A Very D.C. Reunion

CAKKEEEEEEE
Beautiful friends
What we do best
Hail o Georgetown alma mater...back where it all started

We all know how I feel about reunions. As the resident sap of my friend group, I am the one who insists on regular Skype dates and reunions as often as possible so that I can see my beloved friends, whether virtually or in person. Our little group has been coined by a friend of a friend as the Ya Ya Sisterhood, and I think that is a reasonably good estimation of how close all of us are. As I have said before, I am so grateful for my experience at Georgetown for so many reasons, one of the principal ones being that I had the opportunity to meet better friends than I ever could have imagined.

My reunion in Chicago with Allie, Kate and Kristin was, as I described in a previous post, everything I could have imagined. I had unadulterated free time with some of my best friends exploring a brand new city, so there really wasn’t anything I could complain about. Saying goodbye at the end of that visit was certainly difficult, but, like with our goodbyes after graduation (which, granted, given the finality of the end of college, were decidedly more teary), we knew that we would be seeing each other again in just a few short weeks. In the case of graduation, we knew that the weekend of June 12th, Kate’s wedding, would bring a reunion of epic proportions (it more than lived up to the hype!), and this time, we knew that we had Reunion/Birthday weekend to look forward to.

We figured that, with my birthday on the 24th, Kate’s on the 28th and Molly’s half-birthday on April 1st (as well as Alexandra’s actual birthday on April 9th), that gave us a great excuse for a weekend-long reunion. Our friends traveled in from far and wide (Alex took the train down from NYC, Kate DROVE 747 miles from Columbus (the winner for distance!), Kristin flew 660 miles from Chicago and Allie flew 522 miles from Ann Arbor), and what ensued, unsurprisingly, was a sappy, nostalgic reunion weekend that I can only think of one word to describe: perfect. We took one big walk down memory lane this weekend, beginning with a pre-birthday dinner (this was just me, my dad and Tim) at Tombs—on what happened to be Chimes Night!!!!! I had, shockingly, never been before, and was thrilled to be there.

We had a delicious birthday dinner on Thursday night with the people who were in town (Molly, Lauren, Kate, Katherine and Joelle) in what started off our weekend of gluttony. I had decided to give myself a dispensation from my no-sugar Lent for the weekend, a decision that I definitely came to regret on several occasions throughout the weekend. I had decided to take the day off on Friday so that Kate, Molly and I could run errands and not have to eat into our time with our friends to rush to and from the grocery store before the party on Saturday. The highlights, though, were when we met up with everyone (minus, Allie, who had a later flight) for dinner at Tombs. I know, twice in one week, I’m starting to sound like my 99 Days self! There were a few tears shed over being back in the place where so many of our senior year memories took place, and I know some girls who couldn’t have been happier to munch on their first Southwest Chicken Salads in nearly a year. After dinner, we went back to Molly’s apartment to gab, eat (claro) and watch Gilmore Girls, an old standby. Once Allie arrived, the reunion was complete!!!!

On Saturday morning, we schlepped over to Eastern Market in search of a brunch locale. Unfortunately, Belga, the delicious Belgian place that Lauren and I so love, wasn’t able to accommodate so large a group, so we ended up finding another restaurant. Following our yummy brunch, we wandered around the market, ogling the jewelry, pictures and other wares and fulfilling our fruit quota for the day with the free samples in the farmer’s market. We then ventured over to the Tidal Basin (despite some hesitation on my part, as I feared it would be a mob scene during the first weekend of the Cherry Blossom Festival) to take in the GORGEOUS cherry blossoms. We were glad to have gotten a look at them, because we knew snow was in the forecast for Sunday morning (yikes!!!!) and we didn’t know if the blossoms would survive.

On Saturday night, we had a bunch of people over for cake, and then met up with the bulk of our group in Adams Morgan at Brass Monkey/Peyote Café for karaoke. As usual, we impressed ourselves with our superior song choices that set the tone for the evening (we essentially pulled out 80s hits like Don’t You Want Me, Don’t Stop Believin’, Sweet Child of Mine, Total Eclipse of the Heart and, of course Your Love- I think the latter may have to be retired though, because, even though it is my ALL-TIME favorite song/go-to karaoke song, I think others are beginning to get sick of it!!!). It was hard to have a really sustained conversation with any one friend, as I was flitting between friend groups as well as singing, but I just felt so blessed to have so many wonderful friends there, both local and long-distance. When we arrived back home at around 3:15 (a reasonably late night for us!), we rehashed the night and how wonderfully the weekend was going.

