....Or really, "goals for the remainder of the Summer", because who would've guessed that between work, grad school prep, apartment hunting, and a summer prerequisite course, I haven't spent much time writing? ;)

Taking it back about 15 or 16 years for a second: when I first learned how to ride a bike, my Dad and I would spend evenings just looping around our neighborhood. My Mom encouraged me to learn how to make it all the way up our neighborhood hill back to our house. "Think of it as a summer goal"; she'd say. 

Completely cheesy? Yes, but it worked, and for the two Summers I've had that are unstructured by classes or homework, I've tried to keep a bit of this mindset.

So here we go, a few of my goals for the rest of this Summer:

1: Read, read, read! When I was younger, you couldn't tear me away from a book. Then came college, and having to read for classes seemed to bring that to a halt. And I miss it! Aside from trying to get back into a more academic state of mind, I'm also trying to spend less time feeling like I *have* to be staring at my phone, iPad, or some sort of visual stimulation! At the moment, I still have The Light Between Oceans and Joe Biden's book waiting to be read!

2: Plan some sort of (small!) trip. Alas, I won't be jetting off on a major beach trip or visiting London and Paris like my friend Katina at Lost and Found in the City- how gorgeous are her pictures here and here?! I'm still completely jealous! But since I'm staying in DC for the time being, I'd love to get back to New York to visit friends for a bit.

3: Try to get some exposure to French at least a few times a week. Of course, I use Duolingo and pull out my old French textbooks whenever I get the chance- but that doesn't give much real-world speaking or listening experience. I'd love to take classes again, but I'm also picking and choosing a few Netflix shows and movies available in French- sadly, favorites like The Office and Parks and Rec aren't on the list.... maybe on Amazing Prime or iTunes?

4: Make a list of "new" places to explore in and around my new neighborhood this Fall. As usual, I'm pretty apprehensive about starting something new and making friends along the way, so I'm trying to focus on the exciting elements of what is an otherwise very high anxiety time!

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