July 15: West Coast Wrap Up

The halfway point and the gang is still all here! Over five thousand miles, about 20 interviews, and a bunch of folks came out to visit us across the stops. We were even spotted a few times while on the road. Yay viral popularity!

The morning began with a conversation with Jeanette Growler ‘12, a member of the Navajo Nation, former gemologist, and current stay-at-home mom of two adorable children. Her story finds her at a crossroads as she decides what her next step is. She is committed to work within Navajo Nation and support of children there and is considering returning to school. We are excited to see what she ends up doing, and are confident she will do great things (Ephs always do, in big and small ways).

The San Diego stop at Mission Bay was a delight (and the most California weather we had on this trip, really was what we imagined it to be). About 10 Ephs rolled through, including representatives from the classes of ‘20 and ‘21! Special shoutout to the young alums getting involved already. Additional shoutout to Laura for picking the most perfect spot for us to convene. 

After the typical move of sticking around longer than expected, Mike and Juan extended the stay further by getting burritos from Lucha Libre, a recommendation from a couple folks in attendance. It did not disappoint. Thanks to Joanne, mother of Danielle ‘20 for driving us over so we didn’t make Nelly nervous with the lack of parking. 

The road called us and we listened. After a bunch of traffic, we visited Justin Lewis ’95 and met his dog, Dexter. We had a casual conversation about the project, what Justin is up to, and mostly just appreciated the sound of a fountain and a view of the mountains. He kindly provided Mike with enough coffee to get through the drive to Vegas. Once more, traffic caused delays and we were not destined to arrive at a reasonable hour. There was even a gas station with 100 pumps. A long night of driving was ahead, but on the other side, a bit of a breather was on the horizon: after an interview on the 16th, your adventurers get a bit of a break to enjoy some time at Grand Canyon. Stay tuned for some photos that don’t do it justice. If you don’t hear from us by the 20th, send help as Mike probably abandoned Juan in the desert and has gone rogue.

M-n(elly)-J