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Sunday, June 18, 2006

Reluctant Traveler

Always, travel stresses me. I love to take off but I worry about every little thing. Also, I like it here in the summer. Will they actually have our reservation in Venice or Vienna? I did it all online--such is the world today.

But I am excited. We will meet our beloved Lucas in Venice. Lucas and Kaley wanted to see some of Eastern Europe so after Venice we will spend some time in Slovenia and Hungary---places that were not on the maps I studied in school. People are amazed that financially we are able to do this. I tell them we are all going on frequent flyer miles and renting little cottages in Slovenia and Hungary is cheaper than a vacation condo at Lake Chelan where everyone around here heads in the summertime.

Kaley is now officially done. She has graduated from Kamiak High School. In our neighborhood, the elementary school, the middle school and the high school are all right next to each other up at the top of the hill from our house. I realized last night at dinner that for the first time in 16--yes, 16 years, my life will not revolve around those schools. Kinda makes me cry buckets. This is a huge change for me.

The graduation ceremony was held at the new Everett Events Center and traffic was so terrible on I-5, we thought we might not make it but we did. Kaley, as Salutatorian was in the front row with the other Salutatorians and Valedictorians. The principal asked the graduating seniors to stand if they had been in the Mukilteo schools since kindergarten; amazingly, most of them had. The senior choir members, including Kaley, performed a beautiful piece---kinda made me cry buckets. Kaley's Grandma came from Montana. This is her youngest grand child and the only girl out of five and she has not missed one high school graduation. She stopped smoking when Kaley was two years old so she could see this day.

It is always fun to look at the program. Unlike my high school class that was filled with Smiths, Johnsons, Andersons, Larsons, and Jones---Kaley's class is filled with Lees, Kims, Parks, Lins, and Nguyens. There are very few Smiths and Jones these days and I just wonder--where did they go? Also, the kids get little symbols after their names for Honor Cord and Honor Society. Kaley had three little symbols which was kind of the most you could have. She was proud of herself and we were proud of her.

So it is over and we are off to pick up our son in Europe and check out of few sights. We'll talk again on the Fourth of July. Bye!!

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Kamiak Class of 2006

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Kaley and her family minus Lucas!