Good morning! Although today has some somber undertones (today marks three years since my father passed away,) I’m planning to spend the afternoon- graciously freed up by my boss who gave me the day off- with my mother so that neither one of us has to be alone right now. I know my dad would want us to have fun together today- so we’ll be doing some shopping and going out for dinner in-between what I’m sure will be a few tears and plenty of reminiscing.

This past weekend was purely about having silly fun, however- when a group of friends and I spent Saturday afternoon and well into Sunday morning having a backyard BBQ at the waterfront home of our friend’s boyfriend. We all brought a little something to eat (and boy, did I eat so. much. food.) listened to music, made a big slip & slide out of a huge tarp, some dish soap, and a sprinkler- and lit a campfire as the sun began to set.

My friend Stef had brought her projector, and using an ironed sheet and some extension cords- she managed to rig up a big screen movie theater for us on the back deck so that we could watch terrible horror movies on Netflix (my specialty!) while roasting marshmallows on the fire and passing the bug spray to one another.

I really hope to have more nights like that in the coming weeks. It’s one of my favorite things about the Summer- just laid-back, inexpensive fun with good friends, good food, and a few drinks.

With July underway and 2015 being more than halfway over, I like to re-visit the resolutions I’ve made for myself for the year and map my progress as I move forward through the Summer. It’s a great way to stay focused and refresh yourself on your goals and aspirations for the year so that you don’t give up!

While I’ve definitely been getting into better shape, am far more organized in most aspects of my life than I was prior to New Years- and have low-key been researching different houses and condos in and around the San Diego area for a potential move- I have yet to complete my Route 66 road trip. I have it mapped out, I have the finances (mostly) planned- it’s just a matter of making the time!

I still have a few months left to do it, so I’m not completely discouraged- but I’ve come up with a couple of backup plans for some long-distance vacation destinations should I have to postpone the great cross-country journey until next Summer or Fall when work isn’t so busy. I’ve been eyeing a week in New Orleans this fall, for example- and although I’d like to save a trip to Hawaii to commemorate my turning 30- my wanderlust is kicking in a little, so I have a feeling I might be checking that out sooner than later!

Overall, though- I’d say I’ve made some really great progress with what I set out to accomplish this year. Now that I’ve reflected and have seen how far I’ve come in just a few short months- I’m ready to continue working towards achieving most- if not all- of my resolutions again.

‘Til next time!

xx