Don’t let your mouth write a check that your tail can’t cash. – Bo Diddly

I gave up. That’s all. I was going to start with “I can’t believe I did it again”, but truth is I can believe it because I didn’t even try. I started this blog with all the fire, and then just tapped out like…nah.  Then of course, time did what time does and it went by quickly and I couldn’t catch up and it was too much time and it there was no point and and and

Well…

Happy New Year! *pours out a little for all the years that went by with no posts*

In my last post I said I wanted to catch you up on the Summer of 2015, which, at the time was one of the best summers of my adult life.  It was quite an amazing summer, but I never took the time to sit and figure out a cool way to document it and the thought of doing so now fills me with dread- so here’s the list: (Basic. Yes, I know.)

Family Reunion in St. Kitts √

Essence Music Festival √

Vermont √

College Tour (North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia) √

Myrtle Beach, SC √

Atlanta, GA √

Summers for me are generally just a random mix of things, as you can likely tell from this list. For some reason, Summer 2015 was just one of those ‘LIVE LIFE’ Summers *cue Lil Duval & Snoop* It was pretty epic.

It started off in Saint Kitts where I met family members I didn’t even know existed all these years, went to the beach, ate amazing food and just enjoyed my family. Wait, and TANNED. My complexion was unbelievable.

Followed that with a trip to Essence Music Fest in New Orleans with one of my best friends, France. That year we saw Missy, Usher, Kendrick (who, no offense, wasn’t super exciting to ME in concert at the time) and Mary J. Blige (SHE BROUGHT OUT METH!!).  We hit Bourbon Street. Pat O’Briens was not a friend to me!

After Essence I road tripped to Vermont for the first time.  It was a beautiful lodge and those few days spent there were not only relaxing but memorable. One of the men that worked at the lodge hitched a ride down the road that last day. Was pretty crazy considering I would NEVAH do it nor would I let someone in my car under any other circumstances!! I checked a new state off of my list with this one as well. 😉

One of my students had her heart set on attending an HBCU. As a huge proponent of HBCUs I wanted to help her in any way that I could.  One of the wack parts of living on the West Coast is there are none here, the closest is Langston in Oklahoma. Because of this, I decided to give her a small taste of HBCU life.  She did all the legwork (calling admissions, setting up tours) and I plotted the trip.  I brought my nephew (a recent HS grad at the time) along and we road tripped!  We went to Benedict College, North Carolina A & T, Johnson C. Smith, Alabama State University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University.  Each of these schools was amazing in its own right but they fell in love with A & T immediately.

While in Birgmingham we stopped at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute where they had an opportunity to view and listen to first hand accounts of the struggles during the civil rights movement.  We got to spend time with one of my best sister friends, the Memory Maker in North Carolina and we stopped at the outlets to shop on the way back. The experience was amazing.  Fast forward three and a half years and she is a flourishing junior at Morgan State University in Baltimore.  I could not be more proud!!

One of my Littles and that same nephew were going on a road trip to Myrtle Beach a few weeks later.  Apparently there’s a road trip theme that I somehow JUST realized *dial up, not high speed* We went to the beach, ate seafood, and just kicked it!

Lastly, I went back to Atlanta to visit France again. We ended up at the Boyz II Men/ BBD concert and if I have to tell you how that was, you are not a friend to me!!

All in all the Summer of 2015 was amazing.  I set off my bucket list in grand fashion and have continued it over the years that followed.  That update is forthcoming.

I promised. I delivered.  It may not be fairy dust and unicorns but the check is cashed so I do indeed breathe a sigh of relief.

I will write another check right now however,  I’m back, I’m checking off items off my live life list, AND I’ll update you…more consistently!

So there.

See you soon.

XOXO

Sade