| We’re closing in on the last few weeks of summer and we’re packing a ton of stuff into the last couple of weeks. I think we planned our summer this way anticipating that I’d be completely finished with my thesis by now…well, it was a nice dream. Actually I’m so close to finishing that I can feel the weight lifting, only to be replaced with the fast approach of the semester, special area exams and other deadlines. Yay grad school! Still, it’s been a really fun summer for us hanging out with the dogs, working on the garden, grilling out and getting ice cream with the fam, California, etc. etc. But now we’ve come to the last few weeks and we have a TON of amazing things planned to round out the summer. | Estamos entrando a las ultimas semanas del verano y tenemos un montón de cosas programadas para estas semanas. Creo que planeamos el verano de esta manera pensando que yo habría terminado mi tesis en ese entonces…bueno, ese era mi sueno. La verdad es que estoy cerca de terminar y puedo sentir ese peso siendo levantado de mis hombros, solo para ser reemplazado por la rápida llegada del semestre, exámenes especiales. Viva la escuela de postgrado! Aun así ha sido un verano muy entretenido, disfrutando de los perros, trabajando en la huerta, haciendo parrilladas, tomando helado con la familia, California, etc, etc…Pero ahora hemos llegado a las ultimas semanas y tenemos un MONTON de cosas planeadas para terminar el verano a lo grande. |
| To start, we are going to Chicago to visit Ian and Andrea! We haven’t seen them since January and we haven’t been to Chicago since their wedding last year! Actually, we’re crashing their first wedding anniversary! It’ll be exactly a year when we are there and although I felt bad at first for crashing their anniversary…when I found out that they celebrated early with a dinner together in Venice, Italy I didn’t feel too bad anymore. They also bought a condo in Roscoe Village, Chicago back in June and I can’t WAIT to see it. It’s a 3-bedroom and has a deck on the roof – so basically it’s perfect. I really can’t put into words how excited I am to see them! |
Para empezar, iremos a Chicago a visitar a Ian y Andrea! No los hemos visto desde Enero y n hemos ido a Chicago desde su matrimonio el ano pasado! La verdad es que vamos a meternos en su primer aniversario! Será justo un ano cuando los visitemos y a pesar de que me sentí mal que les interrumpiríamos su aniversario, supe que celebraron anticipadamente con una cena en Venezia, Italia así que no me siento nada mal. También se compraron un departamento en Roscoe Village, Chicago en Junio y tengo muchas ganas de verlo. Tiene 3 piezas y una terraza en el techo – así que básicamente perfecto. No puedo describir lo emocionada que estoy! |
Ian and Andrea next to the rooftop pool at their hotel in Florence – they just got back from a 2-week vacation in Italy!
| We drive back home from Chicago and then I’m flying back out to Cali. I’m really bummed that Javi won’t be going with me and I’ll miss him and the doggos, but I’m really excited to get back out there with the family, to enjoy beautiful weather, crazy family, music, relaxation…it’s going to be a perfect. Cali – I’m so ready for you. | Volvemos de Chicago y yo salgo camino a California. Estoy con pena de que Javi no podra venir y lo extranare a el y los perros, pero estoy muy feliz de poder ver a mi familia. Disfrutare del lindo clima, mi loca familia, música, relajación…va a ser perfecto. California – estoy preparada. |
| The last amazing adventure to cap off these two trips is our honeymoon – FINALLY – in Colorado! That’s right, three years later we’re finally taking a week off for the two of us. Our final destination is Cottonwood Hot Springs about 3 hours outside of Denver. We’re spending the week in a cabin that has a private hot springs. I can’t imagine a better way to unwind after a summer full of thesis and nonstop activity. We plan to relax, hike and relax some more for 5 days and then my cousin Andrew and his fiancee Camala are coming up for two days to take us to climb a 14,000ft mountain!! This is going to be the capstone of our summer. Andrew has been doing this for years and Camala has gone on several climbs with him so they’ll be our guides and cheerleaders – we’ve never done anything like this. It sounds like it’s going to be around 11 hours of hiking, so I’m glad we’ve got the hot springs waiting for us when we finish! We just bought hiking boots this past weekend to prepare and hopefully we’ll be able to break them in over the next few weeks. | La ultima aventura para cerrar estos dos viajes es nuestra luna de miel – POR FIN – en Colorado! Si, tres anos después finalmente nos tomaremos una semana de vacaciones los dos solos. Nuestro destino final son las termas de Cottonwoods mas o menos 3 horas de Denver. Vamos a pasar la semana en una cabaña con terna privada. No puedo imaginarme una mejor manera de descansar después de un verano lleno de tesis y actividad sin parar. Planeamos en relajarnos, escalar cerros y relajarnos aun mas por 5 días, y luego mi primo Andrew y su prometida Camala se nos unirán por 2 días para llevarnos a escalar un cerro de 14,000 pies! Esa será la cumbre del verano. Andrew ha hecho esto por anos y Camala ha ido a varias escaladas con el así que serán nuestros guías y cheerleaders – nunca hemos hecho algo como esto. Parece que serán mas o menos 11 horas en total, así que estoy feliz de tener las termas esperandonos a la llegada! No compramos botas para escalar el fin de semana para prepararnos y vamos usarlas durante las próximas semanas para moldearlas a nuestros pies. |
| So that’s that – the end of our summer is jam-packed with awesome trips, family visits and hopefully some good relaxation time before the craziness of the semester starts up. | Asi que eso es – el final del verano esta lleno de viajes geniales, visitas a la familia, y ojala buena relajacion antes de la locura del comienzo de semestre. |
Los Rodriguez Life 
3 responses to “Crazy August”
Whew! That’s a lot of activity. Slow down!
Hi Leslie, your pa told me to click on your name. Nice to see you looking so happy. My grandson, Nathanael, is now in Nashville.
Burton Cooper
Hi Burton!! Great to hear from you! It’s been such a long time. You should come down to visit Nashville sometime! Family and friends are all here – would be great to see you! I hope Nathanael likes Nashville as much as we do!