Summer Sabbatical

I'm so grateful that I was able to take a few months off this summer between jobs! I filled my time with lots of new adventures. Here are some of my favorites.

1. Ran half marathons in Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Knocked two more states off the list and got to experience some smaller community races.

2. Biked the East Bay bike path in Rhode Island. It was my first weekend back in New England, and I had such a fun time exploring Rhode Island, running a race in Jamestown, and going to Newport.

3. Tried paddlebording for the first time. Then tried running onto the paddleboard from the dock.

4. Got burgers at Wild Willy's. My favorite burger ever is the Tatonka- a bison burger with smoked mayonnaise and American cheese.

5. Tried all of the ice cream iced coffee flavors at Dunkin Donuts. Cookie Dough was the winner in my book.

6. Hiked Mt. Katahdin with Dad and Bud. It is Maine's tallest peak and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Took us 8 hours round trip to hike ~12 miles.

7. Went kayaking and sailing. I love being out on the lake!

8. Saw my extended family. My cousins and aunt and uncle came to Maine for the weekend. I hadn't seen them in more than 5 years. We went cliff jumping with them!

9. Got free tennis lessons from a family friend. I still suck, but not quite as much. And my serve is significantly improved.

10. Went to the shooting range. Fired my mom's handgun, and actually hit the target a few times.

11. Traveled to the Domican Republic. The summer was kicked off by a trip with one of my best friends.

12. Hiked Dragon's Tooth and Mt. Monadnock. Neither was as tough as Katahdin, but both were fun day hikes with some awesome views at the top.

13. Discovered trail running. I went running on the Blackwater Creek trails in Lynchburg, and realized I love running trails!

14. Watched all 8 seasons of Dexter. I was obsessed for a month. It's one of those morally questionable shows (warning: language and nudity) but very thought-provoking, with amazing actors.

15. Went to the US National Whitewater Center in North Carolina. They have a whitewater rafting course, high ropes courses, paddleboarding, kayaking, rock climbing, and bike trails. We didn't have time to do everything in one day, but I had a blast running around doing as much as possible!

I felt like I was able to do so much this summer, and I loved my time off!