“You can shed tears that he is gone,
or you can smile because he has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that he’ll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all he’s left.
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see him,
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember him only that he is gone,
or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what he’d want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.”

Bye Papou (grandpa) I will miss you with all of my heart.

More updates next week. I don’t have much more than that in me.

-Alexis

What a Guy.

Heya Readers!

Today is a day that is full full FULL of excitement! Today was MY BROTHER’S first day of HIGH SCHOOL! That is so crazy!! I remember the days when he was super cute, and I actually liked him….those were the days! just kidding, Adam! I know you read this! He is going to the same high school that I did which is pretty cool. I really hope that he enjoys the time that he spends there just like I did (well most of the time!). I know that he is going to grow and learn and change as a person while I am gone. I really regret missing his first term of high school, but I know that he will do great. We will be able to skype too broski! I am just so excited for him that he is entering this part of his life. I cannot wait to hear all about it!

Another great aspect about today is that my Aunt Helen who lives in Texas is coming in for a few days! This is the second time she is in this summer! It will be so nice to have her around and to relax with her, we can only hope!

Today is also super exciting because it means that I have 15 days left at home until I leave for Greece! It is becoming so surreal to think about the fact that I will be leaving for a far away place so soon! I have some packing done but really not a lot of it…..I need to start checking and checking and rechecking but for some reason that is just not getting done as of late. I have started some work on my Richter grant but not as much as I wanted to. I know I will be able to get it done, but summer really just escaped from me. I did a lot of things and spent so much quality time with my family. At this point, that ia really what matters. Really<3

Anyways, I am off to finish the rest of my sammich from Subway

Love, Peace, and Hamburger Grease

GO CUBS

Alexis

Heya Readers

This is literally the only half hour of my week that isn’t booked so here is a short update

I went to see my friend Jamie from school this week. We cooked and shopped and simply had a wonderful time. It was great to see her home and her lovely face. I HAVE MISSED MY NCC FRIENDS SO MUCH. I am starting to realize I won’t see most of them until January. At least I have Greece as an excuse :p

I just found out I am going to see Jimmy Buffett next weekend! HOW EXCITING. it is going to be so much fun and so crazy. We are tailgating for HOURS before. I cannot wait! We are going with some family friends which will only make the time that much better.

I will be going to two Cubs games this weekend, so I guarantee that I will update earlier next with with all the details.

For now, it is time to finish my episode of Jersey Shore (new addicting show) and off to bed to get ready to cheer the Cubs to victory!

Love, Peace, and Hamburger Grease

GO CUBS

Alexis

Heya Readers

Had a great week this week catching up with a few friends from NCC.
On Monday, I went to work then to a charity event that was held at a car dealership for the Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn. It was such a nice event with great food The car dealership even donated a car that will be raffled off to support the museum. It was great to see that people still care about charity and helping a great institution that Oak Lawn has to promote “Exploring and Soaring” which is one of the museum’s mottos.

On Tuesday, I went to my friend Meg’s house. She lived on my floor freshman year and we have been friends ever since! It was great to see her since I have not been able to all summer. She only lives 15 minutes away! She made me a lovely lunch of chicken salad and fresh veggies. YUM! I also got to meet her grandparents who traveled to Greece a few years ago! They offered some great advice! We then did some shopping then continued our conversation in my backyard. IT was a great day and I hope it happens again soon

On Saturday, I met my friend Andrea downtown, hence why I did not blog on my usual days. We went and did a little shoppin then spent some time at the cultural center. We took some great pictures too. It was so nice to see her before she heads off to England, and I leave for Greece in 33 days!

I have started to pack….if by pack you mean throw some things that I do not need for the next month into a suit case I think that more intense packing will begin. I did get my visa though which was a wonderful and easy process. Makes me super relieved.

MORE EXCITING NEWS. my mom is going to see me while I am in Greece! She is coming for a solid 2 weeks while I am there We are looking to book her flight today!

Anywho, back to thank you cards.
Love, Peace, and Hamburger Grease

GO CUBS
alexis

Heya Readers

Just got home and settled from the Cubs/Cardinals game. When I woke up this morning due to the giant storms, I never thought I would be sitting in glorious Wrigley Field two rows off the field enjoying the sun and a Cubs’ victory. It was an intense game that was enjoyed with my dad, brother, and cousin, Tim. The hot dog was much needed and so was the win. I loved it all.

The night and morning of tomorrow will be spent doing last minute preparations for my brother’s graduation party and my going away party. I cannot believe Greece is so soon.

This week, I went down to the Greek consulate on Monday and got my visa in like 15 minutes. It was amazing. I was highly doubting that it would be an easy process. The rest of this week was spent perfecting my research paper and starting some research on my Richter. I found a few articles that I need to start reading! Other time has been spent working on my internship. I sometimes worry if I am being too thorough and not going to be able to finish! Once I am done with work (in only two weeks!) I will have much more time to dedicate to academics!

However, I am off to taste test some pasta salad

I hope you are enjoying your summer, dearest reader.

Love, Peace, and Hamburger Grease

GO CUBS

Alexis

hmmmmm I wonder who!…..(well in about 3 hours I guess!)

Heya Readers

Posted from the couch while watching “Criminal Minds” and drinking a chocolate shake

Posting earlier this week too because I know that with my birthday and writing a term paper…I will not have time for the rest of the week! I work tomorrow, but only until 11:35ish which is nice. This means that I get to spend the rest of my birthday like it is…well…my birthday!

