days 5-11 (feb 11-17)
Because I am SO far behind on this blog (sorry), I am just going to copy our most recent blog John wrote for our SoCal page. So know that this is mainly from John’s perspective. I’ll add in where I see fit (in italics, just so you know).
Dear SoCal Friends...
We apologize for the tardiness of this blog for we are still adjusting to life on the road and finding time to soak it all up.
We have just completed the honeymoon phase of our precious journey through the Southern California region...and I must say it was just that...a honeymoon. From Los Angeles to the Ojai Valley to Santa Barbara...our travels brought us to meet amazing people and amazing landscapes. Since we are all not from California...I think some of us probably didn't realize the beauty of our region that we are touring. And for that, we definitely have the best tour.
So this blog begins with our visit to Holy Family High School, a private-all-girls-Catholic school in the LA area. Candice Maclang and these girls were the epitome of excitement...and the fact that Ben and John were strutting through the courtyard only added to their excitement.
That night we stayed with the lovely Anne Dillon, a teacher at Holy Family. Her and her husband Terry spoiled us with pizza, exciting stories, and some good ol' fashioned encouragement. Terry is the assistant to the executive producer of Two and A Half Men and The Big Bang Theory. He’s also been a monk in training, worked at a hospice on the border of Mexico, among other exciting things.
When we asked them about “their story,” I was surprised to learn how unique it was. They actually met in Ireland as teenagers when on vacation with their families, kept in touch through letters, and eventually faded apart. Their paths crossed again with Anne unintentionally transferred to the college Terry was attending in the Mid-West. They started dating, but then their lives parted ways yet again. Third time’s a charm though because they reconnected in San Diego through mutual friends and got married about a year ago. How crazy is that?
Anyway, these people were awesome... A BIG thanks for their hospitality!
The next day, we enjoyed some free pancakes, as it was National Pancake Day! Obviously, we love free. What roadie doesn't? We also drove around Burbank which apparently is the home to quite a few major studios including Universal, WB, etc.etc. Way cool.
Later, we geared up to go to Malibu to hang out with the Pepperdine folks. Jazmin Aguila...one of the hardest working people we have ever met...coordinated it all and set up the opportunity for us to get to know other folks on campus. Once we arrived to the campus, we were greeted by Amanda Cowie and Elliott Jones...they showed us around and got us more free food! Always a plus in our book.
It’s been really neat meeting some more college students along tour (not that I haven’t been obsessed with all the amazing high schoolers..). It’s strange because I was literally JUST there (in college) and yet I’m now in the next stage of life. But I still feel like I’m in college. Hmm.
Not sure if that makes sense, but that’s where I’m at. I feel that I connect with them best because I just got out of that stage of life and so I can relate to them most. I’ve had some wonderful conversations with some amazing people throughout tour and just hearing their stories, their passions, their ambitions.. It’s been life-changing. I wish there was a less cliche way to say that, but it’s true.
But back to Pepperdine.
It was encouraging to see the number of students that attended this screening because apparently no one was cramming to have another convocation credit because it was so early in the semester. Pepperdine was our first college stop on tour and it was well received with longtime supporters of IC...and underclassmen that are eager to help.
Haydock Intermediate in Oxnard was our next stop and this was an intense screening consisting of 7 screenings in a row! This school was predominately hispanic and Christa, the teacher that had brought us there was in the process of educating these young students to be globally-minded. I wish I had a teacher like that when I was that age.
After Oxnard, we went to Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks. Caitlynn McCandless and her troop of crazies are pranksters and for that...we love to prank. Paige and John, preceding the screening, had a fake proposal to top of this years Valentine's Day. Once discovering our prank, they decided to tag up the van. And, it was a beautiful moment to be pranked in return (it definitely didn't beat our prank though). But...seriously...we met some seriously solid students at Cal Lutheran and are excited about them stalking us on tour!
To check out the proposal video... go here.
Now, to tie up this rather long blog (sorry for that)...our next destination was the Ojai Valley where Shannon and Jessie from Villanova Prep pulled together a community event in the charming downtown theatre. And, it was more than a success!
They definitely knew how to show us a good time. From snagging the best tasting oranges we've ever tasted to visiting Meditation Mountain to taking a stroll at the watering hole to encountering paradise at Jade's house...ugh...need we go on. Ojai was renewing and made Ben reconsider his statement of never wanting to live in California.
(we went on a hike to the watering hole)
(sorority pose at jade’s amazing backyard)
(John and I with Jessie and Shannon).
Our second week was fantastic and such an amazing capstone on our honeymoon phase! Until next time...
Saturday, February 23, 2008
