'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!

Catching My Breath

Ladies and gentlemen, I am in the midst of my brief time at home, and let's just say it has been...relaxing.

My first two weeks on the road were wonderful.  I got to visit 40 schools, meet with countless wonderful students, college counselors and alums, and feel like a really effective ambassador for the school.  It certainly wasn't all roses; traveling for that long by yourself can be really freaking lonely {imagine spending night after night in a hotel room by yourself, going to bed early for lack of anything better to do}; eating regularly was not an option; there were certainly some difficult counselors and alums along the way; and, in my constant state of exhaustion, it was impossible to not miss Dan, my family and friends.  But you know what? I made it through in one piece {well, mostly- more on that in a minute}, and even had some fun in the process.  I got to cross some states off my list, and certainly got a taste of "Real America".  I am set to leave on Sunday for five more days, but this time I'll be in New England {New England in October...sighhhhhhhhh}.

I have actually been lying low and working from home for the past few days, because, on Sunday, I had a bit of a health scare.  I was planning to run back home from Columbia Heights after a lovely brunch with some friends.  However, a mile in to my run, I became dizzy, stuffy and nauseous.  I walked for a few minutes, but could tell that the situation was not trending positively, so ducked in to the nearest restaurant I could find.  I was violently ill, so much so that I called Dan, barely able to talk enough to tell him that I needed an ambulance.  Once they rushed me to the hospital, they determined that I was suffering from an infection that I had exhibited absolutely ZERO symptoms of.  I am sure that two hectic weeks of travel and germs, capped off by a crazy Homecoming weekend {when I had a wonderful reunion with some of my best friends, many of them in from out of town} did my immune system in in the end, making me more susceptible to an infection.  The incident really freaked me out, especially as someone who has grown up with food allergies.  I actually went back to the doctor today because of some potentially worrisome symptoms that I am still having, only to be told, pending the results of some tests, that the doctor thinks I am fine. It has been tough to continue to feel crummy without Dan here, since he is back in the 'burgh for the Buccos' wild card game tonight.  I have been doing a great job of feeling pretty sorry for myself while sitting at home alone all day being sick.  However, I have been VERY productive when it comes to work, and I am planning to try and head back to the office tomorrow.  Fingers crossed that I don't try to do too much too soon...I will post pictures as soon as my iPhone decides to let my pictures load onto my computer!

...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!

Andddd....cue collapse

This weekend was our first of two Admitted Student Welcome Weekends, which always turn out to be a bear for me.  Throw in another large project that already had me busy last week and you have a recipe for an UBER-stressful week.  I didn't know how late I would have to stay at work last week, so I didn't make any plans with friends, plus Dan was sick {he contracted that nasty little 36-hour stomach bug that is going around}, so my nights last week consisted of going home, eating dinner, and going to bed at 9ish.  Even with all of that rest, I pretty much collapsed once the event was over on Saturday night.  I apologized to poor Dan in advance for my extreme lameness, because I conked out and slept for about 11 hours on Saturday night.  Stressful weeks will do that for you, I guess!!

The best part about the weekend was going home to my guy.  Even though I was deliriously tired {seriously, I had spoken complete nonsense as I fell asleep on Friday night}, seeing him never ceases to bring a smile to my face, so I was glad to be able to spend some quality time with him after not having seen him all week.  Once I had had a few minutes to recover, we headed over to Thunderburger in Georgetown where, as luck would have it, we ran into my brother and his roommates.  We LOVE Thunderburger, because Dan can order a wide variety of burgers, and I can nosh on my beloved Rock the Casbah burger {a chickpea burger with yogurt sauce and tomatoes, with some sweet potato fries on the side...YUM}.  If you haven't been, you seriously need to go!  I started to nod off while we were watching Silver Linings Playbook, so we ended up finishing it the next day.  It was really quirky, but I actually loved it.  Seeing Bradley Cooper in a serious role was kind of surreal, but I still enjoyed it!

On Sunday, I hemmed and hawed from the time I woke up until the time I left for my run.  After the long weekend I had had, I was not in the mood for a 13-mile run.  But I told myself that there was not going to be an out on this one, so I sucked it up, hip pain and all.  It was by no means a fun run, and, once again, my stomach bothered me for much of the afternoon after I got back.  Boo :(  I hope I can get down to the bottom of what is ailing my stomach so that I can avoid that kind of pain after 26.2.  We had a truly lazy Sunday afternoon, watching the rest of Silver Linings, the latest episodes of Parks & Rec and Modern Family, and, finally, the Pens game, as I inhaled some pasta, the first thing I was really able to eat that day. 

I'm looking forward to what should hopefully be a much calmer week this week, which will include a Bachelor watch with two of my close girlfriends tonight!

My Pennsylvania Adventure

Okay, people, major fail on my part.  My life has been so hectic lately that blogging about my PA trip...and Thanksgiving...and last week... didn't happen.  Let's start with the PA trip.

I can't say enough how fantastic an experience I had on my very first recruiting trip.  I met some great prospective students, got to catch up with an old boss, spent some quality time with Dan's wonderful mom, and got to tour two great cities!  What more could a gal ask for?!

My train to Philly got in mid-afternoon on Monday, and I quickly checked in, did some work {I had been able to work on the train on the way up- thank you, Amtrak- but I still had some work that I wanted to get done}, and re-packed my bag to do a few minutes of exploring in the waning daylight.  I hit my main objectives, walking all the way around the beautiful City Hall and finding the Brotherly Love sculpture, so I was happy.  I walked around for far too long looking for a place to grab a quick dinner before the event, and ended up settling on getting some appetizers at McCormick & Scmick's.  I was reminded of the episode of How I Met Your Mother where post-breakup Marshall {back when he and Lily were on a break} and his equally pathetic guy friend decide to grab brunch together, because obviously brunching by yourself is just sad.  Well, as I thought in McCormick & Scmick's by myself, I thought that, although I was occupied with my book, I did not want to repeat my solo performance anytime soon.

At the event, I was able to set up at the table next to my old boss.  It was great to see her and catch up, as well as talk with some really qualified prospective students.  I returned to my hotel afterward and did some more work before nodding off to sleep.

I had a relatively early flight to Pittsburgh on Tuesday morning, so decided to take that as one of my days off from marathon training.  When I got in, I discovered that Dan really wasn't lying when he described how far the airport is from the city.  I wasn't expecting it to be a $45 cab ride away- eek!  I think I did a fairly convincing job of sounding halfway intelligent about the 'burgh when I was chatting with my cab driver, so that was a major win.  Once I got to my hotel, I met up with Dan's mom, Leslie, for what ended up being a fantastic afternoon. 

We went to a delicious restaurant near Market Square called Harvest, where we both ordered Butternut Squash Soup and Beet Salad.  Divine, simply divine.  Not to mention, the company was great.  I think I've said it before, but I can't overstate how much I lucked out with my boyfriend's family.  I absolutely adore them {at least, his immediate family, the only family members I've met so far haha} and it was so nice to have some girl time with Leslie.  She showed me all of the more cultural parts of the city, particularly where they go to the theater {Dan is not included in the theatergoing group haha!}.  I ended up needing to go back to my hotel for a few hours to do some work, but, since Pete was out of town, I think she was looking for entertainment as much as I was, so we agreed to meet up for dinner after my event, which suited me just fine!!  Before the event, I walked from my hotel {conveniently situation between Heinz Field and PNC Park on the North Shore} across Roberto Clemente Bridge, snapping pictures left and right, of course. After the event, which, although small, went well, I met up with Leslie again for dinner at a cute little Italian restaurant.  I just loved my day with such a sweet, thoughful lady.  I really think she and I are so similar in so many ways, so, even from the first time I met her, we didn't need to have Dan in the room to have something to talk about.  In fact, I think we largely ignored him the first time we met because we were so busy chatting!

On Wednesday morning, I did a little bit of work before going for a run around the city. I went about as far as I could have in the downtown area and got a six-miler out of it, so I was happy.  Boy, was it cold, though!!  I was telling Dan that I think that this marathon training is really going to toughen me up, because I'll HAVE to run when it's freezing outside {because, really, when it comes time to do my 20-mile training run, I'm not going to want to do that on the treadmill!}. On my way through the Pittsburgh airport, I stopped and bought myself a Pens shirt, because I was feeling like I needed some Pittsburgh sports apparel.  I was really happy to get back home and see Dan after my trip.  Even though I had only been gone for two days, it was so strange to be in his hometown and not have him there.  As I said, though, I had a wonderful time with his sweet mom!

Some pics from my trip:

Ah, love, ain't it grand

Downtown Philly

Market Square, Pittsburgh

Downtown Pittsburgh, as seen from the North Shore

A Little Bit of Kindness Goes a Long Way

I was really excited to come to work today because, at one point yesterday, a coworker popped into my office to ask me if I wanted to grab coffee this morning and just "catch up".  I think that this particular coworker is an absolutely wonderful person, so I was very touched by the gesture.  When we got to the coffee shop and grabbed our drinks, she wanted to just chat, not about work but about life in general.  The fact that she came to the office early to just chat with me about life really meant a lot to me, and it was nice to get the perspective of a slightly older coworker, who, I believe, thinks very similarly to the way that I do.  One thing that I value about my office is that my coworkers and I do take a genuine interest in each other's lives, and that is a quality that I would absolutely look for in another workplace (it's funny how, despite only being on my first post-college job, I have learned so much about the qualities that I value in an office!).  Anyway, it was a wonderful start to my day, and I look forward to hopefully being able to do that again soon.

I have also had a great week so far because of some of the feedback I have been getting at work.  Everyone involved in our event this weekend was so impressed with how it had gone, and my office superiors got very positive feedback from both the seminar participants and members of the partner organization, the latter of whom I worked closely with in the weeks leading up to the event, several of those weeks in the absence of my supervisor.  Something that I have learned about being in this job is to accept compliments graciously when they come, however uncomfortable I may feel when I am in that position.  I was showered with praise by several members of our team, and my boss even sent an email to the dean of the school in which she mentioned that my supervisor and I, who worked directly on this event, are "assets to the school."  The recognition of my hard work really has been a huge confidence boost, so I look forward to hopefully continuing to assume more responsibility!  We have a summer intern starting on Monday who I will be managing, and I think that should be a huge opportunity for professional growth for me!

I bet you're surprised that I wrote about work, right?!  I realized that I almost never write about it!  But this event was an exciting accomplishment, both for me personally and for our school as a whole.  Many participants said that, while we had not been on their radar before, they were so impressed with our school that they will definitely consider it when applying.  These are students we really want too!!

I also got to have a wonderful evening with Dan last night.  We made a mac & cheese casserole (if you lived with me in The Burrow, you will probably remember it), which is one of Dan's favorites, and watched reruns of How I Met Your Mother.  It was a far cry from the stress that we were under last week, which made me so happy :)  I have the day off on Friday, and I am looking forward to some outlet shopping with my mom during the day, and then a chill evening with Dan.  He is cashing in on the home-cooked dinner that he won when he beat me at mini-golf (which I still bear physical scars from haha- my wound is still swollen!), so it should be a nice, romantic, RELAXING Friday evening :)

Happier Girl

Unlike my last one, this post is safe to read :)  I survived hell week with a shred of sanity left, so for that I am grateful!  The event went well; there were certainly a few minor heart attacks, but everything turned out well.  The attendees were very grateful for everything that we did as hosts, and my coworkers were quick to praise and recognize all of the hard work that I (and my supervisor) put in to this event, so that was definitely a huge confidence boost.

On Friday night, after Day One of the event, I met up with Dan for a delicious Italian dinner at Paper Moon.  We both wanted something quick and delicious, as it was kind of on the late side for dinner, and this did not disappoint.  I was so grateful to even get to spend a few short hours with him on Friday, being that we had only had that one day together last week, after a tough day for both of us.  I was literally giddy with excitement when I met up with him after the event.  I was exhausted after the event, so conked out shortly after we started watching the recording of the U.S. Open golf tournament.  I would have attempted to stay up, but being that I had a 6:15 wakeup call looming the next morning, I knew that I needed some serious shut-eye.  He is such a champ for putting up with me on the nights when I have to be totally boring and go to sleep early because I have work events that begin early in the morning. 

It was definitely tough to be out and about and walking across the bridge at 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning, but I knew that I just had to make it through a half-day of the event.  As I said, there were a few blips, but overall, everything turned out well.  I briefly met up with Colleen after the event, and then went to the gym to blow off some serious steam (in actuality, it was a struggle to not pass out).  I napped for 45 minutes (if you know me, you will know that, however chronic my lack of sleep may be, it is almost never enough to entice me to nap.  This was the exception to the rule) before meeting up with Lauren in Georgetown.  We saw "The Nine Parts of Desire," a play originally written by an Iraqi-American playwright and acted in by American actresses.  When we saw it, it was peformed in Arabic by an Iraqi woman, and there were English subtitles on a screen behind her.  She depicted the lives of ordinary Iraqui woman, attempting to convey their constant pain and suffering.  It was definitely a powerful play, but, although Lauren speaks some Arabic, we both agreed that we felt as though there had been a lot lost in translation (meaning that she was actually saying more than that which was translated into subtitles).  I am glad that we saw it, but, given how exhausted I still was after the event, I was eager to leave, even though we left in the middle of the post-play discussion.  We ended up meeting up at Tombs with Dan, and it was, as it tends to be in the summer, empty.  That was nice for us, as it afforded us the chance to take our pick of tables, which you just can't do during the school year, but, at the same time, it was bizarre to see it so empty.  I hadn't been there to go out since Dan and I went last summer for a quick drink, so it was nice to be back in my former second home :)

On Sunday morning, the tables were turned, as Dan left before 7 for an 8:30 tee time.  My parents picked me up at 9 so we could spend Father's Day with my grandparents.  My dad and I went for a nice hike up and down the ski slopes (the inclines and declines were DEFINITELY steep.  I am SORE today!!!) and then we hung out at the pool for a bit.  We had dinner and headed home, and I literally went right to bed, as we didn't make it home until almost 10.  I felt so blessed to be able to spend Father's Day with two of the most important men in my life, my dad and Grampsy.  I have said it before and I will say it again, I am infinitely lucky to have my family so close by, and I cherish the time that I get to spend with them.  We are going up to NY to see my dad's family in July as well, which I am very excited for, as I have not seen them in a long time.