I will be going to Olive Garden with my mama! My dad has been in Canada all week doing a fly-in fishing. From what I have heard so far, he has had a nice time! I hope that next summer my dad, brother and I will be doing a fly-in to somewhere in Minnesota or Wisconsin. I hope that we will be able to get a cottage or something too next summer. My family has been talking about it and I just imagine jumping into the cold pool of water.

I love “Criminal Minds”. It has been like 20 minutes since I wrote the last  paragraph because I became so engrossed in an episode….It has been my real summer binge along with the Bachelorette. My dad watches it with me which is hilarious We have all missed him this week.

However, I should probably start getting ready for work tomorrow. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Love, Peace, and Hamburger Grease

GO CUBS

Alexis

Heya Readers

Just got home from the last day of the first session of summer camp! It was a long but reassuring day! I found out that many of my campers that I love will be coming back for the second session! It was water day so I had a great time chasing the kids around with the hose and sprinklers. I even resorted to using my water bottle as a weapon!

This summer I am finding that my loyalty to my family is hindering the plans of grandeur of seeing all of my friends that I had. “True Life. Real Talk,” as my friend Jack Nagel would say. It is amazing how life passes by and commitments come up. “Planning is so easy, executing is difficult,” my friend Kitt just articulated to me as I talked about the problems that I am having. I really want to catch up with my friends before I go to Greece; however, with this being my first summer home in years, I am so enjoying basking in the wonderful home that I have. I love being here for my family! Honestly Mom, I know you are reading this!<3 Being home is so relieving, but I really do miss NCC in some ways.

I miss going to class (nerd), I miss having the buildings on campus to hide myself in to do research (nerd), and I miss the access to my friends (social butterfly). It is much easier to see friends when they are so close. I wish I had some more time. Some days I wish I could just freeze!

This week was pretty nice though. On Monday, I went downtown with my friend Emily! We met downtown and enjoyed the great sites that the city offered. We ate some fantastic food and tried beignets, which are DELICIOUS. We then bought dresses and changed into them and frolicked around Chicago. Enjoying the lake, Millennium Park, and much much more! It was so wonderful to see my friend Emily. Girl, I miss you! We used to go to Hugo’s, a restaurant in downtown Naperville that is super classy However, for lunch they have soup and salad for $2 each. They are totally delicious and some of my favorite foods. Oh how I will miss it when I am in Greece!

I leave for Greece in about 55 days I think. I am so excited. More on that next week

Off to sleep

Love, Peace, and Hamburger Grease

GO CUBS!

Alexis

Heya Readers!

Hope you are all enjoying your fourth of July! I know I haven’t been :[ I had to wake up early this morning to work out, then I worked for 4 hours. I also think that I am getting the worst summer cold on the planet which is definitely been a damper on my day. I got home from work and passed out sleeping for two hours. Work wasn’t that bad. I got to put temporary tattoos on at the Oak Lawn Park District’s festival. It was pretty fun to hangout with co-workers and work on my tan at the same time, but it definitely did not help my cold that I firmly believe is allergy induced.

In good news, I got my VISA pre-approval letter in the mail which means that I can head down to the consulate to get my VISA to stay in Greece This means that all of my major paperwork is in and I am pretty much one trip downtown away from being all set to go to Greece! Well…other than shopping and packing of course!

I just wish I did not have a cold! Just looking at this screen is making my head hurt :[

My summer class is going well too. I have 100% so far! Just hoping that the two big papers that I have to write do not take up too much of my time! They will get done….I hope…

Right now I am doing some more work on my summer internship before my family and I head out to fireworks. I love fireworks. I just hope they don’t make my head hurt.

Tomorrow, I am going downtown to meet my friend Emily. I met her in my American Cities and Suburbs class and we have been close ever since! I have not seen her at all this summer yet so I am really looking forward to it

Time to go!

Love, Peace, and Hamburger Grease

GO CUBS

Alexis

Heya Readers

So here is the OPA fest update!  We ended up cleaning up the tent. The church really all came together and helped. Saturday we hit the mark on what we were supposed to sell which was great. It was so busy and so much fun. My friends Jack and Angela came to help and we had a blast behind the counter serving food. Then we would eat it all after I love being Greek! It was great to see all of my church friends and make some new ones! Also, pretty much my entire family was there. All of my cousins were there and we were just missing two aunts. It was NUTS and awesome. Smith-Sotiros family pride. Sunday was busy as well and my brother and I had some fun Greek dancing. I wish I could do that every weekend!

Now the update on all of my summer activities. I am working at Camp Sunshine which is with 2-5 year olds. We do fun crafts that are related to stories, play at the park, play fun outdoor games, have snack, and sing songs. It really drains me, but it really is super fun. My boys group on Monday-Wednesday-Friday loves loves loves to play tag! I am always it though….it is crazy but it is good exercise! I really enjoy the girls I work with and do like going to work, but getting up early stinks! ha!

My internship is a lot of fun too. The investigative work that I have to do is fun and waiting for emails back from candidates is intense. I hope to dedicate a few days this week to some work on that and my summer class. I am taking a World Religions class at Moraine Valley, which is the community college that I live by. It is pretty intense, but it is all on blackboard, which is a site that we use at NCC. that is helpful

but it is time to go to bed. Church in the morning.

68 days until Athens

Love, Peace, and Hamburger Grease

GO CUBS

Alexis

Heya Readers

This weekend is my church festival at St. Nicholas in Oak Lawn. Tragedy struck last night when our whole tent fell down due to the giant storm. It was very sad. I was planning on having friends from school come visit. However, with all that happened we are way to stressed and pressed for me to not work :[ WE NEED THIS TO GO WELL! HOPEFULLY TODAY DOES!

I’ll update more next week
Love, Peace, and Hamburger Grease

Alexis