my journey with family and the friends I have made all over the world. This post is more pictures than words, but that’s because pictures speak a thousand words and I don’t have near enough words to truly express what my time in Australia has meant to me.

Love & keep in touch,

Ileana