2014 Wedding Season

Now that Dan and I are engaged, weddings have taken on an extra bit of meaning.  Sure, we still enjoy going to weddings, but they are also a great opportunity for us to figure out the types of things that we like at weddings or would prefer to not have at our own, and, just in general, decide on the type of feel we would like to have at our wedding.  

Last weekend, we traveled to Pittsburgh to watch one of Dan's best friends from high school get married {actually, they have known each other since they were just little guys}.  It was a really fantastic wedding, so low-key and down-to-earth, which was perfect for the couple.  Dan's {yes, his friend is also named Dan, and yes, there are three of them named Dan in their high school friend group} grandfather is a deacon and was able to be a co-celebrant, so the ceremony was very personal.  The reception was really fun, and we loved spending time with the entire group, many of whom we hadn't seen since this friend group's last wedding this past August.  Towards the end of the after party, Dan and I were getting ready to head out, so we said our goodbyes to Dan {the groom} and Jen.  As I went to say goodbye to Dan, he motioned to me to come towards him, and, giving me a big hug, he told me, with tears in his eyes, how thrilled he was for Dan and I and how perfect we are for each other.  In his defense, it was late in the night, he was coming off of a highly stressful day and he had had more than a few to drink, but the sentiment was certainly genuine, and seeing him tear up made me tear up as well.  Dan is so lucky to have such a good friend, and it is SO apparent to me how much the two of them care about each other.  Weddings are one of those moments in life where you can really reaffirm relationships with people you may have known for years, and I know that my Dan was so happy to stand up next to Groom Dan as one of his groomsmen.  All in all, it was a fabulous party, and it was wonderful to get to meet some more Pittsburghers.

This past weekend, we went to my friend Colleen's wedding in South Bend, Indiana {yes, that's Notre Dame, for those of you who thought that name sounded familiar as you read it}.  Colleen and I lived together, along with one other girl, in the year after graduation, and she has been a dear friend ever since {I'm so grateful to the mutual friend who "set us up" as roommates!!}. We opted to drive to this wedding, because of the extreme cost of flying, and, although the drive was painfully long {roughly 9 hours}, at least Dan and I had each other to share it with.  Molly and Lauren drove up separately, and it was great to have the two of them there, because we were the few non-Domers at the wedding!  This wedding, you guys, was Colleen and Brett to a T - it was quite the classy event.  While I am completely biased against Notre Dame, I will say that the Basilica that they got married in was gorgeous, even outdoing dear Dahlgren.  One little detail that I loved is that both of them are eucharistic ministers, so we actually got to receive communion from the two of them.  It was just a really nice touch.  We had a bunch of downtime after the ceremony, which was at 9 a.m. {that Basilica is in high demand!!!}, so we walked around a bunch {we figured out that we walked about 5 miles that day} and  watched some World Cup.  At one point, Dan went to the lobby to get a soda, and found us three girls passed out upon his return mere minutes later - we were exhausted!  The reception was lovely as well, and the food was probably the best of any wedding that I've been to!  Lots of options for a vegetarian with nut allergies, which made this gal happy :)  

It is so hard to not go to all of these weddings and not get the warm fuzzies.  Some of our earliest, most concrete conversations about marriage happened after the weddings we went to last summer, in large part because you're on such an emotional high and are feeling the love after attending a wedding.  I know that ours is still about two years away, but I just can't wait to marry my best friend :) I'll do a phone dump at some point this week so I can post some pictures from these weddings, but for now, here's one that I Instagrammed from this past weekend!

Colleen and Brett, seriously beaming!

Yesterday was also my parents' 29th wedding anniversary! I was so lucky to be able to spend it with them once we got back from the wedding.  I sure am lucky to have them as my parents, and here's to many more!

This Move is Officially Happening...

Last week was a banner week in our household! We started off the week by getting engaged on Sunday, and, by Thursday, we had gotten a condo!  Add to it some slight movement on the job front, and it made for a great week.

To be honest, I was not completely stressed about our housing situation in Chicago.  If I needed to move to start a job, I knew that I had a couple of great friends that I could crash with for a couple of days while I tried to find us an apartment.  However, I feel SO much better knowing that there is a place that will be ours as of July 1st!  As opposed to the job search process, which has been long and drawn-out, the housing search happened at a lightning-fast pace.  We had narrowed it down to one neighborhood that we wanted to target, based on proximity to public transportation, overall feel of the neighborhood, etc.  Dan was able to see a few buildings in this area during a neighborhood housing tour that was a part of Admitted Student Weekend.

Based on the research we had done and the buildings Dan had visited, we were primarily considering three buildings.  On Wednesday, we had our real estate agent go and look at a place for us, and we made a split-second decision to go for it after seeing the pictures that she sent us.  Our plan all along had been to have either one of our friends or Dan's sister go and see our prospective homes before signing a lease, but we soon learned that we were going to need to move more quickly than that, requiring us to place all our trust in our agent to get a sense for these places {this is not a good feeling for a control freak like me!}. We raced to get the application completed on Wednesday afternoon and evening, and found out late on Thursday morning that we got the condo!  It was such a whirlwind, and we certainly got ourselves worked up about it, but I am so glad that everything turned out okay.  We are very excited to move in!

I found out in the middle of last week that I got an on-campus interview for a job that I am very interested in, so I will be heading to Chicago next week.  I am both excited and nervous, since the job-related component of this move is what has stressed me out the most, both from income and healthcare perspectives.  I so badly want to have that nailed down so that I can truly enjoy my remaining time in DC and not need to stress out about my employment prospects.  I will keep you all posted!

I would be remiss if I didn't talk about the aftermath of the engagement.  It has been a huge adjustment to refer to Dan as my fiancé, and I have certainly slipped up more than a few times.  Everyone has been so sweet and curious to hear about the details, and I think I have the story memorized at this point!!! We are not moving forward on any major details yet, although I have started brainstorming a guest list, as that will affect the types of venues we are able to consider.  We got to see several friends over the weekend who hadn't seen us since the engagement, so it was really fun to share the story with them.

In general, it was just a perfect weekend! Dan and I got to spend some quality time together, and, very importantly, we spent a LOT of time outside, as the weather was absolutely gorgeous!  Dan, Molly and I went to a Nats game with Dan's dad on Saturday, followed by a great late afternoon/evening on H St. celebrating our friend Alix's birthday on a rooftop.  On Sunday, we went to the Air & Space Museum, which Dan had never been to, and I spent the afternoon with my dad at the outdoor pool that they belong to.  We grabbed dinner with my parents at Blacksalt on Sunday evening {seriously, mouthwateringly delicious fish!} and got to catch up with them post-engagement {they had not seen Dan since then}.  It was a beyond perfect weekend, and this upcoming one will be one of our last in DC, as we will be out of town at weddings the following two weekends.  Exciting times! It is finally feeling like summer, and I think going to Jazz on Friday will make it feel like the official start of summer for me!!

Our Proposal Story

'Hold the phone! When did this happen?,' you may be asking yourself.  I have written pretty openly on this blog over the past few months about hoping for a proposal, and I feel so blessed that I am actually sitting down to write it now {since, let's face it, my productivity at work this week has been completely shot}.  So, let's start at the beginning, a very good place to start:

We went to my aunt and uncle's house in southern Virginia from early Saturday morning to Sunday morning.  We had an awesome time hanging out with my family, including two of my aunts, my uncle, my cousin, her boyfriend and roommate, and my parents.  I continued my annual Memorial Day Weekend tradition of getting sunburned to a crisp, thanks to this exceptionally long winter we've had {and a subsequent lack of Vitamin D exposure}.  At the end of the day on Saturday, I went up to the house to take a shower, leaving Dan and my dad alone on the dock.  A part of me thought that Dan could be discussing marriage with my dad, but I didn't want to get my hopes up.  After my shower, I walked back down to the dock and switched places with Dan, who then jumped in the shower himself. I hadn't been seated for a minute before my dad looked me in the eye and said very matter-of-factly, "So, Dan was talking to me about asking you to marry him." 

