Family visit

Katie D.

June 18, 2010 - 11:14 AM

The best part of graduation was having my family in town. I say that without the slightest hesitation. It was so wonderful to have my mom, dad, and little sister here with me, celebrating this huge event in my life, and spending time in this city that I love so much. We managed to squeeze in quite a few adventures between the graduation-related activities, and I had the most fabulous time.

The biggest event was the picnic with the full group of friends, our families, and several of the professors and other adults who have been important in our lives. It was wonderful. Suddenly almost all of the central people in my life were all in one place together, sharing bratwursts (my dad makes world-famous beer bathed bratwursts) and clustered around the chocolate fountain. Several of my favorite professors were able to attend, and I had the great joy of introducing them to my parents. My little sister schmoozed with my friends, and I got to spend time with the parents of various friends. Even our Zumba instructor came, and brought her children. My friend Nathan's family brought their dog. It was a mess of strangers, all connected through one or many of my tight-knit group of friends. Four years of connection and incredible friendship came together out in the sun on a beautiful day. I could not have been happier.

Then there was graduation itself. I hope that every graduate has the supreme joy of crossing the stage and being able to see their loved ones smiling with such pride. While giving the commencement speech, I had a clear view of my family and the friends who came to support me. It was such a wonderful feeling of being loved and held by so many people I love so dearly.

Celebrations aside, we got to tour Eugene. My dad and sister had never seen my house in Eugene. We drove around the neighborhoods and the central places in my life these days. We walked around campus, drove to Skinner's Butte for a view of the city, and they put up with me when I excitedly pointed out my grocery store (Sundance), my favorite coffee shop (Allen Brothers) and the best Italian food in Eugene (Beppe and Giani's).

Then we ate. Oh, and how we ate. Belly, in the 5th Street Market, was by far the favorite. But we also ate at Tasty Thai and had two breakfasts at my favorite neighborhood bakery, The Hideaway Bakery. And, as is the custom with our family, we spent meal times telling excited stories, talking over musical ideas with my guitar-playing Dad, books with Mom, and acting with Kelly. We talked about my adventures and plans in Eugene, and the people we now knew in common. We made up for the months that had passed without seeing each other. And, as always, we had a deck of cards to keep us occupied in the ongoing Hearts tournament while waiting for our meal.

Once the Eugene celebrations were complete, we skipped town for a family trip to Portland. We stayed at a beautiful hotel on the waterfront. We went to Powell's bookstore and the Pioneer Courthouse Square. I took them on an abbreviated tour I used to take with the international students when working for the American English Institute. Then, in the evening, we went to Montage, a fabulous Cajun restaurant under the Morrison Bridge on the sketchy side of town. My spicy macaroni and spam was to die for, and tasted especially delicious when eaten under the ecclectic artwork and deliberately esoteric atmosphere of the place. They wrapped up our leftovers in foil sculptures, including a crab/scorpion creature, a person sitting in an easy chair, and (everyone's favorite) someone hanging from a chair. Portland can be so incredibly funky!

Then we headed over to the original Voodoo Doughnuts. Everyone from Oregon should know this landmark, and for the out-of-towners I can only affirm that this is a must-see landmark, and the doughnuts will be unlike anything experienced anywhere else. My Voodoo Doll doughnut, complete with pretzel stick stabbed through its jelly-filled heart, was a delicious as I remembered.

We also had the hilarious adventure of a pedestrian crossing of one of Portland's many bridges, only to have the lights start flashing and a voice urging us to run immediately because the bridge was about to be lifted to allow a ship to pass. We looked at each other with a mutual sense of "we don't have bridges in Denver!" and raced to the end of the bridge. We then casually watched the boat pass as though we had not just crossed the Willamette River at a dead sprint.

We then skipped town to see the Columbia River Gorge. This is possibly the most beautiful place in Oregon. Well, aside from the coast. And Crater Lake. The point being, the Gorge is a place of incredible natural beauty, with amazing rock faces and the powerfully green vegetation that is so astounding to Colorado eyes. But the best part of the Gorge is the collection of waterfalls. Driving along the historic Columbia River Highway is to encounter waterfall after waterfall, connected by a series of trails and accessible right along the roadside. We saw so many beautiful places that day, one quickly following another. The final waterfall, and the most famous, is Multnomah Falls. So amazingly beautiful.

I miss my family living out here in Oregon. I am so glad I was able to share so much of my college life with them in such a short time: my campus, my work, my home, my roommates and friends and their families, and the places I escape to when I find the time.

I hope they know how special their visit was for me. It was the perfect graduation time: the chance to be with everyone I loved, from college friends to my beloved family. What an adventure, and a whole new set of wonderful memories. I hope they know how much that trip means to me, and what a difference their presence made.