Helloooo, Summer!!!

This is the first summer since I started teaching four years ago that I haven't had a daily commitment.  It's INCREDIBLE! When coworkers would tell me that they didn't have anything really planned for the summer outside of a vacation here and there, I would always wonder how they didn't get bored. Now it's clear that I've totally been missing out on embracing and taking advantage of the precious eight weeks that I get to spend outside of school each year! I mean, yes, there's a small event occurring in a few weeks known as our wedding that is a tad bit time consuming, but it's still incredibly liberating to have a generally footloose schedule.  I've still been torturing myself with 6:15am sprints at bootcamp, but luckily it's a fun and energetic group which makes for a great start to the day. And then there are some days when I'm back asleep by 8am.....

In the past week I have: gone to the pool (twice!), started a book that is not aimed at teenagers, visited the chiropractor in the afternoon instead of at 7am, eaten out far more than I'd like to admit, spent some time at LWC, and have generally just felt relaxed (which has been a foreign feeling for the most part this year).

Along with what I've already been enjoying, I thought it would be fun to take after Mere and create a summer bucket list of sorts. So, without any promising but lots of wishing, I'd like to......

-visit Annapolis, Maryland
-make Pioneer Woman's vietnamese iced coffee (I'm sad we're not going to the Cape this summer with CPs family, where The Sparrow brews the best.coffee.ever.ever.ever.)
-attend a DC United soccer game
-eat at three food trucks (at least)
-get back into half marathon training (signed up for two this fall!)
-discover some new music and bands
-explore some new to me neighborhoods in DC
-see an outdoor movie (I heard they're opening a drive-in at Union Market!)
-consign/donate clothing

And last, but certainly not least, marry CP! Although, that one is non-negotiable:) We're off to San Diego/Coronado and San Francisco for our honeymoon, with a bit of resort relaxation as well as touristy adventures on the agenda.  Even though teachers anxiously count down to summer each spring, it always flies by, so I'm hoping to revisit this list in a few weeks with some updates!


While Sara Bareilles isn't new to me, I always find myself revisiting her songs and loving them more each time. You've likely heard the first song, Brave, on the radio recently. I adore it. The second song, Uncharted, is a bit older, but equally as lovely.  And while the songs are wonderful on their own, the music videos are hilarious! Please take a few minutes to watch them, as they will surely put a big grin on your face. Some of the dancers in the 'Brave' video had me laughing out loud. You might some familiar musical faces in the second video (hellooooo Adam Levine!).

HAPPY SUMMER!!!