Honestly, I cannot believe Briana spent an entire week at a college campus workshop. My introverted, cautious, sometimes hesitant girl jumped in with both feet and had the most amazing week.
She enjoyed two daily art classes and participated in planned camp events every evening. She ate at "The Hive" every day - picking out new foods and texting us pictures of her meals. She took buses to her classes (the campus is spread out all around downtown Savannah). She hung out with people she didn't know - artsy people - like her. She even participated in an optional improv class one afternoon. Who would have thunk?
Day 6 (Friday) was parent observation day. Parents could spend the entire day with their student/camper - watching them in their classes, eating meals with them, getting tours of the campus. It was really great. It was awesome for me and Doug to be able to see what Briana's college future might look like (if she does end up at SCAD).
Doug and I decided to head to SCAD mid-morning and drop in toward the end of Briana's first class (she asked us to come early so we could spend the day with her). It was a figure drawing class and there was a super sweet woman model who posed for them every day.
Doug and I registered when we arrived and jumped on a bus to Briana's first class...
We tip-toed in and stayed at the back of the classroom. Music was quietly playing and everyone was working/drawing. The teacher was walking around giving notes. There were a couple of parents already there and a number walked in after we arrived...
It was something to see...
It all felt very "grown up."
We were there about 20 minutes and then class wrapped up. We boarded a bus again to head to Bri's dorm room to gather her stuff up...
Doug and I got to meet her roommate Emily's family and they were so nice. We talked a bit and we packed our girls up and said goodbye. Bri still had one more class, but we didn't need to return to her room after that. We put her suitcases in the car and headed to "The Hive" for lunch...
It was super crowded in there because of all the parents visiting that day...
We were very lucky to find a table in the corner pretty easily...
The food was really good!
Then it was time to board another bus and head to Briana's next class - character design.
It was starting to rain at that point...
We got to the building and headed to the classroom...
We arrived early - getting there before the teacher. Briana started getting her art supplies ready and chatted with some of the kids who were there...
There was a stool next to Briana's seat and also an open desk in the back. Doug and I took turns sitting next to Bri and sitting at the open desk. That way we could both take turns watching Bri work. A number of parents were there watching their kids too.
As the students worked, the teacher had taken random pictures throughout the week and had them rotating on the screen at the front of the classroom. This was a picture of Bri from earlier in the week...
They had to take a fairy tale book character and put a different twist on it. Briana drew "Little Red" - a take on Little Red Riding Hood...
They had been working on their characters for a few days.
That day, everyone had to present their work and explain their characters and get some critique from their peers...
Briana's teacher is on the right above.
It was so interesting seeing all the takes on different characters and seeing everyone's different art styles.
Class was over after a couple hours and we walked out of the building to the bus...
On the bus on the way back toward the main campus, I chatted with a woman whose daughter was in Bri's character design class and was also adopted from China. It's always nice to talk to someone who experienced a similar journey to motherhood as I did.
And then it was time to sign us and Briana out of SCAD and head back to the hotel.
Briana had a really good time at camp, but I know she was really tired. The camp made them go, go, go the entire week. B was also ready to sleep in a bed (pull out couch) that wasn't the size of a shoe box.
We didn't make her go out to dinner, so Doug went to get pizza (the same pizza place as night 1). We knew Bri would like it.
Doug got the same meat pizza with caramelized onions as he got before. I got something different - a chicken pizza with pickled onions and leafy greens. Bri had a little of both. My chicken pizza was SOOO good. I liked it better than the mushroom pizza that I had on night 1. It was so delicious...
After we ate, Bri and I sat on the balcony watching the water and talking about her week. I think she was really happy that Doug and I got to see all that she experienced throughout the week...
I felt a sense of peace having her back with me. I was so happy that she had a really good week. I was relieved everything worked out great - for her and for me and for Doug.
I was really sad to have to go home the next day. It really was a wonderful trip.
Bri had a request - she wanted to eat some crab legs because she didn't get any that week. So it was off to the Crab Shack again the next day before driving home.
Day 7 next...
There was a stool next to Briana's seat and also an open desk in the back. Doug and I took turns sitting next to Bri and sitting at the open desk. That way we could both take turns watching Bri work. A number of parents were there watching their kids too.
