The Hype of Summer

There is a lot of hype surrounding summer.  All the summer clothes sales, vacations, parties, etc.  Finally, the true excitement is setting in for me.  In one week I will be embarking on another great adventure.  I'm going back home to the Golden State, California (in case you didn't already know it was the golden state).  With a pit stop in Vegas and a couple day stay in Disneyland, it's already destined for greatness.  I've never been to Vegas, so I'm excited to walk the strip (even though it'll be over one hundred degrees), eat a nice lunch, and explore the grand hotels before continuing on to Anaheim.
The first night in Anaheim, we will just walk around Downtown Disney for a few hours.  That is usually what we've always done on trips to the Disney parks.  Then we will spend two days in Disneyland/California Adventure and celebrate my dad's birthday.
I just love Disney.  It truly is the happiest, most magical place on earth.  Even though Disney World is incredible and HUGE, I still love that Disneyland and California Adventure are right next to each other.  They practically blend into one another.  Disneyland will always hold a special place in my heart and I can not wait to walk down Main Street once more.
When we leave Disneyland, we will be driving up to the Bay Area, my true home.  We will grab food at some hot spots in LA and walk around Hollywood for a couple hours.  Hollywood is practically the heart of America's glamour.  I just know it'll be wonderful.  After a busy few days it's home to the Bay Area to see all my family and old friends.  
4th of July in San Francisco is about as American as it gets and we will even eat at the best pizza place in the entire WORLD.  It was voted for by a bunch of fancy people, so I'm having high expectations.  I'll see my cousins who are also coming home all the way from Europe.  Some visits to the beach and all our old favorite restaurants and destinations are going to happen as well.
Perhaps the most important thing that will happen while in California and over the entire summer is the celebration of my 16th birthday.  Finally, I'll be old enough to be the junior that I'm soon to be.  I plan to watch Sixteen Candles and be a cliche like that.  It's just a given.  
The day after my birthday is the massive family reunion.  I haven't been to a real one in years.  It should be great and fun and misadventurous as always. 
Then it's home again, but for now I'm going to relish this week in Colorado with friends.  I'm going to enjoy sleeping in my bed while I can and just cuddling my dog before we head out.

When I do get home, I'll be getting my wisdom teeth out.  How exciting is that?  I am going to eat all the food I can in California (a place with 10000x better food than Colorado).  Until next time xxx.

Enjoy a lovely collection of California pictures (some from years ago, others from just last year):

cousins

me the day before we moved to Colorado.  I'd say my face accurately describes the situation (ft. my cousin).

hiking in the pretty hills.

sums up my life= awkward.

became a big sister.

My days in California brought out my inner Helen Keller (it was for a school project).

our favorite Indian restaurant.

Halloween (notice how tan I was in October.  Yeah.  Miss that.)

old friends, Heather and Taryn, at a Halloween school parade.

cousins and siblings.

we were kind of matching.

school days.

DISNEYLAND

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE.

Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh,
A tubby, little cubby all stuffed with fluff.
He's Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh,
A willy, nilly, silly old bear.

Goofy got my hand!

always a fun time at UC Berkeley. 

as a child, I built a nest in this tree for a mouse.

grandfather & granddaughter 

photoshoot with my lovely mother

cousins and a giant telephone from Kate Spade 

my old school 

DISNEY (world I think.  Whoops).

the trip will be a bigger party than this fun sombrero.