What I Did This Summer

I had nobel plans of blogging on a regular basis this summer but the reality of blogging without a reliable internet connection is a few posts a month. The Blogging Elite is hosting an August Adventures link up today, which is the perfect chance for me to share a sort of summer recap. 

What I read this summer...

I didn't read as many books as I would have liked, it averages out to a book a month, which is pretty disappointing. Especially considering Grace's Guide was a really easy read and I skipped one or two of the chapters because they really didn't appeal to me or apply to my lifestyle.  The Poisonwood Bible was a re-read. It's one of my favourite books and I like to re-read it every few years because there's always new details I pick up on and as I age I find myself relating differently to the characters. I finally got to read Wonder and came away with a lot of mixed feelings. There were parts of it that were wonderfully written and other parts that really made me cringe. Similarly, Say What You Will (not pictured) which I was totally in love with for 80% of the book but didn't care much for the eventual plot twist. The best book I read this summer was Call the Midwife I am eager to get my hands on the other two books in the trilogy after reading the first one. I loved that it was really easy to read a chapter or two at a time and the stories were a great mix of joyful and sad.

What I ate this summer...

I've never been a big breakfast person but this summer some of my favourite memories revolve around shared breakfasts. N. and I spent a lot of time at her cottage during break and cooking breakfast each morning while we watched Canada AM and got caught up on the outside world became a ritual. Breakfast always involved bacon, hash browns and coffee. When we didn't make our own breakfast we ventured into town and ate at the local breakfast/lunch spot. When we were in the city one break I had the most delicious Pink Lemonade drink on a patio. I love how many new restaurants I tried this summer! And when there's no restaurant in sight pizza and pop at the picnic table can make for a delightful dining experience. 

What I saw this summer...

I saw countless amazing sunsets and blue skies. I spent days sitting in the sand and being surrounded by water. I hung out with adorable duckings at the near by park and watched a guinea pig family at the zoo. I watched campfire flames and roasted marshmallows with friends. 

How I felt this summer...

This summer ran the full gauntlet of human emotions. I was challenged by difficult situations and felt scared, worried, frustrated, angry, sad, relieved and happy. Taking a step back from it all I am grateful. The challenges taught me a lot about how to deal with professional/work related issues and improved my problem solving speed. I got to spend two months with my best friends. I worked with some fantastic human beings. I won't say I loved every minute of my summer but I can say that I found something to appreciate during every moment of the chaos. 

Stuff & Things: Florida Edition

For ten hot seconds I had elaborate plans for a lengthy vacation recap post full of giant high resolution photos a detailed itinerary of each day and overflowing with "must sees" and "must dos". And then I realized that sounded like a huge chore and something I didn't actually want to spend hours doing. So instead here's some Stuff & Things I ate, did and saw during my time in Florida!

What I Ate

Photos taken from company/brand websites

Publix Chicken, Cinnamon Swirl Bread (Toasted for Breakfast), Peanut Butter Cup Oreos (Plus a bag to take home and share with H. & R. when we reunite!), Dunkin' Donuts Coffee, Applebee's Four Cheese Mac & Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken. 

I'm aware of how super nerdy it sounds but a visit to the grocery store was so much fun. The food lover in me was fascinated seeing all the different things that just aren't available in Canada. I had that Cinnamon Swirl bread toasted almost every day for breakfast. And we ate Publix chicken no fewer than four times over the course of 10 days. I didn't make it to Chick-Fil-A but there's always next time!

What I Did

I spent a lot of time by the pool at the condo reading and lots of time in the pool. The highlight of my trip was probably the day we spent at Busch Gardens! I know there's a lot of controversy around SeaWorld, however there are two sides to every story and I'd never been before. I'm glad I went and experienced the park for myself. Plus, we got an awesome package deal on tickets to Busch Gardens and SeaWorld buying things online definitely pays off. I also spent a lot of time at Siesta Key Beach after a very long winter it was lovely to feel sand between my toes again!

What I Saw

Alligators, Palm Trees & Turtles! I love animals and spending time in a place where it's perfectly normal to see turtles every time you leave the house and spot alligators hanging out in people's backyards was super cool. I'd also never seen palm trees before so I happen to think they're pretty cool as well!

I didn't take as many photos as I had planned. I was nervous about getting my camera wet or full of sand when we were at the beach. And I really wanted to experience things more than I wanted to make sure I had photographic evidence I was there. I did snap a few photos (mostly of the animals at Busch Gardens) and I'll be sharing my Favourite Five tomorrow on the blog!