We made our way back to Georgetown on Sunday morning for brunch at Martin’s Tavern, and then indulged in the cornerstone of our nostalgia, a trip to campus. There were tears…oh, were there ever tears. I said to each of my out-of-town friends, “Welcome Home,” because that’s what Georgetown is to us: home. It is the place where our friendships with each other blossomed, and, no matter what our walks in life, where we’re living, what we’re doing with our lives, we will always share that special place and the memories that we made there. Fittingly, we ended the weekend all together with a trip to Baked & Wired (down with Georgetown Cupcake!) and further gorged ourselves on sweets. When Allie and Kristin caught a cab down by the waterfront to head to the airport, we all gave each other the biggest of hugs, ended with a ginormous group hug and a “Ya Ya!!!” cheer (we must have thoroughly freaked out the cab driver) and parted ways.

After Mass, Kate, Molly, Lauren and I went to Dukem, one of Lauren’s and my favorite Ethiopian restaurants, for Kate’s birthday dinner. Since today is her 23rd (HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATE!!!!!!!), she wanted to try a kind of cuisine that she had always regretted not trying while in DC. Understandably, it didn’t disappoint, and we topped it off with the rest of the birthday cake when we got home. Kate and I got up for a much-needed workout early this morning (she got a taste of my morning routine- I think the 5am wake-up may have been a little bit of a shock to her system!) and got to enjoy each other’s company for a little while until I could no longer evade reality and had to head out to work. Our goodbye was so bittersweet, because, on the one hand, we had just spent the perfect weekend all together, but, at the same time, God only knows the next time we will all be together like that. My vote is to go to Austin next year once Kate and Dave are settled there (I’ve never been to Texas, and have just heard amazing things about Austin!), but the new reality, the reality that we won’t all be seeing each other every day, is downright depressing! I have to believe, though, that our commitment to our friendships can transcend distance and that we can still take an active interest in each other’s life developments even if we’re not a room away. With sisters, you can really never stop caring…

A Very Chicago Reunion

I bought myself two things when I got my job: a pair of Tory Burches, which I had been lusting after for four years, and a plane ticket to Chicago to visit my friends. We all know that I have issues with separation anxiety, so, rather than spend my money on things I don't need, I decided to spend it on something that would lead to the creation of lifelong memories (pause for awwwwwing). This trip really had been a long time coming: I had seen Kate twice since the wedding (once when I traveled down to Columbus in July and once just before Christmas), Kristin once (over Christmas break) and Allie not at all since the wedding, so a reunion was definitely necessary. Not to mention the fact that both Kristin and Allie were on spring break, both happened to live in Chicago (Kristin lives and goes to school there, and Allie's parents live there in a GORGEOUS apartment), and Kate and I were badly in need of some time with our girlfriends. Put all of that together and you have an all-out lovefest!

We all remarked that, while we saw and did a lot (including a 5 1/2-mile walk on Tuesday as we traipsed all around the city, up and down the Magnificent Mile, to the Navy Pier and back- it's a good thing, too, because it helped offset the Cake Shake from Portillo's, gourmet hot chocolate from the Ghirardelli store, and all of the other decadent food we consumed on the trip (I also thanked God for the fact that both A & K's apartments had gyms)), the pace was not overly frenetic. We really listened to ourselves; if we were tired, we ducked inside a coffee shop or a restaurant, out of the cold late February cold, and chatted up a storm. We regaled one of Allie's law school friends with our debaucherous tales from the wedding, and spent a lot of time in general rehashing our last few months all together.

All in all, I really loved Chicago. Don't get me wrong, I could never live there because of the weather (I rarely took off my down coat all weekend, even when indoors- I guess that's what you get when you have bad circulation!), but boy, was it a cool city. It definitely had a bigger-city feel than DC does, but the neighborhoods, at the same time, were really distinct. I loved the architecture throughout the city, which was really showcased nicely for us when we went up to the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock Building. As we sat there sipping our overpriced (but tasty) cocktails (really, you're paying for the experience, so it was fine), we were just in awe of how beautiful and expansive the city looked from up there. It was the perfect activity for our last night, and naturally the conversation turned reflective and sappy- it really was an all-out lovefest during which we all spoke to how blessed we felt to have such incredible friends and the means to be able to see each other like this, halfway across the country for Kate and I. Of course, there were tears (mostly on my end, claro), but it all comes down to the fact that I feel so incredibly lucky to have this group of friends in my life. I told all of them that, having grown up around Georgetown people thanks to my Dad's continued involvement there and already-strong network of friends, I had high hopes for the friendships I would hopefully make while on the Hilltop. The friends I made completely exceeded my highest expectations, and I have no doubt that, even if we are not in each other's physical presence every day, as we had become so accustomed to as undergrads, we still love and care about each other so much that we WANT to stay dialed in to each other's lives, and we WANT to go visit each other in our respective cities (I'm super-psyched to visit Kate when she moves to Austin!!!!!). So I think "blessed" is the most appropriate word to describe how I came out of the weekend feeling.

