Welp, I did it…I am a college graduate. I walked across that stage, (without tripping, which was actually a huge worry of mine) & accepted that diploma. Behold…

Before I get ahead of myself though, let’s recap the weekend from the beginning.

The celebration started out with lunch at Malibu Farm on the pier, which you know from my previous post is home to one of the best fried egg sandwiches. I really should branch out & order something else when I go there, but once I see it, everything else on the menu doesn’t stand a chance.

^^ white wine sangria.

^^ pure beauty.

Apparently we hadn’t gotten enough of the view because after lunch we headed to Zuma to check out the beach where I used to have those early morning surf lessons.

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I love food. So, naturally, the next thing to do was to drive into LA & have dinner at The Ivy. Apparently, The Ivy is the place to talk film over lunch. Celebrities are often spotted there, but I would go back just for the lobster ravioli on this magical patio…

^^ sangria round dos…their signature made with champagne.

The next day we headed to campus to pick up my graduation regalia (the cap & gown for all you common folk) & attended a reception for my major. While I was introducing my parents to all of my professors, Liam utilized Payson library, studying for his AP exams…poor guy. Of course, after that, we were hungry, so we headed to one of our new-found favourites in Venice…Gjelina.

^^ toasts with burrata, roasted peppers & anchovy.

^^ a passionate look.

Bellies full, we turned in early because we had to be up nice & early, looking pretty for graduation. I had to be there at 9am to pick up my honour cords, so I don’t think I snapped out of my grogginess & realized I was graduating until I was walking down the red carpet to the sound of bagpipes.

^^ even though I had to be there at 9, we didn’t start the ceremony until 10:30 because it takes that long to get about 900 students seated in order. Even though we’ve all earned Bachelor’s, for some reason people cannot locate an assigned seat.

After hearing from all the speakers & having our degrees made official, about 450 people in, I crossed the stage in front of what is probably the biggest crowd I will even find myself in front of.

After baking in the sun for close to 3 hours, we tossed our hats (which revealed a horrible tan line across my forehead) & became official graduates of Pepperdine University. From then on, it was just an overwhelming sea of orange, blue & camera flashes.

^^ my entourage.

As models are know to say, photo shoots make you hungry. So we headed into West Hollywood to meet the Ott’s at Estrella for dinner.

^^ the highlights were my cocktail (it was called the “Backyard” something…) & of course the popcorn.

Sunday was the day that the family headed back home. Before they boarded the plane though, we squeezed in Malibu Seafood, a classic spot on PCH that I’ve wanted to try since I first got to Malibu.

^^ happy tummies.

Despite the food being delicious & the sun shining all weekend, I couldn’t help but be a little more sad than excited to graduate. Although I am more than ready to be done with tests, papers & assignments, I’m not sure I’m ready to say goodbye to the people & the place that I have called home for the past four years. Thinking back to when I was a freshman, I was terrified to be living in another country & attending a school where I knew no one. Now, this once unfamiliar place filled with strangers has taken a piece of my heart & I suddenly have to say goodbye. Although you can never get tired of the view & can’t argue that we don’t have one of the most beautiful campuses in the world, what made Pepperdine for me were the friends that began to feel a lot more like a second family. From my Knott-E girls freshman year, to my Lausanne family abroad, to the sorority that gave me the sisters I never had, I am truly grateful to have known all of you. Even though I’d like to say this is a “see you later” & not a “goodbye”, I know that my path may not cross some of yours again. However, I am starting to smile through the tears as I remind myself of wise words a teddy bear once said:

“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh