Perks of Living on a Lake

10 weeks ago, I went kicking and screaming all the way from my home in Chicago to Culver, Indiana to be a Communication Intern at my former high school.  I was sure to have a dismal time with no friends and no social life.  What it turned out to be was very possibly the best summer of my life.  It’s only rival is 2004, when I spent 5 weeks away from home (for the first time) at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and had my very first kiss.  This summer was a far cry from my first kiss, but was possibly even more amazing.  Yes, for the first week it was slightly dismal because no one was there and I was staying in a cabin with no indoor plumbing and barely electricity.  The second week was better as a few friends arrived I spent most evenings watching movies and catching up with friends I haven’t seen since graduation.  After that, I moved into a much more “Mary-Friendly” dorm room 

and spent most days laying in bed watching Netflix and it was shaping up to be strikingly similar to last summer.  Although you can't ignore the very "Culver" events. Like Council Fire

and Parade.

Then I went to Boston for a week for 4^th of July.  This was magical.  I rekindled a romance, saw all of my friends, and had the absolute time of my life.  I loved it.  

The following week I returned to Culver and saw that my roommate had been promoted to a live-in counselor position in Woodcraft (living in those cabins, promotion or punishment?) and I was getting a new roommate, and this is really when the summer started heating up.  My new roommate was this bubbly ball of gab, a total chatterbox and at first, I was hesitant.  Then I decided, what the hell, and let her in.  We became fast friends and started taking advantage of living on the lake.  

Our routine soon became taking a night swim when Amy returned from work, this introduced me to even more people that I became friends with.  The weekend came and one of the photographers from my office invited me and Amy our for the Moonlight Serenade which is when the Naval Band boards the Ledbetter (largest boat on Lake Maxinkuckee) and plays music up and down the shores.  

There were two boats going out with people from the Academy with two extremely cute drivers who happened to be sailing instructors at the camp.  Amy and I innocently flirted our way through the night and scoring invites to watch a sailing regatta the next day, at the former CEO of AT&T’s lake house.  Amy unfortunately had to work, but I was all in.  

And of course later that night there were fireworks.

From that day forward was a whirlwind (note my lack of blog posts after July 15).  That weekend alone, I went on 7 different boats over the course of 21 hours, the rest of the summer followed suit.  

I made loads of new friends and took opportunities.  I learned to sail, waterski, wake surf, and tube.  I was out on a boat almost every day.  Although the relationship I started the summer with unfortunately ended, new boys wasted no time making their intentions known and I was quickly whisked off my feet.  

As the summer days started dwindling down, I dreaded leaving this utopia and returning home.  The final night of this “summer” ended with a ball.  Dressed to the nines and equipped with very cute arm candy, I danced the night away, or rather until the SEVEN blisters on my feet willed me to take a break.  

Teary goodbyes and one last stop at the Root Beer Stand closed this chapter of my life.  Now I am counting down the days until I return to Babson and shortly after make a surely-tearful reunion with a part of my summer that will hopefully continue much longer than 9 weeks.

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