I can't WAIT to see all of the girls in exactly three weeks for BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!!!!!!

Rankings and Unconditional Love

Last week, we had a staff meeting that I was expecting to be much like other staff meetings- that is to say, not incredibly exciting. I knew we were going to be talking about rankings, because the Financial Times just released their 2011 Global MBA rankings, so I was expecting it to be a strategically-themed meeting about how to further boost our rankings.

However, I was so pleasantly surprised by the meeting, and found that it gave me some food for thought. First of all, although Georgetown did not move in its international ranking (it held strong as the 38th-ranked MBA program internationally, which, in my opinion, is not too shabby!) it jumped in domestic rankings from 19th to 17th, so that is certainly something to be proud of. The interim dean of the program asked if the students had had any sort of reaction to the news, and the general consensus among those who deal with the students the most is that they couldn't care less. That got me thinking about what effect, if any, rankings have among members of the student body. The Assistant Dean of Student Services said that, when the students are satisfied with what they are getting out of the program and feel like it is working for them, they largely ignore the rankings. It is only if they have just gotten back an assignment that they feel has been graded unfairly or have perhaps had a difficult interaction with a classmate that they gripe about rankings.

I then thought about my own undergraduate experience at Georgetown, since I can't claim to have had a particularly strong reaction to our MBA program's ranking jumping (even though I work in the program and a change in ranking is a reflection of not only my work but the work of my entire team, I don't consider myself to be someone who is overly obsessed with rankings). I remember when I was a senior in high school and was weighing the pros and cons of each of the schools I was considering. Sure, all of the schools I was looking at were what one could call "top tier" or "very selective" schools, but rankings certainly did not play into my decision about which school to attend. It was when I came to campus one rainy weekend in April for GAAP weekend that I first truly fell in love with Georgetown, not as a place I had visited so many times as a child thanks to my dad's continued involvement in the University, but as a place that I could see becoming my home. Like I said, ranking did not factor into my decision at all, and once I set foot on campus as a student, any sliver of concern with rankings melted away instantly.

In short, I think that your educational experience is what you make of it. Yes, it certainly helps to be surrounded by world-class faculty, staff and students, with a rich variety of course offerings to choose from that enable you to truly grow, but I think that your educational experience largely comes down to what you make of it. For me, Georgetown was a special place because of how accessible the faculty and staff were, giving me the sense that my professors saw me not as merely a number, btu as a fresh young mind that was ready and willing to be shaped under their tutelage. Even members of the administration, most notably Dr. Daniel Porterfield, a close family friend, take such an individualized interest in students that you marvel how they can be so high-functioning in their jobs when they devote so much time to individual students. I counted myself lucky to be surrounded every day by superior students (the first week of classes freshman year was truly humbling for me, as I realized that I was surrounded by high achievers, some higher than myself), but some of these students became my closest friends. So many people touched my life at Georgetown in a variety of ways, and I feel so lucky to have been surrounded by such an exemplary group of people.

I often got the feeling at basketball games that I was a part of something bigger than the individual. The coming together of the University community in support of a common goal (no matter how lackluster the student section may have been) was an intoxicating feeling, and I found myself stopping for a moment to soak in all of the Hoya love that saturated Verizon. I think that this spirit also extends to the alumni community. One of the things that initially attracted me to Georgetown was the exceptionally passionate and connected alumni base, which includes, but is certainly not limited to, my dad and his closest Georgetown friends. To see the boyish grin spread across my dad's face each time he sets foot on campus or munches on a Tombs burger and Tombs Ale is enough to bring the happiest of tears to my eyes, because that alumni loyalty is not something that you find at every school.

