a list for friday—2011 summer adventures, part 1

We’re halfway through July which means the Memorial-Day-through-Labor-Day-summer-season is also halfway over. (It also means the stores in Nashville have already loaded the shelves with a depressing explosion of binders, folders, and pencils for back to school.)


Time to take stock of the adventures thus far. Since Memorial Day I have……

—learned to boogie board at the New Jersey shore in possibly the coldest water outside of the Arctic Ocean.

—been stung in the neck by three wasps.

—sprayed a wasp nest with enough poison to kill every bug in the southeastern US.

—run 2.5 miles! Without stopping! Or swearing!

—added a touch more blonde to my hair. Why not?

 

—tried mountain biking.

—tried sitting on one, um, cheek until the purple, grapefruit-size mountain biking bruise on the other side healed.

—walked 467 miles through the lower east side of Manhattan during a Saturday afternoon downpour…..

— …..but also walked the High Line.

—planted a garden that refused to grow. Seriously. It just sits there.

—stayed at a 245-year-old bed and breakfast near Philadelphia.

—road tripped against my will to Mobile, Alabama and back. (There’s a reason videos like this and this always come from Alabama.)

—tried unsuccessfully to “establish dominance” with a 60-pound Siberian Husky.

—lived through the Great Cicada Invasion of 2011.

—lit fireworks and made root beer floats.


Just a few more weeks, folks! What adventures are you having this summer?

what I learned this summer

It’s been a great summer—I vacationed in Martha’s Vineyard, planted my first garden and started several interesting work projects.


I also learned several things. For instance:

There was no need to plant that much cucumber.

Just because he kisses you doesn’t mean he wants to date you. (Yes, every other girl learned this when she was 15.)

Just because he says he wants to date you doesn’t mean he wants to date you. (This is the advanced version.)

It’s nerve-wracking to give announcements in front of 4,000 people at the NACC.

I have many talents, but playing kickball is not one of them.

11 email accounts is too many.

Maybe I don’t want to have kids, after all.

Very few things people call “epic” actually are.




We move in the direction of the questions we ask.

Working in the garden for two hours in 100 degrees gives you a headache that will not go away for two days.

I have an amazing, amazingly fun family. (I already knew that, but this summer’s been a nice reminder.)

There is never enough time for all the books I want to read.

The Artist is Present.

I’m unable to stop eating guacamole once I start.

I like not traveling all the time even more than I thought I would.

If you’re going to set off illegal fireworks and you’re not sure what they do, maybe don’t do it in your driveway.

INTJs are only 1-4% of the population. No wonder the rest of you don’t make any sense.


What did you learn this summer?