Academic Journey Ending

I started this blog after arriving in New Zealand to embark on an academic journey to complete a PhD, and this journey has now come to an end. I graduated and threw a party to celebrate with friends and acquaintances, and despite the terrible rainy weather, still managed to get a good turnout. I figured this would be the last time I would be celebrating something like this, so I went a bit overboard, but that's alright. I'm still polishing off the leftovers from the cakes...yum.

The PhD graduates lining up to go in at the graduation ceremony
- we got the fun poofy Renaissance-style hats

the huge food spread by the caterer

fanciest cake I've ever ordered (dark chocolate)

another fancy cake (chocolate peanut butter and vegan)

my homemade pumpkin cake, because I couldn't find a gluten-free vegan
cake to purchase in this city for friends with these requirements

Birds and Beaches in Newcastle, Australia

I recently traveled to Newcastle, Australia (about a two-hour train ride north of Sydney) with a friend for the last academic conference I would attend as a student. It was a bit humid and hot (in the 80s F / high 20s C) but great to be so near the ocean and able to enjoy the nice birdsong and frequent sightings of the cockatoos and kookaburras. The conference was invigorating – lots of new ideas and books to check out and new friendships made. On the days off, we did some Christmas shopping at a big mall and walked down to the beach to do some swimming with the fish. That was a fun experience and reminded me how calming an effect being in nature can have on us humans. I always plan to get out in it more, but maybe I will actually make an effort to do it in the new year. Every time I’m in Australia, I enjoy it and want to come back. We did a quick harbor tour in Sydney while waiting for our flight. It started thundering and raining while we were out, so that was a bit of a bummer, but at least I got to view the magnificent Opera House and Harbor Bridge again.

First time I saw this phrase used to describe a loading zone!

At the Harris Farm Markets store (fancier version of Trader Joe's)

cool public art fixture that lit up at night

the conference was in a new building at the university

where we went swimming with the fish

cockatoos were everywhere, noisily announcing their presence

found this cute kitty on one of our walks around the neighborhood

more cockatoos

kookaburra - heard their laughing call every morning

kookaburra on the nature walk

this kookaburra let me get so close to it!

harbor tour in Sydney with thunderstorm approaching