I took a different route to work on this Saturday morning, since GUTS buses weren't running early enough to get me to work. As I walked up P St. towards campus, I had a pang of nostalgia for the times that I used to walk regularly through Georgetown. I walked on P St. so many times this summer as I walked to and from the pool from my house. When I passed by that house this morning, I thought of all of the happy memories that I have from the few months (the beginning of last June through the beginning of August) that I lived there. Then, as I entered main campus and gazed at the spires of Healy, I felt such an overwhelming amount of unconditional love for the place, and the people that I associate with it, that has enriched my life more than I ever thought possible. Since it was so early on a Saturday morning, campus was completely silent, and I was hard-pressed to find anyone else walking around, so it was kind of like I had campus all to myself...and it was oddly comforting. Go ahead and laugh at me for yet another sappy Georgetown moment, but I know that, during my four years at Georgetown, I, and all of my friends, came to embody the spirit of cura personalis. In fact, in my current job, when people ask me what I like about Georgetown, cura personalis, the education of the whole person, always makes the list. Nothing I could say, though, could ever fully put into words everything that my time at Georgetown has meant to me. I feel lucky every day that this is where I went to school and where I continue to work. Who knows, maybe I'll turn into, as Lauren and I have discussed, a "lifer"!!!!

Bonne Année!!!

I know this is cliché, and everyone (including myself) says it EVERY YEAR, but where the hell has this year gone?!? 2010 has been an up-and-down year, which I think that any recent college graduate can relate to, if for no other reason than the fact that so many HUGE life changes have been packed into these past twelve months. I thought I would use this post to take a stroll down memory lane and look at some of my favorite 2010 experiences. I've been curled up on my couch for the past couple of days, watching the snow fall outside, with plenty of time to work on this (lengthy) post. Don't say you haven't been warned!!!!! Voilà my highs of 2010 (in chronological order), complete with pictures for the added effect (CLARO):

1) The Duke game: Well, that certainly lived up to the hype. I am very much of the school that maintains that every game is a big game, so I was trying not to get unnaturally excited about this one game. But it was so hard not to get into the spirit of things, what with the flyering around campus that week, the hype surrounding our impending campout, and the promise of a presidential visit to Verizon. Well, the campout was, well...COLD. I’m not going to sugarcoat it: even with about eight layers, plus handwarmers and feetwarmers, I was miserable, from the time my friends and I arrived at 11:30pm the previous night to when they let us into the building at about 11am the next morning (for a 1pm game). I remember how exciting 5am was when the McDonalds (the sketchiest place on the planet) opened up, because that meant I could get a hot chocolate and get in out of the cold for a few minutes. By the time the late morning hit, the line for the student section stretched several city blocks, and even people who had absolutely no interest in basketball were caught up in the excitement of the day. Was it worth it? Uh, YES. Standing mere feet away from Mike Krzyzewski, who really does look oddly devilish, and watching a game in which we played out of our minds and won 89-77. Yeah, I would say that January 30th was a pretty good day. I almost started crying from exhaustion as the Circulator slowly attempted to navigate the snowy DC streets back to Georgetown (it had started snowing about an hour before they let us into the building), and I was asleep before my head hit my pillow, not to awaken again for another 14 hours. But yes, the energy of the fans, the hype leading up to the game, and how amazingly we played, that made all of it worth it. I tell people that, since I missed Inauguration in January of 2009 while I was abroad, this frigid campout was my equivalent of Inauguration.
Mr. President himself, trying his hand at commentary!

Tent city outside Verizon. We got there at 11:30 the night before for a 1pm game, and we were NOT the first ones there!

2) Snowmageddon/Snow Week: People Magazine, in its 2010 recap issue, had a section on the catchphrases of 2010. One of those? SNOWMAGEDDON: “the term used to describe epic snowstorms- like the Feb. 6 blizzard that dumped some 30 inches of snow on Washington, D.C.” Don’t get me wrong, I loved the shout-out to DC, but it didn’t even come close to capturing how absolutely amazing that week was. Beginning with DCAF, the trek across Key Bridge to a friend’s apartment in Chinatown (where I wisely decided to stay the night before the game), the Nova game (with its shockingly high turnout considering DC was in the throes of its greatest blizzard in a quarter-century) and Senior Auction, that first weekend was epic. Add to that the fact that we did not have school (or work, for some of us!) for an entire week and you have the recipe for the Best Week Ever. Little work was done, much to the dismay of our professors, unless you consider pretending to work on your thesis in Lau “doing work.” Each afternoon, we would do the minimum amount of work necessary on the off-chance that classes would resume the next day, but once we got the broadcast email that the University was closed for yet another day, a resounding cheer went out that could be heard all across East Campus, and my friends and I quickly dashed across the street the secure ourselves a table at Tombs and keep the procrastination going for another day. I can picture myself telling my grandchildren about that week, because I don’t think I’ll experience anything like that ever again (although God knows I would gladly accept another blizzard of that caliber!!!!!!). Perhaps the most important contribution to Snow Week? An email from Provost O’Donnell, entitled “Snow, closing, coping” urged us students to flock to “Lauinger Library, that beacon of our commitment to learning and inquiry.” There was speculation among many that the Provost had been drunk out of his mind when he wrote it, although when I picture him typing it, I picture him sitting in his study, in front of a roaring fireplace and with a cup of coffee beside him at his desk, gazing out the window and drowning in tears because of the loss of another day’s worth of learning. That email was an inside joke for the rest of the year, and I think many of our parents were genuinely confused (I know mine were) when it was brought up at Convocation and then again at graduation.
View from 36th and N the day after Snowmageddon (storm #1 of the week)

