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Snapshots of Summer

Posted on October 1, 2016

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Now that we are well into fall, this post feels a bit out-of-place. I had it in my draft folder, nearly ready to go before we left for Hawaii, and then about a million unexpected things came up and I never hit publish.

So anyway, a few highlights from this past summer:

Met up with an old friend and ate our way around Hong Kong. We also camped at a somewhat remote beach camp site (reached via several modes of transportation) where we were eaten alive by mosquitos and burnt to a crisp by the searing sun, despite wearing sunscreen, hats, and hiding under a (worthless) beach umbrella.
Attended our first Korean baseball game
Hiked Seoraksan National Park
Escaped to Busan for a weekend at the beach
Beat the heat at a Korean-style hotel pool party
Nearly didn’t escape from an escape room
Zapped a bunch of ninja mosquitoes with the best contraption ever invented
Slid down an adult-sized slip n slide
Discovered a natural water slide (and unknowingly lounged around in off-limits mountain streams)
Played pirate roulette
Tried mulhoe for the first time
Stayed in a love motel
Watched a lightning storm from our apartment window
Were the token old people at Pentaport Rock Festival (but still had so much fun)

I always think of our summers as fairly slow-paced as we don’t typically travel or plan too much on account of the heat, the inflated costs of tickets, and increases amounts of tourists. Looking back, however, I’m always surprised by how much we actually managed to cram into those few (blazingly hot — had to mention that at least one more time) summer months.

This was a kind of strange summer for me, if “strange” is even an accurate description. It started off with some awesome food, friends, and camping in Hong Kong, and then came to a screeching halt in mid-June when a friend of mine passed away from cancer. It took me a while to process her death, and one day I plan to write about her and what her friendship meant to me in a lot more detail. I’m not quite there just yet.

From that point forward, it sort of felt as if I was somewhat sleep walking through summer. I avoided social media, or any contact in general, and mainly just watched reality tv. Thank God for Vanderpump Rules, my new favorite crappy (yet enjoyable) tv show. At the same time, in the back of my head, I kept hearing my friend’s voice telling me to get out there and carpe frickin’ diem. As hot as it was, and as detached as I sometimes felt, I knew that voice – her voice – was right. I knew that if I didn’t get out of the house and do summer-y things, I would regret it. I have several small, seasonal, lists of things I want to do while in Korea, and this summer, we started checking those items off, one by one.

Summer sped by, as it always does, but I’m glad I didn’t watch from the sidelines while it passed me by. I definitely watched more reality tv than necessary, but thanks in part to my friend, we also managed to create so many long-lasting memories that will be cherished forever.

Until we meet again, summer.

Even more summer stuff here.

snapshots summer

Funnelcloud Rachel
October 2, 2016 at 9:15 am
Oh man, I’ve been working on my summer recap post for the past week and the task still feels so daunting. Not because I did so much stuff but because I can’t seem to deal with sorting and editing all the photos. And also because I’m lazy and unmotivated! And crap, it’s somehow already October!
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I had the same reaction to Karen’s death. 🙁 I actually completely hermitized myself all summer and completely avoided socializing. (Which I think makes me a jerk to my other friends! But I really just wanted to be alone. Larry calls me a turtle when I do this, and I’m sure it’s not the healthiest way to deal with things, but whatever.) On the other hand, Karen is such an inspiration to get out there and do things and enjoy life, so I tried to do as much as I could with just Larry and the dogs on the weekends.
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And yeah, it was freakin’ hot, which always saps the fun out of my ambitious summer outdoor activity list (I think I need my own swimming pool!). I’m looking forward to fall hiking season, but it’s actually been raining here for the past week.
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Your summer recaps are always so awesome, though! I wish I managed to do half the things you guys do. Carpe frickin’ diem, indeed!
veronika
October 2, 2016 at 1:24 pm
I find myself re-reading Karen’s old blog posts quite a bit. I still haven’t shaken the habit of checking her blog from time to time, wishfully hoping that something new will be posted. 😑 Of course I still think of her often. Sometimes I feel gulty because I have the opportunity and ability to do so many things when she didn’t, and then the other part of me feels like I need to go out there and do/see/eat/hike/enjoy every single precious moment, like Karen did.
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I’m really looking forward to the cooler weather and being outdoors too, although it also has been raining quite a bit here too. Perfect for binging on spooky movies!
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Looking forward to reading your summer recap!
Kevin
October 3, 2016 at 4:14 am
Just skimmed some of her blog. She wrote well. I imagine she got a kick out of reading yours.
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Keeping Good Thoughts…
veronika
October 3, 2016 at 7:45 am
I loved reading her blog. I feel like not many bloggers these days tell stories – it’s just posts on bucket lists and top 10 lists and recipes and fashion photos with a bunch of ad links. We definitely had a lot in common and I am so glad to have known her through her writing.

Snapshots of Summer

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