Concluding Summer

Today is move-in day at Williams-Mystic - where I'll be studying for a semester instead of attending Fall Term at Dartmouth - and that means summer break is over. The last few months seem to have gone by so quickly, and this summer as a whole felt really busy, even though I don't think I accomplished very much.
Highlights:

• Mooseman: my first Olympic-distance triathlon, at beautiful Newfound Lake in NH in early June. Was a bit nervous about the biking section, but it went very well and I had a blast. 
• "UofIN," or "University of Insulindependence": leadership training for Insulindependence captains at the organization's headquarters in San Diego, CA during the last week of June. Included three days of backpacking in Yosemite National Park. 
• Mother-daughter road trip: Mom and I drove up and down the California coast for a couple days after UofIN. We stayed at the amazing Treebones Resort in Big Sur and went sea kayaking.
• CWD: I volunteered with Insulindependence at the Children With Diabetes Friends for Life Conference in Orlando, FL during the second week of July. It was my third time attending this major annual gathering for families and health care professionals dealing with Type 1 diabetes. 
• A Night of INspiration: I hosted a fundraising dinner for Insulindependence in Bethesda, MD in late July. The event was a success in my eyes - we had a great turnout, a fun time, good food,  and a very positive response to the Insulindependence mission and vision, especially with the accompanying screening of the Triabetes documentary. 
• New Hampshire: first to Hanover to get a taste of Sophomore Summer, then to the coast for beach time, family time, and (best of all) whale watching!

And now I'm settling in to my new home for the rest of 2011 - Mystic, CT. It is a cute town that is rich in maritime history and tradition, not to mention great ice cream shops. More about Mystic in future posts...

Back from CWD; Now I really need to unpack

At CWD with Sam Talbot, who has Type 1 diabetes and was the runner-up on season 2 of "Top Chef." He gave a cooking demo at a reception on the final night of the conference.

      I am exhausted. After getting back from California on July 2nd, Mom and I had just a few days before getting on another airplane - this time to Orlando, FL for the Children with Diabetes Friends for Life conference (often abbreviated as CWD FFL). This yearly event is always fun but energy-draining, with over a thousand families affected by Type 1 diabetes descending on Disney World during a hot & humid week in July. 
      This was a business trip, in a sense, because Mom had to attend the conference on behalf of the company she works for and I was there to help represent Insulindependence. We just got back home yesterday, and fortunately we're not traveling any more until August, when we go to Rye, NH for a true vacation.
       I've got lots of stuff to catch up on over the next few weeks, including preparations for my Insulindependence fundraising dinner and getting started on that Swenson family history project. First thing, though, will be cleaning up my room, which is littered with diabetes supplies, clothes (I've decided I'm not buying any more clothes for the next 12 months), and books/things from my college dorm.