"DADDDDDDD," I groaned, "you weren't supposed to TELL me that" {all of this while laughing}.  My dad felt really bad afterward, especially after my mom chided him for being clueless.  What can I say? I'm obviously the man's first child! I wasn't actually angry at all, because of the fact that Dan and I had discussed marriage so extensively.  We proceeded to have an amazing dinner.  Picture this: a screened-in porch to protect us from bugs and a large, family-style dinner with lots of laughter and great conversation, all taking place mere footsteps from the river.  It's like a story written in summer heaven.  This is not at all relevant to the proposal story, but it just speaks to my perfect summer evening: being surrounded by family and friends, enjoying yummy food and lots of stories and laughter, preferably in close proximity to a body of water.

Anyway, Dan and I got on the road relatively early on Sunday morning so that we could enjoy the day in DC.  When we got home, Dan ran to Whole Foods to "pick up beer" while I showered.  When he arrived home, I asked which kind of beer he had gotten, and he was nondescript, answering simply, "a wheat beer", which is unlike him {he usually tells me exactly what kind he has purchased}.  He had carefully orchestrated our plans for the evening, having made a reservation at Zaytinya, one of our favorite restaurants and one of the places on our bucket list {although, at this point, we should rename it the "to do again" list}.  Typically, when we're making a dinner reservation, we'll pore over Open Table and make the reservation together, but he insisted on doing it.  He also suggested, before we left for dinner, that we grab dessert afterward and walk over to the Tidal Basin.  I was starting to get seriously suspicious at this point, because the guy is NOT a planner.  This seemed a little fishy…

We had a wonderful and delicious dinner {seriously, I have never not left Zaytinya without a happy tummy} and headed to Red Velvet to pick up cupcakes {our first choice, Crumbs, had already closed for the evening}. We walked over to the Tidal Basin and looked out onto the Jefferson Memorial as we inhaled our cupcakes.  The weather was perfect, not yet hot and humid enough to be truly oppressive, and the sun was threatening to begin setting. We sat on one of the park benches and just talked, and it was so lovely to be taking in my favorite spot in all of DC with my best guy.  There were a lot of people around, and Dan only increased my suspicion by looking several times in either direction.  I was onto him at this point! When it became clear that there was not going to be a break in the crowd, he suggested that we walk over to a slightly more secluded area so as to "get a better view."  It was there that he told me how much he'll always love DC because it is where he met his wife, then launched into a list of things he loves about me.  He dropped down on one knee and produced the most beautiful ring I have ever seen, asking me to marry him.  I was crying, so made the poor guy sweat it out for a minute while I composed myself, before answering, "YES!" as enthusiastically as I possibly could.  The next few minutes were filled with kissing, hugging, marveling at the ring, and staring at each other in disbelief because WE WERE ENGAGED! It was the most perfect, special proposal that I could have asked for, perfect for our relationship and the type of people we are.  We couldn't stop smiling, the biggest, goofiest smiles you've ever seen.  We hopped in a cab and headed home, where Dan produced the bottle of champagne that he had picked up on that Whole Foods run {in his defense, he did also buy beer}.  Being that we are in our interim apartment now and have very minimal kitchen supplies, we chilled the champagne in a kitchen pot with an ice pack and what little ice we found in the fridge's ice-maker.  Yay for resourcefulness!!!

We took our time and enjoyed our champagne before calling our immediate families to break the news, which, we agreed, was perfect, allowing us some special time to ourselves before letting the world in on our little secret. The timing could not have been more perfect, because, since Monday was Memorial Day, we had an entire day off to get in touch with friends and family and just enjoy our new engagement.  Our loved ones' responses were wonderful, as were our friends' reactions when we called them the next day.  From the time that we started telling people our happy news, we were completely floored by how wonderful and supportive everyone was.  We are so humbled by the truly incredible people that we have in our lives, and it has been such a blessing to share this time with them.  While we will not be getting married until summer 2016, after Dan graduates, we couldn't be more excited for this next phase of our lives, and everyone's enthusiastic support has made the post-engagement glow last.  It still doesn't feel quite real sometimes, although it certainly helps to look down at my gorgeous, perfect ring as a nice, shiny reminder.  He did an amazing job picking it out {with a little help from Pinterest and what turned out to be a great guess when it came to my ring size}, but I told him that, while it is the most breathtaking ring I have ever seen and was exactly what I wanted, I would have been happy with whatever he got me, because it would be from him.

To wrap up this epically long post, I just want to take a moment and acknowledge how lucky I am to have ended up with a guy like Dan.  I have to, first and foremost, thank my best friend, Molly, for inspiring me to create a Match profile, because, without her encouragement, I probably never would have met him.  All of this came a few months after a painful romantic experience for me, and joining Match provided me with the perfect kick in the butt to be open to meeting someone new {so, in a strange way, I am grateful that I had that experience, however much it may have sucked at the time}.  From the day I met him, Dan has been such a positive light in my life - sweet, generous, funny, supportive, smart, and very handsome - and being with him has made me strive to be the best version of myself.  They don't say that girls tend to marry men who are like their dads for nothing, because I can absolutely see all of my dad's most wonderful qualities reflected in Dan.  I could not have answered any more enthusiastically when he asked me to be his wife, because he is the person that I want by my side for all of life's many highs and lows.  While I am obviously excited to plan our wedding {which I have been planning in my head since I was about five years old}, I am just relishing in this little moment we have going on here, because it is so, so special :)

Right after it happened! So, so much happiness :)

Prepping for the Move

This week is graduation week on the Hilltop, so that always gets me a little bit emotional.  I LOVE working at a university, but, for a person who hates goodbyes, it can be tough when each subsequent class graduates.  I am planning on staying especially far from campus this weekend, because I know that this graduation weekend, my last in DC, would churn up a lot of emotions.

So instead, we will be moving on Saturday…which will churn up a whole other set of feelings because of how much I despise moving.  We have to move to an interim apartment until the end of June, which, luckily, is furnished, meaning that all we have to do this weekend is pack up all of our stuff and move it to my parents' garage until the big move.  Dan pointed out that, once we do this weekend's move, the hard part will be done {at which point I reminded him that he was forgetting the 10-hour drive to our new home!}.   So the rest of our week will be spent packing up our mountains of stuff.  As much as I try to purge things I don't need, the piles don't seem to get any smaller.

I wanted to do a quick recap of this weekend, because it was so, so wonderful.  I have been trying to wrap my head around it, and the best way I can describe it is that it felt, over the course of the weekend, like I was single again.  Don't get me wrong, I love Dan so much and our relationship brings me so much joy every day, but it was so, SO nice to be able to call my own shots for the weekend and do whatever I wanted to without any concern for another person.  Friday was absolutely wonderful, starting just before I left work for the day and I made a kid cry with joy by telling him that we were admitting him off the waitlist.  It just gave me the warm fuzzies, you know?  I then proceeded to bake a ton and watch no fewer than three full episodes of House of Cards, and it was absolutely glorious.  I had to work from 9-1 on Saturday, which wasn't too brutal, and then did my swim and met up with my family.  Tim was in town, so it was great to have our little foursome together again!  I really do miss him, and am so glad that he is loving New York.  I think he was trying extra hard to be nice and cheerful, too, probably given that it was Mother's Day weekend, almost his birthday, and probably one of the last times we'll be together before Dan and I move.

We went out to a delicious dinner at The Hamilton {definitely recommend - I had the halibut and the beet salad, which were both heavenly}, and then I met up with Molly to go to a friend's birthday celebration in Columbia Heights.  It was great to see that group of friends, and then I got to have a sleepover with Molly, which was so lovely.  It has been really tough for us to get together over the past few months, due to how busy the two of us have been, so it was great to have lots of time to just catch up.  I am going to miss her so, so much.  On Sunday morning, after we grabbed breakfast, I headed back over to my parents' house and had some more time with the fam before Tim had to catch his bus.  By the time I got home from my swim afterward, Dan was back, and, although I loved my weekend of doing whatever I wanted, I was so happy to have him back!

