I promise I’ll be better about keeping up with it this time. Fingers crossed.

Anyways, after getting out of my class in which I walk around the city and look at the architecture (just as enjoyable as it sounds), I started walking through Chinatown to get to the Fung Wah bus to begin my trip to Boston. On the way, Jordan pointed out a bike that was completely covered in yarn.

Sweet, right?

I was already incredibly impressed because my goal is to become an incredible knitter and never have to buy a gift for anyone ever again. Instead, all of my loved ones would be warm and adorable all of the time and I would be cute and crafty. So far, this plan has led to me knitting one really iffy scarf that my mom wears because, you know, she loves me.

Anyways, when I got close enough to photograph this bike, an entire car covered in knitting was in my line of vision. Naturally, I walked over to the car to ogle that as well.

Once you’re at the car, you notice that the building next to it is actually a gallery of knit goods as well as a store of supplies. They could not have lured me in a better way! I continued on to make my Fung Wah bus, completely with the intention of going back to this store. Maybe this time I’ll be able to knit all of the headbands and scarves and cute little creatures I’ve always wanted to!

Anyways, it was beautiful. Albany is a really cute place that is a good mix of that New England-y feel with the definite presence of a city. We went hiking in the Catskills, made chili, and just did some exploring of her town. Jenn also showed us a garden that her, Pat’s brother, and his mom all helped to start with the youth group from our church at home. It’s outside of a food pantry that they seemed to have done a lot of work with, and the vegetables and herbs that are grown in the garden are available for the public to pick. People can either take what they want and feed themselves, or bring them into the food pantry for them to use. Either way, it’s doing something good and it’s an adorable garden in the middle of a very building-heavy area of Albany.

If that doesn’t give you that little buzz of “I want to do something AWESOME and I want to CHANGE THINGS and LITTLE THINGS can make incredible things happen,” then maybe this will.

Cute little surprise hanging on a wish tree outside of an adorable candy shop.

But now it is time for Part II of my summer. You know, the part where I (very financially irresponsibly) took off the entire month of August off from work. Week one will be spent in Rhode Island with my wonderful family for my mom and sister’s birthdays, week two will be enjoying the Burlington that is indescribably better in the summer than the winter, and week three will be in one of my favorite places ever–the Dunseith’s beach house on Fire Island.

Yayyyy.

Besides the fact that it’s been nearly half a decade since this little tradition started, there are other things that make me realize how fast we are growing up. Planning this weekend was infinitely more difficult since we all have jobs and/or long distance relationships from college and/or various commitments that keep some of us from disappearing for a weekend together.

So, a few people short and relocated once again to Burlington, VT, off we go for a beautiful weekend that lends itself to wonderful pictures that make me so happy that I have chosen the wonderful friends I have.

Be back on Monday, likely sunburnt, bug bitten, tired as hell, and just the happiest I’ve been all summer.

bear with me.

Then, I check the weather, and a high of 45 for the weekend has me abandoning these hopes.

Please, oh please melt, last bits of snow!!

warm enough to wear a sun dress.

ate delicious acorn squash quesadillas with tomatillo salsa and avocado smash.

waiting for the boy to get back from class.

about to take a well deserved nap.

happyhappyhappy.

We do some pretty embarrassingly nerdy things, but I can’t say I don’t love it.