These days, Alex McCord has plenty of reasons to celebrate! The former star of The Real Housewives of New York City has reached significant achievements in both her career and her marriage to Simon van Kempen, and it’s time to pop the champagne.

Now residing in Australia, Alex has transitioned into a career as a psychologist, living with her husband and their two sons. She is currently on the path to earning a PhD in clinical psychology. Recently, she shared her progress on Instagram, announcing she’s one step closer to achieving the title of Dr. Alex McCord.

In the image she posted, Alex is seen standing in her home office, happily holding a bottle of champagne with an excited expression. She captioned the moment, “Me walking away from my computer after submitting my PhD thesis to the examiners. The feedback and defense will come, but tonight….champagne,” proudly adding, “I did it.”

Alex has been very engaged in her studies for her PhD, but is also able to find the time to relax. She took to Instagram in April, where she revealed that she was able to take a study break on the beach “on the only sunny day.”

Inside Alex McCord and Simon van Kempen’s milestone wedding anniversary

Last month, Alex and Simon celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Alex took to Instagram where she revealed that they celebrated the milestone wedding anniversary during a getaway at The Moso, a luxury hotel located in Vanuatu. 

In the Reel, posted to her account, Alex and Simon can be seen lying out in the sun, wearing their finest resort wear, lounging in the water, and having a romantic picnic on the beach. “Celebrating 25 amazing years married to my best friend [Simon] – we snuck away to Vanuatu and loved it,” she wrote in the caption of the post.

See Alex McCord’s birthday tribute to Simon van Kempen

Simon, a solicitor at his family’s law firm, turned 61 in early March. The couple celebrated this by heading to Wellington, New Zealand, where they dined on some delicious-looking food, and took in all of the sights and the scenery around them, according to Alex’s Instagram post.

“Happy 61st to my love [Simon] – what a great day with Vivienne Westwood’s jewelry, seals in the Cook Strait, a wind farm, and a gorgeous dinner,” she wrote in the caption of the post. “(P.S. Wellington is so bloody cool. You should go).”

Why Alex McCord and Simon van Kempen are living in Australia

Alex, Simon, and their sons, Francois and Johan van Kempen, moved to Australia more than a decade ago in 2014. In an interview with The Daily Dish at the time, Alex admitted that it was “time” for them to move out of the United States.

“We’ve made the decision to move to Australia to be with family,” she explained. “Over the last few years, all of Simon’s family have reconvened from as far as Europe to live within 20 minutes of each other on a collection of beautiful beaches on the north coast of the New South Wales. We are the last of the family to move back, and it’s time.”

See what happened when Alex, Simon, and their sons recently visited New York City.