Some people call them fireflies but I've always grown up calling them lightning bugs. They sparkle and blink on muggy nights, happy reminders that summer has finally come. As a child, I always tried to catch them in my hand and see how long they would stay with me before flying away--never very long, obviously, but long enough for me to think they recognized some kindness or special quality in me. Now I like to sit out on the patio at night and watch them flutter about, following their spastic flight paths by the blink of their tails.

When I was learning to drive, my mom taught me on her manual transmission Pontiac Vibe. She likes to drive manuals because it gives her something to do when she's driving so she pays more attention and doesn't fall asleep, etc. Well, it was pretty difficult for me to learn since I had already basically learned on an automatic and didn't understand why a car should be so complicated. There were many "adventures" such as when I stalled in the middle of an intersection making a left turn on a "yield when green" (harrowing) and when I started the car in third gear. On a hill. Yeah...the Vibe made all sorts of new smells and noises after I was done with it but it's been such a good sport and keeps on going.

Anyhow, I eventually mastered it and now I love that I can drive any car I come across. It's handy for when people are too drunk or hurt or just plain don't know where they are going. And I love to drive other people's cars. So, essentially, thank you Mom!

Umbrellas are just such cute ways of keeping dry in the rain (and snow!) and shaded in the blistering beach heat. They come in all patterns and colors and, nowadays, sizes that make them fun accessories that you can easily stow away in your purse or car for a rainy occasion. In Europe (or at least Italy), no one is without their umbrella in the rain or snow and you can be easily spotted for a tourist if you don't have one. But don't worry--people will eagerly offer to sell you one on the street! There is just something romantic about an umbrella. You can share it or you can be alone, romantically (if in a sort of sad way) walking down a sidewalk, hoping someone will come keep you company. And, of course, there's always that time when you forget your umbrella when sometimes (just sometimes!) someone will come and offer you to share theirs. I can't wait for the rain!

Getting flowers when you're sick is the best. They brighten your day and automatically make you feel better. Usually, though, you have to be pretty sick to warrant flowers--sick enough for someone to worry about you. And the flowers stick around after that person has left, letting you know that they care about you and want you to get better quickly. And what could possibly be better than a cheery bouquet of flowers urging you to get better? Two or three bouquets!

Skirts are so much fun to wear. When I was little I would specifically pick out skirts that were perfect for twirling and then use any and every opportunity for twirling. I loved seeing the skirt flare out around me--it made me feel so happy. I still love to twirl and, though I wear tighter-fitting skirts like pencil skirts and others, I still love the classic A-line skirts that easily twirl as you move. A terrific compromise between pants and a dress, skirts are just the easiest way to feel carefree and fun!

Wildflowers are so simply beautiful. They aren't planned, they aren't high-maintenance and they grow anywhere and everywhere. They fill up vacant lots and field with beautiful splashes of color and they just make me happy! When I have a house and a garden I am going to till my garden and just let it grow wild, full of what people call "weeds" but are really as worthy of the word "flower" as any other plant. I will let my garden grow itself and, in return, I will have sunny wildflowers all the time!

Ahh, the last day of that ever-elusive final goal to a school year. It was always so hard to sit still on the last day of school in middle school and high school and all one could think about was that final bell ringing our freedom. I always envisioned people running right out of class, out the front doors of the school, just like on TV but that never happened--teachers had us too under control. Despite that, though, the last day of school was always the best thing to happen to a kid.

Today is my last class in Alba for my semester abroad and I will be leaving Saturday. I am not sorry to be leaving but I did have a great time visiting so many places this semester. After today I will be free from class for an entire 4 months while I do some more meaningful work in the workplace instead of the classroom. I am so excited to give my brain a rest (not that it did much this semester...) and focus on something I feel is more fulfilling and interesting--work! And, soon enough, I will graduate and work as much as I like. Woo!

Naps are wonderful things. Some days you wake up too early or stay up too late or just spent the morning running around and 3:00 pm rolls around and you just need some energy. When I can afford the break, I love to nap. On the couch, in my bed--anywhere comfortable. I just snuggle up with a blanket and get some sleep for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half and I'm good to go! Rainy days make me especially need a nap. There's something about the coolness of a rainy day coupled with not wanting to leave the house to do anything that makes it a perfect day to lay down and nap. And naps are even better when you have someone to nap with!

Whether they are mine or someone else's, I love looking through photo albums. All the memories are so fascinating, especially if they are mine and I've forgotten them--it's living experiencing them all over again. When looking through someone else's photo album it's sort of like discovering a new part of that person, learning something about them you didn't know before. Like that they were a piglet for Halloween or they used to drive an old, battered station wagon or had a buzz cut. And then there are always those albums with pictures of people who have been lost and the pictures serve as a little shock to our hearts to remember them just a little more than before. Whatever the reason, one can see that photo albums will always have surprises hidden within!

I love the fresh breeze that comes in through an open window. It freshens a room and blows away the damp, mugginess of the spring and summer. Sometimes, when it's a cool day, I'll leave the windows open even though it's almost too cold. I'll sit in my bed, curled up in my covers, and relish in the coolness of the air. It makes me feel snuggly and warm and relieved from the dreadful heat. Because of this, one of my life goals is to have French doors somewhere in my future home--ideally in the kitchen and my bedroom--so I can open them up and have fresh breezes as often as they are provided by nature. Yay!

Music that has the power to make me want to--need to--dance is powerful stuff. It gets in my bones, in my blood and makes me need to move around to the beat. I may not even like to listen to the song but there is something about it that makes me subliminally need to get up and dance. I need to loosen up every now and then so when a song comes on the radio that makes me want to dance, I revel in the opportunity to turn up the volume and bop around in my chair, my car, or even on the dance floor!