I LOVE SUMMER!

I feel like I have not a care in the world! No classes, no meetings, no exams! This is the life! I do really miss the hectic nature of Purdue though. Last year as a freshman, I learned to LOVE to stay busy! Now it’s like I don’t know what to do with myself! I’ve figured my days out though. I volunteer at a childcare facility on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8am-12pm. I work with 2 year olds, so my mornings consist of potty training and finger painting! I really enjoy my time with the kids though, and I’d rather be helping the company and my community than laying in bed doing nothing to better myself or anyone else. After community service I usually come home and take a quick nap (since waking up at 7am in the summer isn’t easy!), and then read a little on my back deck. When it’s this nice out, I tend to take full advantage of the fresh air! After dinner, my best friend and I go to the gym and exercise for a few hours. I absolutely love my evening work outs! I feel so refreshed afterwards. That’s a typical summer week day for me. On the weekends I like to spend my afternoons at the beach, hiking up the dunes, soaking up the sun, and splashing around in the water. I also enjoy going rollerblading around downtown Chicago. My friends and I take the train from home to the city and spend the whole day adventuring and exploring; it’s a great way to stay active and pass time!

Though having time to myself is nice, I miss Purdue and my friends a lot! So much that I’ve been back twice already, lol! I actually received a job as a camp counselor through the College of Technology (COT), so I was able to make some good money while working with kids, which is what I love! I’m very close with the Director of Diversity in the COT, and she helps me out a lot. She told me that the Director of Recruitment and Retention was looking for camp counselors and I jumped at the opportunity. Next thing you know, I was interviewing and then I was offered the position! I worked two 1-week long camps in June. The first was a co-ed camp of 8th graders and the second was an all-female camp of 9th-10th grade high schoolers. The schedule for the camps was basically the same. We woke up around 7:30 in the morning, had breakfast around 8am, and walked all the way across campus for their first class that started at 9am. The kids had 2 sessions in the morning; each dealing with a different major within the COT (mechanical engineering technology, building construction management, aviation technology, industrial technology, etc.). After their sessions, we had lunch! Then they’d go back to classes for two more sessions. When those sessions were over, it’d be around 3:30pm, and we’d head over to the recreational center to play basketball and volleyball! Following was dinner, and then for other fun activities including: game night: board games and wii games, movie night, water park! At the end of the week we gave out awards and everyone got a tee-shirt or a goodie bag. All of my campers this summer were awesome! I had a blast and I am thankful to have people within my college that look out for great opportunities like this for me!

Well, it’s almost time for me to mosey on over to the gym for the evening! Take care, you all! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to contact me by posting on here or via email: emhealy@purdue.edu

Erika