Karaoke, sore muscles and tan lines

To say it has been an eventful few days out here in Las Vegas would be an understatement.

Saturday I was picked up from the airport and promptly headed to Fremont Street. We celebrated Cinco de Mayo with some crappy Mexican and undrinkable margaritas. (I had to ask for something to dilute it because it was so strong!) Then we just hung out, drinking and gambling and singing. Yes, my two sisters and I did karaoke. I still can't believe that happened. Just like I can't believe that guy in the last photo above photo bombed us. Props, dude.

Sunday we decided the cure to hangovers was some hiking. On the way out to Red Rock we stopped in Blue Diamond to visit the wild burros. (They weren't out last time I was there!) Then we spent some time in the Calico Hills and the water fall trails. And as per usual, my muscles were super sore the next day. (Totally worth it though.) Caleb was sorely limited because he had a little cousin following him, but everyone still had a great time. I can't count how many times Jared fell that day though. On a trail because he was telling people to 'look out for the cactus!' and in the sub shop while picking up dinner...and that's just to name a couple.

That night we ate at the Planet Hollywood buffet. So expensive, but really good. I mean, buffets in Vegas are sort of an experience in themselves ;)  Then we headed over to the Bellagio to check out the conservatory. It was so pretty for spring, with flowers galore, a carousel and brick bridge over a pond. Then we got outside just in time for the 8:30 fountain show.

 

Monday, my mom and the Kempf clan left at an ungodly morning hour, and Caleb had to go back to school. But Jenn still had the day off, so we hit up Cabo Wabo for lunch on the patio and some people watching. Then we walked through the Cosmo and Aria before heading back for an afternoon at the pool. And I officially have my first tan lines in over a year! 

I got some In-N-Out (animal style!) on our way to the Palms in the evening. We gambled a little then saw "The Lucky One." The movie? Pretty good. The theater? Needs better security. About halfway though the movie Jenn suddenly leans forward and is like "Do you hear that? I swear there is something behind these seats!" I look down the row and the guy that had moved there previously was gone. We move down a row, whispering about it, and this girl in the next row tells us what she saw, too. This guy had been sliding up the stairs on the ground! We saw him pop up at the other end of the back row from where we were, (meaning he had to have gone behind us between the seats and wall!) climb out, pull up his hood to shield his face and run down the stairs to leave. We were pretty freaked out, along with the other girl who had witnessed it. SO CREEPY.

I don't think we will go to any more movies there...

Nonetheless, I have about 24 more hours before I head back to Indiana for a couple days. Just enough time to catch up with my friend Megan who moved out here in December to work at the Las Vegas Sun!

I'd say it has been a pretty successful vacation. :)

Summer goodbyes

Well, another semester has come and gone.

And I say goodbye to my junior year.

It's also the first year I've had a good chunk of friends graduating,

so I had to say goodbye and wish them luck in the real world.

One more year, and that will be me.

A little scary.

This summer holds a lot of goodbyes for me, though.

My internship on the east coast begins in about a week,

but I just finished my previous one last night.

So many kind words said.
So many memories had.
Whether they know it and believe it, or not,
all the people I worked with at The Star Press had an impact on me.

I also had to say goodbye to my roommates.
They are all still in Muncie, and will be for most of the summer,
But I'm already embarking on my first adventure.

In fact, I'm posting from the Denver airport, on just a short layover before meeting my family in Las Vegas.

Just a few days, though, and I will have to say goodbye to them, as well, before heading off to Cape Cod for 10 weeks, then London for 3 more.

I think it has just recently hit me about how much I am going to miss this summer.

Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays, farewells...
Looking back at myself a few years ago, I had a whatever attitude and figured phone calls would solve everything. But those feelings have changed.

But it's going to be hard. It will be the first time I'm in a place by myself with nobody I know.
At all.

And I'm going to miss my family and friends dearly, but I know that goodbye is a part of life. And this summer is going to show me how the rest of my life will be if I move away.

I hate to say it, but thank goodness for the Internet. How would anyone keep up with me if I didn't blog/post on Facebook and Twitter/Instagram my surroundings?!

But really, I'm going to keep up with my blog more this summer. And Facebook and Twitter are constants.

Everyone at home will be able to keep up with my summer, and goodbye will be hello before I know it.

Let's talk about summer.

I realize this post is a long time overdue, seeing as my summer adventures start next week.

In short, I will be running around nonstop all summer.

First line of business: vacation. We are heading out to Las Vegas to visit my sister's family, lose some money and climb some rocks. And maybe see a show. I'll also get to catch up with my friend Megan who moved out their to work at the Las Vegas Sun after winter graduation. Just a few days of fun before we all head back to work, school...or in my case, Cape Cod.

I will literally be back in Indiana for just one or two days before packing up and heading to Massachusetts for 10 weeks. I am the summer design intern for the Cape Cod Times in Hyannis, Mass., and I am so excited to finally visit New England. I found a place to stay for a good price just a 10-minute walk from the beach (!!!) with a couple located through a United Methodist Church in a village near Hyannis. So I'll be working full time, taking a couple online classes and visiting other parts of New England on my days off. And I think my parents are going to try to make a trip out to visit, too! But when the tenth week is up, I'll be hightailing it back to Indy pretty fast with just a couple days before my flight to...

LONDON. The last three weeks of my summer will be spent in England with a group from the journalism department, reporting on the 2012 Summer Olympics. (Yeah, I'm pretty excited!) I've never been to Europe — or off this continent for that matter! — so it will be quite the experience. Then once we get back to the states, I will be just five short days away from starting my senior year of college. 

But that will be a whole other adventure in itself...

Little kid dreams

You know how when you ask a little kid what they want to be when they grow up, and the answer is almost always veterinarian, firefighter, or teacher? 

I was in that last group.

And sometimes I wish I would have kept that closer to heart.

I was helping with a Flash workshop the other day, and it reminded me of how much I love to teach people. I've always had a passion to share what I have learned and help others discover their own potential.

Then it really hit home today as I was in an interview for the assistant design editor position with the campus magazine, Ball Bearings. Sometimes I just get going and words just keep flowing out, and I think I was the most honest I've been about my reasons for wanting to be an editor.

Which is why I'm even more excited to already have the design editor position for the Ball State Daily News (the DN, for short) for next school year.

A big part of being an editor is stepping up from being the student, and becoming the teacher.

There are a few freshman at the DN that I trained last fall who have straight out told me that they would be nowhere without me. That they owe their success to me. (While I personally think this is not true — because they would have been awesome no matter what! — it feels good to know that people are receptive to my help, and that I'm doing something right.)

It makes me wish I had remembered this sooner, and maybe have been a double major in journalism graphics and journalism education.

Yet, I have no doubt that one day, I will pursue a teacher's license and finish out my working years in a high school or college, sharing my passion with young students looking to break into the design world.

Under construction

Since I am gearing up for quite the summer

(which I will share about very soon!)

I'm tweaking my blog design so that it is more...me haha

So if things look a little funky in the next few days,

that's why.

Just give me a little time.

And happy spring :)

Meet Oliver

{Meet}

Frederick Oliver Meredith

{Also known as}

Oliver 

{Born}

February 17, 2012

{Weighed in at}

9 lbs. 5 oz.

{Measured in at}

21 3/4 in. long

{Known legacy}

First namesake of the Meredith family

{Future career}

If you ask my brother, Oliver is going to be a professional soccer player by the time he is 17. Watch out world.

{In good company}

This little stud joins the ranks of the other two handsome little men also pictured above :)