Apparently Texas and Michigan are the places to be this summer, since I have hit up both of these great states twice this summer! Last time I was in Texas was all about Pi Phi, and they kept us busy pretty much nonstop at the national convention.  This time I am here for purely selfish motives - visiting some of my closest friends and seeing part of the Drum Corps International summer tour, where I have spent the last three summers  of my life.  The best part is that I didn't really tell any of my friends performing in the DCI shows that I was coming, so I totally surprised them when they saw a northern face here in the heart of Texas!

(Sidenote:  It is really hot here.  It makes me appreciate Indiana.)

One of the most exciting things was seeing three of my Kappa Kappa Psi brothers (our band fraternity) perform last night with the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps.  My little brother Chris and my little little brother Lexie are both in it, and I did three years with other drum corps, so I guess it runs in our family! Anyway, they are fabulous and make me so proud! I love seeing my Butler friends when we're far away from home, and know that we will always support each other.

When I haven't been hanging out at the shows, I've been visiting with my favorite native Texans.  Sometimes, catching up with old friends is really the greatest thing you can do.  I have loved getting to visit their homes and see where my friends live and what their lives are like here in Texas.   All of them are SO happy with what they're doing, and after not seeing some of them for a year or two, that is so comforting to know.  It's also really great to be able to just talk and share some many old memories. 

I almost look forward to being older because I am interested to know who I will still be friends with in my future.  I love sharing three or four years of memories with my drum corps and college friends, but ten or twenty or even fifty years will be even more interesting and amusing to look back on.  Now remembering it all? That's the hard part.  My friend Robbie made a journal from his last summer of drum corps with little cartoons and short snippets of conversation or interesting quotes from whatever had happened each day.  Years later, that is so fun to look back on! I wish I had done something like that for college... but I DO take lots of pictures, and of course, I have had this blog since sophomore year. I may not fit every detail of my life into the blog, but reading through the archives can be so much fun.  If you ever want a laugh, go back to the beginning of my blog list and see if I've changed at all!

Anyway, now I am in San Antonio at Texas State University. They boast one thing that Butler definitely does not have - a river that runs through campus that you can swim and kayak in! Not totally practical for Indiana, but fabulous in Texas! I am looking forward to a relaxing few days here... and then getting back to work back in the Midwest.  Have a great weekend!