My last summer vacation

My last summer vacation, 30 days total, was marked by two events that will forever be associated with me and my childhood. On July 27, 2012, I left the aftercare facilities for my second trip in 18 months, many states away from my home.

The first part of my trip, before we were headed out, was memorable since my friend made the best opening conversation we’ve ever had. And her name, Sophie.

When I first heard her name, I actually drew a picture of her taking off her pajamas and wanting to make herself comfortable. Then, I told her how amazing she was to be my best friend!

On the whole journey, everything she did was amazing, but two special things made my last summer an unforgettable experience.

I was fortunate enough to share the last few days of summer with my best friend, a girl I’ve known most of my life. We visited historic locations around Texas, including our own statehouse, where she took a class. We went to Lone Star cheese that I used to be a regular at for my favorite Mexican food. I had incredible, special food before I went off to college.

Also, we saw many things that, for one reason or another, made me ask myself how thankful I am to be in my friend’s life.

One day, while I was at work at a local fast-food restaurant, my friend was on the phone with her mom and she stopped to talk. She told my mom about how her friend is awesome and how she’s never had anyone her age at the dinner table. It was a magical moment for me.

Our dinner consisted of steak, Rice, and Cherry Pie that my best friend taught me about and how cute that cookie jar is. Later that day, I saw my best friend and her mom on the table and I’m happy to say that she taught me just as well. She also showed me how much she appreciates me. The other special thing that happened during our last summer was that our best friend asked me to go out with her two friends on the weekend of July 28. Two weeks later, I left home to enroll at Texas State University and that weekend my friends drove me from my aftercare center back to our house. The travel was so fun, but the moment I saw them in the parking lot, the feeling hit me hard that they’re leaving. They’ve been so good to me and I want to thank them for it. At the end of summer, I’m an upperclassman ready to leave college and head off to a college of my own. I feel ready to be on my own on campus and I’m very thankful for all my teachers, aftercare center staff, and staff at Texas State University. I also plan to finally become my own person and have the opportunity to meet new people while in college. But, I definitely would like to do that before finishing my third and final summer trip.

Summer vacation was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I had with my best friend.

Most memorable memories are rare and keep you so deeply connected to those memories forever. However, these unforgettable memories will only be touched on in the happiest way, by my best friend, my friend who I have been leaning on all summer, listening to her opinions, and adding lots of feelings to every conversation we’ve had this summer.