Saturday Night Contest - Summer Fun!

[Christen]

Hiya everyone! Been awhile since I've hosted an SNC - happy to be back!

This week I wanted to do a sort of salute to summer as many US based students (and some international students) prepare to return to classes quite soon. For this contest, please share an awesome summer memory/experience/adventure you’ve had and tell us a little about what made it so special.

And the prize is….. 3 decks of our AMAZING new Deadpool Playing Cards and 1,000 Elite points.

Can’t wait to read about all the summer fun!

 

[010rusty]

The very first one to pop into my head was summer of 2018 when I got to go see David Blaine live in the infamous Von Braun Center! Was so happy when I found out he was coming to perform near by.

Still the best live magic show I’ve ever seen.

Also the fly enough that summer was the first time I ever won an SNC and did my first gig at the local YMCA

So it was an excellent summer all around.

 

[Amit R.]

One summer memory that comes to mind is 13 years ago after moving into my first place and shortly before having to go in for a surgery, I had this urge to try something I’d never done before and I ended up going tandem skydiving with my friend. Free falling for 40 seconds before the parachute opened was still one of the best experiences I’ve had.

 

[Bayoubi]

The best summer memory was the summer I finished University. (A good 12 years ago). I spent that summer backpacking Colombia and Ecuador in summer. It was great to experience some off the beaten track adventures. I made friends and did things that are cherished as my favourite memories. Life was a simpler time before adulting had to happen.

 

[neilvinzon]

What came to mind was last summer when two of my closest friends and I drove to Tagaytay, a serene escape from the bustling streets of Manila. We went to the Starbucks Tagaytay branch, which is quite popular in our country. Visiting a coffee shop to talk and play card games was something we did often at that time. So, we got our coffee and played some card games, including Pusoy Dos, our version of poker. That day, one of us got a Royal Flush, which we couldn’t forget because we had been playing together for years, and it’s very rare to get such a hand.

 

[coffeeparamedic]

My best summer memory this year was going with the fmaily to the waterpark for a company waterpark fun day! Was amazing! whole park just for the company, snacks and food all day. The best part was that they had a wonderful beer garden with draught beer and this year they had the beer garden theme of Casino. So I spent my time sitting at the poker table playing and having fun, trying to work out if the dealer was cheating.. and sipping on beer... was all around a wonderful day!

 

[Eliyahu]

To incredible experiences stood out for me this summer.

#1 - I brought my kids to their first Yankees game. It was actually my kids' first time going to a Major League game and boy, it did not disappoint. While I am not a Yankees fan (I'm a Florida boy), experiencing the thrill of the entire Yankees Stadium reacting to an Aaron Judge home run firsthand was an unforgettable experience. There's a reason why Yankees Stadium is so iconic.

#2 - My first large scale mentalism show. I started performing mentalism about a year ago, but had never done a show for more than about 50 people. This summer a charity organization I really respect asked to perform for their banquet (500 people). I did an about 45-minute set and absolutely rocked it.

 

[Furrukh]

Last summer, me and my buddies took an amazing trip to the northern areas of Pakistan. We went to Hunza Valley, and it was absolutely stunning with all the huge mountains and green scenery. One of the coolest parts was when we hiked to Attabad Lake. We got to kayak on the bright blue water, with big snowy mountains all around us. The locals were super friendly and their culture was really interesting. We had a great time laughing and sharing stories under the starry sky, with the giant peaks of Rakaposhi and Ultar Sar in the background. This trip wasn't just about seeing beautiful places; it was about hanging out with friends and making memories that will stick with us forever.

 

[DavidL1121]

This summer I spent two weeks holiday first travelling the NC500 route in my native Scotland. One of the most memorable moments was just happening to be at the right place at the right time to see a pod of orcas visiting the coast.
The second week I went to Gdánsk in Poland and what a beautiful city that is with a rich history.

 

[Micahthemagician]

My best summer memory is probably all the trips to Minnesota to see family. We go almost every year and it always gets better. They are always super fun.

 

[ST. Alex]

One of my best summer memories has to be the summer of 2012 when I found someone that would become my best friend for the following 10 years, it was a stray puppy.

