But First, What I Did on My Summer Vacation

This was a pretty hectic summer. Usually, I go visit my dad and his wife, Cathy, in upstate New York as soon as school is over, but this year I stuck around to go to graduation. After graduation, I visited my dad for about three weeks. There, I worked for my dad a little and recuperated from school. He’s a building contractor; I mostly help by picking up scrap and fetching things. Then I took the bus to New York City to visit my sister, Ellen.

We spent a day or two in the city.We really didn't do much, just saw “Get Smart” and did a little shopping. Then, we took the bus to Rhode Island to help get ready for my cousin’s wedding. The wedding was a lot of fun and it gave me a chance to see most of my dad’s family before leaving for Slovakia. From Rhode Island, I went home with Dad and Cathy. I was there just long enough to switch my bags. Then my dad took me to Creation Week Camp for my seventh and last time. The campers and counselors at this camp have all been coming consistently for so long and have shared so much that this group is sort of like another family.

After camp, I came back to Fort Wayne, Indiana, stopping in Cleveland to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum with my dad. I spent a day or two at home before going to Grand Rapids, Michigan for the Rotary Conference. The best part of the conference for me was meeting some rebounds and talking to them about their exchange. It especially helped to hear that although they all had hard times, they were all ecstatic to have had the experience. Knowing that should definitely help when those challenges arise.

The next three weeks or so I spent in Fort Wayne. I went to a Rotary meeting where two of the rebounds that I had met at the conference talked about their exchanges. I also worked on my Slovak and made my pins that I will trade with other Rotary Exchange students.

My mom is a reference librarian at a local university; she spent the first week of August in Seattle, Washington for the Library Assessment Conference. While she was away, I visited my cousin, Cory, in Chicago. While Cory was at work during the day, I practiced using public transportation and visited the International Museum of Surgical Science (I want to be a surgeon) and the Art Institute. We also went to the beach, looked at the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio with Tim, saw a movie in a park, etc.

Cory and I drove down to Bloomington, Indiana where my mom’s parents and sister live. We watched the stunning Olympics Opening Ceremony on my grandparent’s plasma TV. The next day, we had a little going away party with my mom’s family.