Graduation!!

So, the day began bright and early with breakfast with my family ( who came down from the Northwest!) and then it was to the venue for rehearsal...Once I arrived and was getting out of my car, a big gust of wind came and my finger got smashed in the door Now its all bruised on one side and numb on the other... (at least its not my shutter finger!)...then my tassel fell of my hat somewhere between carrying my regalia from the car to the venue but luckily they had extras! Next we were herded like cattle into an upper room where there was no air conditioning and we were all sweating underneath our gowns...YUCK! Two hours later the ceremony started, but some of us were fighting not to fall asleep because it was so warm and we had to sit and listen to the speaker for what seemed like ages! Then they conferred our degrees and since they told us we werent allowed to throw our hats because of people getting thier eyes poked out, some of us split stacks of cards(we smuggled them in under our sleeves) and threw them along with popping Party Poppers...
We all congregated outside and took a gazillion pictures and said our goodbyes to friends who are moving away... then, It just so happened that an ice cream truck drove by and you should have seen all of us standing out in the street ordering icecream like giddy lil school girls!
Later that evening we all congregated at my Dad's place for a lil' fun and relaxation. We played tennis, ping-pong, pool, soccer, air hockey and some people swam or hot-tubbed. Overall it was a very relaxing evening and I really enjoyed spending time with the friends and family :)
IN honor of Mothers day we took mom to a Laguna Beach Cafe and soaked in the sun.
Now, I am sitting in a hotel room somewhere in B.F.E amidst a road trip home to Oregon and Washington to go see friends and family for a week or so. I have slept in the car most of the day catching up on the lack of sleep I have had this past week, so now I am wide awake :)


It is just now setting in that I am done...completley finished! Its a great feeling...but sad at the same time because a chapter in my life has ended. And while it may have been rough at times, it was a wonderful experience. The speaker at graduation mentioned that only 1% of the population has the opportunity to attend college, and it hit me how truly lucky we are to live in a land abounding with opportunities!
So in retrospect I am overall thankful...for opportunity, family, and friends...
Thanks everyone for such an amazing weekend!