My Heart is Light & My Trunk is Heavy. Vacation Time, Fools!

I'm thrilled to announce that this post (though hastily written with an obvious hint of I JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF! scattered stream of consciousness) is a dramatic and wonderful opposite from the previous post. July has already proven to be far more full of promise and excitement than June could've ever hoped to have been... but I firmly believe you can't appreciate the amazing without a little journey to get there first. I put in my hard work, fought my anxieties, dealt with the stress and frustration. Now it's time to reclaim my motivation and trudge forward with a new-found creative energy.

I'll start with cocktail by the beach, please! 

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, I'm taking off for a whopping TEN day vacation to the other Carolina. Staying with my super awesome pal, Tracy J. (see the "Cafe Strudel" post below!), hanging out with my (almost painfully hilarious) family traveling all the way from Michigan, and spending some quality beach time with the seester who I haven't seen since I saw her off to her study abroad trip almost seven weeks ago. Oh! And ever faithful reader (and commenter!) Allie B. will be making a guest appearance during the final leg my trip. Fab.u.lous.

(Pssst... Did I mention there will be plenty of festive libations and we're pretty much confined on an island with no where to go... it's goin' DOWN!)

I've got my camera gear, plenty of reading, newly downloaded tunes, a new bathing suit, a stash that looks like I raided a mini-bar (dear Lord, please don't let me be pulled over), and the pups are itching to be seaside, trading in their usual squirrel hunting for seagulls (MINE!).

Other exciting things?

• My parents are celebrating their 28th wedding anniversary today (July 1st)! I hope they celebrate it like they normally do... dinner at a cheap ethnic restaurant, intense conversations harping on all the stupid things in the world, and bed by 10pm. So romantic!
• The Capital City just won a free fruit orchard, sponsored by Edy's! Some of y'all were bombarded with my pleas to vote - but look, it paid off! No more annoying emails or Facebook invites from me... swears. :)
• As Becky W. (from the "Group Project" post below) has brought to my attention, we have FIFTY days of no school until the fall semester starts. DING DANG.
• In approximately 27 days, John will have finished taking the South Carolina Bar. Then begins the two agonizing months of waiting until we find out the results, but at least we can start seeing each other more than once a week. HECK YEAAH.
• Fourth of July. One of my ALL TIME favorite holidays. Seriously, it's always so exciting and full of good food and the patriotism is often so wonderfully overwhelming. As cheesy as it sounds,  it is UH-mazing all that we have and all we can become here in the United States of America. I have my gripes, but overall, I feel pretty darn tootin' lucky.

So I'll be blissfully out of my routine for the next week and a half, meaning I have no idea what the posting situation is like... but you rest assured I will have plenty to report upon returning. :)

FARE THEE WELL!

-C