A Little Recap...

As summer is winding down and we enter the month known as back to school, I've been taking some time to look back on what I've accomplished and how I still attempted to have a good summer within the safety regulations. This summer has been far from normal and it was not even close to what I was planning for, but none the less, it happened and I tried to live through it optimistically, to the best of my abilities. I know summer is not over yet and our adventures during these strange times are far from done, but I wanted to take some time and recap some of my favorite memories and moments from this past summer.

One of the things at the top of my list was having a cute summer photoshoot. There is this beautiful sunflower field right by my house that I've been taking pictures at every summer for years. I didn't think I was going to be able to have a photoshoot this year, but my friend proved me wrong. With a little help from a camera, some masks, a little distance, and a great friend I was able to accomplish one of my favorite photoshoots I've ever done. Some of my favorite summer photoshoot locations are flower fields of any kind (but beware of the bees, that was definitely a very scary part), sunsets or sunrises on top of buildings, a little picnic vibe, or a hike. Personally photoshoots are the ultimate mood booster. I like to strike some poses, dance around, play music, laugh, joke around, and maybe end up getting some good candid pics. Photoshoots are your time to shine!

I would have to say my favorite quarantine pastime was definitely reading. I've never been the biggest reader but this summer I experienced the feeling of being so addicted to a book that you can't put it down. My book addiction actually caused me to pull a few all nighters, for the purpose of finishing the book. My favorite genre of book is similar to my movie taste: I'm a romcom girl! Although, I never did this, a few of my friends decided to take reading to the next level and read together outside, which is also an awesome idea! Along the same lines as that, one of my bestfriends led an online book talk every other week, which I joined in on a few times. It was a great way to talk and bond over a common interest with a bunch of people, while still being safe.

Social distance picnics were my go to throughout this past summer. It has been challenging coming up with fun new ideas to do while hanging out, so most of my friends and I constantly ended up resorting to picnics at a distance. It was such a nice opportunity to get outside, catch up with friends, and it was an excuse to actually make good tasting food for myself. I would take the time to make nice big salads to enjoy during the picnics. I've never had as many picnics as I had this summer, but you know what, I'm happy I got to do something I barely ever did before now!

Another, exciting adventure I had, was a fun little sibling hike. I don't know if I would really count going to the Arboretum as hiking, but close enough. This was so fun, because I got to spend quality time with my best twin in the scorching heat! I actually really enjoyed this day, despite the heat, because it was really nice to get out of the house and be in nature. I know that as the season changes it'll be harder to spend quality time outside [comfortably], and I think we will still be spending an absurd amount of time stuck at home, so this summer was my attempt at spending lots of time outside (even though most of the time, it was spent in the shade).

The most unique social distanced activity I did this past summer was having a jam sesh. I think this was the best idea ever. I wish I could take credit for it, but this was all my friend's idea, and it really was a good one. We spent 5+ hours covering "Good Grief" by Bastille. But, let me just tell you: it was the most productive 5 hours of my life! We worked through harmonies and figured out successful strumming patterns, assigned parts and everything. It was such an awesome experience!

Last, but certainly not least, I spent hours at the beginning of quarantine writing so many letters! I'm a huge writing nerd (hints the reason I have a blog), which is why I thought writing tons of letters was the most perfect way to pass my time. And, what can I say: I wasn't wrong! Letters are a whole different way of communication and honestly in a way I think it's more personal. Writing a letter in my opinion, is like writing a journal entry to one person instead of to yourself. It also gave me the reminder of how great not depending on phones felt. There was no screen between me and the person I was communicating with. It was straight from my hand and pen into their mailbox and vice versa.

Although, a lot of my time, I just spent watching Netflix or being sad that my senior year is going to be ruined. I also tried to spend as much time as possible being social and optimistic and reminding myself of who I am. I don't vibe much with the situation we are in, but I do think it has given me the chance to experience things I never would have thought of doing. Most of the things I listed I can 100% say I wouldn't have done if it wasn't for the Corona Virus, and for that reason I am grateful. Most summers I spend maybe a total of 3 weeks at home, if that. But, this year I spent every single second of summer within my home town. It was a huge change and I had to adapt and I'm still attempting to adapt. Going over all the things I have done this past summer though, makes me really proud and shows me that I still had such a great summer and I was able to be safe throughout all my adventures! I hope reading this helps you realize that days may not be the way you at first planned but it can still be a wonderful time.