openingexpandingcelebrating

WEST AUSTINITES REMEMBER GRADUATION TRIPS — Compiled

by Forrest Preece

A lifelong Austinite, this is my home, this beautiful, vibrant city I love. I know Austin like few others because I’ve been dedicated to our community for decades. So, whether you’re looking for a bungalow, a lakeside villa or a panoramic penthouse, my commitment to you and my unmatched knowledge can turn your Austin dream home into your new reality. Let’s take that next step together.

AUGUST W. HARRIS III

512.653.8611 | august@moreland.com | moreland.com

When our oldest daughter graduated from high school, we took her and her two younger sisters to Greece. Since Greek History and Mythology were some of her favorite subjects, she walked around Athens in tour guide mode. We had a blast learning about the history, but our favorite part was probably visiting some of the stunningly gorgeous islands, and being around the joyful people and our family.

— Paige Alam

Following law school graduation and the subsequent bar exam, law students often take a “bar trip” before they start their post-law school jobs. In 2014, a couple friends and I left the day after the bar for a planned trip to Bulgaria, Istanbul and then Israel. Bulgaria and Istanbul went according to plan, but as we were in Turkey, shelling started in Israel and the friends we were planning on visiting in Israel advised that it probably wasn’t the best time to travel. But my friend and I did not have tickets back to the states for another nine days, so we got on the internet, looked for cheap flights from Istanbul, and 24 hours later, were in Tbilisi, Georgia. We had an amazing four days exploring Georgia, and then we had a taxi drive us to Armenia where we had four more amazing days exploring around Yerevan. They were two countries I probably would not have prioritized for visits had our circumstances not required a last minute change, but they are two of my favorite places I’ve ever been, and I am thankful I had the chance to experience them.

—Will Duncan

In June 2006, we celebrated our son, Jordan’s high school graduation, our oldest daughter, Aubrey’s graduation from Davidson College, and Randy’s 50th birthday by taking a cruise to Alaska! Our three children, Aubrey – 22, Jordan – 18, and Everly – 15, were with us for this unbelievable trip. We started in Vancouver, BC (which is where Jordan now lives) and cruised to Fairbanks, Alaska. It was incredible as we celebrated Randy’s 50th birthday with a private dinner prepared by the ship’s chef on our suite balcony in front of the glaciers. The best part of the trip was finally seeing whales. I had put the kids through so many unsuccessful whale-watching trips where they got seasick, etc. This time they prayed so hard that mom would finally see her whales and we did. Even better, we saw at least six humpback whales come up out of the water simultaneously, which is called bubble-net feeding or surface feeding. I was thrilled, and our children and Randy were thrilled, especially because they would never have to go on another whale-watching trip again! Except someday we will take our grandchildren as it’s the most beautiful trip we have ever experienced.

—Deborah Davis Groves