On another very random note, The Bachelorette starts on Monday {yay!} and one of the contestants is a guy from my hometown who was in my class when I was in public school.  I have an inkling that he'll be a one-and-done contestant, but we'll see.  I'm hoping that this new apartment has DVR capabilities, or else we might have a problem!

Also, I am about a week in to swimming, and while I am far from being a talented swimmer, I am enjoying it!  My leg is definitely feeling better, so I'm hoping that it will be completely healed when I see the doc again on June 5th.  I think that I'll start using the Aqua Jogger at the pool in a few weeks - apparently it's fantastic for runners who are coming back from injuries.  I am just feeling so grateful that I am able to exercise!

Happy Wednesday, friends! We're almost over the hump!

A Monday Mish-Mash

Since it's Monday, I'm not really feeling like stinging together a full, coherent post, so I'll just comment on a few things that are floating around in my head right now:

• So, I have a stress fracture in my tibia.  You would think that I would learn my lesson from all of my many running injuries over the years, which seem to become more severe each time, but, for those of you who are runners too, you'll understand how hard it is to go without running, even for a day.  The last time I ran was the Cherry Blossom Ten-Miler on April 6th {which I actually finished in a  shockingly quick time of 1:19, given that I was already quite injured at that point}, and I'm really yearning to run again, especially since running outside at this time of year just fuels my love affair with DC.  Also, I'm not going to pretend that I haven't already plotted out races to run in Chicago.  The doc told me I have to wear my boot for the next 4-6 weeks, so I suppose it's a good thing that I already had one of those suckers sitting around in my closet.  The only reason why I'm not crying on a regular basis is because I'm allowed to swim!  I am in the process of joining a gym with a pool for the next month, and, after going for two swims over the weekend, I think it's safe to say that I'm hooked.  Now, if only I could get Dan to set foot in a pool…the poor thing is traumatized after swimming through college :)
• We had a lovely Easter with both of our families, spending Saturday night with Dan's family {we got to meet his brother's girlfriend and his adorable new dog, Charlotte, as well as see Dan's sister} and Easter Sunday with mine.  I am trying to count my blessings, particularly for these next few months, because I know that this may be the last time we live near our families…sob.
• Last weekend, we went out to the Windy City for Dan's revisit weekend.  While it still doesn't feel completely real that we are leaving our beloved DC in just a few months, I am so, SO excited to get to experience a new city. Having Kristin, Allie and Emily there will be a huge plus for me, and I felt really comfortable with the people that I met at all of the Partners Club events last weekend.  
• We are going to our first Nats game of the season tonight with a group of local admits from Dan's program.  I am excited to meet some of the people who we will be spending 4 years with, and I never turn down an opportunity to go to Nats Park.
• On Saturday, we went to a Drink the District event put on by Living Social.  Despite a brief downpour, it was a fun event, and we got to try lots of good beer and wine {as well as some not-so-tasty mint juleps}.  We went with a group of friends, and, after hanging out with them more at the end of the event, had to say what is likely to be our first goodbye {as some of the friends will be leaving for a few months in Europe next weekend}.  I definitely teared up in the cab ride home.  This endless series of goodbyes is not going to be easy...
• On Thursday, we went to a fun wine tasting event with Dan's parents that was put on by Wine Spectator.  The event was a lot of fun, although I would be lying if I said I wasn't intimidated by tasting a $1,000 wine.  I'll stick with my less-than-$20 bottles, thank you very much!!
• I need a vacation.  So badly.  Which is why I giddily happy that our San Francisco trip is creeping up on us.  I just need to recharge.
• So, I must confess that I've recently gotten hooked on House of Cards.  The show is fabulous!  Fortunately, Dan has no interest in political shows, which means that I can binge-watch this series {which he is less likely to do, hence the snail's pace with which we are going through my other current obsession, Friday Night Lights}.
• Oh, and looking for jobs and apartments is stressful.  I know, right?!  I know people mean well, but both searches are stressing me out to the point where I just don't want to talk about it.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! The rest of this week is supposed to turn summer-like, and I am using a bachelor party that Dan is going to this weekend as an excuse for some much-needed "me time', which will likely involve too much baking and too many episodes of House of Cards :)

Emerging from the (Work-Induced) Darkness

Yeah, yeah, long time no blog.  Things have been pretty crazy around here, and work has entirely consumed my life.  Seriously.  Meaning that personal emails have gone unanswered, friends have gone unseen, and my relationship with Dan essentially consisted of takeout dinners and nights spent sitting on the couch side-by-side while I read applications.  Because I'm still new to this job, I went hard, perhaps too hard, to finish all of my work on time and make a good impression, but I could do without the negative work-life balance.

This weekend was a celebration of my emerging from the other side of reading still, shockingly, alive.  For the first time in weeks, I did not work at all over the weekend, and that felt like a huge accomplishment.  However, there was something more worth celebrating this weekend: three years ago yesterday, I went on a first date with the guy who would become the love of my life.  I didn't know it that day, as I power-walked to meet him on U St., but he would become the one person because of whom my cheeks constantly hurt from smiling.  I wrote this in my card to him, but, when I was a hopelessly romantic little girl {a quality that I'm proud not to have lost} and I dreamed about the man I would end up with, he {bizarrely} resembled a Disney prince.  That would naturally lead one to believe that such men don't exist.  Well, Dan has far surpassed all of my loftiest expectations.

I can still vividly remember our first date, and the excitement over the beginnings of our relationship.  It hasn't always been an easy journey, and I was briefly faced with the prospect of losing him when he was in the hospital after our race a few years ago, a feeling that I would not wish upon anyone, but he has succeeded in making me radiantly happy since the day I met him.  His calm, even-keeled personality is a perfect balance to my type-A, worry-filled one.  He is kind, thoughtful and smart in ways that amaze me every day.  He places so much value in his relationships with his family and friends, a sentiment that I share.  His quiet confidence is inspiring, and did I mention that he's easy on the eyes?!  I am so proud to be able to call him mine, and he inspires me to be a better person every day.

This year is going to include so much change and so many new adventures, and I can't think of another person that I would rather experience it all with.  He would be mortified if he knew that I blogged about him, but I can't help but gush about him.  Here's to many more!

On My Mind: The Grad School Journey

Hello friends! I hope you're all having a delightful Friday {seriously, I thought it would never get here}! I wanted to share a few things that have been on my mind lately in relation to the impending grad school journey.  I am currently a ball of nervous energy when it comes to the whole move, with questions and extraneous thoughts like {see below} running through my head:

Questions:

• Where will be moving next year {this part is still very much up in the air}?
• When will we be moving {this relates to summer travel, so knowing which airport to book tickets from will be helpful}?
• Will I be able to get a new job easily? And will it be a job that fits with my career goals?
• What will it look like on a daily basis to be an MBA partner?
• How easy will it be to make friends? As an aside, MBA programs are great in that nearly all of them have a partner and spouse club, so, since I won't be a student in the program, this will likely be my network.
• To what extent will I feel included in Dan's journey? I have heard that MBAs try to involve partners in as much as possible, but I obviously haven't seen this put into practice yet.
• Will Dan do a good job of prioritizing our relationship? We have had conversations about this, and, while he assures me that our relationship will be a priority, we are not yet in the middle of the process, so I am nervous.  I was reading some articles last night that suggested some helpful tips for navigating the MBA process as a couple.  On the other end of this, I need to remember not to make this all about me.  While the feminist in me may hate it, I am going to be in a complete support role for the next few years, and I am just going to swallow that pill.  Dan has assured me that he will follow me whenever I go to grad school, so I will have my time to make it about me and my dreams later on.
• Will the experience make me feel isolated? I know that I will have to call on my reserve of self-sufficiency over the next few years - I know that and am prepared for it going in. I know that there are going to be lots of demands on Dan's time that don't involve me, so it's all about how I manage those expectations.

