#breakyoumake

Some pretty crazy things have been happening as of late, our family is moving out of our current house and I am moving my parents and sister into their new loft (all in two weeks... seeing as me and my dad head for Jersey then.) I can't explain how truly excited I am summer, my summer consists of working as a beach tag checker (I know, I know broken record for those of you that aren't new) so growing up with the beach 247 for each summer has been an amazing gift. When I heard about Chobani's #breakyoumake campaign in honor of their Chobani Flips, I knew immediately that my amazing boss for the past four years, Julie and Dana, deserved a break. 

Not only were they my boss, Julie is like the summer mom for me and everyone else she comes into contact with... especially the beach taggers. As well Dana is like the older sister I always wished I had who I knew would drop anything to be their for us, and who of course had the best guy advice. I can't tell you the amount of times they would rearrange where different girls are working on the schedule just so that we could work with our friends, see our family while they go to the beach, or even get to see that cute lifeguard that works on the other side of the beach than where you were scheduled. (Which may have been my reason way too many times lol) 

 Above, that's Julie. My very first lifeguard ball I (stupidly) decided to wear these tall heeled shoes I had never worn before. (BTW lifeguard ball was on a boat...) we had sat down waiting to board the boat a little ways off and my shoe got stuck in the gravel lol... and I fell. The dress I was wearing had a slit in the back and well when I fell I had ripped the dress and made the slit even wider, exposing my underwear. So I quickly put on spandex shorts (hallelujah one of the girls had some) and we tried to shut the slit with a beach tag pin lol. It didn't work, I couldn't sit... or really walk... and the slit kept getting bigger and bigger. Julie had met all of us to send us off, and I ran to her telling her what happened. Immediately she grabbed me, took me into one of the surfer shops and bought me a new dress and a bracelet for good luck. (Which I still wear) Another girl gave me her flip flops and I gave her my heels and the day was saved, no more ripped dress lol. That is just the type of person she is, always there for you no matter what.. I mean my boss bought me a whole new dress. It still touches my heart to this day.  Along with being the director she also is a teacher, and for the first bit of summer she is going back and forth with finishing teaching and being our boss during the weekends. She never looks tired and is always clear in mind. I don't know how she does it.

 

Above that's Dana. She is one of the hardest working people I know, and I don't mean just in her supervising position in beach tagging. She is currently studying at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, since I met her she has always inspired me to dream big and see my dreams as goals and a reality... not as pipe dreams. She unfortunately won't be returning as a supervisor since se is heading on into the big world and finishing up her studies. She is one of those rare people you always aspire to be because they can manage time in a way I just can't... she knows how to have fun but also get the work done. She is extremely caring towards each of us, I remember my first year beach tagging one of the lifeguards heckled me because they knew my parents were a little strict on me and I was pretty sheltered growing up... saying repeatedly "does your dad know you're here." I remember her coming to my rescue saying "leave our Brooke alone!" The same night I ripped my dress, I called her sobbing saying I ripped my dress, I ripped my dress. While she was awkwardly trying to calm me down while in line at best buy with the geek squad trying to fix her computer lol. 

People often say their role models are people in movies, tv, sports, or even on broadway... and I sometimes say that too but looking back on my life and those I know, my role models are Dana and Julie. Their hearts are too big for words... always caring for those who come into their lives. I hope to love everyone like that, and it's a struggle.. and I know it's a struggle for them too. I hope to dream as big as they do, never letting fear of rejection or obstacles stand in my way. Defying the odds and getting my voice heard. 

I mean they have to look after a group of hmm 17 some girls? (And the occasional boy!) That in itself is exhausting, much less their personal life. Yet I have never felt left out, unseen, or uncared for. I only hope this summer is a form of a break for them, and that hopefully they'll have a minute to unwind and maybe even sit down with a new chobani flip and just relax. 

Here's to Summer 2015 and more importantly, here is to Julie and Dana!