Ihad no idea about this place, so I had to look it up on the internet; Malindi is a town found in the South-Eastern part of Kenyan and along the Kenyan coast. A place that is famous for its chain of tropical beaches that is dotted by many hotels and resorts anyone can choose to stay in.
We chose Malindi as our summer vacation destination after we read that Usain Bolt the famous 100 & 200 Meter record-holder had adopted an abandoned 8-months cheetah in Kenya. It was so touching, and he even went further to name the cheetah Lightning Bolt with a pledge to pay $3,000 a year after he had paid $13,000 as adoption fees.
We arrived in Kenya a week later after the summer vacation had started, and we headed straight to our hotel room to relax and be ready to get started early enough the following day. We took a small walk in the evening with our tour guide just to familiarize ourselves with the vicinity and interact with the locals.
Everyone was so lively and hospitable, and we felt at home. Back at our hotel, we spent a better part of the night talking about what we saw and planned the places to visit come morning. By the look of the serene atmosphere around us, right from our hotel, it promised to be the best two weeks away from school, home, and in Malindi too.
All in all, it was a road trip to behold, and we were filled with unimaginable happiness that could last for ages. We went to the beach, and we had beautiful and fantastic moments sailing on the hand-crafted dhows that make the beach exceptionally beautiful. At the beach, we got a chance to eat seafood lunch, drank mnazi-a cocktail made from coconut milk, explored different beach places, and so much more.
Damn, the food and the drinks were so traditional and sweet to sample we even bought some for our supper. We also got a chance to snorkel at the Beach as we interacted with the locals who taught us new African dance styles.
Next, we visited the Watamu National Marine Park which is a marvelous place to visit. The breeze blew against our bodies, as we walked through the aqua park that has almost 1,000 different fish and other aqualife species. The park is built on beautiful coral-reefs grounds that have beautiful gardens all around. Along the shore, our eyes were mesmerized as we spotted all species of birds, on top of the amazing turtles and dugongs. We feasted our eyes on a lot, as much as we could and once we got satisfied we headed to the sandy beach to sunbathe, water skiing, and windsurfing just to end the eventful day on a climax.
The last days of my summer vacation with my family in Malindi were spent visiting all the places we could manage to go to. We resolved to maximize the value of the last days of our vacation. Also, it was supposed to end on a high note and compliment the excitement we had since we arrived.
My best site visit was the Falconry of Kenya that gave us a chance to be in close contact with a vast collection of birds of prey and other wild animals. I even saw a tortoise that was 200-years old! The falconry boasts of falcons, peckers, owls, and goshawks; we took turns petting, feeding, and playing with some birds. Additionally, the site shelters crocodiles, green mambas, cobras, lizards, monkeys, and pythons.
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Here is a hint: I just opened my trusty "to do" notebook and realized that the majority of tasks I listed for myself in June were not only still incomplete, but I had totally forgotten said tasks even existed. Because I don't think I even opened the notebook since the last day of school, which was somewhere around June 22. Oops.
But not really oops. I knew what I was doing. I acknowledge that, by giving myself permission to mentally check out of most extraneous adult responsibilities for two months, things would fall through the cracks. However, I decided to test the catch phrases that many have espoused (and I never believed because I am so not that girl) which state things along the lines of: don't sweat the small stuff/if it is truly important, it will get done/enjoy the moment/etc.
So- this summer, sure, I worked a little. I did a couple Today Show segments, a few Facebook Lives. I blogged a bit. I still made sure all the bills got paid on time and we had toilet paper in the house and there were healthy snacks in the pantry. I tested beauty products, read up on trends, and stayed current on all the marketing, retail and social media blogs that I love to devour daily.
