What I Did Over Summer Break

What I Did Over Summer Break

I certainly have many things I ought to be doing right now, but I can't resist creating my own take on VUE Photography's Summer Essay Project. Driving to and from work yesterday, I got stuck behind several school buses, and today's lunch conversations were dominated by stories of everyone's kid's first days back at school.

And so I remembered going back to school and everyone, teachers included, asking "So, what did you do over your summer break?" and while I certainly did NOT have a summer break, I still love the idea of documenting my summer in photos.

This summer, I started an internship, photographed my first big wedding,celebrated my Pop Pop's 80th birthday, went to Nashville, toured the Jack Daniels Distillery, saw over 20 country artists live in concert, visited a friend, at delicious pancakes, stood on the Grand Ole Opry stage, reunited with old friends, learned new assessments, walked along the river, made a new friend from Alabama, turned 28, had lots of breakfasts with friends, got a second job at a bookstore, photographed a quinceanera, celebrated babies, got a cat, visited a new park, saw more rainbows in 3 months than in the last three years combined, sat in FRONT of the camera for once, went to IKEA, went to the beach for a day, ate fried oysters, got a flat tire, prayed A LOT, photographed birthday parties and scooter rallies, made new contacts for my thesis, overhauled my dresser, met my SGKBC3Day fundraising goal, read an awesome new book, and those were just the highlights! I know there were so many more tiny, wonderful moments that I can't even remember anymore! I vow to do better about that!

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Consider writing your own "Summer Essay" to review all the fun you had and prepare yourself for the beautiful autumn season which is rapidly approaching! I don't know about you, but I sure am excited for Longwood Gardens in the fall, day trip to Pittsburgh, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3 Day walk, making progress on my thesis, Apple Harvest, carving pumpkins, eating pomegranates, and seeing what's in store for my job. Summer 2011, you were great. Fall 2011, bring it on!

Girls' Day at Cape May

I don't know what it is, but there is something about being at the beach that makes you feel as though life was never any other way. Never anything other than warm and calm, with nothing to worry about except when to reapply your sunblock and keeping your diet coke on ice. Even if it was only for a day, what a wonderful escape it was, and how wonderful it is to have friends willing to rally around an idea, take days off work, get babysitters for the kids, and make the day happen. We enjoyed a beautiful sunrise on the drive there, many warm hours on the sand, and yours truly even faced my fear of water and went in to my shoulders! We saw the Cape May lighthouse, fought for parking, explored the beautifully colored town and had dinner at the Ugly Mug before heading back and the quality conversation flowed the entire way back. Thank you, Ashleigh, Jana, and Lesa, for the gift of your friendship.