It’s two nights before graduation and the most common question I’ve been asked this week is ‘Are you excited yet?‘

Interesting, I am starting to feel a little excited, however up until this evening I wasn’t really excited.

I don’t think I should compare my graduation experiences however I cannot help remembering what it felt when I graduated with my BTech Quality degree. For me, that graduation was a monumental achievement. A bachelors degree, something that I deeply desired.

It felt like I reached a major milestone in my life. A distinguishing attribute. But, if being a milestone wasn’t enough, there was more. When I started studying towards that degree in 2009, I also had just started my new life. Post-divorce life. It was the rebirth of me, and along with that came many new things including a set of new ‘university friends’ – my Quality friends, because we all studied BTech Quality together. Together, we shared the challenges, trials and tribulations but also development and the highlights that came with being part time students.

A truly great bunch of people who are incredibly dear to me today. Claudine, Shaun, Hein, Ronelle, Angelo and I fostered true comradery. And since graduation, we’ve managed to maintain fairly close contact. So BTech graduation was extra special because it was something that we all did together.

But wait there’s more….. not only did I graduate with my dear friends on 15 April 2011, but I also graduated with my baby brother (who completed his BTech in Mechanical Engineering when I did Quality). #Priceless. We both were part time students at the same University, in the same Faculty in the same years. And so we both were conferred our respective degrees on the same night. It was a double celebration for my family.

The run-up to that graduation was super awesome off the hook epic. I clearly remember how elated I was at the time. A totally magnificent night. One of my most cherished memories.

So I’m happy about the doctorate graduation. Yes I am indeed, happy and grateful. But only tonight, for the first time since it was confirmed that I’m graduating, did I started feeling a little bit excited while I was packing my bag for the upcoming trip,

My excitement might gain momentum when my Dad and I get on that plane tomorrow morning and make our way to Durban – we’ll see. Although I’m not crazy excited (yet) like with BTech, what I do know is that this is a good feeling. I’m closing my eyes, opening my heart and taking it all in.