Spring Quarter Recap (Part 2)

At The Happiest Place on Earth, in Anaheim

Yesterday was my last day of classes.  I still have a take home final to finish, and a diploma to grab, but the MBA experience feels more or less done.  I've been feeling more nostalgic this past week every time I thought I had reached another "last" (last Anderson Afternoons, last overpriced coffee from Il Tram Cafe, last class presentation, etc).  Tomorrow I leave for a two day Vegas trip along with 250 other 2nd year students for one last full MBA class party.  Before we get to that, a quick look back at some of the non-class related highlights from the past quarter:

AnderProm:  The name is lame and it's not my top choice for a social event, but Anderson's spring formal was still a lot more enjoyable than high school prom.  It was hosted at the stylish Millennium Biltmore Hotel, home of several past Academy Award Ceremonies for the Oscars, and featured an open bar, a buffet, plus lots of dancing and photo booth opportunities.  One of the rare times I get to put on a suit without sweating through an interview or having a friend say "I do."

Brunch with Allen and the Reich's at Taste on Melrose

Out of Town Visitors: I had visits from Tara, Kolko, and Mark during the quarter which were all a lot of fun.  While Tara was in town I pulled out all the stops: a Runyon Canyon hike, a walk through Hollywood, dinner at the douchiest bar in LA, a standup comedy show with Tim "The Toolman" Taylor (aka Tim Allen), Disneyland, the San Diego Zoo, a self-led ghost hunt through Old Town San Diego, tours of UCLA/Westwood and the Santa Monica Pier/3rd Street Promenade, and of course, a meal at In N Out Burger.  Allen's visit was shorter but was highlighted by a day of brunch, a Reich Daydrinking Bar Crawl and a Clippers playoff game.  Mom and Dad also had a brief visit for one day last weekend, which featured a Father-Son Salmon Cookoff and a belated Mother's Day celebration. 

Tour de Strand: This annual Anderson bicycling bar crawl brought over 400 current and past students to a 16 mile stretch of beach towns near LA.  I had never used the beach bike path before (which I had always heard is a must-do LA activity, glad I finally got it in), and as you can imagine, it got more difficult for us with every bar we stopped at along the way. 

LA Racing Experience:  Shortly after going skydiving over the summer, I bought a LivingSocial deal to drive NASCAR quality race cars.  We didn't finally make our reservation until this quarter, but it was a really cool experience.  Four of us got to simultaneously race (and pass each other) around a half mile track getting up to speeds of 120 MPH. 

Other activities: UCLA Night at Dodgers Stadium (all you can eat food tickets!); a second Clippers playoff game; SIF Mixer/Roast; Cabaret Night; and a bunch of birthday celebrations