Only recently have I come to realize how much I absolutely love Summers in Idaho Falls. Granted, you can't beat a Summer in London. Not by any stretch of the imagination. But Summer time in Idaho Falls is absolutely glorious. This is largely due to the fact that 1) The temperature never gets too high like it would in Arizona, Southern Utah, California or some where that is typically warmer year round, 2) the air is rarely if EVER muggy and gross, and 3) I get to live at home while I eat watermelon and hamburgers straight from the grill while sipping homemade lemonade (which I didn't have to make myself nor did I have to go grocery shopping for the food which I have eaten) then proceed to sleep in a giant bed in a room that is all mine. Really, not much can be wrong with this picture. Plus, I get to play with my nephew all the time (yeah, he loves me best), watch all the TV shows I have missed, read more books than I have been a been able to in the last three years of college, enjoy snow cones from the shack by Albertsons, see the best fireworks ever on the 4th of July, go to the cabin, go boating, and play Guitar Hero/Rockband/Mario Kart Wii all the days of my life. And even the whole job thing is great. Not only do I get to draw blood, learn what various prescription drugs do, and shadow doctors, but I actually get to help with research and meet with patients! I get to do my very own research project. It's basically a dream come true for the nerdy pre-mad student deep within me.

But the purpose of this blog is not to tell you about my life this summer. It is to tell you about the object that will make my summer true, unadulterated BLISS. This object is a hammock.

Just last summer, my sister Kate purchased a hammock from an unknown store. For an entire summer, my family enjoyed the hammock until one fateful night, my dog, a chocolate lab named Molly, became exceedingly bored and proceeded to rip the hammock to shreds. We woke up to pieces of nylon rope scattered across the yard. Molly was very proud of her work despite the fact that it tore up her mouth. My dad almost killed her. Needless to say, we were all pretty depressed about it and I felt slightly robbed because I had been at school and in London when the hammock was in use. I had only been home for about a week when Molly murdered what was left of my summer. So, as I came home this summer to do a medical internship, I decided I needed a hammock to enjoy the back yard.

Consider the benefits of having a hammock: no lying on the ground with the bugs. Instead, you get to lie cradled in a colorful bed that swings back an forth. Plus, it's totally great for snuggling with someone you happen to like. Also, it's perfect for reading in while listening to some great summer music. Next, it's portable so that if you decide to go camping or something, you can totally take it with you. This feature is particularly important for me because that means I can take it away from Molly every night. And, you can feel like 1) a pirate 2) a soldier 3) a vagabond. SWEET. Last, outside is so much better than inside so why not spend as much of your time outside as you can. Hammocks are genius! HANDS. DOWN.