Summer Highlights

Well, summer is winding down, and since this is my last summer, I know I’ll be looking back on it fondly and longingly. Thought it might be nice to have a written record to help my memory.

Top Ten Summer 2007 Highlights, in no particular order

10. The top of the world…I’ve always lamented that I never took advantage of the mountains growing up, a mistake I more than made up for this summer. I knocked 4 more 14ers off the list (Grays, Torreys, Quandary, and Sherman), bringing my grand total to 7 so far. There’s still nothing like the summit, and the hikes up aren’t too shabby either. We even saw several mountain goats on our way up Quandary. And we were joined on two occasions by family from Indiana, which made the hike all the more special.

9. Going to the chapel…by the end of this week, I will have attended 4 weddings this summer (and had another invite that I was out of town for). The first one had me standing up as Maid of Honor for a good high school friend, which was an incredible experience—fun, moving, stressful, fulfilling, etc. My cousin, former roommate, and two good friends also tied the knot. Marriage is an amazing gift and to see two people embark on such a journey is inspiring. Plus, I’m always up for good food and good dancing. Still having trouble meeting all those single guys for which weddings are so famous.
   

8. Back to the lab…One of my jobs this summer had me back to the anatomy lab to serve as a TA for the physical therapy and PA students. It wasn’t as hard as I thought to return to cadavers, although I had forgotten far more than I’d hoped from when I did anatomy. The students were awesome and grateful for any help we offered, and it gave me a great chance to brush up on all those nerves, etc. Of course, coming in to set up for exams at 6 am was a little challenging, but at least our instructor provided the bagels. It proved to be a great way to spend my time away from classes.

7. Indiana, my Indiana…the annual trip back to Indy was exactly what I needed this summer. After hitting up my cousin’s wedding, we had 2 days out on the lake, boating, tubing, swimming, jet-skiing, and lounging. And of course plenty of family time, a game of Euchre (not the first time I’ve lost 10-0), lots of reading, and lunches out. We also had an afternoon of nostalgia going through boxes and boxes of pictures and memorabilia of my grandparents and my mom’s whole family growing up. My mom dubbed herself “valedictorian dorkhead” looking at the pictures of her 8th grade graduation, so you can see where I get it from.

6. Harry Potter…well, you knew it had to come up sooner or later. With the 5^th movie and the 7^th and final book coming out this summer, I had plenty to look forward to from the wizarding world. Neither disappointed. Kelly, Dad, and I hit up the midnight showing at the IMAX in 3-D. We got there 4 hours early and marveled at all the costumes and hype. Dad and Kelly were even interviewed for the news. I smiled through the whole movie, which seemed way too short. Come July 21^st, Kelly and I were busting at the seams for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We sat up in the living room until 1:30 in the morning, each with our own copy, devouring the hundreds of pages. I won’t spoil anything (but seriously, what are you waiting for?), but I will say that I loved every page, and am halfway through reading it again (I’d finish if Dad would give me the book back). It was awesome!

5. In addition to the hiking mentioned earlier, I got to spend 3 weekends enjoying the mountains on trips to Vail, Estes Park, and camping. I was joined on my first 2-night campout by three friends and we had a blast. The weekend was made complete by 4 s’mores, 2 deer sightings, and some mad lumberjacking action to get firewood. In Estes Park, we stopped by Laura’s Homemade Ice Cream and Candies to get dessert, which capped off a weekend full of awesome food and family time as we celebrated mom and dad’s 30^th anniversary. And my trip to Vail showed me the charm of mountain towns as I ate at the Route 6 Café, hit up the farmer’s market, and shopped in a consignment shop called Holy Toledo.

4. Riding…and riding…and riding…Dad and I trained for several weeks before embarking on the MS150, a 2-day, 158-mile bike tour in Colorado to raise money for the National MS Society. We were riding in support of some very good friends with MS, and were supported by so many wonderful people, both financially and with prayers. I won’t pretend it wasn’t exhausting and challenging and that I wished for the finish line many times, but I’m so glad I did it for many reasons—the time spent with my dad, the physical challenge and being able to say I completed it, and knowing that we were riding for a great cause. Thanks to everyone who supported us!

3. Definitely not Rain Man…I’ve continued my autism research this summer, running two of our therapy groups to treat anxiety in kids with autism. It’s been a joy and a challenge again to work with them, as they are creative, funny, smart, and off-the-wall behaviorally. I’ve also gotten to participate in some autism training regarding diagnosis and intervention in kids with autism, which was very helpful and interesting from a clinical standpoint. And yes, we did get to watch a clip of Rain Man. Having worked with kids with autism for several months now, I have a huge appreciation for how brilliant Dustin Hoffman was. Definitely…definitely deserved the Oscar.

2. Ole, ole, ole, ole…Professional soccer hit the limelight in Colorado this year as the Rapids moved to a brand new state-of-the-art stadium, donned new uniforms, and hosted the All-Star game. I’ve been fortunate enough to hit up two games so far, with another planned next week. There are no words to express how much I love watching good soccer (and this soccer has been good!) and how focused I get during the games. I went to one game with a friend of mine who had our whole sideline chanting “Ugo!” everytime defender Ugo Ihemelu touched the ball. It was a blast!

1. Touchdown!...I have to throw in flag football as my final highlight. Last spring I joined a co-ed team in Denver that I heard about from a friend of mine, and we have continued playing in the summer league. First of all, the team is mostly Notre Dame grads, so they’re super nice people. And secondly, I live for flag football; even a broken toe didn’t sideline me. It’s actually a fairly competitive league, and our team is pretty good, so I love it. Of course it always adds to the enjoyment that I’m the go-to girl and get to score one or two touchdowns a game, but whatever.

So that’s it guys, my summer in a nutshell. I’ve also moved to a new apartment, which I really like, although I haven’t seen my roommate much since we’ve been trading vacation time. I’m nervous about school starting, since I know it will once again swallow up all my free time. Your prayers are always appreciated, especially this semester for discipline and perseverance in my studies. Don’t know when the next update will be, so until then….Adios!