It’s that time of year again, summer internships are ending, soon-to-be freshman are crowding the lines at Bed Bath and Beyond and those of us not heading back to college are forced into finding a more permanent life option.

Don’t get me wrong I will not miss the 400 dollars I drop for books every semester, or my five in the morning study sessions…but the parties, my friends being down the hall, not having to pay rent are all things that will be severely missed come September.

Instead I’m being forced into real life. Which involves finding a full-time job now that my paid summer internship only has two weeks left. But, because I have two weeks left of the good life, here are ten things I’m going to still be day dreaming about during the cold winter nights:

1. Late night bonfire beach trips. Not only is s’mores my favorite food group (because yes it is in a league of its own) I love late night talks over burning wood, and the old musty smell it gives off when paired with low tide.

2. Moving. This time of year is always filled with boxes, because in August is when I finally go through all of my school things to decide what I actually need to bring. Granted I never fully pack until the last night.

3. Playing outside.  I love being outside, and during the summer every time of day is open for some outdoor activity.

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Deep Fried Fat. Mmmm.

Everything’s bigger in Texas—especially calorie counts. This Tuesday, Texas State Fair officials announced eight finalists for this year’s Big Tex Choice Awards, a contest for innovative and inevitably artery-clogging food. The list includes heart attack-inducing treats like Texas Fried Pecan Pie, Deep-Fried Peaches & Cream, and—drumroll, please—Deep-Fried Butter.

That’s right: straight-up sticks of butter, wrapped in dough and fried. America, this is why we’re fat.

As disgusting as the dairy and dough combo sounds, though, I have to admit that I’m a little curious about how it would taste. That got me thinking about other weird, gross-but-kinda-good sounding foods that I’m embarrassed to admit I want to try.

Here’s the list so far: Read More »

After spending all of spring semester counting down the days until summer break started, I’m now faced with the end of summer and even more school.  Where did the time go?  What was I doing when the sun was shining and the waves were crashing?  Oh yeah, I was probably online.  Hazard of the job, I suppose (and of being a college student).

However, I decided that I would not let the rest of the summer go to waste.  I’m going to take stock of all the things I was excited about before the summer began and make sure I do them before I go back to my dungeon dorm room.

Eat A Lot of Free Food – My mom loves to cook for me whenever I’m home.  I don’t have to say anything more than, “I think I’m coming up to visit on Saturday” and she’ll have already bought the ingredients for my favorite meals.  Things like eggs benedict, home-made macaroni and cheese (with six kinds of cheese!! mmm), cherry roasted baby-back ribs and so much more are thrown at me (not literally, although I fully support food fights) from the moment I step out of my car.  Plus, a plate of brownies or cookies that seem to fall into my hands at random times.  Yes, I’ll leave fit to burst and probably need a couple days to sleep off the food coma, but it’s so worth it.  Just thinking about a whole semester of dorm food and ramen noodles makes me wanna go home right now… Read More »

So we are finally in the dog days of summer (which I realized when I went for a run at noon). Some of us are working, going to school, or schlepping around interning. Others are laying by the pool sipping sangria (*jealous*). But, I think we can all agree that a break of any kind is welcome. Especially when that break is a trip to somewhere cool, offbeat and–the best part– cheap. So pack your favorite flip flops, airy sundress and camera and head somewhere, anywhere but here. Might I suggest any of these destinations:

Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico.

This 21 by 5 mile island is referred to asIsla Nena by residents, loosely translating into “virgin island”. Located only 6 miles off Puerto Rico’s coast, it is a hotbed of natural beauty and tropical activities. You fly onto the island after flying into San Juan, Puerto Rico, so be prepared with a your iPod, a magazine, eye mask or Valium–whatever it takes to get you to board an 8 seater plane to Vieques Airport.

Once you’re on the island, you can stay anywhere ranging from $90 a night B&B’s to luxury hotels, so whether you’re on a typical college budget, or you happen to have a trust fund, there are accomodations for you.

Activities on the island include: hiking, snorkeling and diving, biking, fishing, sightseeing and dining in Bravos de Boston, Vieques’ most fashionable town. However, the highlight of this destination is definitely its Bioluminescent Bay. The bay is filled with phosphorescent microorganisms, that glow in the dark when disturbed. Nighttime charter boats take you on a guided swimming and kayaking trip to the brightest bio bay in the world. If you’re looking for a tropical getaway that won’t break the bank and is off the beaten path, Vieques is it. Read More »

Just because it’s August doesn’t mean it’s time for school. Ignore those back-to-class commercials, put off buying that dorm furniture for a few more weeks, and wait for that fall fashion to go on sale in September.

Its still summer, bitches, and I’m enjoying it until the last of the Labor Day barbeque smoke disappears.

A celebration is nothing without food, so in honor of a summer that is NOT over, here are some munchies that are only truly fun to eat June-August.

• Jell-O Pudding Pops: Oh yeah. Remember these things from childhood? So. Freaking. Good. Apparently, they were taken off the market for a few years, but an actual petition circulated around the Internet until Popsicle started to remake them. Just staring at the box is making my 7-year-old inner child start to climb the walls in anticipation.

• Margaritas: You can drink ‘ritas any time you want, but these alcoholic treats are truly at their best when you’ve got one in your hand at the end of hot day. Besides, no one but little girls with fake I.D’s order a blended frozen drink in the middle of winter.

• S’Mores: There’s not much to say except yes ma’am when it comes to chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers. And sure, you can make these in the microwave in the dead of January, but how celebratory is that? Plus…have you ever had to clean up exploded marshmallow? It’s an all day affair. Read More »

Now that it’s spring, you and your friends may want to take a weekend trip and enjoy some fun in the sun. Maybe relax on the beach, sip on some cocktails, and catch a tan. But for the more adventurous, outdoorsy type, camping is the way to go.

I never thought I was a camping kinda girl, until my boyfriend and all of his friends invited me a few years back during my sophomore year. No electricity, no air conditioning, no Full House reruns for an entire 24 hours? No, no, no! I need my daily Tanner Family fix!

Needless to say, I got dragged along, and even though I forgot my pillow and had to sleep on a roll of toilet paper, and woke up in the morning staring at a freakishly large spider, I actually ended up enjoying myself and started to camp out almost once a month. Read More »