Throughout my entire first year of teaching I was caught saying one thing repeatedly
"The school year is just so busy and stressful, I promise I will (fill in the blank) over the summer."
Of course this was 100% true and was said with very genuine and honest intentions. A couple of weeks ago I actually took the time to map out my summer and make sure that I could follow through with all of my commitments. I quickly realized that literally EVERY weekend of my summer was booked before school had even ended. These events ranged from brewery tours, to graduation parties, weddings, and visiting friends and family. Although I was/am so excited for each and every one of them, it is also daunting to have that much activity to juggle.
That being said I have literally been bouncing between states for an entire month, and I am not exaggerating (although, to be fair I do exaggerate often).
June 10-11 - My summer started with a work day at my new place of employment. I am lucky enough to have coworkers that have already welcomed me into their social circles and homes. I spent a day and a half working on literacy stuff with my new peers. I also got to watch trap shooting and get to know my future home. It was fantastic and really set the tone for next year in the most positive way. I am over the moon excited for this next step in my teaching career! It's gonna be AWESOME!
June 12-13 - After that I spent some time at my dad's house in central Wisconsin, which was pretty low key and uneventful.
June 14 - I had been promising my aunt and uncle that I would spend time with them all school year, and I had been encouraging them to come for a Leinenkugel Brewery Tour for just as long. They ended up picking the perfect weekend for a visit! Turns out every year Leinenkugels hosts a "Family Reunion" which includes live music, ongoing tours, free food and beer! It was one of my favorite days in the past year and it was completely free!!! I highly recommend it, and we decided to make it our own family tradition. I can't wait till next year!
June 15 - After the great day at Leine Lodge I turned around and drove to Illinois to visit my mom and see my favorite band play an epic concert at the Chicago House of Blues. For years Needtobreathe has been my go to music for just about everything. Their songs are particularly suited for blasting in the car and singing at the top of your lungs. I have seen them live a couple of times and they never disappoint! This concert was special because I got to go with one of my closest friends, Chrysan, who I hadn't seen in what felt like a lifetime. It was such a fantastic experience and I loved every second of it. I know this is gonna sound cheesy, but I can't even put it into words... If you every have the chance to see them live do not hesitate!
This is one of my favorite parts of their show. For their final encore they come out and completely unplug - no microphones and just guitars. Then the crowd sings along but not too loud that you can't hear them... it's basically the most epic thing I've seen happen in a concert. Bonus, this is actually from the concert I was at... Enjoy!
June 16-26 - I proceeded to spend a couple weeks catching up with my mom and my sister, who came in from Boston for a few days. It was great to have some extended time with family. Usually I'm in town for a couple of days so it can feel rushed and stressful trying to see all the people I want to in such a short window. It was fun to relax and really have intentional time with so many of the people that I love.
Not to mention the fact that I got to see James Taylor in concert with my mom! That was also a great show, and something I always wanted to experience. Having my parents (especially my mom) instill a love of music in me from and early age it was a dream come true to share a concert experience with her. Knowing that she introduced me to James Taylor and remembering listening to his albums while spring cleaning or driving to school gave a special layer of meaning to watching him play those same songs live with my mom standing and singing along next to me.
June 20-23 - There was also a long weekend at my dad's sandwiched in between the weeks with my mom. I was not joking when I said I bounced between states. We played host to a reunion with some life long friends that I hadn't seen in years. It was so much fun to have a house full of people. I am a textbook extrovert and after living alone for a year I forgot how much I enjoyed having people around. It was a perfect balance of activity and energy without being chaotic. The weekend included a couple stupendous bonfires, some painful sunburn, and delicious food. Basically the perfect mini vacation within a vacation.
If you've been paying attention you probably noticed that the title of this entry includes "Part One". I still have about a week and a half to document, but I don't feel like writing it all at once, and I'm assuming that you are probably tired of reading this too... Honestly I commend you if you made it this far, I've been rambling a bit.
"Part One" of my travels mostly centers around my family and trips between Illinois and Wisconsin. "Part Two" will include more about college friends, Milwaukee, and Minnesota...
Stay tuned! (or don't, I'm not gonna tell you what to do...)
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