General Thoughts:

• Leaving DC is going to be hard.  I have eight years of memories from living in this place, so I am trying to use the next few months to soak in as much as possible.
• It is going to be indescribably painful to leave family and friends. As much as both of us are ready for a new adventure, I can't help but think that this is the first part of the rest of my life. I will eventually get used to not living near my family and certain close friends, but I know it will take awhile for that to sink in. Similar to my favorite DC locales, I am trying to soak up as much time as possible with those I care about.
• I feel very vulnerable. I am so excited for this adventure that will begin the next chapter of our lives together, but there are so many question marks.  I am taking a huge leap, and I am not usually a person who leaps! I worry about how quickly I will find a job {and, thus, how long I will be without an income, and also whether that job will be a good fit for me}, how much I'll really get to see of Dan over those few years, how I will handle the loneliness.  There is also the big question of when we will get engaged.  One of my biggest doubts about this move is doing so without a ring on my finger, so I hope that that is something we will continue to have open conversations about over the next few months.
• In summary, I am not a person who deals well with change and uncertainty.  This MBA journey is one big ball of uncertainty.  So the best I can do now is to stay busy {which should be easy, given that work will get incredibly busy again in a few weeks} and soak up time with family and friends.  At the end of the day, I have a wonderful, loving boyfriend who wants me to be a part of this process, and, at the end of the day, this move is an investment in our future.

I know that was a lot, but that is really just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is flowing through my mind right now.  I know I will write more over the next few months about how I am feeling about these questions, and whether or not I have experienced any great epiphanies.  

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! We are doing a quick trip up to New York so I can cash in on my Christmas present from Dan, tickets to see Wicked!!!! I couldn't be more excited, because I have been wanting to see this play for YEARS. Literally, YEARS.  We're doing a nice little birthday celebration on Monday as well for my Mom, which will be nice.  Although she hates celebrating her birthday {she and Dan are alike in that sense}, I'm bursting  with birthday cheer, so she will celebrate it whether she likes it or not :-)

'Tis the Season

Okay folks, it's that time of year again, when I turn into a Christmas carol-singing five year-old who shrieks at anything glittery.   Today is a super depressing, gray and unseasonably warm day in DC, but I'm choosing to imagine that large snowflakes are falling.

Since it has obviously been awhile since I've written {I have a good excuse, I promise!}, I guess I owe you a recap.  Starting in mid-November, my life was hijacked by file-reading.  No joke.  I was reading during nearly every non-sleep-occupied hour, waking up at 4:40 every morning so I could still go for my run and get to the office at 7.  Sure, I was productive during the week-and-a-half that I was reading, but my quality of life was God-awful and I was so exhausted that I was kind of crabby.  You can imagine my relief when I got home from work the Friday before Thanksgiving and my sweet Dan, who had left to meet a friend for hh/dinner, left me some beautiful flowers and an encouraging note that reminded me that I was almost done.  At that point, I started to cry a little bit, both from the sweetness of the gesture and from exhaustion {probably more the latter}.  I'm hoping things will be a little bit easier in the next round, but I'm sort of doubting it…that being said, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my job and really enjoyed reading about all of these kiddos.  It was just a lot of intensity in a very short amount of time.

Anyway, because Thanksgiving fell so late this year, I was able to wrap up my file-reading just in time to head back to Pittsburgh with Dan for Thanksgiving!  I had been looking forward to the trip for a long time, since it was the first holiday that we have spent together, and, despite the fact that I missed my family {it really isn't the same whenever you spend a holiday away from your family}, I had a fabulous time.  Dan's family is relatively big on both his mom's and dad's side, and a good chunk of them live in Pittsburgh, so, when I counted, I met 14 new people, in addition to the members of the family that I already knew.  The family is hilarious and has a soft spot for family game nights, so what better ice-breaker than a game of Trivial Pursuit and watching home videos all together?! {As a side note, Dan was the cutest little kiddo!}.  We were able to sneak in some alone time, too, to watch a few episodes of Homeland, go to the Pens game {my first at Consol!} and head downtown to see the PPG tree and the Market Square Christmas Market.  I was definitely not super psyched to come back to work on Monday, but the length of the break felt just right.  I was able to catch up on some much-needed sleep and spend time with a wonderful and loving family.  I really did luck out in terms of Dan's family; they are such a great, enthusiastic bunch, and have welcomed me with open arms into the family, which I have appreciated so much.

For the next few weeks, we'll be doing all sorts of fun Christmasy activities {ice skating! sweets- baking! present-wrapping! carol-singing}, while hopefully coasting in to the Christmas break work-wise.  I do have to work for a few days over Christmas break, being that I am one of the newbies in the office, but it shouldn't be too bad.  I will be heading to NY for a few days for Christmas with my dad's family, and I am super psyched, mostly because there are two new babies in the family this year, one of whom I haven't met yet.  I think the Facebook photo stalking of these children has reached the point where I just need to see them already!  Finally, two weeks from today, Dan will have all of his MBA decisions on hand, and I couldn't me more excited {and, admittedly, nervous} for him!  It could put a damper in our Christmas dinner two weeks from today if he gets bad news…maybe should have planned that one better.  The thought that we could know in two weeks where we'll be next year is exciting and overwhelming at the same time.

Happy Christmas Season, friends!

Well, it's safe to say that fall is officially upon us! The hot summer-like days of a few weeks ago have given way to crisp fall mornings and evenings, which makes this New Englander happy as a clam.  We went to Larriland Farm out in Howard County on Saturday, and that made me feel as though fall had officially arrived.  We picked a huge back of delicious Stayman apples, as well as a couple of pumpkins and small gourds.  Of course, we had to get a jug of cider for Dan {interestingly, he prefers cold cider, and I like mine hot and with a cinnamon stick}.  The farm is a lot of fun, for those of you who haven't been, and is only about an hour from DC.  Be warned: we were one of the few young couples there without children, but I really enjoyed watching the kiddos experience fall delights as we ate our picnic lunch.  Last night, I made a delicious apple crisp with the apples, from a recipe that Dan's mom sent me.

Yesterday, Dan and I ran the Army Ten Miler, which was a great addition to our weekend.  I had been excited about this race since we signed up in May, and I was especially grateful to be able to run, particularly since, a month-and-a-half earlier, I was in a boot and was essentially immobilized.  The first few weeks of running post-boot were definitely no picnic, since I hadn't been able to do cardio in about seven weeks, but the payoff of being able to race was incredible.  Dan was a rock star {duh} and ran it in 1:04, and I clocked in at 1:17.  While I can't keep up with that speed demon, I was happy with the race and my sub-8 minute miles.  Our parents were along various points in the course, which is always good for a pump-up, and it was truly inspirational to see so many wounded warriors running.  There was also a blind runner near me for a chuck of the race who was running with a guide, who was actually more like a coach.  It was really touching to watch them, and you could tell that the guy was really grinding hard.  After two great races this season, I am looking forward to doing the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler and the Nike Women's Half next spring!!

Things at work are definitely picking up, so I was glad that we got to experience a fun fall weekend, and had some really nomalicious dinners {Bistro Bis on Capitol Hill on Friday, Ristorante Piccolo in Gtown on Saturday, and, of course, Mellow Mushroom last night}.  I've been enjoying the cozy nights of putting my pajamas on when we get home from work and sit on the couch watching my Sox in the MLB playoffs, snuggled under our blankets.  I missed my guy when I was traveling, so it sure is nice to be back home with him for the foreseeable future :-)

...Start Your Engines

I can now say that my summer is officially over, because tomorrow, I will embark on my first of three weeks of work-related travel.  I am definitely experiencing a wide array of emotions right now, from excitement that all of the planning I have been dong for the past month is finally coming together, to apprehension about how my first round of high school visits and alumni meetings will go.  I will be spending the next week in the Plains states {none of which I have been to, so yay!}, the following week in Texas, and, after a brief week back in DC, I will head off to New England for another week {twist my arm, New England in the FALL?!?!?}.

