Best of Summer | 2020

Man, what a shit-show 2020 has been. And I always think it's hilarious when we say things like "can't wait 'til this year is over" or whatever because I think we're all nervously hoping that 2021 will be this savior year, like if we can just make it to New Year's Eve unscathed, everything will be cool. Lol forever. I have a feeling this murk is going to drag on for a while and 2021 isn't going to solve it. But maybe we'll have a new president! That'd be cool. 

ANYWAY. One paragraph and I completely derailed. I meant to just suggest that even though this year has been - ahem - unexpected, it wasn't totally awful. Honestly, this was one of the best summers of my life. I got really lucky. Things worked out. 

TRAVEL

You know, obviously, our big summer activity was traveling. I just needed to run away from my real life for a few months and it was the reset I needed. I recently read this quote from Anthony Bourdain - "Travel isn't reward for working. It's education for living." And now I'm a convert to the holy thinking of St. Anthony. 

There is so much to see all over the USA, and what I think we need to be grateful for, is by the totally unearned luck of being born in the right place (doesn't that sound remarkably stupid?!) we can pass (imaginary) state lines and see all of it. There is something to be gained by travel and the financial investment/career risk was worth it.

If you want my advice (and even if you don't) -- take calculated risks. I mean, save your money, plan your budget, and think ahead -- but then just go. The corporate world won't disappear because you leave it. You will find another job and money will be there for you to earn (lol, my fingers are still crossed that this is true). You can jump right back in. 

THE PEOPLE

Old friends in new places. We're so lucky to know adventurers, people who are as interested in covering a lot of miles as we are. We met friends in Seattle, family in California, and friends who are practically family in the Ozarks. 

FOOD AND BOOZE

Oh hello. What is a christmas tree without lights? Mostly just a tree. 

The summer (and a roadtrip!) without some interesting food and trying each state's version of "the best margarita" is a christmas tree without lights. Sucky. So we went all out with the lights. Pre-lit + 12 extra strands. And now I'm done with that metaphor. 

If there was water, we swam in it. 

I mean, mostly because it was 110º but also because Duke asks us every single day to go to the ocean. 

Bookending the summer, we enjoyed home. 

Benzie, Beulah, Frankfort, Honor and everything within 50 miles. But mostly, our own home.

Small Awesomes

It's always the little stuff, you know? Never the big plans, but the cake you randomly make on Sunday afternoon, or the wall you spontaneously paint because the house is empty for an hour. Always that stuff. 

Offroading all over the side of a mountain in Silverton, Colorado. We saw a ghost town, which bummer, didn't have any ghosts, and then Duke napped the rest of the way back to the camper. How though?!

We replaced the flooring in our camper because aesthetics are important to me and I'll tell you what, it made all difference. Now I'm imagining new flooring in every area of my house, which is definitely going to be a harder sell. Talking Ryan into replacing 4 sq feet was easier than 2,000 sq ft. 

Duke learned to ride a two-wheeler without training wheels this summer! 

So many books in so many new places. 

A Wedding

In the very last bit of summer, my sister got married. A new beginning served as the very best ending to my favorite season. 

Congratulations, Carlee and Troy!

***

And now I'm ready for Fall. 

This year was obviously different for a handful of reasons and I missed a couple of pictures that I take every year. It's silly, but I had to reconcile that in my brain. I think I've gotten a picture of my nieces, Hayden and Aliya, jumping off the Frankfort Pier every single summer since 2009. Every Labor Day since the one when I was nine months pregnant, I've grabbed a picture of Duke and me on the beach. I missed those things this year and I keep thinking about the gap 2020 gave me in tradition. It's dumb to be so sad about that, but I guess we stuffed that gap with as much "other" good stuff as we could. I'm honestly not sure how Summer 2021 can top it, but I'm sure looking forward to seeing!

Countdown to summer 2021 is officially on!

PS - Here's the Best of Summer 2019.