For most college students, their summer begins anytime in May after they finish their last final of the semester. But for me, well, my summer didn't officially really start until June 26th. You're probably thinking, 'Wow, that sucks' or 'Why such a random day like June 26th?' Well, that's what I'm here for. Here's the story of the summer that I truly won't forget ever!

Technically my summer started towards the end of the first week of May. The first few weeks of being home didn’t really hit me, to be honest with you. It didn’t feel like summer to me and all my friends were back at their homes and I had to snap back into the reality of living in the country again. The first month and a half of being home was filled with tons of babysitting for family friends as well as hanging out with family, picking my little sister up from school to go shopping, and being my little sister and brother’s “Sports Mom” when my parents couldn’t go to their softball or track meets (sometimes they happened to be on the same day so that meant I probably looked like a chicken running without its head trying to make sure I didn’t miss my brother start his races or miss my sister batting or catching for her softball game.) If I wasn’t babysitting or being the “Sports Mom” to my siblings, I was working my summer part time job as a carnie, yes I said I’m a carnie.

Being a part time carnie over a summer really takes a toll on you and you’re probably thinking, ‘How hard is it to take old drunk men and clueless children’s money and run a silly game?’ but you see, it’s a lot harder to do even you really aren’t a people person and the weather gets extremely hot and muggy. Kids really get on my nerves especially when I run a BB-Gun game at work and I take guns seriously so when kids goof off and don’t listen to me while I’m trying to explain the rules and they goof off with the gun, I get a little angry. Drunk old men are the worst. The weekend of when my summer actually begun started off when an old drunk man got angry with me because he was incapable of shooting the entire star out with no red left (which are the rules in order to win). You get 100 BBs per game and this drunk for better of words jerk, yelled in my face how I wasn’t giving him the whole 100 BBs and wanted to count them, well, after yelling loudly in my face, calling me names, pushing me, and making me cry my boss came over with the cops and the drunk jerk and counted all 104 BBs that were in a round. After realizing how much of a jerk he was for making me cry, the cops then escorted him off the field and I drove myself to the closet McDonalds for some nuggets and a milkshake while I drove the what felt like forever drive back home. And the very next day, that is when I started to my summer vacation for real.

June 26th, 2016, was my baby cousin’s graduation party. The night before I was working and missed watching him walk across the stage but I was able to miss a day of work to spend the day with him and my family celebrating him and his accomplishments. The day started off like any other kind of family function, beers were given out to everybody and all the food was thrown onto the grill. Hours and hours have gone by, then I finally asked my parents if I could spend the night and actually celebrate with my cousin and his friends (which some of his friends were my friends too), they both said yes and then everyone left and the real party began.

All of us spent hours drinking and drinking and having the time of our lives. Playing pong, sitting in the hot-tub, going swimming in the pool, throwing cheeseballs at each other, finding m&ms and eating them, and sitting by the fire talking and talking. Logan. Logan is seriously one of my bestest friends in the entire world and that friendship started all because of 1.) my cousin graduated high-school and 2.) she’s currently dating my cousin. Our friendship started all when I thought she was a complete badass because she had a tongue ring, the same elephant belly ring, the clump of m&ms and cheeseballs, and because you were joining the Army. Judy. Judy changed my life for the better. Judy means the absolute world to me and became my boyfriend right before I left for my junior year at college. We spent all night together only because you were sharing your beer with me and you promised my cousin that you would look after me for the rest of the night. After a while, we gave up on drinking and started sitting next to the fire and just sat there eating cheeseballs and talking and talking for hours, trying to get to know each other. After realizing that it was finally time for bed and that we went to bed and didn’t sleep much because we stayed up longer just talking and getting to know each other.

The next day was definitely a rough one that’s for sure. The day started off with going for a McDonald’s run for breakfast so I could get some hash browns, In the truck the only song I can remember playing was, Jordan Belfort, and a bunch of hungover boys singing, ”I’ve been getting money; Jordan Belfort, stacking penny stock while I’m flipping these birds, sipping on Ciroc, trip ‘em up with the words, I just popped a molly and I think this be my third.” We spent all day together, from going to Maxipad’s graduation party to going swimming at the Res to going mudding. Maxipad and I didn’t know it then, but we would shortly become friends whether he liked it or not. Then we headed back to my house and my dad treated us all with ribs, and if I’m sharing my ribs with you, you must be pretty special.

Just like every other college student back home for summer vacation, I wanted to make the most of it and hang out with my friends as much as possible. Going to parties and standing around a huge fire drinking while singing along to the country music that was blasting from the trucks. One of my favorite memories from the summer was two nights before Judy’s birthday. We were celebrating Fourth of July (which happens to be Judy’s birthday). My friends from high-school and Judy’s friends from school all gathered in one place, with a huge fire, country music, beer, and fireworks, what other way to celebrate the Fourth of July. Since it was Judy’s birthday weekend, I told him I would be his DD for the night and he could go crazy if he wanted and he didn’t pass that offer up. After a while, it was finally time for me to get some sleep and bring Judy back home. And this is when Judy became Dorito Boy. I honestly don’t think I will ever forget Dorito Boy and everything that happened that night. Plus, it was the first time Judy let me drive his truck (if you know anything about country boy, you have to be extremely special to them in order for them to just willingly give their keys for their truck to you). That night is the night I knew, Judy was the one I wanted.

The whole summer just seemed to go by so fast. Before you knew it, Logan was getting ready to leave for the Army and it was just going to be the three of us; Judy, Hunter, and myself. We spent as much time together as possible, whether it was going mudding, just driving around, going to parties together, watching family guy, going to Water Safari, eating Doritos, eating ice cream, or spending hours and hours at the Res swimming. When I was hanging out with Judy, Hunter, and Logan I was still working at my carnival job but that didn’t stop all of us form hanging out. I would get surprise visits from them at work and then usually ended up bringing me nuggets or ice cream depending on the weather. Then Logan left. Probably the most emotional day for me in a really long time. Then the one day that I was waiting for since I met Judy came along, he finally got the balls to ask me to be his girlfriend (about two weeks before I left for college).

The summer didn’t end for me when I left for school. Summer didn’t end for me until I had to start wearing a Northface over my hoodie a few weeks ago. I’ve met a bunch of new people this summer and everything that I did this summer I’m glad I did. I spent many nights either working, partying with friends (whether I was the one drinking or the one DD-ing), roasting marshmallows, eating nuggets and cheeseballs, eating mac-n-cheese at 2am (Judy, you’ll remember this night), babysitting, driving around the county hitting every mud puddle possible,

If I could make a mixtape for my summer. It would consist of H.O.L.Y, Jordan Belfort, From The Ground Up, It All Started With A Beer, Hillbilly Deluxe, Head Over Boots, and Living The Dream. If you don’t know any of these songs, 1.) that sucks to be you and 2.) you should really go listen to them because honestly they are great and you’ll have a better understanding of my summer!

'Here's to the summer, I can't wait to tell my future children.'