Summer, Summer, Summertime

Summer is on the horizon, and I'm so ready for a break. In about 1.5 months I'll be one-half of a Master (of English), which means only one more year left of school! In honor of the impending holiday, I'm counting down the top-five things I'm looking forward to this summer.

1. Abilene in the summertime - I love Abilene in the summer months, and this will be my third summer to spend in town. During the school year, Abilene is filled with thousands of college students flitting around. Most of them clear out in the summer, and the town magically becomes calm and laid-back.

2. Cajun Cones - Anyone who's lived in Abilene knows how awesome these snow cones are. These are not your typical snow cones, mind you. They are hand-made in a tiny shack in the United parking lot, and offer such flavors as Fuzzy Navel, Old-Fashioned Ice Cream, and I Don't Know But It's Good. (And they always give you extra syrup if you ask, which earns points in my book.) More than anything, though, summer to me means Cajun Cones with Brendan. It's our place during the summer, usually in conjunction with the park, to goof off and spend time together.

3. My summer job - I'm working a full-time office job on campus this summer, which will be a welcome change of pace from the erratic hours, classes, and homework of this semester. I'm so excited that I can leave work at work at not have to bring anything home.

4. Clay and Heather's wedding - My big brother is getting married on
August 2! Heather is a wonderful woman who'll make an excellent addition to our family. I'm a groom's attendant, meaning I'll stand on Clay's side. I think that's pretty awesome.

5. Our first married vacation - "But wait," you protest, "what about your honeymoon!" Technically our honeymoon was our first trip together, but anyone who's actually been on a honeymoon knows that it's not your typical vacation. When you leave for your honeymoon you tell yourself, "This must be the most amazing vacation ever! We must do as much as we can so we can have the best time ever, and take as many pictures as humanly possible so we can remember it as the best vacation ever!!"

Consequently our honeymoon, while wonderful, was busy. At Disney World I kept thinking, "We have to keep moving and doing things, because I have to make memories!" For our next vacation, I'm looking forward to sleeping in, not having a schedule, and just enjoying my husband.