Finals are done. Essays are turned in. Summer has been here for about a week. I am back home now in my beautiful hometown of Meadow Vista. Don't worry if you have never heard of it––most people haven't. I normally say I am from the Sacramento area if people ask where I live because of how small Meadow Vista really is. I still love coming back here for the summer though. Spending time here is great for a little while, until I remember how little there is to do when most of my friends from around here are still at college. It is the curse of the small town. Though Meadow Vista was a great place to grow up, there is very little to do now that I don't have soccer practices, cub scouts, and cross-country races. There are about 6000 people living in Meadow Vista. There is a main road that goes all the way through town, a single stop light, a Mountain Mike's Pizza, an elementary school, and a grocery store.

If you're looking for fun things to do in this small town you either go to the park, hike around on trails, hang at a friend's house, or leave to go to Auburn or Roseville. Still, I love it here because the small-town setting is so relaxing after the stress of finals. Still, after about a week back home, especially when a lot of my friends from around here are still in school, I have done just about all I can do. I was very thankful to have the Disney Channel original movie marathon going on this past weekend. I also was lucky enough to arrive home in time for what my parents call the "shakedown cruise," when we take the boat out on Rollins Lake and pray that everything works.

This past weekend I also helped in the process of making beer, a hobby my dad and his friends have picked up recently. These small, random things to do are not every day, though. Most days in Meadow Vista I go for a run on some trails, browse Facebook, try to write a little, and read. It is amazing and relaxing but I definitely miss my friends and having something to do with people basically every night.

This next week I am probably looking at the lot of the same stuff as my normal day. There is a parade and celebration in Meadow Vista this coming weekend called Pioneer Day which has a 5k fun run that I plan on doing. I am not trying to complain about Meadow Vista in any way whatsoever by talking about how little there is to do because it is something that I have been dealing with for 21 years of my life. So, though I am counting down the days until I get to move back to Saint Mary's, I am also cherishing every day I get back home in Meadow Vista.