This past weekend was probably the most exciting and celebratory weekends I’ve ever experienced. I celebrated three of my favorite people in the world and a year of marriage!

Thursday night started off with my best friend’s Mehndi (henna party). She looked absolutely amazing and it was so nice to spend some time with her husband. The day was pretty hectic with setting up for the party and all but we definitely enjoyed it long into the night!

Friday morning was my husband’s college graduation! Because we had such a long night the night before, we ended up skipping the morning ceremony and just caught up with his friends afterwards to get photos. He’s worked so hard for this for so long and I’m so so proud of him. Chemical engineering ain’t no joke and to top that off with pre-med… I don’t know how he does it.

Friday night was my best friend’s wedding reception and it was also so so much fun. The couple looked absolutely amazing. I got there a bit early to help them take their couples photos before hand and just hang out with the bride until she made her entrance. It was really nice to spend those couple of hours with her alone because we probably won’t get to do that for a few months since she’s moving away. Of course I bawled like a baby at the end during the rukhsati but was thankfully able to hold my own during our speech.

Saturday was our first wedding anniversary! I can’t believe it’s already been a year since I married my best friend. Marriage is definitely challenging but also one of the most rewarding aspects of life. I’m so happy that I have someone to share my life with. Because the weekend was already so hectic, and we had just both finished finals and whatnot, we decided to have a really lazy anniversary. Of course our parents were completely horrified that we wouldn’t have a party or anything. But it was honestly really perfect. We slept in, cooked and watched movies. It was exactly what we needed. We’re going to be starting an Adventure Wall in our apartment (think adventure book from Up but on a wall) so I bought a few things to get that started.

Sunday morning I had breakfast with one of my best friends from college. She moved back to NorCal after we graduated so I haven’t seen her in almost a year. It was so nice and comforting to be in such a familiar presence. We lived in the same dorm freshman year and have been friends ever since. She has such a beautiful soul. I’m so grateful for her friendship and support throughout the years. She always encourages me to be the best I can be. I’m so glad  we had the chance to catch up.

And lastly, my mom graduated with her PhD Sunday afternoon! She’s been working so hard for this for so many years and I’m so incredibly proud of her. She’s shown everyone that it’s possible to balance a life of family and work. She’s the most compassionate person I know and that definitely translates into her dedication to public health. I’m so grateful to have such a wonderful role model.

Now it’s back to reality: studying for my remediation on July 6. More on that soon.  It’s been a tough transition back to studying after such an exciting (and exhausting for an introvert like myself) weekend but gotta keep my head in the game.

Ramadan Kareem to all those who will be observing this holy month!