Summer Vacation ?!?!

What happened to the summer? I know some of you are thinking that technically it is still summer, but when I start to see Back-to-school sales and tax free week, I start to panic. It feels like school let out a couple of weeks ago, and here we are getting ready to start again! I always get a little anxious around this time of year because it means learning 150 names, planning lessons and grading stacks (AND stacks) of assignments. Nevertheless, it has been an eventful summer, which I haven’t blogged about because I’ve been too busy enjoying it. I promise to at least blog once a week, unless it’s a hectic week, then it will probably be once every two weeks.

Now, let me quickly run down the number of things I did this summer….

Wedding Planning

I found THE wedding dress after searching up and down Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. Funny thing is that I found it at the store closest to my house! Doesn’t it always happen that way? You search and search for something and its right under your nose. It’s just like how I met my fiancé. I had been dating guys who lived 30 to 45 minutes away from my house, and even had a long distance relationship with a man in New York. When my fiancé answered my ad on Match, I had no idea where he lived until after our first date. I knew from the beginning that he was the one and he only lived three blocks away. I’m a firm believer that you have to stop looking in order to find something. When you stop stressing about finding the guy or dress, anything that you are looking for, it will come to you in the most unexpected way.

More on the wedding plans…I still haven’t hired a photographer, but have the videographer. The ceremony and reception locations have been booked, but the time isn’t exactly set. The cake has been chosen. The flowers – still can’t decide exactly what I want and the wedding favors have started production on Mom’s dining room table. I also found out that my cousin, who happens to be a bridesmaid, won’t be able to attend the wedding, which leaves me with a groomsman with no companion. I’m not sure who to ask to be a bridesmaid now? I was keeping it simple by asking just family and one close friend. Now, I have a slot that is open and a tough decision to make, which is hard enough on a Libra who can’t make decisions as it is. Oh, well! I promised myself that I wouldn’t stress and I’m not! (I say breathing deeply, finding that calm place…)

Writing

After the Chica Lit Conference in May, I became inspired to write, from journaling, short stories, blogging to beginning one of the many novels stuck in my head. I have a dozen ideas and feel sometimes that I have A.D.D. because I can’t focus on one story when ideas for other stories are constantly coming up. Attending the conference was enlightening and inspiring. I don’t think I would have written as much as I did this summer without the push my fellow Latina writers gave me. I figured if I got one short story out, I’d be happy. Well, I shocked myself! I was able to get two short stories, a personal essay, and the beginning of a novel out, along with reading numerous books on writing. I’ve read The Artist’s Way, Writing Down the Bones, Gotham’s Writing Fiction, and Stephen King’s On Writing, which have been extremely helpful and inspiring to continue following my dream of being a published writer. I’ve even submitted to several contests and will let you know if I placed.

I also joined an extremely supportive and positive writer’s group, who help me abate my fears of presenting my work. Through this group, we have started The Society of Latino and Hispanic Writers – Miami Chapter. It is thrilling and exciting to see such a progressive and inspiring group of people have the same love of writing, and reading, as I do. I was even nominated Vice President of the Miami Chapter and am ecstatic about all the wonderful things we are going to do in the writing community. We are having literary events, writer workshops, and reading groups. If you are in the Miami area and would like to receive more information, please contact me through my blog or the website.

Spring Cleaning?

Yes, I know that its Summer and not Spring, but this is when I do my spring cleaning. I start organizing and chucking unnecessary things like magazines I don’t want anymore. Since moving in with my fiancé, I have had to purge some of my things, like my books. I know what you are thinking. Blasphemy! I thought the same thing, but when I saw that he was getting rid of things to make room for me, I decided that it was time to donate those books (or take them to school with me to use in the classroom) to have a comfortable living area. Having…eh, should I even confess how many books I have? Ok, I will! Having about three hundred books in a two-bedroom condo is ridiculous. I told myself that I could make it work, and even convinced him, until I tried to fit them all on the shelves (and coffee table, end tables, under the bathroom cabinet in both bathrooms). I had even hid some books under the bed in the spare bedroom. Yes, my name is Tennille and I am a Bookaholoic! After loss of sleep and lack of space, I decided to cut down my collection by half to have more space in the house. Now, I just have to stop myself from going to Barnes and Nobles, Books and Books, and hitting the “Proceed to Checkout” button on Amazon.com.

So, this was my summer vacation. I guess this is how my students must feel when I tell them to write an essay on what they did during the summer. I’m such a nerd! I completed my very own assignment. LOL.