3 Summers

He grew up in a large Minnesota town on a quiet dead end street slightly hidden to the average passerby. Their house is decorated in beautiful soft colors and filled with books; lots and lots of books. They talk about their days, social issues affecting the world, and current events over home cooked meals. They talk and laugh and enjoy each other's company in a house full of love.

I spent the last week visiting Ben's hometown in Minnesota. This was our third summer enjoying each other's company, friendship, and adventures side by side. It was my first time visiting Minnesota and seeing the town where Ben grew up. We toured the area, visited the local university, and saw all of the sites that reflect Ben's childhood. I saw his favorite rails to skate, the elementary school he used to walk to, and the places where his best friends had lived. I saw all of the things and places that have made him who he is: a thoughtful, intelligent, and unique individual. And one of my best friends.

The Minnesota sign on our drive in. It was a little less than 12 hours but the time seemed to fly!

A sea turtle at the Mall of America Aquarium!

Ben at the Aquarium.

Stingray!

Trying to touch a shark!

Shark Attack!!

The theme park inside the Mall of America...ridiculous!

While in Minnesota I also had the chance to visit Patty, one of my college roommates and good friends who now lives in the Twin Cities where she serves in the Americorps program "Rebuilding Together". I enjoyed seeing her place and traveling around the Twin Cities. One of the things that we did was visit the James Hill mansion-a 36,000 square foot hilltop house that belonged to a pioneer of the Railroad industry in the late 1800's. This is their dining room.

The laundry room at the mansion. It consisted of 20 large pull out racks to hang items on.

The furnace room.

Ben's family just got a new kitty named Bella. She has ALOT of personality but was tons of fun to play with.

While touring the Minnesota State University campus we caught their football team practicing.

Art on Art...this picture was in Minneapolis at an art gallery and garden. It was pretty neat to see a painter painting the scene I was photographing.

Ben, his mom, and his brother Nick at the sculpture garden.

Ben and I.

A "short" giraffe at the Como zoo in Minneapolis.

I saw this cute little girl at the zoo and had to snap a picture. She is looking out at a giant box turtle.

Me eating a Cheese Chilito in Mankato. Ben has been telling me about this Mexican restaurant and these Cheese Chilito's since I first met him in New York and I was so excited to finally get to try them!

Feeding some grass to a miniature horse at a park in Mankato.

Cheesy picture.

It was a great vacation and a great end to the summer. As always, it was hard to say goodbye but I'm already looking forward to the next adventure.

3 summers of fun.

Seasons

As I walk casually around the grocery stores and shopping malls this time of year I find myself distracted by all things "back to school." There are cute pink notebooks, shiny plastic lunch boxes, all things space-saving for dorm room organization, and school-year planners everywhere. I used to really enjoy this time as a time to welcome in a new school year and a fresh start with all sorts of crispy new school supplies. In college I had a notebook for every class in separate colors that corresponded with a binder and folders to match. And I loved each of them as if they held some great out-pouring of intelligence that I would pick up just by using them. I was excited for new classes, new notebooks, and meeting new people. I liked "back to school" everything.

Now, however, I've found that my feelings have changed. For the past few years back to school time marks new beginnings for the rest of the world while in my world everything changes but stays exactly the same. People go back to school, I just go back to the office for another week of work. Friends leave on exciting adventures, begin grad-school programs in exotic locations, or return to the familiar faces of their college courses while I relearn the art of solitude and settle in to all things familiar. For me it feels as though nothing is changing when in reality everything is. But it isn't new or fresh or exciting; it isn't "back to school". I no longer get to look forward to the anticipation of living with new roommates, the excitement of purchasing brand spankin' new notebooks, or the joy that comes from being surrounded by good friends every moment of the day.

But I am not complaining. Just noticing how seasonal my life is. Summer is full of excitement and adventures from late night talks outdoors to spending time with family and friends and everything in between. Everyone is alive during the summer months. I am alive during the summer months. Alive planning the next day's adventure, staying up way too late, and enjoying all things in the great outdoors. And making new friends. And spending time with those that I love. Summer is a great awakening; a time for heartfelt excitement that seeps from your pores as you embrace sunshine and the warm breeze whispering in your ear. But summer doesn't last long and too quickly it fades to into the cool emptiness of fall. I go from days filled with laughter and company to days filled with personal adventures and good books. My world changes with the seasons. And this year will be no different.

