I had a wonderful summer break! The rest and relaxation were much needed, and I took full advantage of the two weeks by visiting three cities: Milwaukee, Chicago, and Nashville.

When finals ended, Luis and I headed to Milwaukee for a five-day family reunion. My maternal grandma has made a point to regularly have family reunions with all of her six living children, their spouses, and nine grandchildren who are spread out across four states. Since I was a child, we would travel to a new location every two or three years. In addition to reconnecting with my relatives, some highlights in Milwaukee were a harbor cruise, a scavenger hunt throughout the city, Friday night fish fry, and brewery tour.

A few days after returning to Lombard from the family reunion, my friend Erin from New Zealand visited me for five days. This was the first time we’ve seen each other since meeting as high school exchange students in Paraguay nine years ago! Erin and I bought CityPasses and toured several museums in Chicago, went to Navy Pier, and a free concert in Millennium Park. Even though I’ve lived in Lombard for two and a half years, this was my first time as an adult visiting the Chicago museums.

The third leg of my summer vacation was going to Nashville with Luis. We’ve never taken a vacation to a new city just for fun, and when I saw a sale posted in July for $40 round trip tickets, we spontaneously bought them and planned a long weekend trip. Nashville is a neat city; it’s rapidly growing and has a fun laid-back vibe. We saw the Parthenon replica, Country Music Hall of Fame, and enjoyed live music at restaurants.

My brain got the much-needed break it deserved, and I’m once again ready to start another trimester!