I truly have loved this job so far, so I am really looking forward to putting all of the information that I have soaked in over the past two months to the test.  I am really looking forward to meeting with students during the day and alumni in the evenings, and am hoping like I have never hoped before that I will not lose my voice.  Because, as I've said in the past, when I lose my voice, it's not one of those things where I lose it one day and it comes back the next.  The last time I lost my voice, I lost it exactly for a week :(  Here's hoping that lots of Vitamin C, Purel and tea with honey will keep me healthy and my voice strong!

I suppose the hardest part of these next few weeks will be feeling as though I don't have a home base.  Living out of a suitcase is a lifestyle that I'm not really used to, so I'll be interested to see how this goes. Also, it goes without saying that being away from Dan will be challenging.  I helped him sign up for his first Skype account, so hopefully we'll be able to talk in the evenings once I get back from my visits.  I keep telling myself, though, that I'll really only be gone for five days at a time, since, for each of those weeks, I'll be leaving on Sunday and coming back on Friday.  Feeling like I'll be missing out on spending time with friends and family has also been very much on my mind, especially since I have struggled since I have moved to figure out how to best balance spending time with friends and family, while at the same time giving my relationship the love and energy it deserves.  It is a difficult balancing act, and I would imagine it will grow infinitely more so once I jump into reading season.  But don't get me wrong, I am SO excited for the challenge, and be on the lookout for pictures once I return!

Tonight, I am cashing in on that home-cooked meal that Dan owes me.  I know he is perusing my cookbooks and my Pinterest account this morning to figure out what the heck to make, so I am excited to see what he comes up with!  The guy HATES cooking, mostly because he has convinced himself that he's not good at it, but I have every confidence that he'll do a great job!

Our Super Duper Lake Vacation

I had intended to do a post about the Lake...well, last week, after we got back.  Obviously, life got in the way, so I thought I would pound out a quick post now.  Our long {but, really, short} weekend at Winnipesaukee was everything I had hoped it would be.  We were blessed with THE MOST INCREDIBLE weather imaginable; high 70s, low 80s, not a cloud in the sky {other than when we needed a brief breather from the hot, mid-day sun}, and a soft breeze blowing, and dropping to the 40s and 50s at night.  Seriously, come on.  New England, you're such a flirt.

We all know that sitting around and "relaxing" is not at all my strong suit, although wearing the boot certainly forced me to adopt that lifestyle to a certain extent.  But really, there is nothing like laying out on our ginormous dock for hours on end, reading a book under a perfect blue sky and popping in the water for an occasional swim.  It really doesn't get any better.

Since we really were not on the island for very long {not to mention my mobility was limited}, we didn't really venture out very much.  My dad did take us on a real estate boat tour of the lake {not that we asked for one, but the man is a student of property values, so we humored him}.  I'll hand it to him, he knows where all of the "celebrities" live, although, I don't know that any of us would have the slightest idea if he was wrong.  But really, the best part of the weekend was that I was spending it with some of my very favorite people, and Dan said that it was great for him to be able to picture the place that I have talked about incessantly since, oh, about our second date.  I have a one-track mind, that's for sure.

Leaving the Lake has never been easy for me, particularly when we were there for such a short amount of time.  I also couldn't help but think that, what with the potential changes in our lives over the next year, this one may be our last at the Lake for a while.  I'm holding out hope that we'll make it back next year, mostly because letting go of a place that has been in your life since you were two years old is a tall order.  Every year, it feels like no time at all has passed when we arrive, which is perfect for a person who thrives on routine and consistency.  Other than the consistency, though, it is just SUCH a special place, and certainly makes up the fibers of who I am.

Side note: When my family was up at the Lake, baby bro found out that he is gainfully employed!!!!!! He achieved his dream of moving to NYC, and will be starting work next week! To say that I'm proud of him is an understatement.

Poor Dan endures trial by fire during Lake Golf, a game that, surprisingly, requires no golfing skill

Don't pretend you're not jealous

Rockin' the boot, lovin' life

Finish Line of the Wedding Season

Our wedding season has come to a triumphant end, and, I have to say, I'm a little bit disappointed that I don't have another wedding to look forward to in a few weeks!  This weekend, Trey, Dan's swimming buddy from high school, and his now-wife Ashley got married, and it was, in a word, wonderful.  The reception was at the same golf club where Dan's friend Molly married her husband Weathers earlier this summer, and it was really fun to be back.  Trey and Ashley did some things differently that made it seem as though we were at another venue, so hooray for them for accomplishing that feat!  There was a palpable amount of love in that room, and that, I think, is what makes for the best weddings.  I always enjoy spending time with Dan and his friends, and there was an added bonus at this wedding of his parents and some close family friends being there, so I enjoyed talking to them as well.  As usual, Dan's mom sent us home with several pounds of snacks, which we love her for!!

While I took the doc's advice and wore my boot at the wedding {and was complimented on my commitment to dancing despite the boot, thank you very much}, I definitely overdid it this weekend, between dancing and walking more than I should have.  My body is definitely telling me to slow down this week, so how convenient that I will be going to Winnipesaukee on Thursday, where I will do nothing BUT relax!!

Dan was very sweet and protective of me all weekend as I hobbled around the various wedding weekend events, whether it was helping me down flights of stairs or running back to the car for me to grab things that I had forgotten.  He is a keeper, that one :)  There's a funny thing about weddings, too, that you always fall more deeply in love with your significant other.  The hopeless romantic in me loves that about weddings...so, bring on the next wedding season!!!!!! We've already got three lined up for next summer {one of Dan's friends, one of my friends and two mutual friends}, so I'm sure the promise of those summer celebrations will get us through the dreariness of winter.

No Excuses

Hello there, folks! It's me, returned from the land of long-lost bloggers!  It has been an inexcusable amount of time since I blogged, but hopefully, once I summarize my summer for you, you'll forgive me.  The one excuse that I will attempt to give is that this summer has been so jam-packed with activity that, every time I have considered blogging, I have opted not to in the end.  If I'm not feeling it, I'm just not feeling it, and you wouldn't want me to feel burdened by what I'm writing for all of you, right?!?  So, in summary, my summer to date:

• So, Dan and I moved.  Over two months ago.  I love our little apartment {which our friends are seeing for the first time tonight...total fail on our part}, and, more than anything, I love living with my best friend.  Coming home to him is, quite literally, the highlight of every day for me, and moving in together was one of the best decisions we have made.
• As a side note, as much as I LOVE living with Dan, leaving Molly after our time living together was nothing short of excruciating. Sure, we have two fun places that we can now hang out in, but it isn't the same when you can't poke your head in your roomie's room and have girl time with them.  Also, although he insists otherwise, I can feel Dan's eyes of judgment as I nom on cookie dough, cake batter, or the raw form of whatever I happen to be cooking.  Now Molly, that girl doesn't judge and, in fact, sometimes partook in my gluttonous ways with me.
• A week after the move, Dan took, and aced {!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!} the GMAT!  I am so immensely proud of him, and can't to see where this journey takes us next!
• A week after the GMAT, we went to our first of four weddings for the summer, and, the deeper we got in the wedding season, the more I discovered that I just don't have the stamina for that many weddings!  The first was in Pittsburgh for Dan's friend from high school, and it was a wonderful {not to mention beautiful and classy in every way} wedding.  It was a great time, and I enjoyed spending time with Dan's HS friends.  Three weeks later, we were off on a jet plane to Chicago, and holy moley, did we ever fall in love with that city by the lake!  Obviously, I was on Cloud 9 all weekend, because Kristin and Kevin were getting married, and my love was there, AND my favorite ladies were there for our first reunion in two years.  I can't overstate how fantastic this wedding was, and it was such a wonderful experience to be a bridesmaid for my gorgeous Kristin.  It was an absolutely gorgeous wedding in a fabulous city.  Wedding #3 was for my cousin in NY in July, and it didn't disappoint.  It was a blast to see my family, and it was the first time that Dan was meeting many family members.  The wedding, again, was beautiful, and we remarked on the fact that all three weddings have been so DIFFERENT {or, as different as weddings can be}!  Our final wedding of the season is back in Pittsburgh next weekend {actually, at the same venue as the first wedding} for another of Dan's HS friends, and I am so excited.  He is also a groomsman, which, despite the fact that he begrudgingly has to wear a tux, will be so fun for him.  I'll be hanging out with his parents, who will be at the wedding, and all of the other significant others of the groomsmen :)
• I think I deserve a medal for how little I wrote about four weddings. Period.
• After 2.5 years in a job that I was beyond miserable in, I transitioned into a new role in July!  The new job is a similar type of office, and will afford me more opportunities to travel and utilize what I consider to be my best skills.  I am really enjoying the job so far, and will be traveling to my region- the Plains states and parts of Texas!- for a few weeks in September, followed by a week in New England in October. {Sidebar: when they asked me if I was okay with going to New England for a week, I almost laughed in their faces. My beloved New England. In the fall. Foliage. Cold weather.  NO-BRAINER}
• We have watched a lot of baseball this summer, from a trip to Baltimore to watch the Red Sox, to two back-to-back Bucs-Nats games {now THAT, I did not have the stamina for.  I was comatose midway through the second game as a result of still-lingering exhaustion from the previous night, so I had no chance the day after the second game}, to two Bucs games at PNC {with the second likely to come next weekend}.
• I have really been rolling up my sleeves and getting creative with cooking {read: baking with some cooking sprinkled in} this summer.  All I have to say is, thank God for Pinterest.  That is all.  And so, my "food bragger" tendencies have been stretched to the limit, as I document nearly every new item that I make.  Some highlights included homemade gnocchi {and yes, Dan was an excellent co-chef!}, and his recent birthday cake, which I made for his 26th birthday {!!!} last week.
• I had an interesting tubing trip to Harpers Ferry in July, during which we lost a person.  We did not literally lose him {meaning, he did not perish}, but he did have to swim to shore and faced a several-mile, shoeless walk.  I'll leave it at that. It was an interesting day.
• There have been way too many goodbyes this summer, with several good friends leaving DC for grad school opportunities.  Isn't it the rule that, if you lose people, you should get at least that many close friends back in your city???
• My friend Kate was doing a law school internship here in DC for the summer, so I suppose she counts as a temporary transplant to DC :-) It was a blast to have her here, especially since one of her M.O. is exploring new restaurants.  Kate, thank you for your foodie ways!
• Last weekend, Dan and I went to Kings Dominion, and I officially conquered my fear of roller coasters!!! I went on three upside-down roller coasters, thank you very much :p
• Two weeks from now, I am going to the LAKE!  Now, because of some obligations with my new job, I am not able to take a full week off, but I will get a long weekend.  Plus, Dan has signed on to come with me, which I am thrilled about.  Since we started dating {almost 2.5 years ago- yikes!}, it has been my dream to have him come to the Lake.  I swear, if the weather is crummy, I will be one cranky lady.
• I am sure that there are many major things that I am forgetting, but the moments that have stuck with me the most about the summer have been the little moments with family, friends and Dan.  To be surrounded by the people you love, man, there's nothing better!  I sure am a lucky girl :-)
• My summer obviously would not have been complete without yet another scintillating season of The Bachelorette.  I hate myself for watching it, but I literally can't stop.  Oh well.

Lastly, I am waiting for X-ray results, which will tell me if I have a broken foot {the probable result of overuse during my 40+ mile/week running binge of this summer}.  Keep your fingers crossed, friends, because those of you who know me will can attest to the fact that I am a cranky pain in the ass when I can't exercise.  I'm hoping it's something like tendonitis {plantar fasciitis, which would be only somewhat less acceptable, would be more expensive, as it would require that I purchase orthodics worth hundreds of dollars for my running shoes. No thank you}.  Also, I am registered for the Army Ten-Miler in late October, and it is my goal to run that race.  Just throwing that out there.

Anywho, I sincerely hope that I will blog sooner than two months from now, but, what with my work and personal travel schedule, I can't make any promised.  At some point, I will post some pictures that encapsulate my summer, but hopefully you enjoyed this longer-than-necessary post!

Everybody's Working for the Weekend

I am at work today, supervising some interviews, and thought I would share some quick thoughts from this week:

• Now that I'm back on gluten, my stomach has been going haywire.  I have done my best to limit my gluten intake, so I can't tell if the stomach discomfort has been due to my poor little stomach not being starved anymore or whether I may actually have a gluten intolerance.  Stay tuned, folks...
• I had my first Rent the Runway experience this week.  We received an invitation to Dan's friend's wedding in June and it is black-tie, so I knew I needed to buy a long dress.  My cousin Ashley works at RTR, so I had it in the back of my mind as a possibility.  I was able to find this GORGEOUS {and totally fierce} Trina Turk dress that I am beyond excited to wear for the wedding!  Plus, it was only $85 to rent, so that was a major win!
• My baby brother is graduating from college in two weeks, and I am a wreck.  I can't believe he won't be able to pop in to my office unannounced {not that he did that very often anyway haha} or grab lunch with me, and, while I'm so excited for him to go out into the world, I'm beyond bummed that he's heading to New York the first chance that he gets.
• Finally, last night was a very exciting night, because Dan's and my parents got to meet for the first time!  You may be asking yourself why it took over two years for them to meet, but the truth is that there was never an ideal time.  Now that Dan's parents are living down here, I hope we'll all be able to get together more often.  The dinner was really wonderful, everyone got along great {just like I knew they would}, and I even spied our moms exchanging numbers! I was so excited, mostly because I think they could both really use someone to pal around with, and go on walks and museums with.  It warmed my heart to see everyone together last night :)

I hope everyone has a splendid weekend! I wish I could be outside enjoying this gorgeous day!

1 MONTH!!

That would be one month until our big move!!! I have begun the process of securing the paperwork to move out of my current apartment, and have already reserved the elevators at the new place for our move-in weekend.  It is finally starting to feel real, and both Dan and I are counting down the days until we get to see each other every day!! Dan is also terrified by excited about the Google spreadsheet I put together that has a rough outline of what we have/what we need for the apartment, obviously broken out by room.  And yes, funny you ask, we did spend about five minutes last night debating the pros and cons of one DC-themed poster versus another...

In other news, screechhhhhh, slow down, because, a weekend before we move, my baby brother is graduating from college.  I have been in a deep depression about this fact for some time now, and that sentiment was deepened on Tuesday when we had our "Lake Family Dinner," which includes all five of the kids who go up to the Lake every year {all of us go/went to Georgetown, which, I admit, is rather cultish}.  Anyway, Tim, Jack and Patrick, all of whom are graduating this year {along with Alexa, Jack's girlfriend, who was also at dinner with us} were so depressing at dinner, because all of them were starting to get really nostalgic, with just a few weeks remaining in their college careers.  Suddenly, I was the "sage older sister," dispensing my advice after nearly three years in the workforce, and damn, was it tough for me to burst their fragile little bubbles.  I can still remember all of the optimism that I felt upon graduating, but that optimism soon turned to pessimism, and I haven't talked to a single person my age who didn't have the exact same experience.  The realization that you cannot change the world is a pretty depressing one.  Anyway, I'm hoping we'll have the chance to get the entire group together once more before the boys go their separate ways!

Finally, I am on the fence on a daily basis about whether or not to continue with the gluten-free thing.  I have yet to crack, but I'm getting pretty sick of the now-constant feeling that my stomach may be eating itself, and the lightheadedness that accompanies it.  Why people do this as a method of losing weight, I have no idea, because it is quite the miserable existence.  I want to make it at least a month {just to say that I did}, so that would put us at Tuesday.  I haven't made up my mind, though, because, by that point, I will have less than two weeks left.  I think it will depend on my state of misery that day.  He has been a trooper, but I think Dan will be relieved once this whole experiment is over because the incessant hangry {hungry + angry} whining will come to an end.  I'm taking suggestions for what my first meal back should be.  My frontrunners so far?  French Toast from Metro 29, pizza from District of Pie/Mellow Mushroom/2 Amy's, any kind of baked good, pasta {I've had a craving for Maggiano's gnocchi for a few weeks}.  I know that I won't be able to go too crazy right away, both for the sanity of my stomach and in the interest of fitting in to the dresses I am wearing to the four weddings we're going to this summer.

