In Japan, fireworks are a major summertime event, but that means thousands of people crammed into a tiny park with dirty restrooms and a domineering humidity. Fun! I did love dressing up in yukata, the hot-weather cousin of the kimono, and wearing wooden slippers to go see them, but we spent more time finding a good spot than enjoying the fireworks, and it would take hours to get on the train or walk back home after. Last year, Jun and I found ourselves somehow at a rooftop party with perfect views of the Sumida River pyrotechnic show, but it's never the same as in the big ol' U.S. of A.
Lincoln is a cute college town with a lot of gems to explore. Andrea and Jared showed us to a selection of local watering holes after the Saturday night fireworks. We played pool and were enjoying a nice buzz until Jun got rejected from the next spot for his international ID, which didn't fly with the bouncer, so we went and picked up Mexican food, pigged on on the basement floor of Jared's parents' home and fell asleep to True Grit.
My mom and 5-year-old niece were along for the weekend festivities, so the next day we had a big breakfast at a big lodge and enjoyed some girl time (shopping) while the boys cruised around town in a sports car, and then we met up and went to the children's museum. I was enraptured with as many games and trinkets as my niece. We all were.
The rest of the weekend followed similar themes: eating, playing, watching fireworks. The in-laws hosted a huge party on July 4, and we partook in games aplenty. Andrea and I whipped up batches of delicious mojitos, and I may have eaten an entire platter of chocolate peanut butter bars. Jared put on a dazzling firework show for us, and then we wondered over the constellations in the sky. I saw three shooting stars, and made the same wish every time.
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| Fat elk in a tiny pond. |
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