3) 99 Days: Sure, it was just a bar challenge, but, as many of you know, the choice to participate in 99 Days was one of the best decisions I made during Senior Spring. I spent an insane amount of money throughout this process, but I gained so much more: a wonderful group of new friends that I might not have met otherwise, and a familiarity with the staff that still results in a slew of “Hey Kristens” when I revisit my old haunt. Sure, there were some low points (the night after the Cuse loss was rough, to say the least, and my 22nd birthday party was apparently not one of my best nights), but it was where our team racked up- count ‘em- FIVE trivia wins and where I had so many wonderful nights of dancing and drinking with friends. The last day- graduation day- was really bittersweet; I went in with my cousin Amy and ordered a Hoya Blue, which was such a nice bookend to 99 Days (I think I also got a lemonade, since shots don’t count!). I went back the next day to make it an even hundred, and, while I now spend a fraction of the time at Tombs that I once did, it still brings back fond memories every time I go back. Also, when the plaque arrived a few weeks ago (it was actually supposed to arrive in time for Homecoming, but there was an inexplicable delay), Miguel, one of my favorite bartenders, told me that I was the first 99 Days member to see it (it had arrived earlier on in the day, and I just happened to be there for dinner). I’ll have that to remember my experience by now, and I’m sure I’ll have to stop by and buy my brothers the obligatory birthday drink when they each turn 21 next year :)
Some friends I made during 99 Days

4) 22nd Birthday: Despite the fact that it ended in a level of drunkenness and blackout that I hadn’t experienced since my 21st, that entire birthday week was so much fun, mostly because it was also Kate’s birthday week. It was so nice to have someone to share a birthday week with, and I had an absolute blast at our joint party. Of course, there were a slew of embarrassing moments and hilarious stories from that night (I don’t think we’ll ever forget the time that Molly ladroned my beloved gold flower bracelet and, when someone informed me of this when I was getting sick, I momentarily looked up and said, “bitch”). It was also kind of bittersweet because it was probably the last birthday that I’ll have with all of my friends in one place.
My lovely roommies and I at Phase I of Kate's and my joint 22nd birthday party

5) Dip Ball: This was the first time that my friends and I had gotten really glitzed up while at Georgetown. I had spent days poring over dress websites over Christmas break and had found a beautiful gunmetal gray, grecian-style dress with a little bit of sparkle on the bodice (claro) that I fell in love with. Despite the fact that the heels had to be removed mere minutes after arriving at the Maison Francaise, it was so fun to put on a pretty dress, blingy jewelry and do the full hair and makeup treatment. It was just a really nice night out with friends (all of my closest friends went, which made it even more fun), having a not-your-average-Friday type of night. And when else can a college student say that they got the chance to mingle with diplomats?
We clean up nicely :)

6) Senior Week: I am hesitant to unequivocally characterize this as a “high” of 2010, as my closest friends will remember that night that came to be known as “Black Monday,” as well as that time when, for whatever reason, I stayed up until 6:30am playing beer pong with friends, and then proceeded to sleep through a breakfast that I was supposed to go to (my parents, however, WERE in attendance, and were seriously concerned that something had happened to me. Oops). However, those snafus aside, it WAS a great week in terms of spending time with my closest friends and taking advantage of time without homework and other activities. It was a week of unadulterated fun and reminiscing which, at certain points, turned into a royal sobfest. It was such a blessing to have that week before graduation together, because people began leaving almost immediately after graduation- the tearfests during Senior Week paled in comparison to those that ensued as each subsequent friend and roommate left the Hilltop.
Down at the Waterfront

