We are almost halfway through the summer and some of you might be saying AHHHH. We here at Bwog have been keeping ourselves busy (or not). Here’s to hoping the semester does not start up too soon because some of us still need to get our shit together.

This summer, Bwog went on adventures and: 

• discovered I can in fact drive from San Jose to LA by myself, very powerful information.
• got on a plane and left my home state for the first time in 18 months. an uproarious success!
• took the Roosevelt Air Tram for The View.
• went to the movies for the first time in two years to see in the heights.
• climbed up on top of a swingset every time my neighbors hosted a party to see what was up.
• went to two concerts in a day on two separate occasions.
• explored Forest Hills.
• drove up to Chicago and crashed at various friends places for three days.
• went to two different Manhattan targets in one week.
• stuck my foot out the window of a Uber.
• saw two separate people with their pet iguanas (one on a leash, one without).
• marveled at really old houses in upstate NY.
• went roller skating with all my friends :).

We experienced the great outdoors and: 

• went to an island to see some hospital ruins <3.
• went to little island, it really is little.
• went lavender picking! 
• snorkeled and enjoyed it for about ten minutes before becoming INCREDIBLY sea sick. 
• my ears popped from driving through the valleys between mountains and it felt nice to have my flesh bag acknowledge the topography around me.
• got sunburned.
• swam in a lake.
• also swam in a lake.
• taught someone in my program how to skip rocks at a lake.
• went impromptu camping, got shitfaced in the woods. 
• made a new friend (a bunny in my backyard). His name is Gerard and he eats all the leaves and wildflowers <3
• crashed a small town’s firework show and stuck out like a sore thumb.

We also went to work and:

• did work for my virtual internship in milstein for the AC.
• took a job in a dilapidated house.
• starting a wonderful internship and immediately picking a fight with HR. 

We also went out (or stayed in) to eat and:

• almost got kicked out of a beer garden.
• got my family overly into eating bananas with cocoa powder as a snack. Had to tell my mom that 8 bananas per day is too many.
• went to KazuNori in midtown  a handrolled sushi bar. would highly recommend !
•  foraged for blackberries in a mountain forest
•  baked to my little heart’s content and invented a coconut lime loaf recipe
•  got coffee with my friends and high school math teacher. this time next year we’re all getting drunk together (my teacher’s words, not mine!) 
•  saw Doja Cat on the fourth and ate a sad pretzel.

And don’t forget about the alcohol: 

• got the blue drink at Nobody Told Me and had the most painful hangover the next day.
• got drunk in a hotel room and watched clips from the Winter Olympics with four people crammed on a queen-sized bed.
• spent many nights at 1020.
• accidentally got shitfaced at Governors Island.
• took tequila shots and talked about masculinity.
• used my girlfriend’s id to get into a club. it worked!
• looked up at the stars while drinking (fairly bad) beer.

Braved (or didn’t brave) the summer weather: 

• went to an observatory with no wifi during the California heatwave for a week.
• hugged my dog tightly during all of these stupid thunderstorms (he gets so scared he vibrates). 

We also spent time being metaphysical (and physical) and: 

• started talking to my ex again. No, it isn’t platonic. 
• identified as straight for a hot sec and then bi before remembering that I’m a lesbian.
• regained my sense of the passage of time.
• wore my binder in my parents’ house for the first time.
• rerealized for the millionth time how much I love my hometown friends and reaffirmed for myself the fact that we are all gonna be friends forever :,).
• generally healed my mind body and soul after a very crushing year.
• came out. came right back in.
• missed New York.
• started saying yes to things without planning in advance.

We watched (win or lose) the Euro Cup and: 

• saw every team I rooted for lose at Euro 2020.
• saw my country’s soccer team finally win the Cópa America!!! Vamos Argentina y Messi!!
• got really invested in the euro cup and watched my team (ukraine) do far far better than I could have expected.
• celebrated as football did not come home but instead went to rome… forza italia.

Partook in books, crafts, and podcasts: 

• learned to crochet and attended a crochet party.
• rekindled my love for Doctor Who.
•  learned about this history of bullfighting from a country music podcast
•  read a book for pleasure for the first time since 10th grade (I think)
•  as others have said, read a lot. my brain feels like its no longer mush.
•  read all of Carmen Maria Machado’s work
•  successfully propagated plants!!

Took part in being part of the greater good: 

• helped distribute COVID vaccines .
• babysat triplet seven year olds. was as horrible as it sounds.
• fully became a housewife for a week and hated it.
•  turned 20 on the train above the East River.

hi #girlbosses! it’s summertime! via Pixabay