Top Five Things I Love About Summer

Days are getting warmer. Nights are getting shorter. Summer is on its way! Winter has never been my cup of tea so by the time May rolls around, I'm well on my way to being kid on Christmas morning excited about everything unique to summer! Here are some of my favorites! What are yours? I'd love to hear!

1) The 4th of July

I happily still live in my hometown, which happens to be crazy about celebrating Independence Day! I couldn't imagine ever being anywhere else for the 4th of July. Seriously. In all my 28 years I've always had a Boone County 4th, and I wouldn't have it any other way! So much tradition! The carnival, the cookouts, the parade, the fireworks...I love it! Between marching band (go drum line!), starting baton twirling at age 4 (I have the trophies and awkwardly curled 90s bangs pictures to prove it), being part of the library's float, and being Beautiful Baby Girl Boone '89 (yes, it's a thing) I've probably logged over 40 miles of parade route time. Near & dear to my heart!

2) The Indy 500 & The Brickyard 400

I'm a Hoosier girl through and through. I was fortunate enough to grow up less than half an hour from THE race track. Not just any old race track, but the Indianapolis Motor Speedway! Being raised by a dad who loves racing I spent a ton of time at the track as a kid and still do to this day! Carb Day, the race, the parade, the festivities leading up to the Brickyard (500 is Indy Car, 400 is NASCAR)...being there just feels like summer.

3) Concerts

Although winter is basically awful, I do look forward to the big summer tour announcements made during those cold months! Gives me something to look forward to. I love scoring lawn seats at Klipsch Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana (hey they're cheaper and the lawn is just way more fun) and hearing great music with my family and friends. From my first trip there in 1998 to see the Backstreet Boys (be jealous. be very jealous) it doesn't feel like summer without a trip to Deer Creek (I don't care how many name changes the venue gets, it'll always be Deer Creek to me).

4) Camping

The convenience of a Keurig will never replace the taste of coffee made over the fire. Burgers and hot dogs taste better when you're camping. It's a fact. As do s'mores. Bonus: we usually find ourselves at Turkey Run State Park, where there's tubing! Tubing? It's where you and your friends tie a bunch of tubes together and float down the river. I promise it's amazing!

5) Not Being Cold

I hate being cold. I hate snow. I hate the gray and the yuck and the slush. I love you Indiana, but I despise your winters. Always have. Always will. I want heat. I want to wear dresses and flip flops and be outside as much as possible. Winter, you'll just never be able to offer what summer does.