Summertime

Summer is my favorite season. I love the weather, of course. The humidity here can be a little bit of a downer, but I would still rather be too hot than too cold, and I love the sunshine. I also like the daylight. I love that it's already light when I wake up in the morning (and I'm usually an early riser), and I love that in June it stays light out here almost until ten.

But the real reason that summer is my favorite season is that it always feels like a break from my normal life. I do things during the summer, whether it's working or teaching or taking classes, but somehow it always feels more relaxed. And quite a large chunk of my best memories are from the summertime. Family reunions, visits from Kelsey, long runs, road trips, barbecues and picnics, making new friendships or establishing old ones. At the beginning of every summer I get a feeling of anticipation. I remember the summer before, and what a great summer it was, and think that this coming summer cannot possibly live up to the previous one...but also feel excited because I know that it usually does.

This summer has a lot to live up to. Last year at this time Kelsey was just settling into Michigan, and we had great times together here in Ann Arbor. When I think of last summer I think of $5 movie Mondays, Mackinac Island, the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, miniature golfing, Park City, Washington, D.C., "accidentally" training for (but not running) a marathon, painting my bedroom, going to IKEA, the Henry Ford Museum and the Detroit Science Center, and lots of other things. And Kelsey shares a good portion of these memories. She told me once, not all that long ago, that she had thought about coming out to Michigan again this summer, but that last summer was so good she was afraid of ruining it. Fortunately, she has found something better to do with herself than come out to Michigan this summer :), but I understand the sentiment.

Luckily, this summer has gotten off to a great start. I definitely miss having my sister around to share it all with me, but the summer is still living up to expectations, and the weather is only going to get better from here.

A few of the highlights so far:

The Regency Ball, which as I expected actually did turn out to be a lot of fun, in spite of my initial reservations. There were some people there who clearly make a regular showing, and I will not ever be one of them. Nor did the experience inspire me to pick up any of those Jane Austin books I've never read. But I really enjoyed the dancing, and it was kind of fun to get dressed up and to see people who had gone all out with their costumes.



A visit from Kelsey, complete with miniature golfing, bowling, smuggling Wendy's dollar menu items into $6 movie Tuesday (Monday wasn't available to us, and they upped the price), getting rained on in the botanical gardens, trying a new dessert recipe, and good, quality, sisterly bonding time.



The first barbecue of the summer, for which the weather held up quite nicely. My friend Rachel bought a new grill and we all gathered at her house in Canton, ate, sat on the porch, walked to Cold Stone for ice cream. We got rain and wind and chilly temperatures a bit later, but that evening it felt like everything I love about the summer.



A visit from my parents, who are en route back to LA even as I type this. They have been out here before, about a year and a half ago, and it was fun having them out here again. We saw some sights and celebrated my mom's birthday and took some funny pictures (and some serious ones) and spent some good quality time together. It's not always easy for me to get out of Michigan these days, and I'm grateful to have family with the time and means to come out and visit me occasionally.




Tomorrow I take off to Utah for a few days to help Kelsey shop for wedding dresses, and about a week after I get back I begin teaching, which means I will have to get back to some semblance of real life and adult responsibility. As much as I've enjoyed my break between the end of classes and the start of my summer teaching job, getting back to work will be a welcome change. But I am still looking forward to the rest of the summer, to spending time with friends and family, getting some sunshine, relaxing a bit more than I do during the school year, and gearing myself up to begin work on the dissertaiton.