Ok, the disco reference in the title may be cheesy, but really I am in a great mood. The schedule for Saturday is a scheduled hike in the morning, then the afternoon off, then graduation in the evening.
We had the option of which hike to sign up for and I chose the beach hike because I really like it. This is the same hike that I did on Thursday and my goal was to make it further this time around. Most of the hikes are "there and back," so when the clock reaches a certain time, we stop and come back. Well, the goal was accomplished and I went further than before.
The scenery was the same including the dolphins and sea lions. The part of the hike that is at the top of the cliff contains a lot of yellow flowers. Please don't ask me what kind because I really don't know, but they looked good. One of the guides indicated that there was actually two different kinds of flowers and one was the state flower of California. Looking back on it now, I'm thinking I should have taken some pictures. I'll note it for next time. By the way, this beach hike is a popular hike, so all of the groups get to go once per week.
Saturday afternoon was off and most people take advantage of the spa and their huge menu of items. However, I had an awesome treat - Michael and Krista came by!! They knew that I was out here and have friends in this area so they made a trip. It was great to see them and just what I needed. No, I'm not homesick and actually have never been homesick in my travels, but after a full week of activity with all new people, it really was great to see them.
There wasn't a whole lot of time, so I gave them a tour of the place and we went shopping at Target. I needed to get some items that don't travel well like laundry soap and mouth wash. After that, we came back to the resort and chatted for a bit before they drove back to Phoenix.
After dinner was the graduation activities. No, there wasn't a stage that we walked across to get a certificate of completion, so I think they need to change the name. It was a time for reflection on the past week, tell funny stories of what happened (some were inside jokes), and say goodbye to those people departing.
Throughout the week, there is a person to takes pictures and videos of things that go on throughout the week and we watch the edited version at the beginning of the graduation ceremony. Each person gets a copy of the DVD, so I'll have 8 of them by the time I leave.
Closing thought for the day: Throughout my life I have not been a hiking person. I think a lot of that has to do with growing up in Houston, where there's really no special scenery for hiking. This week I have completed 6 hikes in 6 days. The hike this morning was a repeat from two days ago and I went further on the hike this time. Seeing Michael and Krista was a bonus to the day. When you spend all day long with the same people, some bonds are going to form. I know that I made some friends this week that I'll get to see after leaving the resort. Therefore, Saturday night is all right.
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