You know what I did a lot, though? Planned fun activities with my daughters. Took them to the beach as often as I could, spent afternoons with them swimming, let them go to bed way later than planned. Ate too much ice cream. Skipped bath night a few times. Played a sh*tload of tennis. Cooked dinner. Worked in my garden, and learned recipes to use all the veggies we grew. Spray painted our adirondack chairs orange. Found the perfect accent pillows for our outdoor sofa. Perused 1st Dibs and Chairish endlessly in an effort to furnish our living room. Took the girls to New York City. Ventured to Quassy Amusement Park. Visited cousins in Cheshire, CT. Enjoyed every second of a visit by my cousins from Alabama. Went out for some impromptu date nights with my husband. Hosted college friends for a Sunday Funday. Planned my 20th High School reunion. Hopped in the car on a whim with a friend and went to the Elephant Trunk flea market. Learned to make pom poms. Got the shelves that had been sitting on the floor of Goldie's closet since before she was born put up on her wall. Let our full time nanny go (heartbreaking as it was) and welcomed an au pair into our home.
I finally allowed myself to realize the power that comes with being a wife and mom, and instead of hiding from it, owning it. And as such, vowed to become a more active determinant of the energy within our family. It's all a work in progress, but you gotta start somewhere, right? Right.
I spent so much time doing so many things that used to make me feel so guilty (there are emails to be replied to! segments to be pitched! content to be written! meetings to set up!), and it was awesome.
Yesterday, as I packed Alexa's snack for her first day of school, a sadness washed over me. And not for the reason I would have expected. While I- like every other mom I know, pretty much- said many times over the past few weeks "I CAN"T WAIT FOR SCHOOL TO START!"- I wanted one more week/month/year of the carefree, barely-scheduled summer situation. Even though I still have 2 more weeks before Goldie starts class, the energy in the air changes once public school begins. Everything feels different- and perhaps the reason I notice it more this year than in the past is because I am different. I guess 9 weeks floating in an alternate universe I like to call "Summer in a Suburban Beach Town" can do that to a girl.
Okay- off to figure out why our Flex Spending credit card isn't working, book flights for my cousin's November wedding in Florida, pitch fall trend segments, list 10 ideas for live video broadcasts, and start that pesky 2016 Falik Family Year In Review photo album. The 5 things which I asterisked like 6 times on my list- apparently to indicate urgency.
The months before business school goes by fast. Many MBA alumni and current students advised me to enjoy this time because this would be a break that I would never get back. Here are five things I did during this time prior to business school.
Part of reflecting on my journey involved re-reading my business school essays. It had been five months since I had last read them. I found that the time that had passed, along with my experiences at more recent admit weekends, gave me a new refreshing perspective on my goals. The essays reminded me why I started on this path and what I want to accomplish long term.
I would be remiss if I did not take the time to thank my family and friends who shared this journey with me. Before moving to Philadelphia to attend Wharton, I spent those last weeks vacationing in Cabo San Lucas with fellow MLTers, exploring D.C. with close friends, being celebrated at a send-off party, and packing up my apartment with my parents. The days quickly dwindled but celebrating this moment in life with the ones I love dearly has been nothing short of a blissful experience.
Summer vacation is the most awaited time of the year in the lives of students. It gives them an opportunity to take a break from their daily routine, relax and enjoy their time with family and friends. Every year, students eagerly await their summer vacations with the hope of doing something worthwhile that liberates them from the monotonous and regular routine of school and studies. For kids, writing an essay on how I spent my summer vacation gives them a wonderful opportunity to reminisce and express what they enjoyed about their vacation.
The Summer of COVID was filled with the daily death and infection counts from the global pandemic that was killing people in every corner of the world. The ever-present counter on the CNN screen was tallying the death toll like the tote board of a dystopian telethon.
Newscasters brought us stories of senseless murders of black Americans at the hands and knees of those who were otherwise sworn to serve and protect. And while the vast majority of them honored their oaths with distinction too many of their fellow officers snuffed out too many black lives, each of which mattered.
This summer we mourned the passing of the field marshals and foot soldiers of the civil rights movement at a time when their voices and leadership would be needed more than ever. The deaths of Rev. Joseph Lowery, Rev. C.T. Vivian and Rep. John Lewis extinguished the lights lit by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. And with the loss of those iconic human rights leaders the nation would wonder what new voices would replace their silenced advocacy.
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