 

[Patrix]

a favorite summer memory is of my Grandfather. He would describe how Houdini would come here to Grand Rapids and escape after being dropped into the Grand River.
One summer we took a holiday with him.
We vacationed in a cabin on the Strait's of Mackinaw. We enjoyed my Grandpas renowned egg and pancakes breakfast.
He would say he knew the state like the back of his hand. Which is funny because I’m from Michigan, which is shaped like the back of his left hand. Lol 😂 I miss him very much.

 

[OriF]

I really love Harry Potter, and in the summer of last year I did two things related to that one week after another:
First, I went to listen to the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra playing to the sound of the second installment of the Harry Potter series - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
The week after, I went to a movie theater where the entire 8 film series was screened in under 24 hours! I had so much fun being there with many other fans watching my favorite series.

Overall I have had such a wonderful experience in both and I am happy I was present in these events.

 

[Youru]

Like every summer, I went to spend my vacation at my grandparents' house in the same city (I was about 12 years old). One day, while taking a walk, I saw a small squirrel with brown fur and bright eyes running back and forth looking for pine cones. At first, I was a bit nervous because I had never seen one so close, and I didn't want to scare it. Every time I tried to get closer, it would quickly dart between the branches of an oak tree. But instead of giving up, I decided to persist. I chose to stay still, watching it from a distance. My efforts paid off; little by little, the squirrel began to approach the area where I was.

After a few minutes, the squirrel appeared closer than it had been to me. Instead of fleeing, it paused to sniff the air, perhaps searching for my scent. My heart filled with excitement when I saw that, although it was cautious, its curiosity was making it come a little closer. I started to talk to it softly, treating it like my new little friend, and I also took a couple of pictures with my phone, which I still have. To my surprise, the squirrel stayed, looking at me as if it truly understood my words.

As time passed, even though it was early, more people walked by on the street, startling it, causing it to flee back to its trees. For a few days, I saw it around the area again, although it never came as close as it did that day.

 

[NSchultz91]

When I was in high school I was able to fly to Italy to spend 2 weeks there with my friend and his family. They have dual citizenship and used to basically spend the entire summer there. So when I went there we spent time in Rome and their house up north? I remember having dinner at their friend’s restaurant and for dessert we had as much gelato as we wanted. Now I prefer it over ice cream. Italy was the first country I ever visited and has opened up my desire to travel.

 

[lapele]

My summer memory is almost from two decades ago. I used to go to my grandmother's summer cottage couple of times during the summer. The summer cottage was situated in a bay near the sea. We would always go rowing out of the bay to a cape near us. There would go to shore, tie up the boat and continue by foot. I was always climbing all the rocks and cliffs on our way to the end of the cape. And of course I was always carrying a stick of some sort . Once we got to the rocky cliff at the cape, we would sit down and have ourselves a picnic (some bread, juice, biscuits and candy). There we were watching out to the sea while eating and talking.

Those wore care-free days and a time when my grandmother could walk easily in a rougher terrain. Even now we still make trips with together with my own children and her but unfortunately her knees and legs overall have gone to a quite bad shape. But anyway, I like think back to those days, and try to remember to show my own children and hopefully grand children the amazing nature that surrounds us. And also one must not forget the snacks!

 

[Roofis]

The best summer was hanging out at the beach in Mexico with good friends!

 

[theSunnyG]

Last summer, I went on a solo backpacking trip through the mountains of Sri Lanka. The challenge of pushing myself physically and mentally, the stunning views at the top of each peak, and the quiet solitude made was a mental reset, digital detox and motivation that I needed. I think it's something everyone should experience at least once!

 

[EricR5]

This summer I went to New Zealand to see my oldest perform in the World Choir Games, winning gold in both categories the choir entered. Very proud dad moment!

 

[Christen]

Thank you all for sharing your memories ❤️ Our random winner this week is lapele; congrats! Please reach out to our customer support team to claim your prize.

To all students starting classes soon - best of luck!

Here's one of my fondest summer memories...

Every summer my family went to the East Coast of the US to visit my grandfather. When I was ten, my parents let me bring my best friend with me on that summer trip. We learned to drive tractors, had bonfires, went to the beach and saw our first jellyfish, tried taffy together for the first time, made each other laugh so hard we cried and got hiccups, and just made core memories. She passed away a few years ago and even though I miss her every single day, I have incredible memories like that summer vacation to look back on with lots of love.