7) (NOT) Graduation: To any of you who saw me on graduation weekend, you will recall that I was an emotional wreck. As excited as I was to claim some sort of “real person” status, I was in mourning about the fact that my time on the Hilltop was coming to an end (as an undergrad, at least). Graduation was an absolute whirlwind, a bizarre mix of a celebration of all of our undergraduate achievements and a series of painful goodbyes. Luckily for me, I knew that I had Kate and Dave’s wedding three weeks after graduation to look forward to, as all of my closest friends would be in attendance, but I knew that life would never be the same. I could no longer walk next door or across the courtyard when I wanted to chat with one of my friends; since graduation, I have had to dust off the old Skype account, which I thought I was done with after study abroad (up until late July or so, I was primarily talking to my friends over the phone, but discovered, thanks to my mom, that I was single-handedly using up all of our phone minutes- I guess that’s what happens when you’re having a minimum of hour-long conversations with 6-7 friends anywhere from every 3 days to every other week). Again, like with Senior Week, I would have trouble saying unequivocally that graduation weekend was a highlight for me, but there were certainly parts of it (the celebration of achievement, the family time and the last few chances to spend time with my best friends) that earned it a place on this list.
<3 <3 <3
With our siblings just after the ceremony

8) Jazz in the Sculpture Garden: I can’t believe I didn’t know about this (not so) hidden DC gem when I was here over the summer after sophomore year! It became Lauren’s and my weekly tradition; since we were both working part-time over the summer and had Friday afternoons off, we would meet up to catch the GUTS bus, beach towels and picnic supplies in hand. We would sit by the fountain at the Sculpture Garden’s center with our feet dangling in the water to try to get some relief from the scorching heat, sipping sangria (we bought a pitcher to share every week) and munching on a baguette, manchego cheese and fruit. Although I always look forward to Friday because of its marking the start to the weekend, I eagerly anticipated our time at Friday Jazz. Lauren and I had so many wonderful chats when we were there, and as the summer went on and we raved to more and more of our friends about it, we expanded our little jazz group.
Lauren, Annie and I

9) Kate and Dave’s wedding: It was such a pleasure for me to see all of Kate’s meticulous planning, much of which had happened at the desk next to mine in our little Nevils room, come together. She was a beautiful, blushing bride, and it only took one look at Dave’s adoring face as she walked down the aisle to see how much they love each other. It’s hard not to be a hopeless romantic when you see how wonderful love can be :) Every detail just encapsulated Kate and Dave to a T, and I was in awe of the vision that Kate had brought to fruition without the help of a wedding planner. Everything from the church (the Cadet Chapel is unspeakably beautiful) to the reception site (gorgeous, and the perfect size for the number of guests and with an amazingly large dance floor) to the music (they played my song request, so I can’t complain!) to the photography (the pictures are lovely, and I definitely admit to looking at them from time to time to look back fondly on the memories of that weekend) to the food, everything was perfect, and to see how happy Kate and Dave are makes ME so happy- how can you not believe in true love when you see such a success story?!? On a completely selfish note, not only was the wedding a true testament to Dave and Kate’s love, but it was also a perfect opportunity for a reunion with our closest group of girlfriends a mere three weeks after graduation. Despite the fact that it had only been three weeks since we had seen each other, I felt like we had already missed out on so much of each other’s lives, so the chance to gab endlessly in our hotel suite and catch up was certainly a welcome one. And since we are the type of girls that we are, the vast majority of the reception was spent on the dance floor. The party continued at our little afterparty, and the fun escalated to levels that I don’t think any of us could have predicted. Because of that, the wedding weekend set the stage for the glowiness of the remainder of my summer.
Georgetown girls and West Point guys with the blushing bride
The happy newlyweds :)

10) Tombs Trivia hostessing: After having participated in Tombs Trivia every Monday during senior year, culminating in our fifth team win on the Monday during Senior Week, I was, shockingly, asked to host trivia over the summer. Christine, the normal hostess, was going out of town for the weekend, and I guess she figured that I would know how everything worked since I had been a weekly fixture at Tombs for Trivia Monday since October. It was such a fun experience, especially since I chose to write my own rounds. I scoured Sporcle for days and reached to the recesses of my mind to come up with possible questions and themed rounds. I was told that my rounds were difficult but, due to popular demand, refrained from subjecting them to a celebrity trivia round. If I didn’t have such a ridiculously early bedtime, I would gladly host again. Aside from some AV issues, which Jon, the bartender that night, so kindly helped me fix, I thought it went off without a hitch, so I was happy!!! Everyone was so supportive too, whether on Facebook or by coming up to me during trivia, so thank you to everyone who was there and made my first hostessing experience such a success! And thank you to Lauren, my wonderful assistant and fellow grader, without whom it would have taken about twice as long!


