Graduation extravaganza trip part one

The one thing (I'm not joking about the singular focus) that got me through the last few months of my degree this spring was the looming date of completion when I'd get to board a plane and head to San Francisco. Somehow the portfolio came together, no one died in the process. I made it to the airport after a few weeks of four hour nights followed by one last all-nighter. I slithered into my seat in the front row of business class and only woke when the concerned flight attendant touched my shoulder and suggested I should have something to eat. I had actually passed out in my seat without even reclining which is arguably why one books one of these upgrades.
I arrived in San Francisco on May 22nd where Joel was waiting with a car full of materials to assemble my packaging project for the Spring Art Show the following day. I had ordered rundown colour transfers from Montreal and had already shipped my products to California Model and Design in SF to have them re-painted for the occasion. I'd spared no expense given that this was IT. The end of my academic life. Joel and I sat down to apply the transfers in the afternoon. The last time we comped this project it took about three hours so we felt pretty confident about our timing. Eight hours later we were still staring at the same two of the seven bottles that needed to be prepared and realized that there was no way these transfers were going to end up on these bottles. Something was wrong with the adhesive and try as we might, sheet after sheet of the precious custom prints got ruined. At 2am we finally gave up.

Somehow I got through the all-day show on a half night of sleep and no time to adjust to the 15 hour time change. I was overjoyed to see both sides of our family show up from Canada to see the evening part of the show as well as several of our friends. The Cannery building was packed by 9pm and no one could even move around to be able to view the projects but the atmosphere was celebratory.

The following day we were up and at 'em again for a day in San Francisco with Joel's parents at SF MOMA. 

Friday the 25th was the convocation day starting for me at 6am. We went out for a great family dinner afterwards to celebrate.

The weekend blew by with us scooting from one visit to the next. Before we knew it we were packing up and beginning our trip down to Anaheim for the family Disneyland trip I'd also been planning.

I adore the wide open vistas and rolling golden hills on this drive. How I've missed getting into a car and roaring off into the sunset.

The multi generational Disneyland conquest began at the crack of 10am (yes it took us 2 hours to get out the door. Lots of moving parts.) It was the first time to the park for almost everyone in our party so I got to put my tour guide mouse ears on for the day. My Dad and I searched for some of the very first rides that were built in the park that he remembered seeing on TV as a kid. We trundled back in the afternoon to our hotel for a swim and nap before resuming our park festivities (I don't know how anyone can do the full day without a suger-crash coma in the middle). We finally left the happiest place on earth at midnight, cracked open a few bottles of wine and laughed hysterically till about 2am around the kitchen table. Cheers to churros, consumerism and the mouse.

My family headed out on the road the following day to head back to Canada. Joel and I checked into a hotel in Santa Monica. We're now half way through this crazy trip! Stay tuned for the next installment of the Graduation extravaganza trip.