In case you were wondering, summer has arrived. At least down south, anyway.
We had roughly 3-5 days of "spring" - heavy use of the air quotes here, folks.
And then, like a sweaty slap to the face, summer. Now, don't get me wrong - I'm loving the warm weather. But we skipped a few, or rather, multiple, degrees in between.
Of course, as I'm writing this, it's actually pleasant outside. Thanks for the consistency, Mother Nature.
Perhaps the high temperatures feel so ridiculously dramatic because when I went home one week ago, there was snow. SNOW. In April. Sometimes I forget that I lived in PA all my life, and that this is actually normal. And expected. But alas, I think Nashville has made me soft. Sorry, mom.
Apart from the weather, things are going pretty well. I went home a week ago to surprise my family. After getting about 75 minutes of sleep (so, really a nap) the night before, I was feeling a little "meh." I had a connecting flight in Charlotte, so for breakfast, at 8:30am, I had teriyaki beef jerky and ginger ale. I have no idea why I chose that, but I felt pretty good after eating. My mom and sister picked me up from the airport, the three of us coming up with a plan the whole way home. After texting my dad on the way, I snuck inside the house, tapped him on the shoulder and said, "So, what's up with all this snow?" I had HOURS to be creative, and that's what I said. In terms of lame, that was a whole packet of lamesauce. But, it didn't seem to matter. Once he realized it was actually me, the lameness was forgotten. After a lunch of Kraft mac 'n cheese, I took a much needed nap. A few hours later, when I was conscious, we left for Lancaster to surprise my Grammy. Her response when I walked in her apartment was, "I just had a "dream" that you were going to come home!" We might need to make sure she's not a world-class hacker and looking into my emails and texts. Because obviously, that's the only reasonable explanation that she knew I was coming home.
Sunday was the finale. The big one. My dad's family was celebrating Easter, and by my count, there's 49,856,238 of us to date. Okay, fine. There's only 49,856,237 of us. Anyway, after hiding under a blanket in our car for an HOUR, I was finally given the green light to come inside. However, due to my mom's slow texting, I had to sprint down the gravel driveway. Somehow, though, I managed to stay upright the whole time. {For those of you who know me, this is a huge feat}. Now, again, I had plenty of time to think of something that would be the opposite of lamesauce - awesomesauce. But, following in my lame suit, I walked down the stairs, peeked over the railing and said, "Hey guys!" To which my dear grandma replied, "Is that Ellie? But she's in Nashville!" I think that was probably the best part. ;) Love you, grandma!
We got home, enjoyed some time in the hot tub, and then I packed my things before getting some sleep. This time I managed a few hours, unlike the 75 minutes I had on the first half of the trip. I also successfully packed my Bunny Big Ears - thank you, mom, for supplying me with 16 inches of pure chocolate bunny goodness.
My dramatic journey home (multiple canceled and delayed flights) allowed for a lot of extra time. So, I finished Harry Potter. And I cried. The lady next to me, who had somehow taken over my seat, just stared at me, as I read page after page, stuffing biscotti in my mouth, tears streaming down my face. I think, when I looked up at her, my expression said it all, and she slowly turned away, bumping up the volume on her headphones. I'm fairly certain I had the ugly cry face. Harry Potter was, without a doubt, the best series I have ever read. And I'll definitely be reading them again. And most likely crying again. Actually, I will cry. There's no stopping it.
Being home and seeing my family was absolutely wonderful. But, it was also hard to leave. With almost all of my family being no more than 30 minutes away, spending every major holiday together, and going on vacation, and seeing each other regularly is a pretty big deal. I'm very thankful I was able to see so much of my family, and already can't wait to go home again. Hopefully the snow will be completely gone the next time I get back.
I don't have too much else to report. There's a psycho bumblebee living on my deck - I'm pretty sure he waits for me to go outside, and then terrorizes me just because he can. If my neighbors see my frantic arm-waving, leg-kicking dance on my deck - I apologize; I promise I'm not crazy. Thankfully, though, this week I have a dog that is interested in chasing said bumblebee. We'll see how long that game lasts.
To anyone who reads this, enjoy the spring that has finally made its way. Get outside. Spend time with family and friends. Try paying it forward this week. It's such a gratifying feeling, helping someone out when they least (or don't) expect it. Soak up every laugh, hug and memory made. If there's one nugget to pass on, it's that your loved ones are worth it. Even if you only get to see them for 36 hours. They're worth it.
If anyone has any book suggestions, please do share. I feel as though part of me died when I finished Harry Potter. Until then, I'll just keep on with Gilmore Girls, in preparation for the revival. ALL BLESSINGS.
And one more thing: don't eat potato chips and nutter butters before bed. Your dreams will quickly turn to nightmares. I speak from experience. DON'T DO IT.
Later taters,
Ellie
