Pre-departure Update #2: 4th of July

Hey, y’all!

I celebrated my last holiday in the states before I leave for Germany yesterday. Fittingly, it was the 4th of July. While I do not love Independence Day, it’s a summer staple in my heart. As always, the corn was knee-high by the 4th-of-July here in Indiana.

I spent most of my day lifeguarding at my neighborhood pool. I wasn’t thrilled about having to work the holiday, but it turned out to be pretty fun. My boss organized games for the patrons to play, such as volleyball, basketball, water bottle hunt, coin clean-up, belly flop contest, and relay races. It was a long day, but I’m grateful for the money. Saving for Germany is expensive!

In the evening, my parents hosted a cookout/get-together for our family and friends. We ate hotdogs, hamburgers, salad, mac n cheese, chips and dip, fruit, and brownies. It was quite the spread. It was a little overwhelming after a long day at work, but I’m grateful for any time I get to spend with friends and family before I depart.

After dinner, I went to my friend’s grandparent’s house to light off fireworks. His family is obsessed with fireworks. Personally, I would rather watch them than light them myself. We did roman candles, sparklers, smoke bombs, and every scary firework you can think of. Watching the sky light up with sparkles and colors always fills my heart with joy and nostalgia for summer’s past.

The 4th made me sad for all the holidays I will miss with my family next year. It is hard to picture my life without them next year, but I am looking forward to celebrating with my host family and learning about their holidays. I hope that the newness of life abroad will help to dull the holiday homesickness.

Anyways, I hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day! And to my German readers, I hope you had a good Sunday without fireworks.

Until next time,

Bookish Babble