My Summer...

It's crazy to think that Summer is over now! Looking back, it's almost like it never happened but then I'll be walking on campus and randomly see someone from Aspen Grove and it's the best because it's a reminder that it really did happen. I really loved working there and am glad that I did it, but I am also excited to have moved on back to school and the normal routine of life. Here are some pictures from the Summer:

My lovely fellow arts and crafters and I: (Me, Amy, Kerri and Kate) 

Every Saturday we as the staff performed an Opening Show for the guests at camp. This is the skit that I was in. It was called Yoga Lesson and it was pretty funny. We sat on people so that we looked really flexible.

We only had about 24 hours (if that) off each week so we would try to pack in the fun/relaxation. One weekend we went out to dinner and a carnival after. It was summer magical.

I turned 20! And it ended up being one of my best birthdays ever. I seriously felt the love. Thanks to all who made me feel so special!

Probably one of the coolest things about my job was that I got to teach to throw pottery at least twice a day. Although it was pretty stressful at times, it was a very cool experience and I was able to improve quite a bit. I guess the saying practice makes perfect is true. Not only was it cool to throw pottery, but it was way awesome to do it on a bridge over the river.

These are the wheels we used. There was room for 6 students in the class and I would sit at that one in the middle and teach.

This is the view from the bridge. Pretty awesome if I do say so myself. It's the perfect place for some creative inspiration.

Kate, Amy and I with some of our different creations:

Opening the kiln was always exciting because you never knew what you were going to find. For example, I opened it to discover that a fish had fallen on top of the ice cream cone and they were welded together so it made a fish ice cream cone! We thought it was pretty hilarious, but the customers wanted a refund so we got to keep it. I'd say it ended up being a win win situation :)

Another favorite thing from this Summer was getting to live in such a beautiful setting. I loved waking up in the morning and feeling the crisp air and seeing the golden light from the sun as I walked out of my cabin. There were also nice hikes to go on. Here are some views from Stuart Falls, which is a good run.

The moon and stars were incredible up in the mountains. I took advantage of the star gazing and saw multiple shooting stars that were incredible. Definitely one of the things I'll miss the most.

I went to the play Seven Brides for Seven Brothers with the Wheatleys and it was awesome! I grew up watching that movie so I loved hearing all of the songs and seeing the dancing. It was up at the Sundance outdoor theater which made it even cooler.

Driving through the Alpine Loop is also incredible. I would highly recommend it. There are some great views.

I went to Alissa's family's ranch with her and rode horses and it was also magical. 

Me and my new love Ranger.

This is where we had church every Sunday for the Summer. I'll miss that as well. Having church outside in such a pretty setting is an awesome experience. 

I got to hang out with family, which is always the best.

And I made some wonderful friendships. That's probably the best thing about the Summer. Now I have 80 more friends and we all share a special Aspen Grove bond.

Thanks for a great time AG! (That's my cabin in the background)

Now I'm back at school and ready to start the next chapter of my life. It's been great to be reunited with old friends.

So long sweet Summer.

Brian Regan

I forgot to blog about this earlier, but I went to see the stand up comedian Brian Regan with Dad and Matt in May before I left home. It was hilarious. He had us all laughing really hard the whole time. I loved going with Matt and Dad because they both are huge fans so they were cracking up like crazy. After the show we got shakes from the Shake Shack. It was a great night with two of my favorite guys. Love and miss you both!

New Home for the Summer

This Summer I am working at Aspen Grove Camp. It has been great so far. Mostly I'm just amazed by the beauty. It is such a gorgeous place. I'm happy to call it my new home despite my "rustic" living conditions that I will have to get used to living in this Summer ;). 

Thus far I have seen a moose and my roommate saw a cougar on her morning run. I've eaten good food. Played lots of games and done team building activities. Learned how to properly wash my hands, make a bed and clean rooms. Performed skits and songs. Learned a lot of people's names and forgotten a lot as well.

