Welcoming Fall, Going Home

It doesn't quite feel like fall outside--ok, let's be honest, it feels like mid-July with the 90-degree temperatures and high levels of humidity--but that wonderful season is just around the corner. Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer, and I am saying farewell with a much-needed trip back to Denver, back home to the wonderful state of Colorado.

I know I sound like a broken record sometimes, but I just love Denver. I love going back to the rising peaks of the Rocky Mountains, their natural beauty leaving me breathless everytime. It doesn't matter that I grew up there, spent the first 18 years of my life in the mile-high city, it still surprises me, still excites me with everything is has to offer. I'm sure everyone feels that way about their home town, at least at one point or another. That's what is so great about going back, it's still the same, comfortable enviornment you remember, but there is always something new and different to experience. I can't wait to walk around the neighborhoods I used to frequent and see what new shops have popped up, new restaurants. It's like rediscovering a place all over again. Of course, I would be sad if some of my favorite places were no longer around, which tends to happen now and again, but it just opens the door for a change, and that's always a positive thing.

And while I am bummed that summer is coming to a close and the warm weather will be leaving us soon--though today, I would love some relief from the heat--I am thrilled to welcome fall. It is, afterall, my favorite season. It might be the slightly cooler weather that allows me to wear my cute sweaters and boots, or it might be the changing colors of the leaves, or the smell of apple cider and pumkin pie. Whatever the reason, fall is a fantastic time of year, and I am happy to be saying hello from the comfort of home.

Making Summer Travel Plans

The thaw of winter is still in effect, with little promise for a warm up any time soon, and yet I am already preparing myself for summer. This past week was packed with much freelance writing and travel planning, so I apologize for my absence. The good news is that I have officially booked two vacations this summer: one week-long trip with a few friends to Myrtle Beach where we'll be staying in a nice, three bedroom house right near the beach; and a Fourth of July weekend trip to Boston to visit my best friend.

Myrtle Beach. www.playle.com

I always get excited for summer trips far in advance, and I find myself planning daily excursions, restaurant options, and recreational activities months before I actually need to. But half the fun of summer vacation is preparing for it, researching the area, learning about the best places to visit, the signature dish I just have to try, and all the exciting things I'll get to do. I even go as far as planning my outfits--but that's mostly to help myself pack more efficiently.

I have never been to Myrtle Beach, and it has been over a decade since I have been back to South Carolina. (My family used to vacation in Hilton Head every year during spring break.) Needless to say, I am extremely excited to go on this trip. Not only is it a brand new place to explore, but it is an opportunity to relax and spend time with my good friends from Milwaukee who I do not get to see on a regular basis. Plus, it will be a nice break from everything going on in my life--work, work and more work. My week in Myrtle Beach will be a welcome escape from it all, a chance to hit the refresh button.

While I have visited Boston once before, it was during the cold month of October, and the weather was not always the best. However, it was a real treat to see the leaves changing in Boston Common, certainly an experience I can check off my bucket list. What really excites me about this trip, apart from seeing me best friend, is that I will be celebrating our nation's birthday in one of the oldest cities in the country, the place where the revolution began, where our freedom was fought and won. I must admit I'm a bit of a history nerd, and I love hearing epic stories and interesting facts about landmarks, and let's face it, Boston is rife with them.

As of right now, those are the only two vacations planned for the summer. And while I would love to travel more, I feel those two trips are sufficient enough. One long relaxing week on the beach, and one quick weekend jam packed with barbecues, fireworks and loads of history. Sounds perfect to me.

I will keep you posted on whether any more trips are in the works. And expect exciting blogs about my summer trips when I return.

Destination: Novel

summer reading...
Those two words used to strike fear in the hearts of middle and high school students everywhere. Who wants to spend their three months of vacation reading books for school? I mean, not only does it keep you from doing everything else you want to do, but you actually have to pay attention to plots, characters, and themes. Who knows, there may be a paper or test on them when school starts up again in fall. Like many students, I hated dealing with summer reading. I preferred reading for pleasure, choosing books that I was interested in, not books I was told to read. Now that I'm in graduate school, I have the freedom to select whatever I want to read during these long summer months. And there are some interesting new travel novels that will surely keep me entertained as I sun myself on the beach--or more than likely my porch. Here is just a quick overview of a couple books that really stood out to me.

1. Rag and Bone: A Journey Among the World's Holy Dead, by Peter Manseau-- The title alone should spark some interest. Basically, Manseau travels around the world in search of artifacts--body parts mostly--belonging to saints and other holy figures. An entertaining story about a man's desire for spiritual transcendence through these holy relics.
2. 99 Drams of Whiskey: The Accidental Hedonist's Quest for the Perfect Shot and the History of the Drink, by Kate Hopkins--Anything about alcohol has got to be entertaining, especially whiskey (extremely dangerous). Kate ventures with her friend Krysta to the distilleries of Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and the U.S. in search of the best whiskeys.
   
3. I'll Never be French (No Matter What I do): Living in a Small Village in Brittany, by Mark Greenside--A New Yorker turned Californian ends up in a tiny Celtic town in Brittany at the western edge of France. The book chronicles the experience of a man adapting to life in a place where he does not speak the language and is unfamiliar with how things are done. But through it all, his life changes, and he develops a second life in France.

There are plenty of other travel essay novels, but these were the ones that I was interested in reading. Also, this is what I hope to one day be doing with my life. Writing about my travels, or places I live. But perhaps I need an ulteriar motive like some of these authors, although I don't think I'll go in search of whiskey or dead saints' remains. I guess I'll have to think about what the point of my book will be.

If travel is your thing, check these books out. If not, just pick up any book and enjoy a good summer read...I promise there won't be a test.