Summer and Gearing Up

So my summer has been crazy busy as I'm sure most people's summer's have been.  Coming home after living away at college can be weird.  When my brother left for college I didn't think anything would change.  However, we both grew and changed.  When I went to college I was better prepared for what it would be like to come home.  I knew I would grow up living on my own.

Last summer I spent almost every week away from home.  I went to Maine, Florida, and New York.  I also worked two jobs:  my high school job (which gave me the opportunity to work at the US Golf Open) and at a residential summer camp.  So it goes to show I wasn't home a lot last summer.  It was a great summer and I wish I could have done it all again this year, but alas most of it has been spent at home.

So my summer so far has consisted mostly of cleaning out my room (and believe me it needed it) and doing chores for my parents.  I was able to throw one trip in there and headed to Boston to visit with some St. Mike's buddies whom I missed very much.   It was my first time in the city and I had a blast!!  However, being home mostly has been weird for most of the time at school when I want to relax, I head to my dorm room.  I've taken this up at home and sometimes my parents question if I'm all right.  I'll have to say it has led to some bonding where we sit around in my room and hang out (which I never thought I'd say).

I again am working at the residential camp and I'm super stoked to be going back!!!  This summer not only am I being a Assistant Unit Leader, but I am also given the chance to teach the girls about Computer Science.  I did spend time last semester looking for an internship but nothing panned out so when my boss gave me this opportunity I jumped right on it.  I'll get to work with girls on a project which I'm hoping they will share my enthusiasm!!  Hopefully I have time on my one full day off a week to be able to post some updates as I don't always have internet.

I know most people are packing for college so some tips for packing for college:

• Make a list.  Lists always help you know what you have and what you need.  Also, make a list of what you've packed in specific boxes.  It helps in unpacking too.
• Shop in your room.  You don't need to buy a set of new hangers.  Take the ones your shirts are on.  Also, I found I had some extra notebooks and a mess kit from camp when I was little so it cut down on what I needed to buy.  Some people (like me) think you'll be living out of two houses but in reality I bring what I want from school home for a long weekend and rarely touch what I left there.
• Talk to your roommate.  You both don't need mini-fridges or microwaves so split the costs.  Also, if one of you wants to do something like loft a bed, it helps to communicate before hand so you both know what is going on.
• Store college supplies elsewhere.  Talk to the rest of your family about this first.  It helped me to shop in my room and then carry out to a different location so nothing that wasn't supposed to go didn't end up going or disappearing.
• You don't need everything.  I have trophies, pictures, and extra yarn for crocheting projects.  My first semester off I didn't pack everything but I did pack extra.  You don't need to do this.  College life is busy with hanging out with friends, work, and clubs.  I find that I can last until my next time home or parents visiting before I need my next crocheting project.
• Don't worry about forgetting.  My parents were paranoid I was going to forget something so they made me unpack, repack, list, and re-list more than once.  You aren't moving to the middle of no where.  If you realize you need something you can find it.  (One thing that helped me and my room mate, which we hadn't thought of, was a door stop.  We found one easily but just a suggestion.)

I wish you luck with your packing endeavors and have a happy summer!!!

p.s. Most of my posts will be like this for the summer, an update with tips about packing.