Hopped On And Felt The Summertime

Lets just sit back for a second and think about the supposed impending months of sunshine (according to the view from my window...tut-tut, looks like rain).  The lack of class and classmates, the probable summer job, and (for the unfortunate handful) the move back in with the rents. Now for the good stuff: the evenings dedicated to sunset-strolling, sun dresses with your flower of choice slapped h'all up on em', and sugar-dunked strawberries.

So with my new internship (that makes me way too exceedingly happy to wake up to every morning), my newly attained online newspaper writing gig, and being in the lovely Southern California all summer long, I figured I should map out some off-time musts to do this summer.

Of course there are always the typicals: catching up on some good literate, reading the plays for the up-coming audition season, watching television shows I've missed during the year full seasons at a time, aaand go to the pool and eat a lot (dur).

But I digress. This summer, I, Kelsey Jean, will complete these five items, and I invite you to join me.

1) Re-visit one of my favorite locations, The Getty.  Every time I frequent this lovely institution I walk away with a better understanding of art and its history, like Monet himself is whispering sweet nothings of the late 1800s into my ear. Plus, I have never been in the summertime.  Art looks and feels better when I'm sweat stricken and in a pretty dress, brings me back to my elementary field-trip days when we were told to dress up when visiting a museum.  My favorite "special" dress was navy and velvet...field-trips took place in May...you do the math.  I was a sweaty little girl come art museum day.

2) Go to Santa Barbara Art Sunday! I think the last time I had the pleasure of strolling the shores while delighting my eyes to some beautiful art treats while munching on an ice-cream cone was LAST summer. Far too long. I love galleries and outdoor displays, it's like a free museum and you get to learn about all of the up-and-coming artists in your area.



3) Go Mansion Huntin'.

 Hah, I kid you.  No, i am not looking for a mansion to inhabit, but I do looove to look.  I'd say some good architecture and radically antique or radically modern furniture can fully brighten my day alone (hey, art is art is art). So I would like to drive to an embarrassingly wealthy neighborhood (perhaps Malibu?) and just poke around, see how the fabulous live.  If there's an open house- even better! Better pack my heels...

4) This next activity may seem strikingly out of left field (is that how that saying goes? Why is left field so rare?) but here is my stab at attempting to be a little more active...or at least move more.
Play soccer in the park! Normally this is so not my cup of tea, I hung up my cleats along with the ol' nick-name "crazy legs," right after I was diagnosed.  It just never appealed to me after that.  However, this past school year I have played a few casual games of 'futball' in my school park and they were shockingly entertaining! I was thoroughly exhausted, but the interaction between everyone, the camaraderie of the two teams, it was just too fun! The whole thing is simple to organize: send out a mass text, slap down a few backpacks as goals, grab a ball, and you're good to go!

5) I'm going to wake up one morning and decide to board a plane to Europe. From there I will backpack from London to Paris to Amsterdam and back. Yup, that's it. If you haven't caught on yet I am obviously not that cool. But do you know who is? My boyfriend, that's who.  Yes this terribly spontaneous soul woke up one morning and decided he needed to see Europe at this time in his life.  A week later a ticket was purchased and he leaves at the end of the month. I'm terribly jealous but bubbling over with excitement for him as well.  Paris is the city for me, smelling of rain and cigarettes and reeking of culture, it's everything I could ever want in a location.  I predict he'll find Amsterdam quite amusing.

Happy Summer,
Kelsey Jean