To be 17 again...

This amazing, strong, kind, talented and overall amazing woman is my niece.

She is 17 and it breaks my heart in half that she is 17 and heading off to college in a year and a half.

To California.

How could I not be proud.

Ever since she was itty bitty and she told me when she grew up she was going to be a donkey I new she was going to be amazing no matter what she did.

And look at her now.

A volleyball play-in rock star.

I spent four days with her and her momma (my sister) in Southern California narrowing down her search for the perfect college.

I'll tell ya this girl fits in perfect. You would never know that she spent her whole life in the Pacific Northwest.

...Do you want to see what 35ish looks like....That's right...Fill it up....all the way to the top

 

Do you want to know why 35ish is awesome?

The friendships you make along the way make everything worth it.

These two jokers have know each other since college days. One lives in So. Cal and the other, my sister in the Pacific Northwest.

you would never know it.

"Hey ladies...Especially the lady in the pink tank." said by the random bum on the side of the boardwalk in Venice.

Proof that I got on a beach cruiser bike and

Skin that hasn't seen sun for 9 months + So Cal sun with out sun screen = dumb me with a sun burn. Oops.

In my defense I never travel with out my kids and I think my brain shut down when all I had to think about was myself.

I did let my sister take one photo of me. I could never say no to a photo with Allie

Forever ago when she was little I use to claim her as mine.

(I'm the old lady on the right. hahaha)

I lived in Southern California for eight years. In those eight years I never visited Hollywood. On this trip South my sister let me fulfill a need for Hollywood.

The two things I wanted to see in LA was either paparazzi or a show being filmed.

On our last day I got to see a pilot for fox being filmed at Venice beach. We did end up getting closer and chatted it up with a guy from the crew.

After my sister had a visual slap down with a dude from the crew that thought he was was too cool for school.

After 4 awesome days we headed back home to the rain.

But I will always remember these perfect sunsets.

And what it feels like to be 17



thanks for letting me go on vacation with you lovely ladies