I live my life in semesters. I have since I was 18 and will do so for the foreseeable future. Just know, that if you ask me to commit to anything it will be based on what “the kids” are doing in school. Not my biological children but other people’s children who are sent away to college and put in the hands of inside of the classroom and outside of the classroom educators that are charged with creating the ultimate collegiate experience. The object is learn. Learn what’s in the books, learn what makes you tick, and learn how to use all of that to create positive change in the world. No biggie!

Guess who’s coming to dinner? Fall, is that you? The lovelies are back and August 16th is MOVE-IN DAY. Can’t wait to see all the first-year students in their brand new cowboy boots,  overstuffed cars and over the top U-Hauls with their eager, proud, and concerned parents in tow.  It’s always a fun day to watch them move into their new home. Sigh.

With all of this comes the cold, hard truth. SUMMER is CAPUT! Bye Felicia!

In an earlier entry I listed all of the things I wanted to do this summer in Nashville:

1. Drag Brunch at Suzy Wong’s House of Yum
2. The Zoo
3. Cheekwood
4. Belle Meade Plantation
5. The Peach Truck
6. Oz
7. Grand Ole Opry
8. Movie at Elmington Park
9. Full Moon Pickin’ Party–might become a fall activity?
10. Concert: Woods at Fontanel
11. 12th & Broad Events
12. Musician’s Corner
13. Movies at the Schermerhorn–West Side Story is coming this fall!
14. Belcourt to see Belle
15. Visit to the Farmer’s Market
16. Intense sits on rooftops and patios
17. Johnny Cash Museum
18. POOL! –Already had 2 days in a row 🙂. 

19. Apparently, we have an arena football team?

10/19 ain’t bad and I still have a few days to go plus I can make some of this stuff happen in the fall. Let’s just say that my Summer Play to-do list got a lot more action than my Summer Work to-do list. I’ll be paying for those decisions for the next couple of weeks. However, I ain’t mad at myself for choosing to do me this summer. It was a necessity.

So, how’d you do on your Summer Play to-do list? I’m a huge advocate for being a tourist in the place that you live. Why not? I’m fortunate to live in a place that I can’t possibly stay up to date on all of the new things to do but I certainly give it a full faith effort.

If you didn’t get to experience all that you wanted, how can you intentionally plan some time to continue attacking your list during the early fall months? Perhaps your friends’ schedules will be back to normal and you can arrange a group outing? I would also say that the cooler weather for many of these activities is actually going to make them more appealing like The Zoo and Cheekwood Botanical Gardens.

This was a bang up summer and I haven’t even told you all of the cool things I got to do including Bonnaroo, Dallas/Fort Worth adventure, my time with Alpha Xi Delta, a trip home, National Leadership Symposium in Tampa, CONCERTS. and a killer tourist trip from my aunt.

Summer 2014 was certainly a better fit for me than Summer 2013.  I felt like I got back to me. Being away helped me clear my head and rest some toxicity in my heart. I feel that alone would deem this season a success.

Don’t we all feel better in the summer? People are cheerful, tan (I’m always tan), just want to have a good time, and go on adventures.  During summer, we’re more likely to say, “Why not?”, “Yes.”, “Let’s make it happen.”, “Sure, I can stay longer.”, “That can wait.”  You meet a lot of people that you might never see again and you visit those people you haven’t seen in a long time. You close that laptop and put away that phone. You celebrate others and you treat yo’ self. You cross those things off your Bucket List that you’ve only allowed yourself time to complete during the summer.

So, now what? Now, I launch myself into Fall 2014. I take what I learned this summer and I hold it close to me. I cling to that sense of adventure and I intentionally work it into my fall. I don’t allow myself to get buried by the work and I always make sure that when I need to, I can extend my arm with the flag of surrender waving courageously (without shame) in the wind. When I need a break, I’ll take a break. Deal with it!

I’m clearing my plate and making some room for other delicious entrees. I’ve realized that breathing feels great and I’m going to do that more. That whole “invincible summer” thing needs to become a reality.

How are you going to keep summer alive? Don’t let all of this goodness die simply because it’s August. Do us all a favor and keep a piece of it tightly wound up in your heart. Refuse to let it go and break out your summer self when you need to.

Later Y’all.