TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: Update Maryknoll Reunion in Las Vegas

l-r: Becky Marfil, Tina Borja Heiter, Baby Navarro Ciocon., Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Boots Besa Browne, Marissa Munda Tay

Baby Ciocon picked the venue in Las Vegas -- South Point (very good choice!)-- and Tina Heiter invited Lina, Becky, and Boots to join the group of us who had driven to Las Vegas. Boots in turn arranged for us to visit another classmate in Las Vegas, Carol Valencia, whom many of us have not seen in years.

l-r: Lina Flor Dimuyuga, Marissa Munda Tay, Becky Marfil, Boots Besa Brown, Carol Valencia, Tina Borja Heiter, Baby Navarro Ciocon, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

In Carol's Home

Carol had champagne, wine, cheese, and other hors d'oeuvres for our improntu party. We had a lively discussion about numerous topics (Nevada water, California drought, current events), and Lina also regaled us with jokes that kept us laughing until our sides hurt. I did not realize until today that Maryknollers talk a lot and have opinions about everything.

l-r: Baby Ciocon, Sim Ciocon, Andy Heiter, Boots Besa

Earlier on Monday, we had a buffet lunch at Makino's Japanese restaurant. The next 7 pictures taken at Makino's are courtesy of Lucy McGinley who spent bonding time with her husband (and friend Sonya) in Las Vegas. Lucy only attended lunch at Makino's and unfortunately missed the highlights of the reunion.

We also did a bit of gambling -- no big winners, no big losers either, meaning people just had fun.

l-r: Cecilia, Baby C., Tina, Becky

l-r: Lina, Joe, Marissa

l-r: Boots, Lina, Joe

And the stories never stopped. In some ways, I felt that the women replicated the fun times we had at the Lanai (patio) of Maryknoll College, where we hung out and talked, and talked, and talked.

l-r: Patrick McGinley, Andy Heiter

l-r: Sim Ciocon, Lauren Brainard

Lucy and Patrick McGinley

l-r: Tina, Becky, Boots, Lina, Marissa

There are plans of having a reunion again next year, when the Heiters leave Switzerland to visit our part of the world. Since Baby C. did an excellent job acting as CEO of this 2015 reunion, the group assigned her to handle the 2016 reunion as well.