A couple weekends ago, Chuck, Gavin and I got to travel to SoCal for Gavin's new student orientation at the University of California, Irvine. This university is even better than I imagined it would be. (The only thing that could make it better would be free tuition.)
We had the whole first day we were there free and enjoyed exploring the surrounding area of Newport Beach.
We also spent a lot of time walking around campus, Gavin showing us around.
Here we are posing with his new mascot - Peter the Anteater. We learned a very interesting fact during orientation: UCI is the ONLY school (elementary, middle, high or university) in the U.S. with an anteater as it's mascot. We are embracing the uniqueness. Zot, zot, zot (that's the supposed sound it makes).
As we were walking around we happened upon this amazing place. I think Chuck and I were more excited than Gavin.
Here's Gavin trying to act cool in his dream-like sports arena. These people get him. UCI was one of the first schools in the nation that had a program for playing League at this level of competition.
Here is a close-up of one of the individual computer stations. It is for competing in an online, e-sports game called League of Legends that Gavin has been playing and following for years. I hope to see him here as part of a team one day. And yes, you have to try out for this team, just like any other sport. They take their e-sports seriously at this school. UCI was the among the first universities in the nation to have a top-rate program for e-sports.
Later that evening we went to Laguna Beach and passed this beautiful mural while walking down the coast line.
The water and weather made it too cold to swim, but that didn't stop Chuck and Gavin from making attempts at it.
Some more lovely beach art and rock formations.
The following day we dropped Gavin off for his first day of orientation and then we drove up to LA, about an hour north. We went to Griffith Park and the famed Observatory that gives you sweeping views of the city as well as...
the Hollywood sign.
We spent the majority of our last day there at the University learning all kinds of goodness just for parents. As soon as it was over, we had a dinner date set with a friend we hadn't seen in over 27 years. It was so good to connect again, meet her family and know that someone is close to Gavin if he ever needs help.
