Highlights of My Summer
I'm alive! I'm alive! I haven't posted like all summer, which I am slightly ashamed of and don't have a great excuse for. I try not to use my laptop as much in the summer, and that's where I blog from, so that's one reason. Another reason is that I just haven't had any great ideas for things to write about. Other than that, I don't have much to offer you, and in all honestly I can't even guarantee that I'm actually back to blogging consistently even now. All that being said, I am blogging right now. And that'll have to be good enough for the moment.
This summer has been much different than last summer. Maybe because it's my first summer not as a teenager?? That's a very odd thought! I've just felt different all summer. Last year, I was dragged back to college kicking and screaming in the fall. I didn't want to go back so much that I actually started filling out an application for a local college in my area. This summer, I have been dealing with nonstop email correspondence from my coworkers and advisor at The Pulse (for which I will be officially starting my position as Student Director as soon as I get back on campus). I am getting so sick and tired of working remotely with no pay that I actually WANT to go back to school because at least it'll mean I get paid for my work and I'll get to do that work in person and stop being attached to my phone like the world's going to implode if I don't answer One. More. Emaillll!!!!
I'm also operating under the idea that the sooner I go back to school, the sooner it'll all be over and I'll get to graduate and go out into the real world. I have been living in the dangerous fantasy world of the future this whole summer. My bedroom is starting to feel tiny and stifling, my house is never clean or uncluttered, and there's nowhere to put all the plants I want to own!!!!! I WANT MY OWN HOUSE SO BAD. The quicker college is over with, the quicker I might get to that point.
So yeah. I've just been antsy and restless and a little out of sorts all summer long. That being said, I've had some seriously fun moments!! Here is a list of the highlights of my 2018 summer:
1. Getting an internship at Hagerstown Housing Authority
I used to roll my eyes at people who would say "it's not what you know, it's who you know"-- but they are absolutely right. The only reason I was able to secure this summer internship was because my mom knew someone who knew someone. And I am so grateful for that.
2. Going on a cabin trip with SE and Alex
Wow, this feels like it was so long ago. May seems like it was years ago! SE, Alex and I drove Bambi on what, unbeknownst at the time, would be her last big trip. We went up to my grandparents' cabin in the woods and had a grand old time. We ate a bunch of food all of which we were tired of by the last day, played 50 million rounds of this funny game called Verbosity, lounged in the freezing cold creek water, drove around in the mountains and rolled our eyes as Alex pooped in the woods. Ahhhh memories. Oh yeah-- and then when we dropped her back off at home, Alex admitted to putting her USED TOILET PAPER in the communal trash where it stayed for the entire 4 day trip!!! She's gross. But all in all it was a really fun trip.
3. Getting a paid job at Hagerstown Housing Authority
I completed my required 40 hours of internship work in about a month. HHA didn't want to let me go yet, and I didn't want to go either! So they hired me as a parttime online content developer! I think that's crazy-- hiring a 20 year old journalism intern to basically redesign their entire website was a crazy risk, but I am so glad they took a risk on me because I have learned so much! And the money is a nice added bonus.
4. Totaling my car?? And then getting a new one.
This was definitely a prominent part of my summer, but more of like a negative highlight if that's a thing...A lowlight?? Anyway, it was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me so far in my life and I am still in awe that I didn't get seriously injured and that the people in the other car didn't either. Of course losing Bambi absolutely sucked because she holds a special place in my heart as my first car, plus she cost next to nothing which can't be beat. But my new ride Popeye definitely has a few legs up on old Bambino-- most noteably the fact that Popeye actually has AC!!! (Even if it only works on full blast...it's better than nothing.) I feel like the demolition of Bambi symbolically marked a change in my life from kid to adult.
5. Going to New York City with Genesta, Kaitlyn and Donnie
I still can't believe we did this and survived. And had a great time. And the weather was perfect. And all the food was delicious. And the hotel wasn't sketchy at all. And we didn't miss our check in time, or our buses, or our ferry tour. How on earth did we pull all of that off????? I have no idea but it was seriously one of the most enjoyable and memorable trips ever and I still think of it fondly.
6. Going to Chincoteague, VA with my grandparents
Chincoteague will never get old. I think it will be one of my favorite places on earth until the day I die. I would love to someday have a little summer house down there and just stay for weeks and write and walk around and leave my phone off for weeks on end. Glorious. For the time being, however, four days with my grandparents back in July will have to suffice.
7. Hanging out with friends
Whether it be Mango Grill, or AB's basement, or the DC botanical gardens, or the CVS near SE's house, I had some great mini adventures just doing next to nothing with my best friends. My favorite part of every get-together was that moment towards the end of the night when you know you should leave and go home but you just really don't want to so you try to think of a way to stretch the night out a little longer. I wish I could have had even more friend-ventures this summer, but as I've been trying to tell myself for these past few months-- at least we have the rest of our lives.
