SMC and Fourth of July

Hello! Here's a quick update on some summer stuff...
On June 29th, I went up to Burlington to spend some time with my friend Katie. I hadn't seen her since Paris, so it was lovely to see her again. I also was able to see my uni, Saint Michael's College. They were busy building the new student center/connecting buildings/project that ate our quad when I left for Christmas. Now, the exterior is finished. They're still working on it from the inside. I am eager to see how this turns out... It was strange to be back on campus. I hadn't set foot there since December of last year. The place is mostly blocked off due to the aforementioned construction. I hope that they have everything straightened out before the freshmen move in around the end of August.

I also met up with my friends Amanda (who studied abroad last autumn) and Tori (who graduated this year). We visited a local farmers' market.

Street performer in downtown Burlington. He proceeded to do a handstand on top of all those chairs!

Katie surveys Burlington Bay

The boats

Lake Champlain

The oncoming storm

Duck family!

We got rained on! The thunderstorm rolled right in and soaked everything. We hid out in a mall (along with half the people off the street).

When we got back to SMC, Katie and I went to the academic buildings (since they're open 24/7). We watched Pitch Perfect and had a dance party. Naturally, I decided to bring a nice selection of electronica/dance/house/whatnot that you'd hear in Cardiff on a night out. We had so much fun.

I watched the Fourth of July parade that my hometown puts on every year. For those who don't know (I've encountered some people whilst abroad who didn't know why July 4th was such a huge deal to Americans), this is when the USA celebrates their independence from Great Britain. My family usually sets up right where the parade turns the corner. Prime viewing territory! Would you also believe that I've been in the parade a couple times? Well, without further ado, here is how a small town in Vermont commemorates this event.

Colorguard to start off.

Detail on a Jeep being driven by servicemen

Tractors!

Bands are always a feature 

You could only get away with this in Vermont!

Classic Cars

My old High-School won the State Championship in Baseball

More Cars

There are usually a couple more horses! 

Tractor! 

End of the Parade

And to close this out, here's a nice shot of my brother and two of his friends. I love their outfits. Very patriotic.

My brother is on the far left, in the American Flag shorts.

What else have I been doing? I have finally had an epiphany on what I want to do when I graduate (Which is this year. Where has time gone?). This is a really big deal for me. For the longest time, I had no idea what I wanted to do once I graduated. I decided on a major before my first year at SMC because I am passionate about Biology. Honestly, I felt like I had a list of careers I didn't want and not a whole lot of ones I would pursue. However, I have something (and strangely enough, my time in Cardiff did not have an impact on my decision). I am looking into dental school! I have been reviewing and studying up for the dental admissions test (known as the DAT). 

In the meantime, I have also been busy with my summer job. I work as a lifeguard at a neighboring town's pool. It is such a blessing to be out in the sun with a not-too-strenuous job. I have lost my ghastly pallor and gained a few more freckles in the process. Not to shabby! Oh, and did I mention that I performed a save towards the end of July! I had to go in after a kid who swam out too far and panicked when she couldn't touch the bottom of the pool. It always gives me a rush performing my job like that.

I will be heading back to SMC at the end of this month. And my birthday is in less than a month! This is a very exciting time.

P.S. If anyone is up in Colwyn Bay on the 14th, go say hello to the Cardiff Blues. They'll be training there around 4pm.

Cheers!