The Day I Became a JD(iva)

Oh, yeah, remember that one time I graduated from law school?  Feels so long ago after this heck of a long, arduous summer!

Honestly, I do not remember that much about it because I was bleary-eyed with heat stroke.

We had these massively heavy gowns on over our normal clothes and then these great big velvety hats to hold in any heat that dare try to escape.

[Me^ on the left, zipping up]

Add to that a hot, humid Pennsylvania day with lots of ceremonial walking and standing in a tent OUTSIDE with NO AIR CONDITIONING and that is packed with hundreds and hundreds of people all up in each others' business and then the powers that be commanded the underlings to tamp down the sides of the tent to disallow any potential breeze from coming in.

Literally.

Sweat dripping down my face.

At one point I remember reaching to the ground to get a bottle of water and my entire back and arm cramped up so I couldn’t move.

BAD.

I just remember emerging from the tent feeling dizzy; pretty sure that I was about to faint at any moment.

But my family was there, I got some lemonade & started feeling better and we even got some photos.

My brothers + sisters-in-law and myself have this little...problem.  When we all get together, suddenly we're all 5 years old again and taking a serious photos is, well...impossible.  But I like it that way, it makes for funny pictures that show who we really are- just big kids who love each other :)

 

The graduation ceremony itself, thankfully, was the low point of my family’s trip out east.  I had so much fun with them here!

Once the festivities were over, we grabbed plenty of tasty soft pretzels and then paid our respects to Molly Pitcher who –well, who would have guessed?—is laid to rest in the Carlisle Cemetery just down the road and is somewhat of a hero to Mom, Grandma, and me.

We also had a graduation PAR-TAY!

  Wegman’s finest chocolate domes were, of course, prominently featured.

~~

Shortly after my family arrived at the airport, we headed to Gettysburg and ate in the basement of an old historic tavern all done up like an Abolitionist hideout, following by a Ghost Tour!  Spooooooky! ;D

We had an amazing day-long tour of Gettysburg, hosted by local all-knowing historian and law librarian, Mark—it was excellent—and included lunch at the Appalachian Brewing Company with birch beers all around.

[I think this^ wins the prize for photo of the trip with Grandpa's sweet gangsta pose!]

 

We also enjoyed a fun little hike around the Children’s Lake in Boiling Springs where it meets the world-famous Appalachian Trail.  After that we had a lovely dinner at the Boiling Springs Tavern- I truly enjoyed everyone’s company all together at one big, round table.

I took the fam on a tour of Carlisle, which included a trip to the Carlisle Indian School site/graveyard, the army barracks where my Grandpa Bill stayed, and my law school.

 It was so nice to show everyone the places I have been enjoying for the last 3 years and I am so grateful that they made the long trek out to celebrate this event with me.  Without their support, it would have been darned near impossible for me to do it, so I am very grateful to them for their love!