Three Summer Goodbyes.
09/03/2011
Me with my roommates/friends at our house in Cincinnati before going out. :)
"I do not think any word in the English dictionary could describe how I feel about my summer. The word "amazing" barely nicks the surface. I learned so much about myself: my strengths, weaknesses, and interests. I saw the beauty in the world, the beauty in people, and the beauty in politics (there is such a thing?)"
I'm not going to lie, I have spent ten minutes in front of my computer trying to figure out how I will start my blog post. Obviously, I decided to start it by telling you this -- haha. My choice is not exactly creative, but hopefully it will lead to some good stuff.
I do not think any word in the English dictionary could describe how I feel about my summer. The word "amazing" barely nicks the surface. I learned so much about myself: my strengths, weaknesses, and interests. I saw the beauty in the world, the beauty in people, and the beauty in politics (there is such a thing?).
A view from our balcony in Siesta Key.
My summer kicked off in Siesta Key, Florida where the ocean is clear and the sand is always cool to the touch (fun fact: it is made of quartz so it never gets hot). After a rough semester, sitting on the beach every day was exactly what I needed. My days in Siesta Key consisted of eating-beach-eating-beach while nights consisted of long reflective conversations with my family and friends on our balcony. Surprisingly, I saw a lot of wildlife. I almost jumped into a jellyfish (that would have been awesome... not). I went parasailing for the first time! I expected parasailing to be scary, but it was honestly one of the most relaxing thing I have ever done. Leaving Siesta Key sucked. It was my first goodbye out of three this summer.
Parasailing with Jade Guthrie. :)
After being home for nearly a week, I was on my way to the south once again. This time, I was heading to Manchester, Tennessee for Bonnaroo 2011. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Bonnaroo, it is a three-day music festival. Some of the artists this year were Lil Wayne, Eminem, Wiz Khalifa, Mumford & Sons, Arcade Fire, The Decemberists, Bassnectar, J.Cole, Scissor Sisters and much more. This would be classified as my most magical experience of the summer.
Many would wonder what is magical about sleeping outside when it is over 100 degrees outside. The heat in Tennessee was absolutely insane. My feet swelled (all of ours did, really) and I never moved other than during late afternoon and night to see the concerts. I remember sitting across from my friend Tommy and saying I would never do this again. I was wrong about that. Bonnaroo is a place open to self-expression. It is so free there -- once you enter those gates it turns into a no-judgment zone. You're friends with everyone and willing to do anything to help them out. For example, one of my friends had his clothes stolen. Our tent neighbor overheard our conversation and gave him clean clothes.
Me with my friends at Bonnaroo 2011. :)
Oh, speaking of the word "clean". We made an agreement not to shower for all of Bonnaroo. Showers at Bonnaroo were $10 and if the lines were long they would time you. Keep in mind, that is five days total (three of which you spend in 100 degree heat). I am happy to say that I kept my end of the deal. However, I had to throw away some clothes and take a few showers once I was home. Haha.
Bonnaroo was its own little planet. Saying goodbye was rough. Thinking about it right now makes me miss the music, the people, the atmosphere and the smell (not the smell of body odor though).
Me standing outside of City Hall after work.
The last stop on the summer adventure train was in Cincinnati, Ohio. After being home for only a couple weeks, I was packing my things to move to Clifton Heights, a neighborhood in Cincinnati. I landed a Communications internship for the Mayor of Cincinnati - Mayor Mark Mallory. Living in Cincinnati was absolutely amazing. This was by far my most difficult goodbye.
I feel like writing about my internship would make this blog post incredibly long and almost unbearable to get through. I'll spare you the lengthy (although interesting) reading at the moment. My next post will be all about my internship -- and I have a lot to share!
Until next time. :)
