Better Than Cheese

It's no secret my journey through graduate school was made sweeter and easier by four ROCKIN' friends (five in our master's program - giving us an attrition rate of 20%). We drove 8 hours every three weeks for 18 months to climb the doctor's mountain. We stayed together in one hotel room. Ate at over 30 restaurants. Traveled over 3,674,000 miles (a rough estimate).

Now we are graduating together [again] and throwing ourselves a [nother] PARTY!!!! (And since I just learned how to make stripes in photoshop, I tried to see how many I could cram onto the invite.

designed by ms. fish

When we graduated with our master's degree in 2009, I presented each of my friends with a gift: a hardback book that I designed and wrote. Called The Path to Practitioner, it chronicled our journey together in becoming nurse practitioners through pictures and stories. I can't speak for my friends, but for me, I love this little book more than cheese (which is like saying more than Lisa Lampanelli loves jokes which is like saying more than Steve Jobs loves money which is like saying more than Charlie Sheen loves....  well you get the idea).

Here is a peak inside the book. That's us on the front cover. We look so Charlie's Angel-ish (which now seems sort of sacrilegious.... to have Charlie and Angel in the same sentence).

Copyright Jennifer H. Fisher

Here is what the Author's Note says in the right hand side above:

I love this photograph taken by my brother. It shows great perspective about obstacles and the vast freedom and opportunity which lie beyond. During school we faced roadblocks which seemed impassable. But success came with creative solutions: the greatest was an unlikely friendship of five very different women. Our friendship was special. It was rare. And together, we got around the walls. As the Beattles put it, "I got by with a little help from my friends." I hope you enjoy this story of our journey. It will never be repeated. It can only be remembered. Love, Jenni

You can see a preview of the book here.

Now, ssshhhh, it's a surprise what I am working on to give the girls for THIS graduation. All I can say is that it feels good to wrap my hands around a bone folder. It's been a long, long time.