Loren's Graduation, Part 1: Pre-Graduation Festivities

After the Senior Picnic, graduation activities got started in earnest.  But first, some pictures of Sophie's awesome face painting from Belmont Town Day.  We stumbled upon the festivities after helping some dear friends move and decided to stay for a ride or two.  This was the weekend before Commencement Week.

Loren attended my Senior Soiree, so I agreed to be his date to his Senior Gala.  I think I actually wore the same outfit to both parties.  Guess I need to go shopping.  It was fun to have a night out with Loren, but he didn't know very many people in his graduating class (long story) so we mostly hung out by ourselves, ate the yummy food and watched as the music got louder, the tent got darker and the students got drunker... okay, more drunk.

Check out his Harvard tie

Warming up for the dance floor

If I remember correctly, Loren's mom got into town first and was the only one who came to the family dinner with us.  It was at the Harvard hockey rink and was crowded, as in, fight-to-the-death-over-getting-a-seat-at-the-tables crowded.  But again, the food was good and we had a fun time, even while we walked back to the car in the rain.

Class Day was next, which is the day set aside for the irreverent activities of the graduating class.  First there was a lunch, where we got commemorative Harvard lunch bags, which Loren still refuses to flaunt at work.

Inside the Yard

Loren and the one and only Zags

By this point my parents had made it to Beantown

After lunch was the Class Day program, where Andy Samberg was the featured speaker.  As you can imagine, he was a bit raucous and inappropriate.

Lastly, there was a reception at Leverett House, which is where Loren would have lived if he didn't have a wife and child in tow.  Too bad, Lev.  You missed out on our company!

So many hors d'oeuvres!

Leverett is across the street from the river.  It was hard to get a good picture with the sun in our eyes!

Loren deserved all the celebrations and events that came his way!  Next up, the actual day of Commencement.  It can be summed up in one word:  pomp.

Last hurrahs - Plymouth

We had been to Plymouth before this visit, but it was always for a race and we left directly afterwards, without poking around the town much.  I especially wanted to go to Plimoth Plantation, because of the amazing history there, so we made the trek in May.  The Plantation is mostly outdoors and is a recreation of both Native American and English settlements in the early seventeenth-century.  First we went to the Wampanoag sites, where the historical actors are all Native people from the area.  Plymouth is the English name for the area, while the Native Americans called it Patuxet.

We learned that to make canoes, the Wampanoag's used fire to slowly burn out the inside of the tree trunk.  This meant they could make the boats without needing a lot of tools.

After checking out the Wampanoag village, we headed over to the English settlement.

At the blacksmith's

Isn't this the coolest wood pile you've ever seen?

The settlement had a stunning view, which was picked for safety, not looks

After we saw the Plantation, we headed over to the harbor to explore the replica of the Mayflower.

Sitting in one of the bunks.  Trust me, you would not have wanted to be a passenger on the cramped ship

It was such a beautiful day and since we went in the middle of the week, it wasn't crowded at all!

Beautiful harbor.  Oh East Coast, how I miss you

Like Lexington, Plymouth is one of those places so rich in American/colonial history, that everyone should make an effort to go and visit.  Seriously people.  I felt so blessed to live in a place where I was surrounded by the early history of our country.  There really is no other place like Boston, for that kind of thing.  Sermon finished.  After our day in Plymouth, we went to the first of Loren's graduation festivities:  a luau for the seniors.

Sophie perked up for some ice cream

That means next up is... Part 1 of Loren's graduation celebrations!