Summer has been non-stop since I got done with my last shift at Mirror Lake last Wednesday at 11am.  All of a sudden I was surrounded with a whirlwind of things to do and places to be and now finally I am sitting on the floor of my room, back in Evanston, with an hour or so to spare before gracing my family with my presence at 11:30 mass. 

Wednesday night eleven of my friends and I packed up four cars and battled torrential thunderstorms for ten hours on the way down to Manchester, TN for Bonnaroo Music Festival.  Because the weather wasn’t enough alone to complicate our journey, we accidentally left the cooler with 75% of our food for the next four days, and six gallons of water at home, my friend’s check engine light went on, my other friend left her phone in a gas station and we had to backtrack and get it, and we lost one of the cars in the caravan for about eight hours.  Murphy’s law road trip.  However, once we got to the festival and got our camp set up, everything fell into place.  It was a great way to kick off the summer, wandering around barefoot in the sun and seeing my fav bands. 

I got back on Sunday night and pretty much straight kicked it at my apartment until Tuesday where I reported for work at Kennedy Commons at 6am.  They weren’t going to be busy though and sent me home after an hour of “work”.  That night, with lack of better things to do, I decided to take a mini-trip to Ironton, OH with two of my friends.  Let me tell you, spending those three days in Ironton at the slow pace of small-town America was the best idea I’ve ever had.  Most relaxing vacation ever.  We chilled all day on the porch, cooked, played with my friend’s dogs, snacked endlessly, and went to Walmart.  It was great.

But then it was time to return to Columbus on Friday.  Not that I’m not looking forward to the summer in Columbus, I’m just afraid that I’m going to be trapped in my apartment.  A lot of my friends are working and taking classes all day, where as I am only working Monday-Wednesday, leaving me with mass free time and not a whole lot to do.  And also not a whole lot of money.  I suppose what I really wish is that my apartment had an outdoor element, like a porch so I could enjoy the beautiful weather in the comfort of my own home.  Oh well.  Two more months until we move into our house! 

I got an email saying I didn’t have to work Monday at all, and so in a spontaneous spirit, I decided to call off work Tuesday and Wednesday and come home for a solid week to see my parents for Father’s Day and birthdays, and just do some mental r and r.  So here I am.  I don’t really how exactly I will be spending my precious week in Chicago, but I want to maximize the fun for sure.  Hopefully it doesn’t rain and I can go to the beach and march around the city in true summertime fashion.  That’s really all I want.  I really am in summer mode.  It’s just crazy how school seems a million miles behind me.  It was only two weeks ago!  My summer fell on me so suddenly, and I’m so glad! 

I hope this week goes smoothly and that I will be fully prepared to return to Columbus at its close.  Time to go praise Jesus!