I waste WAY too much time blogging, but...

...I was thinking about my summer today. It was probably the best summer I've ever had.

My birthday fell on the last day of school this year, so that was an awesome present: No more high school for the rest of my life. I had an awesome birthday too. No party or anything, but my friends all gave me cool stuff, I went to Missy's birthday party (ha, that was kind of funny to go to someone else's party), Naked Native and I went on a mad-crazy bike ride and discovered some people smoking weed in a bush, I got a funny card from my sister, my mom made me amazing cake (a "cake roll" with ice cream in it...ooo it was scrumptious) and then I went to a late night movie and fell asleep. A wonderful birthday.

The next day was graduation, which was thoroughly long and boring. Some person (who I would love to meet so I could hug them) managed to get a beach ball going while the superintendant droned on and on. Gradnite was pretty amazing too, although I left around 2 am because I had to get up early the next morning.

Why would I get up at 5:30 am on my first real day of summer? Because my mom and I decided to fly to NYC as a sort of birthday/graduation present for me. It was AMAZING. I absolutely loved it and I can't wait to go back. It made me hate SF for a while...I have a lot of good memories in SF though so that didn't last long. We only stayed in the city for a couple of days with my aunt Sharleen, and then we went to her house in Rochester (upstate). We saw all of the Church sites and Niagra Falls and Eastman (ahem where my uncle is a jazz professor, thank you very much) and all that good stuff. I could totally live there.

I was home for a week before I left again. Destination: Europe. I must admit, I didn't want to go. I thought that going with the choir was going to be soooooo lame and that I would be miserable for two weeks. But Mr. B. bribed me with "if you play piano for us we will pay for half of your trip." I couldn't refuse, even though I had doubts that I would enjoy it. I can honestly say I am soooooo glad that I went. I had a blast. We went to Lake Como and Venice in Italy (fulfilling a childhood dream of mine to go to Venice), Salzburg in Austria, and Fussen, Rothenburg, Rudesheimer, Oberammergau, and Frankfurt in Germany. We got to sing for and with amazing people. I picked up some Italian phrases, and even more German ones. I spent way too much money, ate way too much gelatto, and didn't get nearly enough sleep. It was glorious.I got sick the last day in Germany, so the plane ride home was absolutely awful. But who cares? I freakin went to Europe!

We got home Friday evening. The following Monday I began what would be the greatest summer job of all time. My friend Jeremy's mom, Serena, runs a youth theater in Fairfield called the Missouri Street Academy of Arts. They do plays, workshops, activities, dance, voice and piano lessons, and anything else that you can think of. Serena wanted me to help with some of their three-week summer camps as a music instructor. Basically I sat at the piano and taught various age-groups of kids different songs, then I worked with my amazing friend Naomi who blocked and choreographed the songs so that we ended up with a bunch of musical numbers to perform. I had a group of 8-10 year-olds and a group of 5-7 year-olds. Oh I loved them so much!!! I did two camps with Missouri Street so I was there for six weeks. I will never forget those six weeks with those amazing kids. I had so much fun. And I got to work with Jeremy and his brothers and parents, which was awesome. I was very sad to say goodbye.

I went to our local Singles ward this summer as well. I was only in it for a little over a month, but I quite enjoyed it. I had so much fun serving on our FHE committee under Klo-bizzle (now my Big Brother). Playing Assassins was great because it was so full of deceit and cunning...I was killed in one of the more morally questionable attacks, and I almost got Big Brother by luring him to my house with a plate of cookies. Only then he almost took my hand off in his car window. I liked that game.

My last week at Missouri Street was the week before I left for Provo. The week I left for Provo was filled with random adventures and phone calls. My last night in Vacaville was spent at Naked Native's house making boxers for our pet Brazilian. I admit I cried when I left. The next day I headed off for the mecca and moved in to my little apartment where I am currently blogging.

I loved this summer and I'm eternally grateful to those who made it so wonderful.