A Summer of Firsts

I am taking my fate into my own hands this summer.
Now, you should understand that I have not always been the most adventurous type, but this summer I have made amends. I decided that I am officially a country girl, so I should start doing country things, and that sort of inspired my ambition to seek out the unexplored. So far this summer, I have:

1. Shot a gun. I really don't recall ever shooting anything besides a B-B gun, and so I was a little hesitant to even touch my grandpa's old revolvers. But he took me to the shooting range, taught me everything there is to know about gun safety and cleaning, and then taught me how to shoot. Good news: I hit the target.

2. Caught a fish. Yes, it was very small, but it counts! I also, for the first time, have a fish story to tell. It was dusk, and the fish were jumping. I had just caught my first fish, so I was convinced I had talent. I cast off several times, with absolutely no success. Finally, I gave one perfectly beautiful cast, and as I was reeling in, I felt a tug. It was a pole bender! In my mind's eye, I pictured myself reeling in a ten-foot pike. The only problem was, I couldn't reel it in! This thing was a MONSTER. I called for help, but just as someone came to rescue me, it got away. Still, everyone patted me on the back and told me how exciting and promising it was that I almost got the fish. I overheard them whispering later on that the biggest fish in the lake were very small trout, because nothing bigger could actually live in such shallow water, but I was not daunted. Someday, when they drain the lake and find the skeleton of a huge monster fish, they'll know.

3. Rode a horse. I didn't ascend or descend gracefully, but it was totally worth it. I've had the music from The Magnificent 7 stuck in my head ever since. I think it's everyone's secret dream to become a cowboy/cowgirl.

4. Caught a crawdad. It was dead, but I caught it.

5. Ate Gelato. MMMMM!

6. Rode a ferry.

7. Went roughing it, without even a camp stove, a change of cloths, or a restroom. It was an enlightening experience

8. Made a wish on a shooting star!

9. Ate Calamari. It was delicious, other than the tentacles, which, I confess, gave me nightmares.

10. Visited a mission.

11. Ate fish n' chips by the beach... DEFINITELY doing that again! It was the BEST!

12. Ran a 5K color run.  I confess I walked a little bit of the way, but I got very colorful! Next time, I'm running every step.

13. That's unlucky, isn't it? Well, I guess some would find it unlucky to meet Thor...

14. Off-roaded across stretches of the Nevada desert. It was actually an unplanned adventure, but turned into quite a story... let's just say one needs to be careful while traveling with one's grandparents. I was amazed how well their minivan handled on sand...

15. Watched an ENTIRE 8-hour BBC drama (it was Bleak House... SO amazing) in one day, a new record.

That's all for now, and I'm running out of summer! But this month marks the final few weeks before I set out for Dublin and then SCOTLAND! on my next grand adventure. This short summer of firsts is turning into a year of memories and adventures that I'll treasure forever.