On the road again...

Since I have been so busy over the last few weeks, I have {shocker} been a delinquent blogger, but I have a few really fun weekend trips to catch all of you up on!

Two weekends ago, Dan and I did an overnight in lovely Sperryville, Virginia, at a really cute B&B near the base of Old Rag.  Despite the fact that they strangely did not have us down for a reservation {I was sitting next to Dan when he made the reservation online, so I could fully attest to the fact that he had made one}, they luckily still had the space to accommodate us, and offered us one of their cabin rooms adjacent to the house, which suited us just fine.  We were up at an ungodly hour for a Saturday {6:15, because we know how crowded these trail parking lots tend to get the later you depart} but were luckily able to have a farm-fresh breakfast before we left.  The hike through White Oak Canyon was difficult {5 hours long and very rocky, not to mention lots of steep uphill climbing} but beautiful, with several picturesque waterfalls along the way.  It was such a romantic getaway, and I appreciated all of the thought that Dan had put into it, from finding the B&B to zeroing in on a hike that he thought I would love.

This past weekend, we traveled back to Pittsburgh, where we hadn't been together in over a year.  Dan's parents were actually at home that weekend for a gala that they were attending, so we got to spend quality time with them.  Dan's mom absolutely spoiled me with gluten-free goodies, which is just one example of how thoughtful she is.  We were all kind of still reeling from the events in Boston, especially given the fact that the second suspect had been apprehended while we were driving, so we all stayed up watching the news.

On Saturday, we got to sleep in a little bit, which we both sorely needed, and then, along with Leslie, met up with Dan's grandparents for lunch.  It was my first time meeting them, and I had been excited to do so for quite some time.  They were so sweet, and it was such a treat for me to finally get to meet Grammy and Grandpa.  Afterward, we gave Mt. Washington another try {if you will remember, it hailed on us when we tried to get a panoramic view of the city from atop the mountain when we were in the 'burgh last year}, this time with a much more favorable result, and then wandered around the very impressive Andy Warhol Museum for the remainder of the afternoon.  I was threatening to break my gluten-free diet because of how badly I wanted to go to Dan's favorite Italian restaurant, but, in the end, I held fast and we settled for a delicious seafood dinner.  Then, we came home, immediately put on our pajamas, and kicked back with some drinks and cookies to watch the Pens game.  When Dan's parents arrived home from the gala, they found us watching home movies from when Dan was a baby.  Seriously, my heart was melting...he was such a cutie pie, and such a sweet little boy {not much has changed, since he's still handsome and sweet}.  Pete rolled his eyes, and Leslie was both shocked and impressed that I had convinced Dan to let me watch the videos.  

On Sunday morning, we went to the gym and then had a delicious frittata breakfast before heading to the Bucs game.  It was my first game at PNC, and it was so much fun! Dan's family has a share in season tickets, and the seats are incredible, seven rows behind the Pirate dugout, and with a great view of the city skyline.  We all got a little bit sunburned, a sure sign that we have our work cut out for us this summer by the pool, what with our pale, pale winter skin.

I could not have asked for a better weekend.  There is nothing better than a quiet weekend away to spend with the person you love, and I felt like I peeled back a few more Dan layers this weekend by meeting a few new members of his family and by watching baby videos of him.  I am so excited for all of the changes that will happen in just over a month when we move in together, and I can tell how psyched he is as well.  I can't wait to see my guy every day!!

Life Updates

I thought I would give you all a quick run-down of everything that has been going on lately in the District:

• Spring is *ACTUALLY* here! It is due to get into the 80s today, which suits me just fine.  However, it is amazing that Washingtonians get excited for weather like this, knowing full well that those hot-as-Hades days are just around the corner...DC just seems to have had new life breathed in to it, though, because everyone is outside, whether exercising, chatting with friends or socializing at a happy hour, and it just gives you the warm fuzzies!
• The cherry blossoms are sort of out! We went to see them this weekend {Dan, ever the boy, had never seen them in his 8 years of living in DC, so I told him that he wouldn't be considered a true Washingtonian until he had seen them} and there were very few buds.  Dan's description of them as "twigs" wasn't too far off the mark, because cooler days have kept those babies from blooming.  The next few days are supposed to be great in terms of blossoms, though!
• This gluten-free thing is totally kicking my ass.  I am starving all.the.time.  However, we're going hiking this weekend, so I'm picking up some certified gluten-free oats, honey, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and chocolate to make some homemade nut-free, gluten-free granola, and I'm excited to try it! I also bought some rice flour, so may try to do some baking and see how well gluten-free flour works as a substitute.  If I end up liking the recipe, I will post it!
• Speaking of hiking, this weekend is when I get to redeem my birthday present from Dan: a stay in what looks to be an adorable little inn and a waterfall-filled hike.  The forecast for Saturday looks great at this point, so I'm crossing my fingers for warm-ish temperatures and no rain! Hiking is one of my very favorite activities, so I'm so grateful that Dan enjoys it as well!
• Following my first outdoor brunch of the year over Easter weekend, my friend Lindsay and I did our first outdoor happy hour at Commissary.  People, I'm telling you, if you have not tried it, their veggie burger {which has a quinoa base} is TO DIE FOR.  Yes, it did hurt slightly to have to order it without the bun, but the awesomeness of the burger outweighed any sadness I felt.
• Oh, and, one last thing: WE HAVE AN APARTMENT!!!!!!!!! We went to visit two places on Sunday that I had already looked at, and, luckily, Dan and I liked the same one.  We I already can't wait to decorate, have an apartment-warming party, and spend lazy summer afternoons using the grills in the courtyard and lazing by the amazing pool, Daisy Buchanan-style.  We are moving in towards the end of May, and we are just giddy with excitement {okay, giddy is maybe not an emotion that I would attribute to guys, but let's just leave it at the fact that Dan is really excited too}.  The fact that we have an apartment and a move-in date makes it all the more real, and I can't wait to have him as my roommate in less than two months! Also, fun fact: as an adult, I will now have lived in DC, Maryland AND Virginia.  

I'm definitely in busy mode at work and in my personal life right now, but the weather is getting better, I only have 5 weeks left of this pesky gluten-free diet, and I'm moving in with the love of my life.  I'm not about to complain! 

Hunting

House hunting, that is!!!!  After several months of waiting, I can finally share, since family and close friends know, that DAN AND I ARE MOVING IN TOGETHER!!!!! I have been on Cloud 9 since we decided back in December that we were going to move in together once Dan's lease expired in May, but now the apartment search has finally begun, and it's all feeling so real.

This is definitely not a decision that either of us made lightly, because living together is a very significant step in our relationship.  Neither of us has ever lived with a significant other before, so we have thought long and hard about this over the course of our relationship.

I am so overwhelmingly excited to be able to wake up and fall asleep beside my best friend and love of my life every day, be there when the other gets home to compare notes on our days, not have to live out of a suitcase when shuttling back and forth between each other's places, and not have to say goodbye at the end of the night. I can't wait to live in a place that's ours, cook in our kitchen, lounge on our couch, spend our summer afternoons relaxing by our pool.   

Sure, there are parts of this next step that I'm nervous about, the primary one being the search process.  I have looked at a few apartments already {and have shortlisted a few}, and we'll be going to look at some others this weekend.  I think I will feel less unsettled when I actually know for sure where we'll be living.  And part of me worries that my extreme cleanliness and abundance of home cooking will be too much for Dan.

You know what, though? I'm so excited to embark on this adventure together, whatever joys and challenges it may bring!

A Quarter-Century Old

I finally have a moment to come up for air today after a VERY hectic week!  I thought I would write about the goings-on of the past week, since there were many of them.

