Monday after class Kimber and I headed to my apartment pool. We chatted and sun-bathed and eventually got brave enough to jump into the freezing cold water. It was amazing and instantly put me in summer mode. I’d forgotten the school-free,stress-free feel of the season and now that I found it again, I can’t get enough. I’ve spent the past day driving with the top down on my ’97 Avalon (which was quite the fancy car 13 years and about 3 Christina-incidents ago.) with Taylor Swift blaring and the wind blowing my hair around.  I’m sure passerby’s think I’m out of my mind crazy playing country-pop as loud as I can out of my sad little excuse for a car…but it feels perfect to me.  After work today I did some summer shopping and came home to slip on my favorite summery dress and drink a cold beer. I don’t usually like beer, but for this time of the year, I make an exception. Feels like summer.

We kept trying to get a good picture to no damn avail.

Still no avail.

Finally, a nice man saw our trouble and came over to take the picture. We laughed for a good while and wondered why we didn’t think  of this in the first place.

I love the feel of summer.  I flashback to being 10 years old. When the world was popsicles and running through the sprinklers and capture the flag. Where I’d stay out with my friends ’til 10 and come back to fill up my journal with dreams of the future. When buying school supplies was an adventure and back to school was exciting.  It’s a magical but simple kind of feeling, and though the magic of Christmas and the tooth faerie has long ago dimmed, I’ve kept the magic of summer with me. I also met my husband two years ago in May, and the first months of memories I’ve made with him have a special place in my heart too. Summer to me, is a million feelings all wrapped into one.

It’s the start of something new mixed with the taste of salty pool water.  It’s that special boy and the kisses and butterflies that accompany his presence. It’s a double date at a friend’s house and giggling in the bathroom about the good guy you’ve found. It’s looking forward; A new house and the nights watching the stars in our backyard or the weekends we’ll spend toasting with friends that are soon to follow. It’s moving trucks and ‘What color should we paint the walls?’ and having my own fireplace. Koolaid and capri-pants years ago, Bud Light Lime and that little yellow dress now.  It’s sleepovers and gossiping all night long even when you’re 21 years old.  It’s sun-bathing and daydreaming out loud. It’s mini-skirt shopping and pool parties and  telling secrets by the moonlight.  Through all the changes summer after summer, all of the important things are just the same. I’m still looking forward to buying school supplies as I prepare for my transer to Concordia. I  still fill pages and pages up with my dreams of the future. The same best friend who spent summer nights climbing trees and making forts with me years ago will be visiting me in a couple of months, and I can guarantee our maturity levels will be no higher than they ever were.  It’s almost summer, and I’m ready to jump in. Though the water was just a little too chilly yesterday. I guess we started a little early. It is still April, after all.