I love July.

Usually, the month of June is my favorite month of the year. There's no school, it's my birthday month, and summertime is on the horizon. This year, however, June was not as up to par as it usually was and July has already proven to be my favorite month of this year.

June of this year was....interesting. I am used to being finished with school before Memorial Day. That was not the case this year, and I started off what should have been my favorite month still at work. My birthday was the next big venture. And while I love all my friends in my new town and my friend, who is really like my big sister, did a great job planning my birthday festivities, it was weird celebrating my first "grown-up" birthday. Not to mention that I thought it would be a good idea to get a part-time job. While some teachers do this and have no problem, I encountered a large problem. The place that I chose to work was extremely stressful and it really was just not for me. So, needless to say, this past Monday, and yes we were open July 4th, was my last day.

July started off with a visit from my family.

While my family is loud, crazy, and sometimes just utterly irritating, I love them. It was so good to see them and celebrate the 4th with them. They got to see the beautiful scenery of my new town, we went to the beach, ate seafood, cooked dinner, and, most importantly, we put a deposit down on my new place of residence! It was a great weekend and very much needed!

Also during July, two of my dear teacher friends are tying the knot. One got married last weekend while my parents were in town and her wedding was awesome. She will be my partner in crime this year with sponsoring a club at school. Tomorrow, my dear friend from Clemson is getting married. We met when we were sophomores in one of the many classes we had together and have been friends ever since. She got her job in our district first and encouraged me to search for jobs in the same district. Well, low and behold, here we are working in the same district! I am so excited for her wedding tomorrow.

The other big reason I love the month of July, other than family, weddings, and not having to work, is that, as of today, I am going on vacation! Now, I realize that technically the entire summer is a vacation for a teacher, but I actually get to GO somewhere on vacation. I am going to see two of my best friends in New Orleans and I could not be more excited!

I will sadly not be able to attend the Beach Week reunion of many of my college friends because I have to attend a training. I really wanted to go and visit, though, because I have not seen either of these girls in over six months. So, I looked for flights, and lucky for me, I found a pretty good deal! I'm going at the end of July to Atlanta to spend a few days with the fam before heading to NOLA to visit. I cannot wait!

Though July is shaping up to be pretty awesome, life does sometimes get in the way of enjoying things. My great Uncle Stan passed away this past weekend. He was a great guy who loved golf, old movies, and a good scotch. I am certainly going to miss him and will always remember him.