My summer has been filled with many weekend trips. I have traveled from my old college town, Burlington, VT, to my home at the beach in Mystic, CT. I have put almost 8,000 miles on my car this summer from my many trips, but, I must say, it has been worth it. While I love traveling by plane since it is usually very quick and easy, there is something I love about road trips. Since driving takes much longer, it gives me time to get caught up in the anticipation of getting to my destination. I could do without the miles of traffic I usually hit, but once I get to where I am going, I quickly forget about the frustrations of the traffic. My hometown of Mystic is a beautiful seaside town where tourists flock for summer weekends. Typically people visit for Mystic Seaport, Mystic Aquarium and, of course, the beach. I try to spend every other weekend during the summer at the beach, soaking up the sun before it goes into hiding for months. Now that summer is coming to an end (I woke up this morning and it was in the 50s), my weekend trips will not be as frequent. While I will miss the summer heat, I am looking forward to watching the trees change color, to apple picking in Vermont and, hopefully, to a few weekend trips to Miami to help heat up the cold months to come. –Jackie Adam, advertising and editorial coordinator