I'm one of the Arts and Crafts Counselors. This is where I will be spending most of my time. I've been doing training all this week and I have a few more hours tomorrow but then the campers start coming tomorrow night. Should be exciting!

Welcome Back Home!

This past weekend was wonderful because I was reunited with two of my best friends Alissa and Lindsay. It had been a year since we had all been together so it was wonderful to spend some time together. Alissa arrived just in time to help throw a waffle Prom after party for my brother Matthew and his friends. Then the next day, we celebrated Mothers and DC by visiting some monuments and memorials.

Then on Monday we met up with Lindsay and went to Georgetown to get some delicious cupcakes, walk the streets and shop. It was great fun. I love these ladies :) 

That night we went to see Titanic 3D and it was so great. It was my first time seeing Titanic and I really enjoyed it. It was the perfect girls day!

The next day was Alissa's birthday! Woohoo! So Lindsay came over for a lemon ricotta pancake breakfast to celebrate with us.

It was so fun to have Alissa here to visit and to get to see Lindsay before we all head off on exciting adventures of our own. (We were missing you Court!) 

A Perfect Afternoon in DC

I feel so lucky to live close to DC. I love being able to zip in for a quick trip to visit such a beautiful and historic area. I think that every American should visit Washington DC at least once in their life. It is a truly awesome place.

This week my mom and I went into DC for lunch and to visit some monuments before I head out again. It was the perfect afternoon. The weather was beautiful, the food was delicious and the company was even better. First stop was Georgetown Cupcake, which luckily did not have a long line. We were hoping for the salted caramel cupcakes, but they weren't out so we go the german chocolate fudge instead and they did not disappoint. The secret flavor was coconut that day. delicious :)

We ran into a lady there who was on vacation hitting up all the different food spots and she told us that she had just eaten 4 slices of pie for lunch and was now getting her cupcakes. She was definitely on a food vacation. We were curious what she would be eating for dinner. But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do :)

We got some yummy salads and wraps after the cupcakes (yes we know how to live...dessert first ;) ). Then we went to the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial because I had not seen it yet. It was pretty cool. I enjoyed the quotes and the concept. 

We walked along the tidal basin toward Jefferson.

Stopped at FDR's memorial. 

Said hello to Jefferson.

Then headed home. It was a perfect afternoon in DC. Thanks mom!

Puerto Rico

Last week my mom and I had a great adventure. We went to Puerto Rico for five days to relax, soak up the sun and hike through the rainforest before I was off again on to my next adventure.

Here we are on the airplane heading off to the Rich Port.

This is the beach that was right by our hotel. The sand was so soft, like powdered sugar, and the water was so clear and warm.

obviously I was excited :)

The view from our hotel room

just lounging at the beach.

This is where the real adventure was. We hiked through the rainforest, repelled down a waterfall and ziplined through the canopy of the trees. It was seriously one of the funnest things that I have ever done in my life. I would highly recommend it. Our guides were hilarious and super helpful.

This is the waterfall that we repelled down. It was pretty scary, but awesome at the same time.

This is how we felt after repelling.

This was the delicious meal provided to us by a local family. 

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at this fruit stand on the side of the road and I got to use some of my Spanish to get us some bananas, coconut and mango. All of it was so good!

That night we went to dinner to get some Puerto Rican cuisine. I got the mofongo, which is a native dish of smashed plantains filled with some kind of meat. It was delicious.

That night we finished off our coconuts in the hotel room.

The next day we ventured off to Old San Juan and toured the Old Spanish Forts. They were pretty cool and the textures and colors of the walls were our favorite parts.

we got some super yummy coconut and passion fruit ice cream.

We ate at the Parrot Club and were pleasantly surprised when our nachos came with plantain chips rather than corn or tortilla chips. They were delicious.

We spent the next day mostly relaxing at our resort and sipping drinks by the ocean.

We fed the iguanas.

enjoyed a stroll on the beach

and saw a beautiful sunset to end off the trip right.

It was a fantastic trip and vacation. Thank you Mother and Father for the wonderful opportunity!