My most sincere apologies for the prolonged delay following my last post. Since we last spoke, I have turned in my senior thesis, graduated college, vacationed in Key West, been accepted to the Cultural Ambassadors Program in Madrid, and completed the Color Vibe 5k Run in Lincoln. Boom! Despite the lackluster undergraduate commencement ceremony with which UNL afforded the masses, I quite enjoyed graduation weekend and got to spend much needed quality time with the people I love most. To properly celebrate graduation, we dined at Wilderness Ridge, feasting on seafood, crème brûlée, and brut cava. In a very EatPrayLove moment, my mom started a round of toasts in my honor; it was touching to hear the nice things my best friends and closest family had to say. I think my Dad may have articulated the sentiment marking this chapter of my life the best, however, by saying: “This is a bittersweet time for you; but I can’t wait to see what’s coming next.”
Graduation came and went. Notwithstanding some minor bumps in the proverbial road, come the following Tuesday I was happily arriving in Key West, home of the proud Conch Republic. Once settled into the picturesque Casa Marina, John, Amy, Jenny, and I made our way to Sloppy Joe’s for dinner. Notorious for once being the Ernest Hemingway’s favorite hangout on the island, Sloppy Joe’s is covered with their charming slogan of “Get Sloppy.” Filling ourselves to the brim with sloppy Joe sandwiches, French fries, and mojitos, the meal culminated with key lime pie shots. They were actually not half bad. Highlights of the vacation include: snorkeling above the reef, jet skiing, attending the Friday night drag show at Aqua, watching a gorgeous sunset on the pier, and going from Edward-Cullen-white to a rosy-sun-kissed skin tone. I will be forever grateful to the Hruska’s for the generosity in inviting me to accompany them in celebration of Jenny’s graduation!
Since we returned to the ole 402, I have just been working at Talent Plus and catching up with friends and family as much as possible. Some new nuggets of knowledge that I have picked up over the last week include: plain Greek yogurt is a great alternative to sour cream (shout out to Aunt Lori), boys are still dumb (yes, I realize I sound like a whiny tween there), the south Grata is my summer jam – despite the unannounced rearranging of their daily specials, and omelets are much harder to make on cast iron griddles than one might assume.
Despite no longer being busy 24/7 with college commitments, I still find myself feeling like I have no time and so much to do. Graduation thank you notes have yet to be written, travel plans have yet to be nailed down, daily runs have yet to materialize. I must say, though, I quite like the gradual return of summertime living; I am a big fan of eating on the deck, reading for pleasure, connecting with friends, and not doing irrelevant homework. Cheers to you summer, you handsome devil you!
SAMHOPEHANSEN 