My Week in North Carolina

So, tomorrow we head back home to Minneapolis. It's been such an amazing week! I really can't remember the last time I laughed this much during a single week. We've had so much fun, even doing completely normal things like shopping.

We played cards. Lots and lots of cards! Skipbo, hand and foot, set, dutch blitz, apples to apples, and five crowns.

We had a BLAST swimming at the beach. The water was warm and the waves were huge, it was a good day.

We attempted to go kayaking, but there were thunderstorm conditions out at sea so the Marina on base (Camp Lejeune, where my brother is stationed when he's not on deployment) wouldn't let us take out any of their boats. But we took the opportunity to take pictures anyway.

We went to the aquarium and saw lots of animals, my favorites being the river otters. Adorable!

We went mini-golfing at this place overlooking the water, it was really great. Unfortunately it started raining, but not until the 16th hole so we were still able to finish.

We had fun with their dog, Juliet. She's such a sweetheart! (and she doesn't normally wear plaid shorts, this was a special occasion ;) )

I guess it'll be nice to be home, but I'm not necessarily looking forward to work and real life again... I won't miss the heat and humidity here in North Carolina! But I will miss the people, and the ocean, and the puppy, and the laughter. I would do this trip again in a heartbeat.

Time (And lack thereof)

I have been planning on writing for quite a while. The other day I even made a list of ideas to write about: memories about my grandparents, pictures from this summer, how my life is different working full time than going to school during the year, etc. What I finally decided I wanted to write about was a scrapbook I started working on (during a camping trip with my mom) about my first year of college.

Looking back on this past year made me become somewhat philosophical about time. How it seems like forever since I've been in high school, but I remember graduation like it could have been yesterday. How it seems like years ago that I moved into my dorm, and yet it seems like I lived in that room for a blink of an eye. How it always seemed like the weeks before going would home take an eternity, and yet the time always came sooner than I could believe.

I've been thinking about these things quite a bit these past few days. However, and here's where the irony comes in, despite how much I've wanted to sit down and write and reflect on all these things, I just haven't had time. (Get it? I haven't had time to reflect on time?) It seems like life has just gotten away from me lately. I've been working full time, and after a day of work and my somewhat long commute, I get home and it seems like before I've been able to accomplish anything at all it's time to go to bed.

Mostly I wanted to write to update you on one particular piece of news - tomorrow I leave for North Carolina! While my brother JG is on deployment in Afghanistan, my mom, aunt and I wanted to take the opportunity to go visit my sister-in-law (and have a nice vacation while we're at it!) I am SO thrilled that in less than 24 hours I will be in North Carolina with my family, it should be an amazing trip.

I guess I'll have to share my musings on the nature of time later, for now I should probably go finish packing...

A Snapshot of Summer

One thing about having a full time job this summer is that it makes me appreciate my free time so much more.

I had a wonderful summer afternoon with my mom this past Sunday. Let me try to paint you a picture:

The weather is absolutely gorgeous, one of the best days of the summer so far. It is sunny, with big white fluffy clouds in the sky that occasionally provide relief from the heat and sunshine, but with no threat of rain. The temperature is warm enough to make me know for sure that its summer, but as long as I stay in the shade the breeze makes it pleasantly cool.

As I walk down the sidewalk the scents of freshly mowed grass, of aromatic trees, and the subtle smell of a lake nearby drift past me.

As I sit in the grass, its the noises nearby that capture my attention. Birds call out to each other from neighboring trees. Boats chained up on the lake move under the power of the wind, the noise of their moorings like a multitude of wind-chimes on the water. The branches of the trees move with each gust of wind, their leaves joyfully rustling together.

I read my book for a while, but keep getting distracted by the stream of people walking, running, biking, and roller-blading by. I watch them, listening to short snatches of conversation and laughter as they pass. I'm not the only one enjoying this day.

I hold an ice cream cone and attempt to catch all of the drips with my tongue before they reach my fingers. The cold fills my mouth, but leaves my whole body feeling refreshed.

I cannot imagine a summer without days like this.