The Summer My Friends Grew Up

As I've been reflecting on my life and those who are in it, I've noticed a reoccurring theme throughout my friends: They've all grown up.

And while, yes, most 22, 23, etc. year old adults do grow up, it kind of puts me in a different life category than most of them. For instance, Amanda and Ben got married and moved to Pennsylvania. Megan has been married for almost a year (!!!) and is living in Louisiana. Emily has graduated with her masters and has a real, grown up job. Becky has graduated and is living out in Colorado.

Me?? Well, I'm just in my second year of grad school. So I am still in school, but I'm not an undergrad like Laura or Bud. Where does this leave me in my life?? I mean, I'm still very goal oriented and driven, and one day I'm sure I'll love having a "real" job. But I am seriously over the school thing too.

It doesn't change anything between me or any of my friends. But it is interesting to see what path each person takes. It also means putting in a little more effort to keep the friendship in tack. But a job well worth it.

Thw wonderful world of cheese

Yes, cheese. Have you ever been to Wisconsin?? Cheese is in the air. And so is cow manure, horse manure, chicken manure, etc. You can really get a sense of that fresh dairy smell. And that was with the car windows rolled up. I couldn't imagine being a farmer who smells like that all the time! (Disclaimer: this is not a diss to farmers as I truly appreciate the wonderful food their farms produce).

Aside from the wonderful Wisconsin smell, I visited family. Each year we have a "retreat" where all of the women on my mom's side of the family (and I do mean ALL) gather around from states near and far and celebrate. What do we celebrate, you may ask? Why, the invention of beer, the deliciousness of food, and most importantly our German heritage. Not really. We just get together do random things and drink until the heart's content. Literally. This year it was in WI at my grandmother's house.

One night we decided it would be fun to go see the movie Bridesmaids. So we did. Dressed as bridesmaids. I'm pretty sure those pictures will be locked up for all eternity.

But the cheese was awesome. We even brought some home.

Just a quick recap...

MAINE

Okay, so since I have a few extra minutes at work right now, I decided that this would be the perfect time to blog a little bit about the wonders of Maine (not to mention, my bosses just left for the day).

After driving back from South Carolina on Sunday night (the 24th of July) I departed from my mom and sisters and headed up to Harrisonburg. Monday morning Emily and I left extremely early, destined to arrive in one of my favorite places on earth: Bridgton, ME. 13 hours, 3 bathroom/gas/meal breaks, and 2 very tired people later we were there!!
And let me tell you, there is nothing quite like being in Maine. It's so relaxing and breathtaking. Every time I go there's no agenda, no detail planned out for every minute. It's just life passing by on the water and it is absolutely perfect.

Tuesday we spent some time on the water...I think. I know we went into town, probably got into some trouble but really just spent the day leisurely. The next few days are kind of a blur but we went sailing, running, kayaking, swimming, camp firing, a ruckus-raising, sleeping, reading, planking/owling, laughing the whole week.

Saturday Emily and I literally got up at the crack of dawn (not by choice I might add) and started the LOOOOOOONG journey home. Somewhere in Mass or Connecticut (I can't accurately recall at the moment) we agreed at stopping in NYC. Before I knew it, we add devised a plan to see Wicked (which we did) which was AMAZING!!! After driving home, I went to sleep and now am back in the subtle adult cycle of working out, working, and sleeping. All in all a trip well spent with my favorite people. :)

Pictures to follow (probably some time tomorrow)

The best kind of Monday

I have to say that I really do need to catch up on blogging about my trip to Maine/SC/etc especially since I am leaving Thursday to fly to Wisconsin where I will of course need to continue blogging.

However, yesterday was the best Monday ever at work. Here's why:

A little before 1:00 my dad decided that we were going to grab lunch. We get in the car and he says "where do you wanna go? we have 10 minutes" . The funny thing is typically a lunch break is 30 minutes, but okay I'll take it. We ended up in the drive thru at McDonald's. BTW the Southwest chicken salad is both healthy and delicious. And then we went and saw Captain America!!! Complete surprise! And best 2 hours of paid work ever. Not to mention the time I got to spend con mi padre.

It really pays to work for your parents. :)

Detox Day 1

So, I've decided in an effort to be a little healthier, to try a detox. I spent a couple of hours yesterday researching all of the different detoxes that are out there, all of the supplements and pills that are "recommended" for each detox, and of course any useful tips when trying to detox.

I finally narrowed it down to one: The Raw Diet Detox

This was one of the only detoxes that actually sounded reasonable and somewhat fulfilling. Basically, you eat things that are raw. It's a difficult concept isn't it? Basically, fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and yes some people even recommended eggs, meat, and milk - all raw. While I'm staying away from the the raw meat, eggs, etc. eating fruits and vegetables doesn't seem all that extreme. I will say that your body does the need the protein and vitamins that are in meat, but for a couple of days I don't think it should be that bad.

Then again, this also means no coffee. How will I live? I'm not sure. But it's become pretty clear to me how much I depend on caffeine to get me through the day - more so when classes are in session. Part of the reason I wanted to detox was to become less dependent on on caffeine. The other part was to increase my consumption of fruits and vegetables and to increase the amount of energy I have during the day.

So as for Day 1 (well it's really only 10 AM but I'm feeling optimistic) I've already run 5 miles and had an apple for breakfast (to give me a little natural caffeine). So far so good. By the time lunch rolls around, I'll probably already be withdrawing. This should be an interesting experience....

The most wonderful time of the year

Believe it or not, the most wonderful time of the year is not the season that commercialism has taken over the world and forced us to spend the majority of our yearly bonuses and paychecks on presents. For me, it's actually the time of the year that I spend off from my busy classes. I used to refer to that brief, but precious time off as summer, but as number of years I've spent as a student increases, the number of days off from school I have has dramatically declined.

In fact, in grad school, they have this crazy idea that you barely need any breaks at all. My first year as an OT student we went to school straight for a whole year (we did however have Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks). After finishing a complete year of classes, we actually get a break off for the summer. And I am enjoying every bit of it. Hence, the most wonderful time of the year.

So far, I have actually completed a lot of the goals that I had in mind for myself, although starting a book has been more challenging than I envisioned. Maybe I'll start it tonight...
Regardless, I did make it to SC and audition for American Idol. I was not however one of the chosen ones. No worries though because it was an amazing experience. I also continued my journey along the east coast and roadtripped to Maine. I spent a week there with my favorite people doing all kinds of fun things. I don't have a lot to show for it besides a depleted bank account, some major bruises on my legs, and a $5 tshirt from a gas station. But you know, it's really about the memories that we create that make everything worthwhile.

On the way back, we even detoured through NYC and caught Wicked on Broadway - something I've wanted to see since sophomore year of college. It was a vacation well spent (well, it was money well spent) with lots of "ruckus" and exhaustion. But I wouldn't have it any other way.