Busy Thoughts

To start, let me state the obvious and say that it has been over a month since I have blogged. The tail end of my summer has been full of trips, a heavy workload, local weekend festivities, and the overall dealings of day-to-day life. I've been to Michigan to visit a friend, Florida (Fort Myers to be exact) to hijack my parents' vacation, and put in countless hours of report writing/ compiling for projects at work.

Kalamazoo, MI

Picnic with the Pops in Lexington, KY 

View over Bowditch Point Park in Fort Myers Beach, FL

Things have slowed down a bit now and I have thoughts of days past and current that I am dealing with. I have recently become very aware of all I have accomplished in my 24 years on earth. I also am very aware of my dreams and desires for my life and realize I have a lot of ground to cover. The conflict lies in the fact that I would like to pursue a number of these dreams but doing so may not be the most 'responsible' or 'safe' by societal standards (and my family's).

My sixth anniversary of living in Lexington has come and gone and I find myself somewhat rooted here. My problem is I don't feel settled here, per se. I find myself desiring other things for my life and struggle with what exactly that is and making preparations to pursue other dreams. Thinking about pursuing dreams and settling down has left me with the difficulty of not growing complacent, bitter, or withdrawn from other activities I generally would enjoy because I am in Lexington.

It is hard to see what is on the horizon when you know you want a change of scenery or pace, but you have no idea where to start. I know I will figure out, but I struggle with my nature of planning it and having the stars perfectly aligned before I leap and sometimes we just have to go. 

Alas, time will tell what's in store and I'm going to keep on trucking now and "suck the fun out of this place" as a good friend phrased it. 

Summer Fun

This past weekend I went down to the Red River Gorge with friends to swim and relax. We even took the time to jump off a huge rock.

Nada Valley Tunnel

The Jump

Gorge Famous Pizza

Summer Solstice

Summer is here and I am really enjoying it! Today is the Summer Solstice in the eastern U.S. (or Midwestern, whichever you prefer). The days are sunny, warm, and long while the nights are cool and perfect for sitting outside. 

The summer always allows for beautiful days and amazing evening skies.

Go Solstice!

Moving Bungalows

It is moving time for me. I am not leaving Lexington, but moving from one neighborhood to the next and gaining a roommate (or 3 if you count the dogs).  I am moving to the Kenwick neighborhood which is full of smaller, craftsman style homes built in the early 1930s.

This weekend the Kenwick Neighborhood Association hosted a Bungalow Home Tour. A Bungalow is a smaller, usually one story house, that became very popular post-World War I.

Typical Bungalow in Kenwick

The homes on the tour were either unique in their décor, design, or materials used. Each owner had done a number of renovations and each had a different take on the Bungalow style. It was nice day to stroll through my new neighborhood and the tastes of different people.

This move marks the 6th year chapter of my time in Kentucky and also brings to light a lot of emotions for me. I have enjoyed living here but feel as if my time here is nearing a close. Sometimes I wake up and spend the day feeling jaded (for lack of a better word) towards Lexington and all I have been through here. This move could be a preface for bigger change for me, but that's all speculative now. 

Summer Plans

This week I have been finalizing some of my summer plans and I am super excited.

 Roanoke Star

Springfield Park Central Square

L.A. 

Fort Lauderdale Beach