I had a really tough week at work last week.  Work seemed to come flying at me all at once, and I definitely was not managing that stress well.  I had a meltdown of sorts on Wednesday night because of how overwhelmed I was by work stress {which was compounded by the fact that I was out of the office on Friday working a wedding}, stress about that wedding {my first as a day-of coordinator}, and stress tied to feeling like I was coming up short in my many roles- friend, daughter, sister and girlfriend.  Sensing that I am failing other people is definitely a feeling that I am very conscious of, but, during this meltdown, I had to remind myself that I can't always be everything to everyone.  There just isn't enough time in the day!  But, in moments when I am stressed about other things, that anxiety tends to resurface as well.  Poor Dan, he is such a saint for putting up with my stressed-out crying fits.  I don't like to let my work/life stress spill over to our relationship, because I know that it makes him sad to see me upset, but sometimes that just can't be helped.  I thank my lucky stars for that guy every day, I really do!

On Thursday night, I headed up to the Philly area after work for the wedding, and, due to a series of GPS mishaps, ended up driving for about 4 hours.  It was miserable, let me tell you, and I had my very patient and understanding parents on the phone for the better part of an hour-and-a-half trying to get me to Point B in one piece.  I ended up spending a LOT of time in the car on Thursday, Friday {when the wedding took place} and Saturday, both because of the driving time to and from PA and the fact that none of the venues were close to one another.  I think that was the most I have driven in the past five years combined haha!  Despite the fact that there are always unexpected things that come up at a wedding, it was a beautiful day overall and the couple was deliriously happy, so I would consider it a success.

On Saturday, Dan and I met up with Lauren and Molly at District of Pi for dinner.  Dan and I are obsessed with that place, and it was the girls' first time, so it was well worth it!  We then stopped off at Lauren's house before heading to Brass Monkey in Admo for some birthday karaoke.  Now, Brass Monkey has been one of our mainstays since graduation, but this was the first time, as we all stood around, that we noticed how downright grimy that place is! We concluded that the amount of alcohol that we had imbibed on previous visits had probably contributed to that oversight.  Our other observation was that the crowd seemed a lot younger {as in, either still in college or not far removed from it}.  It is tough to be hit by the realization that you're getting older!  Nonetheless, I felt so blessed to have so many wonderful friends there, and I think we got some solid karaoke in as well :)

Sunday, on my actual birthday, Dan and I slept in a bit before going on a run {I think I am the only person who requests going on a run when asked what they want to do on their birthday haha}.  We grabbed bagels  from our favorite bagel place, my last bagel run for awhile since I'm going on a six-week gluten-free diet a week from yesterday.  Blargh.  Then, we watched some basketball and Skyfall and later met up with my parents and Tim at Farmers, Fishers & Bakers, which I have raved about before.  It certainly didn't disappoint this time, bringing an absolutely delightful birthday to a close.  Not that he doesn't treat me like a princess all the time, but Dan was really the greatest this weekend.  I actually got upset because I don't like being treated to things haha, even on my birthday!  He got me an overnight hiking trip {not to worry, we will be staying at a B&B, not in a tent on a trail} out in the Shenandoahs, which shows you how well he knows me.  We have been in serious need of a getaway for awhile, and he knows how much I've been itching for a hike.  We're going in about 3 weeks, so I'm really psyched for that!  Overall, I was blown away, as usual, by the heartfelt messages and calls that I received on my birthday.  It made the day so special for me, and the fact that so many people reached out made turning 25 slightly easier {I may have fake snapped at Dan when he playfully suggested that I am almost 30 haha}.

Me and my ladies! Don't let this picture fool you, there were other guys there besides Dan.  He was just the only one who wasn't able to stealthily avoid my photos ;)

26.2

I promise, I'm still here!

People, March has been a BUSY month for me, so blogging just hasn't been in the cards for me.  Between being ridiculously busy at work and having lots of exciting things going on in my personal life, I just haven't been able to find the time to blog.  To give you a good idea, my last four weekends are as follows:

Weekend of March 2nd and 3rd: Anniversary celebrations!

Weekend of March 9th and 10th: Cuse game + cousin in town + lots of friends in town

Weekend of March 16th and 17th: MARATHON {and then doing a whole lot of nothing}
Weekend of March 23rd and 24th: Working a wedding + birthday + March Madness

Yes, FINALLY, the blessed event happened last weekend, the marathon I had poured my blood, sweat {lots of it} and tears {yup, some of those too} into for the past four months.  Even though I had run two half-marathons before, I was terrified on race day.  When I did my 22-miler two weeks prior to the race, I had felt myself starting to hit the "wall" that all marathoners talk about, which typically happens somewhere between miles 20 and 21.  I hoped that I would have just enough adrenaline to help me power through.  It didn't hurt that I had THE most incredible support team.  From the minute I had told him that I was running this race, Dan had been my biggest cheerleader, telling me how great I would do even when I was sulking after some miserable long runs.  I knew that Dan, my parents, and a few friends would be cheering me on along the course, and I can't fully convey how big of an emotional boost that was.  In short succession, from miles 13.5-16, I saw: my friends Alix and Lauren, my parents, my coworker, Beth and her husband, and Dan.  I had the biggest smile on my face as I ran by all of my people.  In general, though, race culture is so wonderful, because there are always residents lining the roads and cheering runners on. This race was certainly no exception!

Here's a look at the course.  For the most part, it was, mercifully, flat, but there was one hill in particular, the hill just before mile 6 as we exited Rock Creek Parkway and took an off-ramp up to Calvert St.  BOY, was that a steep hill.  Luckily, it was also brief, but I was dizzy and gasping for air at the end of it.  

But I digress.  This marathon was certainly not fun the entire time {I hit my wall at 21, but luckily, after taking the advice of a coworker and ingesting some M&Ms along with my Shot Blox, I got a HUGE burst of energy, which I can probably also attribute to the adrenaline rush of almost being finished}, but I learned, as I did throughout this entire process, how mentally tough I can be if I have to be.  Sure, I may cry at the drop of the hat and may occasionally be overly sensitive, but damn it, I pushed through all of my self-doubt and finished a marathon, and in pretty good time, no less!! My goal had been to finish in less than 4 hours, which obviously is not going to qualify me for Boston, but seemed like a reasonable goal given my pace and the fact that it was my first marathon.  While my goal was definitely just to finish, I think I would have been a little bit bummed if I had finished in over 4.  Well, my time was 3:53, so I was one happy girl!!!!!!!!

The greatest feeling {other than crossing the finish line and getting to stop running} was rounding the final bend and spotting my parents and Dan, all of whom were screaming words of encouragement to me.  At this point, the adrenaline was flowing and I was trucking it around that final turn, all smiles.  You would never know that I was in the final tenth of a mile of a marathon, right? HA!  When I had crossed the finish line and it was FINALLY over, I just stopped for a moment and put my hands over my face.  In that moment, I experienced the greatest sense of accomplishment that I ever have in my life.  I had set a goal for myself {and a difficult one that that, given the miniscule percentage of the world that has run a marathon} and accomplished it.  All of the training, all of the injuries, all of the early Saturday morning wake-ups to run, it was all worth it.  After hobbling over to them, I was finally reunited with Dan and my parents.  Seeing the pride with which they all looked at me only reinforced that sense of accomplishment that I was feeling.    I am also thrilled that running a marathon is now yet another bond that my dad and I share.

And the madness is not ending, friends.  Here's a brief rundown of the next few weekends of my life:

Weekend of March 30th and 31st: Easter weekend

Weekend of April 6th and 7th: Work event all day Friday and Saturday

Weekend of April 13th and 14th: Cousin in town + going on a birthday trip {more about this soon!}

Weekend of April 20th and 21st: Possible weekend trip to Pittsburgh, followed by a quick overnight visit from an out-of-town friend on Sunday night

I will post more next time about fun goings-on in April, May and June!

With my friends Jame and Lindsay, who also ran the marathon, prior to the race

My biggest supporter :)

Seeing my parents and Dan both along the course and at the finish line brought the biggest smile to my face.  I'm so lucky to have so many wonderful supporters!