My Summer in Pictures..

So, it has been almost two months since I posted. Oops. Turns out I was even more busy home for the summer than I usually am in Dubai (which is quite busy!). What an amazing five weeks home! Our summer included visits to many of our favorite places and and tons of quality time with friends and family (and getting to celebrate the wedding of our friends John and Emily in Buffalo, NY/Niagara Falls and the Bachelorette Party of my best friend Jess). It was whirlwind, but somehow extremely relaxing. I do love New England in the summer!

Seneca Lake view from Hobart & William Smith Colleges. Our Alma Mater, and just down the street from where we met at Kappa Sigma Fraternity House...

Another Seneca Lake view, with sailboats in the distance. I love Geneva!

Yet another view... I couldn't help myself. It's been over two years since we were back.

Parker's! Our favorite restaurant/bar in Geneva. We went probably almost weekly in college, and Jared's true love in life: Death Wish Wings reside there. Also notice the cheesy fries (our collective fav.) and the Ithaca Apricot Wheat Beer. We really miss microbrews in Dubai, so definitely enjoyed our fair share while we were home.

At John and Emily's wedding reception at the Park Country Club in Williamsville, NY. An absolutely beautiful venue with great indoor and outdoor spaces.

At the reception.

Jared and one of his best friends Bradford on the dancefloor.

Jared with the bride and groom, Emily and John, one of our absolute favorite couples. Jared kept saying that theirs was possibly the most fun wedding we've ever been to! (and it was)...

Me & Emily. I'm looking a little worse for the wear from dancing.

The lovely ladies: Emily, Me, Michele and Jenn, the significant others of the Duxbury Men.

The Jen(n)'s.

Steve and Christopher on the dancefloor. We (including, surprisingly, Jared) did a ton of dancing at this wedding!

Me & Jared, late in the night glistening with sweat...

Bradford.

Since the wedding was on July 3rd in Buffalo, we all decided that spending the 4th in Niagara Falls would be fun (hey, if we can't be on Duxbury Beach for the 4th, why not be in Canada?)

We all stayed at the Sheratan on the Falls, which had absolutely amazing views of the falls, and was an approximately 2 minute walk to the Maid of the Mist. A lovely, if slightly alternative, way to spend the 4th of July. Happy 235th Birthday USA!

The Canadian Side of Niagara Falls.

The American Falls.

The Duxbury Boys: Justin, Charles, Brad and Jared at the Maid of the Mist.

Me & Jared, waiting for our Maid of the Mist ride (with the American Falls behind).

In the Falls! (Jared trying to be a good sport).

On the boat in the Falls, a surprisingly good self-take.

Trying to stay dry, on the Maid of the Mist.

We had a great weekend in Western NY, before driving back to Boston. We had a couple days before Jared, unfortunately, had to head back to Dubai on July 10th. Halas, I was sad to see him go, but not so sad that I wasn't extremely excited for my extra month home (hey, I work at a school, I have to take advantage of the fringe benefits)...

I took advantage of being home so long to be able to attend at HWS Alum event in Boston. I love love love these events and haven't been able to attend one in the last two years, so I fully embraced the experience, with my friends Katie and Carla.

With my favorite [former] neighbor Josh. I love Josh! We go way back to cross country my freshman year at HWS.

The trifecta reunited. With Lauren and Joshua.

With Lauren and Brando. Two of my favs.

Me & Laur. I was excited she came out, because it was her birthday (July 13th!).

The following day, July 14th, I caught a ride with my Uncle Chris (whose house I use as my home-base when I'm home. They are the aunt and uncle I have lived with on countless occasions and whose three children are my little cousins that I love more than any other kids I know. How could I not? I have nannied for all of them for years and years and have had all three of their bodily fluids on me at one point or another) to NY so I could spend a week in Upstate with my Mom and Dad.

My mom picked me up on the Thruway and I hung out with her and Dave for a couple days, and even got to go up to the 1,000 Islands and spend a day and a half with my Great Aunt and Uncle Lou and Cregg. They have an absolutely beautiful condo on Wellesley Island, right on the St. Lawrence River. A lovely relaxing day of boating and swimming and then a nice dinner out at Bonnie Castle. Then my Mom surprised me that night with an early bday celebration. Just a wonderful day!

Me & My Mom at Lou and Cregg's.

And after spending a couple days with my mom, I headed to Fulton (aka F-town) to spend 4 days with my Dad and Step-mom and Grandma.

As we were heading into F-town, this is the sign we saw. I think it's about right. Fulton is definitely somewhere... There is no ocean and/or beach though, so there's a little bit of false advertising going on because there is no way that image could be meant to depict Lake Neahtawanta...

Oh deep-fried goodness! That pretty much sums up my four days at my dad's house... Mmm.

Wings! I'm pretty sure I just took this picture to make Jared salivate. :)

Wings and Fireworks! That's what Upstate NY does!

Oh, and monster broccoli in my dad's garden. He has quite the green thumb. He took over the reigns where my grandpa left off...

Grandma D., Me and Dad. In Grandma's front yard. I heart my fam.

Me & Mom.

After my relaxing and transfat filled week in Upstate, I headed back to MA with my mom. She wanted to visit the Schremp kiddos too, since she hadn't seen them since my bar swearing-in in Dec. '08. So I had a couple more nice days with my mom in Wellesley, before heading up to New Hampshire for the weekend of July 23rd, for my best friend Jess's Bachelorette Party.

We kicked off the weekend with a Luau Party at Jess's sister Kristen's house in Nottingham, NH. Kristen and her boyfriend Ed really went all out. I was most impressed with the hallowed out coconuts that we used to contain our yummy tropical drinks.

Jess, wearing her penis lei, holding her orange-flavored condom balloon. Jess wasn't exactly in favor of any of the above, but as the Maid of Honor I felt like it was my responsibility to make it feel a little more Bachelorette-y. Deep down I know that is what Jess wanted... :)

The following day we went to the NH coast to get some sun at the beach. Jess is posing with her new L.L. Bean bag that sports her soon-to-be initials: JLA.

The bachelorette posing on a random motor cycle.

Me & Jess, out in Portsmouth, NH for the second night.

Jess's sister Jen, living it up at the Daniel Street Tavern.

Serenading Jess a la Karaoke at the Daniel Street Tavern. We were quite passionate in our singing.

"IT'S A NICE DAY FOR A....

... WHITE WEDDING!"

I capped off my wonderful New England summer the weekend of July 30th by heading to Cape Cod with my awesome Boston-Hobart friends.

The Hobart Girls at Nauset Beach in Orleans, MA: Kat, Katie, Ellen, Me.

The Whole Group + Terrill at Nauset Beach. We could not have asked for more perfect weather. Lots of mojitos + wine + grillables = the recipe for a perfect Cape weekend.

Me at the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club in Harwich, MA, following a delicious lobster roll lunch. Oh, there's nothing like New England in the summer..

After my weekend on the Cape with my friends, I spent a couple more days on the Cape with Mrs. K (Jared's Mom). We stayed with her best friend Auntie Judy and had a lovely time bopping around to Mashpee, Chatham and Harwich, MA.

Chatham Beach.

The famed Chatham Bars.

So after an absolutely wonderful summer at home, I headed back to Dubai on August 5th. I was not entirely thrilled to be heading back in the first week of Ramadan, my absolute favorite month of the year in Dubai (I hope you can read the sarcasm into my tone), but I was excited to get back into my own apartment and not feel like a nomad anymore... Ah well, it should hold me over until next time...