1) Make a reading list of your favorite children’s (school aged) books to read over the summer.
2) Give us some fun activities to do during the summer.
3) Tell us about a favorite vacation spot. Maybe someone will want to go there too!
4) Tell us about a favorite summer memory you have of being a kid (the time you caught the big one, learning to swim, summer camp, etc).

Do any one (or more) of these.

If you are a student, you can tell us how you’re going to spend all that time.
Wow! The possibilities are endless with this one. I’m going to opt for numbers three and four. My favorite vacation spot is Asheville, North Carolina. Jim and I went there on our honeymoon twelve years ago and went back last year. It has it all – nature, history, shopping, and atmosphere. You could spend several days visiting Biltmore Estate and everything they have to do there! Also, it’s close the Appalachian Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Chimney Rock. We have yet to find a horrible place to eat there, which is never a bad problem to experience. It’s such a quirky town that we absolutely adore!

I actually have two favorite summer memories. The first one I have occurred between my junior and senior year of high school. It was the time I went on a high school trip to Germany. I LOVED it. My first experience at being away from my parents’ loving but rather protective arms was so liberating. I fell in love with Germany, so much so that when I moved there with my husband six months after we were married, I didn’t bat an eye. More importantly, I gained a level of independence and self-confidence that I had not previously had.

My second favorite summer memory was after my sophomore year when my family visited Gettysburg, DC, Charleston, and topped it off with week-long trip to Disney World. FAB-U-LOUS!! I’m a huge history buff, so the three days we spent in Gettysburg was heaven on earth. We also spent a few days in DC, seeing the sites, and had a quick trip to Fort Sumter in Charleston. It’s a history buff’s dream vacation. I’ve been to DC and Gettysburg several times since then, and Jim and I visited Charleston last year, but I still remember the detailed, day-long battle tour we took with the tour guide in our car. I remember visiting the National Museum of American History and watching the experts repair the Star-Spangled Banner. I even remember the solemnity of Fort Sumter, looking at Charleston Harbor. It was definitely a vacation to remember.
Also, since as of June 24th, I will no longer be a student, I plan to fill up this summer with relaxing. It is the first time in five years where I won’t have to log into a computer every day to check into my classes or spend an hour or two a day doing homework or writing a paper. So, I plan to sit in the sun, play in the sprinkler and read, read, read and make up for lost time!