One thing that I learned all summer long was to avoid the To-Do list and the check-list of things that should have been done. Maybe things would be different for someone whose an only child and perhaps lives somewhere in the middle of Omaha (no offense to any of my readers), but the truth is that I am a 23 year old Hispanic with about 250 family members (not counting the family left in Mexico, Miami, and God knows where else my family has emerged to!). Trying to get something done when you have invitations to wedding, birthdays, baby showers, and your aunts and uncles homes every other day to eat carne asada with rice and beans can be challenging.

My summer vacation started off something like a soft classical Beethoven song in the country side of Paris and ended up being a remix by Daddy Yanke in the loudest place in Downtown Long Beach! Yeah, something like that.  At the beginning, being the responsible (almost responsible) creature that I am, I wrote a list of things that had to be done this summer because although I was vacationing I was also juggling 3 jobs. I would be doing office work, modeling gigs, and promo work as well as meeting with artists and business owners writing my article reviews (all things I love to do), but found myself to be buried deep down in my bed covers trying to get as much sleep and rest as possible to restore as much energy for the next day.

Between my 4 jobs, I also got bumped, pushed, and thrown away by unexpected and sloppy events. One would think that after exposing myself to the hard life in New York City for a year id be able to rest in California where the snow does not exist and the coldest day stays at 70 degrees, but no. Instead, I got jumped by unwelcoming events and thus I am now drinking a marvelous mojito at 2:10 am at my house or as the Parisians like to call it en Mon chateau. I am writing today (finally) because after my 3 jobs, my grandfather passing away, my mom and little sister being in the hospital, my dad’s birthday, my sister-in-law’s bachelorette party, my brother’s wedding, my best friend Veronica’s going away party, my brother finding out he’s going to be a dad for the first time, my cousin’s get together, my family reunion, my 3 most amazing reviews that I’m finishing writing about, my hair cut, my day’s skyping with my cousin Laura whose in Italy, my heart falling foolishly in love with the most incredible man, my mom’s birthday, and my long days spent in utter chaos, I am finally free at this very moment to contemplate and write down my feelings and thoughts.

Funny to think that when my flight landed at the Long Beach Airport in June, I actually remember thinking to myself, “wow, I have a whole summer to travel, rest, sleep, write (or as my dear Elizabeth Gilbert says, Eat, pray and love ), and have FUN!” But instead, I was greeted at a very gloomy day with news that my grandfather was very sick and that my dad would be leaving for a couple of weeks to spend some time with my grandfather in Mexico. Everything then fell apart into pieces. With my grandfather, mother, and little sister now being sick, I was desperately looking for a summer job and God blessed me with four. I worked so many seven day weeks and spent almost no time seeing any friends of mine. Finally. I decided to take my last two weeks off in California.

These last couple of days I have been thinking of everything that has happened this summer and couldn’t help but wonder that when it comes to vacating, what exactly is it that we are seeking to vacate?  Are we looking for a one week rendezvous amorous? Are we looking for the vacation that will make us feel complete? Or are we really seeking the type of vacation that makes us grow into stronger individuals?

I can’t say that this vacation was spent deliciously next to the beach, but instead it was something much deeper, stronger, yet meaningful. This summer penetrated through my skin more than any summer before and made my heart even bigger, stronger, and tougher. This summer did not give me all the relaxation that I anticipated before returning to my 60-hour work week in NY, but it did prepare me for greater and even more outrageous moments yet to come, and for that I am thankful. For the events that have been thrust upon me without utter preparation and thought have been the most memorable.

Today, I’d like to extend a special thanks to my friends Jim and Angie, Greenlaw Partners, Shanghai Salon, Matador, My Parisian friends Danielle, Travis, Vince and Valentia, and my friend Ernesto, Veronica,Bruno and Ericka for making this summer one of the most memorable summers my heart will ever hold.

Written by: Liliana Leon

Tags: article reviews, baby showers, bachelorette party, beans, beethoven, birthdays, business, California, carne asada, challenges, daddy yanke, downtown long beach, eat, elizabth gilbert, en mon chateau, est, family, family reunion, father, grandfather, grandmother, italy, jobs, Label Girl Hype, Lifestyle, love, memories, mexico, modeling, mother, new york city, office, paris, parisians, plans, pray, rice, sick, sister, skype, sleep, stronger, summer, thoughts, travelr, vacation, weddings, work, write

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