Graduation Day

This past Sunday I graduated from college!  After transferring my freshman year, taking courses at the community college during my summers, doing my senior design project my sophomore year, and completing two internships, I can finally say I did it!  I finished in three years just like I said I would and I am happy and proud to have reached that goal.   But I did not get through alone.  This is not just my day, rather it belongs to everyone who has helped me get to where I am.      

The graduation ceremony itself had its goods and bads.  The guest speaker was a bit long in my opinion, however I thought the student speaker was very good.  The best, most meaningful part of the ceremony though was actually before the ceremony.  All of the potential graduates, including myself, met backstage and had pictures taken and visited while waiting to proceed to the main area.  Once we got the cue, we started walking towards the main area through a tunnel-like hallway.  Lining this hallway on either wall were all of the university professors clapping, smiling, and speaking words of congratulations as we walked through.  It was a total surprise and such a sentimental moment. 

Obviously these two, my parents, came, as well as my grandparents.  Two of my aunts were nice enough to fly in (from Washington D.C. and Florida no less!) for the event.  Some more closely located relatives came too.  I had invited some friends, but many were still in school.  There is one lady who I know was very disappointed she couldn't come, but I could still feel her love that day.  And of course, Spenser was there!  Beaming and all!  He was the first to find me in the crazy mass exodus.  He ran up to me and swept me off my feet-quite literally.  He lifted me up, swung me around, and proceeded to carry me towards the rest of my family.  I loved it. 

This woman deserves a special thanks.  As I mentioned above, my loved ones all helped through college in various ways, but my mom seemed to encompass all of those ways.  She supported me in every way, whether it was listening to my accomplishments and struggles, setting up my room, helping me organize "extra" paperwork (bills, transcripts, equivalencies, etc.), or just being available for whatever.  I appreciate every moment, you amaze me.  Thank you.

(Also, thank you to Spenser for capturing this moment.  No wonder you're my photography coach. ;) )

I wanted to keep the celebration afterwards pretty simple.  For my high school graduation, we had a big open house on and in our patio/deck/backyard area.  A lot of people came, we set up tables, had it catered, etc.  I know that many people also do that sort of celebration for their college graduation.  However, this being said, I wanted something that was a nice time, but required less planning and setting up.  We decided on a casual dinner after the ceremony.  We went to The River House, which has a lot of historic décor.  Everyone got to order what he or she wanted and there was no clean up after. Win-win. :)

 

Thank to everyone who has supported me and influenced me these past few years! 

Here's to you!

I did this today...

 

...and I couldn't be happier!

the prettiest of yards

About a block from where I live, there is a little brown brick house with the most amazing yard.  The front yard is all flowers; tulips mainly.  Tucked between neatly mowed grass yards, it's just such a happy sight.  I'm absolutely in love with it.  I love yards that aren't just grass.  When I was in Urbana a year or so ago, I walked down a street where each and every house and yard was a plant-lover's delight.  I love houses like that.  I've never been one to be a real green thumb, but I'd like to grow more in the future.  I had always planned on having a small garden, but who knows?  Maybe I'll go full-out jungle like in Urbana.  Or maybe I'll walk out the front door into a thousand tulips each morning.  Who knows? ;)

anybody out there?

if you are, hello hello!

as much as I love this tiny little corner of the internet, I'm having a hard time keeping it up currently.  I'm not quitting or anything, I'm just a slow blogger and owning up to it. ;)  so bear with me?  how do all those serious bloggers do it?  I don't know.  I'm constantly at a loss for time.  But I'm hoping after graduation, this summer should allow me some time to organize and get back here more steadily. For now though, I'm keeping at it, even if I'm often late.  I hope you're having a crazy, happy Tuesday!

 

xo,

C

The city I lived in.

For the last two and a half years, I've lived in Davenport, Iowa.  I never dreamed I'd ever live anywhere in Iowa, but I have and I've appreciated the time I've had here.  I've always liked the Quad City area, so moving here was easy because it was somewhat familiar.  As I'm getting close to leaving, I'm feeling sentimental and as if I didn't go enough places here.  This in all probability is most likely false.  Spenser and I do an awesome job of exploring cities, trying new restaurants, and going to everything a place has to offer-whether old, touristy, or whatever.  That aside, I decided to take a final trip downtown this afternoon. 

So many cities have beautiful, historic architecture in their downtowns, but I often feel it goes unappreciated as cities begin to sprawl and business moves away from the original center of the city.  That's why I love when cities have projects that attempt to revive the energy of old downtowns; bringing people and usually the arts back to the downtown area.  Luckily Davenport's downtown still has numerous buildings in operation, due to its prime location close to the riverfront. 

I saw downtown with new eyes this afternoon.  I took many of my photos from a walkway in the John Deere Pavilion and I was reminded that a person can really gain a new perspective of a place just by angle and height of where he or she is.  I know that sounds so simple, but it rang true today as I watched the evening traffic speed home under my feet in the walkway.

I have some great memories from living in Davenport.  But as I was downtown some of my favorite memories were not from my college days of residing here.  Instead, they were of when Spenser and I were dating in high school and we went on one of our first dates outside of town (that was big stuff back in the day-he got to drive me an hour away for it).  We went to go see the Quad City orchestra play at the Adler Theatre.  We love our orchestras!  That particular night the orchestra was doing a Led Zeppelin tribute.  Before the concert, we ate at Duck City Bistro and at that time it was probably the fanciest meal we had had to date.  Near our parking garage, in the same area as those red tulips^^ were in ground water fountains.  I was wearing a red maxi dress and didn't want it to be soaked so we had avoided it on our way to the theater, but on our way back we ran through, skirting the edges, just enough to get a sprinkle or two.

Davenport, I'll miss you, but I'll still be visiting so no worries. ;)