I am looking forward to what will hopefully be a more relaxing week this week!!!

Whirlwind Welcome Weekend and Slothlike Sunday

Hi everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

My weekend was ohsobusy, as usual, only, unlike most weekends, this one included one of our work events, the Welcome Weekend for admitted students.  These events occur twice a year and are always a bear, particularly because I do much of the prep work leading in to the event.  That meant that every day last week was filled with Welcome Weekend-related work and, thanks to some later nights out than I had planned, I was gased by the time we got to Friday morning.  I made the poor life choice to get up at 4:40 so I could be on the treadmill by 4:55, which, I know, sounds crazy, but, for those of you who know me, you'll recall that I go to great lengths to get my daily workout in.  Well, as a result (and a result of those late nights), the day was one long struggle to stay awake.  However, I knew that I had an evening with Dan to look forward to at the end of the long day, so that was the thing getting me through it all.  Luckily, everything went really well the entire weekend, so there was nothing to be concerned about!

Dan and I watched the Pens game, which I would normally have been completely interested in if I weren't already half-asleep.  So I fell asleep- literally, conked out- during the third period, and if he had kept all of the lights on, turned the sound on the TV up and cursed as the Flyers pulled away, I doubt I would have noticed. Apparently I also almost elbowed him in the head just as he was getting into bed and I made a move to turn over.  I do some pretty wacky things in my sleep, so I feel like I spend a lot of time apologizing as he recounts my latest antics haha. 

I woke up nice and early again (though not AS early) on Saturday for Day 2 of Welcome Weekend.  Again, everything went off without a hitch, and part of what I love so much about events is seeing everything you worked so hard on come together, especially in the context of our events, when we get to see admitted students interact and maybe start new friendships.  It really is so rewarding.  I was too exhuasted to deal with public transportation that day, so I cabbed home.  Luckily, Dan was golfing until late, so I got a little while to decompress before we met up with two of his Georgetown swimming friends.  Even though I felt like I was on the verge of passing out, I was somehow able to rally, and we actually didn't end up going to sleep until 3 or so (how I mustered enough adrenaline for that, I have no idea).  I think it's because I enjoy James and Lindsay's company so much.  It ended up just being the four of us towards the end of the night, which I loved, because they are such an awesome couple to double-date with, since I genuinely enjoy both of them and I think the four of us get along well.  I recalled later that I met them for the first time on the cooresponding weekend last year, because I remember thinking last year, 'Damn it, I'm exhausted, and now I have to go and be charming and meet Dan's friends.'  I guess they liked me enough!  Despite the fact that I started the evening off well by walking into a wall in the hallway of my own apartment building, resulting in laughter and mock-judgmental looks from Dan (okay, I also laughed at myself, since I was past the point of taking myself too seriously), I actually hung in there, and felt fine.  We tried out a place called Irish Whiskey on 19th Street, which was really cool and low-key, exactly what I needed that night.  As much as the dance music coming from Mad Hatter called to me as we walked by, I couldn't bring myself to dance.

On Sunday morning, we moved VERY slowly after our late night (also, another Kristen sleep adventure: I got a charlie horse in the middle of the night, but, not wanting to wake Dan up, and, in my state of exhaustion, not initially realizing what was happening, didn't make a noise or jump out of bed to get the cramp to stop), but then went for a run outside.  It was funny; before I even saw what Dan was wearing on our run, I instinctively reached for one of my We Are Georgetown shirts.  He emerged from the bathroom and said jokingly, "Oh no, I don't want to be one of THOSE couples [that dresses alike]," so, as a compromise, I reached for a pair of Georgetown shorts.  As usual, I struggled on the Mass Ave hill (I need to step it up and get good at hills, especially with our half marathon coming up soon- yes, you read that correctly, OUR!  Dan is going to run it with me, meaning I'll meet him at the finish line about a half-hour after he finishes haha), particularly since it was about 80 degrees.  We came home and watched TV and ate a nice coffee cake breakfast, and, after he left, I ignored my desire to go play outside in the beautiful weather and took a three hour nap.  My body was definitely trying to tell me something, and, unlike my typical ignoring of my body's signs of exhaustion, I just let myself sleep.  I of course couldn't fall asleep later, because I tried to go to bed about 2.5 hours after I woke up from my nap, but at least I kept my eyes closed so that I was "resting my eyes"?  Here's hoping for some more sleep this week!  And I have my grammy's 80th birthday shindig to look forward to this weekend in West Virginia, so I'm hoping for some nice, relaxing family time!