As I think about "back to school" and the newness that this time brings to those around me I can't help but think about the seasons of my life. I have had seasons of beautiful sunshine engulfing me with constant adventures, laughter, friendships, and chances to make a difference in the world. I have also had seasons of rain and dark cloudy days where solitude quickly becomes my closest friend. These seasons, these periods of my life, force me to examine myself at every point and discover what can become new even when it seems like nothing is changing.

The changing seasons always make me feel as though the world is spinning madly around me as I sit comfortably in a state of consistency. Maybe I don't want consistency. Maybe I want adventure and passion and excitement all the time. Or maybe, just maybe, I must find my own way to join the rest of the world in this season of "back to school" by forcing myself to step outside of my normal routine and bring the sunshine of Summer straight into Fall.

This year I am determined to bring the newness of "back to school" into my life without ever stepping foot into a classroom. I'll have my own adventures, take on my own new projects, and spend time learning more about myself to focus in on the person that I want to become.

Seasons change, lives change, but it's how I handle the change that will help me carry the summer sunshine into fall to brighten even the dreariest of days.

Summer Time= Fun Time

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of adventures as summer quickly comes to a close. I'll share with you what I've been up to in pictures :-)

Ben and I being silly after enjoying a red slurpee.

Liz and I went rope swinging last Thursday. There is a place not far from where I live to hike along the river and there just so happen to be 2 rope swings along the hike so we thought that would be a great Thursday adventure. Since we have to photo document all of our adventures, we thought we should both go on the rope swing at the same time for a good picture. Well, it IS a great picture but I must say that a significant amount of pain and bruising was the aftermath. Don't worry, it was still worth it!

I snagged this picture of a butterfly at a photography workshop I attended this weekend here at one of the parks in Dayton. They had an amazing array of beautiful outdoor gardens and I probably could have walked around there all day. It's amazing to me how much outdoor adventure there can be in a city!

I also snagged this one at the photography workshop. They have a children's garden which is a mix of interactive activities and childlike toys in the midst of a blooming green garden...so beautiful and unique!

I went to a slip n slide party this weekend and had so much fun I can't even describe it! The picture here is Brandon (a friend of Ben's visiting from Iowa), myself, and Ben creating an "Ashley Sandwich". Just a fair warning: if you ever find yourself in a slip-n-slide situation and they want to create a "sandwich" to go down in, you DO NOT want to be the person in the middle...it's painful! There were all sorts of tricks and daring acts being performed as a bunch of 20-something adults slid down hill on a 100 foot long slip-n-slide....what a great way to spend a summer day!

Me, Ben, Craig, Liz, and a few other people creating a train to go down the slip-n-slide!

Another adventure in the past few weeks was a trip to a local school festival. This is a picture of Ben and I about to ride a ride
At the same festival, one of our friends won a fish and I was the one that got to keep it so I had my first pet since I was 9 years old in the form of a little fish I named Frankie. I am sad to report, though, that Frankie only lived about a week :-( I'm convincing myself that 1 week is a long life for a fish you win at a fair.

This past Friday Liz, Brandon, Ben, and I went to the Greene County fair here in Ohio and stopped by Young's Dairy for some ice cream afterwards. We thought posing with these cutouts was a good idea!

Liz and I on a spinny ride. This was a blast and everyone enjoyed a good laugh.

Thursday night Johnny Lang and George Thorogood were playing at an outdoor pavilion here in Dayton. I tried to convince my Dad to make the trip down for the concert but he was busy working and doing adult things so I recruited a few friends to go with me. It was a PERFECT night for a concert and we sat with our feet dangling in a fountain gazing at the stars and listening to two great artists perform. Live music, good company, and beautiful weather would be close to a perfect summer night in my book!

Last weekend, Liz and I thought it would be a good idea to get all dressed up and go out so here we are enjoying a mojito at the Cheesecake Factory.

I am having a hard time believing that summer is already almost over. So often it feels like time is my enemy and I'm always craving more of it. I want more time to do things that I love, more time to be with people that I love, and more time to enjoy everyday moments that often pass me by unnoticed. I sit here humbled thinking back on this summer and all of the great adventures, friendships, memories, and challenges that it has brought into my life. I am humbled too, to be reminded of how small the small things really are in the scope of time.

I hope that summer has brought something great into your life and that you can enjoy the remainder of the long sunny days before fall sets in.

*Pictures from the slip-n-slide party, the county fair, and the school festival compliments of Liz Bramlish*