Summer Nostalgia.

Once again, I was inspired by my girl Kelle Hampton. When June rolls around & the sun gets hotter, I am overtaken with nostalgic feelings of Junes that came before. Finishing up finals... the last couple nights of the end of Spring Semester celebration winding down...one last Bagel Place run before packing up my blue Geo Prism (donned in Saves the Day & Taking Back Sunday stickers) and heading home from College Park to Baltimore for the summer. Driving up 95, windows down (clearly no AC in that hunk 'a junk), sticking to the seats with sweat containing last night's party remnants, in cahoots with my best gals & guys making plans for the first night home. Souris? The Kent? Those were the biggest decisions on our plates --- that along with what to wear & if we'd straighten our hair that night or not. ;)

Rough lives.

Days were filled with 8 hours of nannying poolside -- best tan of my LIFE. Followed by free meals at home, and again, the big decisions - What to wear? Hair straightened? And if it was Wednesday, what time we'd meet at The Crease for ladies night ice picks?

I practically wore my bathing suit for 40 plus hours a week during those months -- my uniform. Main goal each summer?  How tan can we get and how blond can we be....wait that still exists...just with Bronzed Bombshell spray tan and frequent highlight appointments at Grapevine Hair Studio ;)

There were no mortgages, grad school classes, stressful jobs, friends moving overseas, engagements, pregnancies, marriages...just SMU's newest suit line, Banana Boat & Sun-In, Rita's Italian Ice (Mango was my go-to), cheep booze and crusin' in "Patty the Party-Mobile Prism" to the next stop, all the while listening to the latest rap compilation CD specially made for that night and that night only.

So, things obviously have changed & change is good. But I will forever and always be envious of the girls I see in their bathing suits & VS cover-ups, freshly sun-kissed from a long, hard day at the pool, shopping at Loehmann's for that evening's discount attire.

Those are some of my favorite days logged. Can't get them back, that's for sure, but won't forget them either.

Happy June, ya'll. And if you're one of those 21 year olds leaving your Junior year, headed home for your last freedom summer, PLEASE soak it up. Soak it up for those of us who can't any longer & would kill for those days! Plus, you only have one more left before the "real world" slaps you right in the face!

XOXO
-ERSM