My First Summer Away from Indiana

As I pack my bags for Ohio to be a bridesmaid in my best friend's wedding this weekend, I think about how this will be the first summer in my life I have not spent at home in beautiful Indiana. Immediately following the wedding, I am driving to western New York to begin my summer internship at the Lucy Desi Museum & Center for Comedy in Jamestown, NY. I have been looking forward to this adventure since I accepted the job offer in January, but it feels very surreal right now. It's actually happening and it's hard to believe.

The Lucy-Desi Museum & Center for Comedy (photo/lucy-desi.com)

I always loved spending my summer breaks in Indiana. In case I haven't expressed it enough, Indiana has some of the best sunsets. The way the colors blur together proves that God is an artist. He creates this beautiful world for us; we're just the living parts of His craft.

Indiana sunsets. (photo/whiskeyruff.com)

As a child, I spent my summer breaks playing outside, riding bikes, climbing trees and drawing on the driveway with sidewalk chalk. I splashed and played in our backyard pool with my older sister while our father grilled pork chops on the patio grill. I played baseball and basketball with my older brother until it was too dark to see. As I grew older, I continued to swim in the pool and spend my summer breaks enjoying the beauty of Indiana.

This summer is far different. Instead of enjoying Indiana, I will be exploring what western New York has to offer during the summer. Jamestown is right along beautiful Lake Chautauqua. I've even heard there are summer concerts on the lake, along with boat rides and other festive activities. On my bucket list, I have written: Visit Niagara Falls. This summer is probably the closest I will ever be to the falls, so I will spend a weekend road trip to see the destination and to check something off my bucket list.

Lake Chautauqua (photo/rlfishingguide.com)

I'm not sure what this summer will bring for me, or what I will learn. I'm confident that the adventure will be worthwhile, exciting and the internship will definitely prepare me for my future career decisions.

I'm going to make a promise to document each adventure in this blog, but please don't get mad at me if I become too busy to write each day. I will try my best! Thank you for being amazing readers. Life is an incredible journey. I'm learning this lesson with each challenge and experience I encounter.

-KJL-