This is What Summer Feels Like

Chapter 1 // Vermont + New York

Suddenly, it was here, in the blink of an eye. My baby sister was graduating from college. Not just any college–an Ivy League school. With a degree in neuroscience. I was proud. And equally proud of her rock and roll band gig that I got to attend.

Yo Yo Ma gave the commencement speech. He talked about building bridges and not walls. He played a song on his cello–it was called something like Free as a Bird. While he played, a few birds flew over the commencement field. And only while he was playing did they fly overhead. I took it as a sign from the universe.

Dartmouth is located near my favorite state of Vermont. And two of my favorite people in the world live 40 minutes from the school in this favorite state. So I visited. We hiked one of the tallest peaks in the state. We ate bacon from their pigs. We chatted. We watched hockey. I sat on their front porch and meditated and drank coffee. I smelled their lilacs, which were already done for the year back home in Colorado.

I flew to Long Island from Vermont. I may have been the first passenger at the Burlington airport that Monday morning–another reason I love Vermont. On Long Island, I watched television with my grandparents. I napped a lot. I read a lot. I celebrated a big birthday by going to a clam bar and the beach at Fire Island.

After 5 days, I was ready to go home and see the boys, who stayed home with my husband. But I enjoyed my time on the East Coast.

Chapter 2 // The Fourth

My husband’s family visits every summer, from the middle of June through the middle of July. All sorts of people travel to Colorado from the south. Some stay for a couple days, some stay for a few weeks. Most of the younger generations are boys (of course). And it is always, always fun to get cousins together.

You know how some kids have lemonade stands? This year our boys has a paper airplane stand. They made paper airplanes on paper that had a flag design printed on it. They tried to sell them at the firework display. I think rain caused slow sales.

Chapter 3 // Maryland + Delaware

My sons and I headed back east for a too short getaway before the start of the school year. We visited their grandparents in Maryland and then headed to my dad’s beach house in Delaware.

I worked for much of the time–it was not a relaxing trip. Still, it had highlights.

I did love my mom’s garden, evening walks, riding the Miss Anne for a tour of the Annapolis Harbor, going to the Aquarium in Baltimore (the sharks are always my favorite)(and the piranhas in the rain forest)(don’t stick your fingers in!), going to the beach, having an Elvis cocktail hour with my dad.

I’ve had such little time this summer, we had to buy school supplies for the year in Maryland and lug them back in our luggage.