these vagabond shoes are longing to stray

I know, I know. I haven't updated in almost 2 months. But it doesn't seem like that long to me!! So far this summer I've been doing respite care for Lois and Braden, which has been fantastic, and working at Starbucks. I look pretty good in that green apron, not gonna lie.

The fam and I went to NYC last weekend. It was interesting seeing all the kids and how they'd grown! I'm the oldest cousin (on both sides, but this was just my mom's family), which meant that I usually had a few hangers-on all the time. My cousin Elizabeth (the next oldest after me and my brother) has gotten obsessed with Star Wars now that she's in school. Mary (almost 11) is Hannah's favorite cousin, and they hung out all weekend. Maggie turned 35 on Sunday! Just a long-running joke, but now I can't remember how old she actually is! We got a card for a "very special kid who's 3" and wrote a 5 in there.

My activities included: breakfast with Laya (roommate/bunkmate/partner-in-crime/Chinese government agent) and her BOY:


a 3-hour boat tour around Manhattan:





shopping in Soho (I got some fantastic jeans):


and, of course, hanging out at the apartment:


all sandwiched between 2 6-hour train rides!

all in all, it was a good trip, but nice to get back home! (....just in time to open Starbucks at 5 AM Monday morning!)