Hope your summer was as grand as mine.
VaughnDL
This summer has been much different than last summer. Maybe because it's my first summer not as a teenager?? That's a very odd thought! I've just felt different all summer. Last year, I was dragged back to college kicking and screaming in the fall. I didn't want to go back so much that I actually started filling out an application for a local college in my area. This summer, I have been dealing with nonstop email correspondence from my coworkers and advisor at The Pulse (for which I will be officially starting my position as Student Director as soon as I get back on campus). I am getting so sick and tired of working remotely with no pay that I actually WANT to go back to school because at least it'll mean I get paid for my work and I'll get to do that work in person and stop being attached to my phone like the world's going to implode if I don't answer One. More. Emaillll!!!!
I'm also operating under the idea that the sooner I go back to school, the sooner it'll all be over and I'll get to graduate and go out into the real world. I have been living in the dangerous fantasy world of the future this whole summer. My bedroom is starting to feel tiny and stifling, my house is never clean or uncluttered, and there's nowhere to put all the plants I want to own!!!!! I WANT MY OWN HOUSE SO BAD. The quicker college is over with, the quicker I might get to that point.
So yeah. I've just been antsy and restless and a little out of sorts all summer long. That being said, I've had some seriously fun moments!! Here is a list of the highlights of my 2018 summer:
1. Getting an internship at Hagerstown Housing AuthorityI used to roll my eyes at people who would say "it's not what you know, it's who you know"-- but they are absolutely right. The only reason I was able to secure this summer internship was because my mom knew someone who knew someone. And I am so grateful for that.
2. Going on a cabin trip with SE and Alex
Wow, this feels like it was so long ago. May seems like it was years ago! SE, Alex and I drove Bambi on what, unbeknownst at the time, would be her last big trip. We went up to my grandparents' cabin in the woods and had a grand old time. We ate a bunch of food all of which we were tired of by the last day, played 50 million rounds of this funny game called Verbosity, lounged in the freezing cold creek water, drove around in the mountains and rolled our eyes as Alex pooped in the woods. Ahhhh memories. Oh yeah-- and then when we dropped her back off at home, Alex admitted to putting her USED TOILET PAPER in the communal trash where it stayed for the entire 4 day trip!!! She's gross. But all in all it was a really fun trip.
I completed my required 40 hours of internship work in about a month. HHA didn't want to let me go yet, and I didn't want to go either! So they hired me as a parttime online content developer! I think that's crazy-- hiring a 20 year old journalism intern to basically redesign their entire website was a crazy risk, but I am so glad they took a risk on me because I have learned so much! And the money is a nice added bonus.
4. Totaling my car?? And then getting a new one.
This was definitely a prominent part of my summer, but more of like a negative highlight if that's a thing...A lowlight?? Anyway, it was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me so far in my life and I am still in awe that I didn't get seriously injured and that the people in the other car didn't either. Of course losing Bambi absolutely sucked because she holds a special place in my heart as my first car, plus she cost next to nothing which can't be beat. But my new ride Popeye definitely has a few legs up on old Bambino-- most noteably the fact that Popeye actually has AC!!! (Even if it only works on full blast...it's better than nothing.) I feel like the demolition of Bambi symbolically marked a change in my life from kid to adult.
5. Going to New York City with Genesta, Kaitlyn and Donnie
I still can't believe we did this and survived. And had a great time. And the weather was perfect. And all the food was delicious. And the hotel wasn't sketchy at all. And we didn't miss our check in time, or our buses, or our ferry tour. How on earth did we pull all of that off????? I have no idea but it was seriously one of the most enjoyable and memorable trips ever and I still think of it fondly.
6. Going to Chincoteague, VA with my grandparents
Chincoteague will never get old. I think it will be one of my favorite places on earth until the day I die. I would love to someday have a little summer house down there and just stay for weeks and write and walk around and leave my phone off for weeks on end. Glorious. For the time being, however, four days with my grandparents back in July will have to suffice.
7. Hanging out with friends
Whether it be Mango Grill, or AB's basement, or the DC botanical gardens, or the CVS near SE's house, I had some great mini adventures just doing next to nothing with my best friends. My favorite part of every get-together was that moment towards the end of the night when you know you should leave and go home but you just really don't want to so you try to think of a way to stretch the night out a little longer. I wish I could have had even more friend-ventures this summer, but as I've been trying to tell myself for these past few months-- at least we have the rest of our lives.
Hope your summer was as grand as mine.
VaughnDL
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