Summer Girl

I'm home for the summer and am definitely glad to have left college-home behind for a while. I am now a Senior and that's scary stuff. I've always been a summer girl. I love being able to do a million things outside. Biking to town center for a smoothie or dinner or to get lost in the book shop. Picnics and swinging at the park with the bestie. Iced-tea and magazines on the back porch with friends. Windows down, music up. Goodness, isn't summer incredible? Plus, my birthday is towards the end of the summer so I think I'm sort of biased to the season. And I should mention I live in a place with dry heat so the summer is always pleasant and bareable as opposed to college-town which has sticky humidity that makes me want to cry.

My summer's off to a topsy-turvy start. There aren't really jobs to be had....but it turns out that's ok because I'd need a lot of time off since I need to have surgery. That aside, I've already thrown myself into plotting ways to enjoy this wonderful break the most. I'm aiming for less TV & Internet and more enriching ways to spend my time. So, what are some of the things I am going to do this summer?

Let's take role:

Cooking

While abroad, my friends and I made this delicious meal of Gulasch, potatoes and Stiegl (a classic combination). It's too hot now for soup, but I've got tons of other recipes I love and more that I want to try. Summer is definitely the time to throw on a flowery apron, open the windows, and dance around the kitchen singing into my wooden spoon while cooking up something refreshing.

Picnics!

(From here on out all pictures were found on google images)

Ha! My picnics are way more fun and goofy that this picture, but I sort of love this dress minus the lobster on the blouse. But seriously, how fab would it be to picnic in a full skirt like this?

Knitting (and other crafts)
(There was a picture here. It went away. It's too much hassle to get it back.)

Because, yes, I am a 20-year-old who knits. Only, I thought I'd be extra dorky and experiment with plarn--that is, self-made plastic yarn-- because I want to fill my days with more than TV and internet and because, hey, it's economically and environmentally friendly to make your own yarn out of recycled plastic bags.

Travel

You should definitely know this about me: I love to travel. However, as excited as just looking at the picture of all these books makes me, I won't be jet-setting this summer. That's ok, last fall I got to visit 10 countries and fall in love with 1 city so I'm set for now. I will, however, be visiting my sister in her new home in Arizona, and hopefully (fingers crossed) flying somewhere for a mini-reunion with my best friends from the aforementioned abroad trip.

Hiking

(picture mine)

Hiking by the fam's cabin is always fun and beautiful! Just watch out for mountain lions. Maybe I should just bang some sticks together a la "The Parent Trap". ;)

Water Activities (Boating, Swimming, Laying by the lake)

(Picture mine)

I think I was a fish in another life. No wait, I love sushi. Make that a mermaid. I love being in or near water. Driving into "town" from our cabin to lay out on the dock by the lake is always relaxing. Add an icecream cone to that and I'm set.

Surgery Don't worry, I won't be performing it. Just receiving it. This is the part of summer that I'm not looking forward to, but to look on the bright side I can laze in bed for a week (and by can I mean it will be mandatory) and read, watch movies, and eat my sadness away.

I didn't want to end on the scary picture of surgery, so here's a delish smoothie instead!

I hope everyone has a pleasant start to their spring/summer! What are you looking forward to?

<3,

Katie