Summer Happenings

Considering the fact that the last time I posted was more than a month ago during finals week, I thought that it would be a good idea to post an update about the crazy busyness of summer.

Coming home from college has been an interesting transition. When I am away at school, I am responsible for myself and my own schedule, so adjusting to my family's schedule can be challenging at times. My mom always wants to know where I'm going and when I will be home, which I expected, but I am glad that she is communicating with me and not just placing restrictions on everything I do. I really missed her while I was at school and I love being able to spend time with her at home. We have been going on bike rides and working out together so that we can both stay in shape. And she has decided to be a leader of the college group at our church this summer, which I am excited about because I know that she really likes to invest in college students like myself.

Since coming home from school, I have been keeping busy working at Panera again, babysitting three days a week, and preparing for my trip to Taiwan (I will put up a separate post about my trip within the next few days!). Panera is very hectic and stressful as always but it is nice to have a job to come back to in the summers. And babysitting is actually going pretty well because the kids I watch are well-behaved and like to play outside and go to the park instead of playing video games.

It has also been really good to catch up with friends, family, and neighbors. I didn't realize how much I missed a lot of people back home while I was away at school this year. I have been especially blessed with very good neighbors. Some of my favorite summer memories are from the times where everyone in the cul-de-sac gathered at my house to talk, play games, and have bonfires. Being able to come back home and carry on these gatherings has really meant a lot to me. I have also enjoyed sharing meals and going on ice cream runs with my friends this summer, and the endless conversations as we are trying to catch up on all that happened while everyone was away for their first year of college. It was fun to spend time with my family when they came to visit for my brother's 8th grade graduation last week. We took the train to downtown Chicago and took pictures in the Bean at Millennium Park, walked around the Lincoln Park Zoo, and ended the day with a stop at Garrett's Popcorn, which is ah-maz-zing.

And, I have finally had some time to relax and catch up on some books, which is great because I LOVE to read. I just finished reading the first two books in the Divergent series, and I thought that they were really well done. I liked how the book touched on a lot of deeper issues, such as learning to trust others and figuring out what true bravery looks like, as the characters and plot developed. I have yet to see the movie and I hope that I haven't set my expectations too high :)

 I also saw The Fault in Our Stars movie and then read the book in less than two days. I thought TFIOS was very honest and it had a great sense of humor to it. I really enjoyed how the story focused on the relationships between the characters and not on the cancer and sickness. Both the book and the movie made me laugh and cry. Seriously though, the dialogue is just so witty and hilarious at times that I would start laughing out loud at the kitchen table like a goon or sit there with tears streaming down my face as I read the book. It has been a long time since I have read a book that has evoked this much emotion from me, and I think that is why I would consider The Fault in Our Stars to be one of my favorite books. BUT...the one part that bothered me so much was all of the Dutch references/symbols. I guess my slight annoyance may have come from spending a year at a school that at times seems to be more Dutch than American. Haha just kidding (maybe) :)

So this pretty much sums up how my summer has been spent thus far. The next week or so is going to be extra crazy as we have college soccer players from the Chicago Eagles Summer Academy coming to stay at our house in a few days, and I am preparing to leave for Taiwan. I am so thankful for summer and the opportunity to be at home and have some time to rest and relax amidst all of the crazy. I will hopefully post about my trip in the next few days, so keep an eye out for that if you want to hear more about it!

Peace. Love. Summer.