11) 4th of July weekend: Several friends came to DC from out of town for 4th of July weekend, but, in the end, Molly, Lauren and I were inseparable. We started the weekend at Friday Jazz, followed by a night on U St. On Saturday, we ventured to Eastern Market for brunch and browsing, met up with some friends to watch Spain’s World Cup game, went out for Ethiopian in Adams Morgan and then went out there and in Dupont. On Sunday, the 4th, we went to a friend’s barbecue and then migrated to the Mall for fireworks and then over to Union Station for some pub-hopping. Finally, on Monday, we just spent a lazy day sitting around talking, culminating in an amazing multi-hour chat over a home-cooked meal that Molly and I had. In short, we took full advantage of everything the city had to offer that weekend, and I was so severely sleep-deprived by Tuesday morning that I was in tears, but if I had it to do all over again, I wouldn’t do it any differently. I know that I am guaranteed to have fun with those two no matter what we do, whether it’s going out dancing or simply having a gabfest, and that weekend certainly did not disappoint. While I was anticipating Molly’s visit for weeks on end beforehand, I really could not have imagined a better outcome. It was just 4 days of non-stop fun. I’ll always remember sitting in my little room, all three of us sitting on the air mattress that I somehow managed to squeeze into my little room for our multi-night sleepover, just chatting. While I had so much fun with all of the weekend’s activities, I got the most satisfaction out of just sitting and talking with two of my best girlfriends. Reunions really are the best :)
Jumping, what we do best!
With my favorites on the Mall for fireworks

12) Columbus: If the wedding weekend set the stage for my entire summer, my weekend in Columbus, Georgia was the weekend I had been looking forward to for the entire summer. It was the best of reunions on so many levels (beginning with a day of silliness and childlike reminiscing in Dalton with Molly and ending with a weekend reunion with loves new and old), and I can honestly say that I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire weekend. I’ll just leave it at that, because I couldn't have imagined anything better.
Gareth and I at lunch in downtown Columbus
Roomies reunited!!!!!!!!

13) Lake Winnipesaukee: The first few weeks of August were really rough ones for me, so that by the time the day of my departure for the Lake rolled around, I was more than ready to skip town and relax for a week in paradise. While I certainly got some time to focus on myself (with 2.5-hour daily swims, as well as lots of time for journaling and reflecting), I was surrounded by my favorite people, my immediate family and my “extended family” (two families worth of close family friends, to the point where I consider the other kids my siblings). The dynamic of the Lake family is such that I am pretty much constantly in stitches laughing, so it’s hard not to have fun while you’re there. I was so thankful too that, two weeks into my job, my boss told me, without hesitation, that I could absolutely go on vacation for a week. Words can’t even describe how much I needed it, and I was so grateful to her for being so understanding.
Who wouldn't fall in love with a view like this?!?!?
My brothers in their element- they crack me up!

14) Karaoke: We had been threatening to do karaoke for months (and tried, but failed, when Molly was in town for 4th of July due to a ridiculous cover at Cafe Japone). But we finally got to do karaoke at Brass Monkey in Adams Morgan in September, and it was well worth the wait. We went for a friend’s birthday, and got there early enough so that we were the only ones there for an hour or so, and, thus, got all of our requests played. There were a lot of songs sung in groups (think Britney, *N Sync and the like), but then Lauren, our friend Stef and I sang “Your Love,” my favorite ‘80s song...well, who are we kidding, it was mostly me doing the singing :) The pictures of that evening are just priceless because of how intense I am about singing, and how embarrassed Lauren looks haha! It was the most fun that I had had in awhile, and it was just a wonderful evening with friends old and new.
Do you feel the intensity? ;)

15) Homecoming: I think this could be renamed “Take Back the Tombs Weekend,” as we went there Friday and Saturday nights and then again on Sunday morning for brunch. The weekend started out with a huge group dinner (probably about 20-25 of us) at Bangkok, followed by a Class of 2010 open bar at Rhino, which was, surprisingly, a lot of fun, considering that it was Rhino. The great part of going back to Tombs, aside from the simple fact that we were going back to our beloved bar (for me, it was my first time going out there since graduation, since I had only been there for trivia, a quick drink or dinner over the summer), was that, as 99 Daysers, we got to skip the line with a guest. There were enough 99 Daysers so that we were able to pair off and get our friends in. Really, it was the least they could do, considering that our plaque still was not in. On Saturday, we all met up at the tailgate, which was so much more fun than I remembered it being the previous year, and we even went to the football game (my first Georgetown one, shockingly!). Despite the fact that I had been kind of ambivalent about Homecoming in the days leading up to the weekend (since, besides Lauren, Ann and Liz, none of my closest girlfriends would be there), it ended up being a blast, and I was able to reconnect with other groups of friends. And even though I had never really left the Hilltop, the feeling of walking through the front gates on Saturday morning and seeing the Welcome Home Alumni banner in front of Healy just filled me up with Hoya love and pride.
Ann, Lauren, Liz and I
Taking back the Tombs

16) Fun Night: When Colleen’s friend Bristol arrived in DC, one of the items on his to-do list was to do the monuments by night. Add in silly bands and some wine and you get “Fun Night”. I think that, as a city resident, I often feel like I need the excuse of someone coming to visit to do more “touristy” things, so it was nice to take some time after work to just be silly with friends and revel in being tourists.
Success!

17) Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear: When I read about the Rally the day it was announced, I said to my friends, “We’re going.” There was never any question that I was going to the rally- it was just a question of what time :) Luckily for the friends who went with me, our amazing friend Jess, who works for the event planning company that organized the Rally, got us tickets for the VIP section, which pushed our departure time back by a few hours. I’m not gonna lie, I was fully prepared to reawaken my inner Georgetown basketball fanatic and get there at 6:30 in the morning, but we got there at the only slightly less unreasonable hour of 8:30. The Rally itself was amazing, consisting of some great musical acts and, of course, the always entertaining Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. As I said in my blurb about the Duke game, the fact that I was in Europe for Inauguration made me even more inclined to participate to the fullest in such exciting events. It’s always fun for me to see DC get its due press when events like the Rally are held there.


18) First basketball game: I was a pretty unproductive person at work that day, because all I could focus on was 7 o’clock that night. At about 5:28, I closed the door to my office, changed from my work clothes to my jeans and WAG t-shirt, and raced to the GUTS bus. I listened to my pump-up basketball playlist (yes, it exists- judge away! It consists of your standard sports anthems, as well as songs that they play at Verizon) on the way to the metro, where I then met up with a friend. When we re-emerged from the underground metro at Gallery Place/Chinatown, I think it’s safe to say that I was grinning from ear to ear. I met up with Maggie, Lauren and Colleen (the latter was able to use a friend’s ticket who was unable to come to the game), and I was just bouncing off the walls with giddiness. Anne Mary and I had gotten there really early, which gave us time to buy the new WAG t-shirts (slogan “Victory Now, Georgetown Forever,” which I’m very pleased with) and sit in the near-empty arena for a little while and just embrace the moment. When Colleen arrived, she said that she had never seen me so happy, which, in the time she’s known me, is probably true. I was, quite literally, walking on air, and it was a good game, so that gave me something to get even more excited about.
So happy to be back at Verizon!!!

This is a pretty comprehensive list, but there were certainly other times in 2010 where I found myself consciously stopping and making sure to appreciate the moment. Thank you to all of you who made all of those moments special, and here's to a safe, happy and healthy 2011!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

I'm still in awe of the fact that this is my home...

‘Tis the season...the Christmas season, that is. I’m sure I’ve been terrifying all of you with how excited I’ve been getting for Christmas, and I’m pretty sure my coworkers think I’m insane, because I constantly have Christmas music blaring from my Grooveshark station. As I’ve been saying to everyone, Christmas Day, for me, is kind of anticlimactic. It’s really the part leading up to it that is so much fun: the Christmas cards, Christmas cookies, Christmas music, Christmas movies, Christmas tree. But this year, the closer it gets to Christmas, the closer it gets to my return to Massachusetts. I’ve been joking for years that I’ll probably get kicked out of my beloved state any day now because of my failure to adjust to the cold (I blame poor circulation that, as it turns out, is genetic!), but it’s actually happening. My dad started his new job in DC last week, and will be living in executive housing until we sell our house and find a new one in the DC area. Chances are that this will be my last time at home, in the house that has been my house for the past 18 years.

Of course, it will be emotional, even though, since graduation, I have spend less than 48 hours at home (I stopped for an overnight on the way to the wedding in June and then came home for 24 hours to go to a Sox game with my family in July), but it is still the only house I ever truly remember living in. I think I remember bits and pieces of our house in upstate New York, but I was only four when we left, so my memories are limited. Because I have come to love this house so much, the prospective buyers that walk through it (it’s not even on the market, and yet several couples have walked through it; that’s what happens when you live on one of the most desirable streets in town) and critique its every detail, it feels like a personal slight. So what if it doesn’t have central air? You really only need that for about two weeks a year in New England.

Anyway, my return home promises to be a brief respite from the exhausting routine I’ve gotten myself into over the past few months. Starting graduation weekend, I have been severely lacking in sleep in a way that is completely foreign to me, given that I always placed the highest value possible on sleep in college. I know that I’ve been running myself ragged, physically and emotionally, but it’s nearly impossible to get out of that pattern once you’ve started it up again. So I think a few mornings of not getting up at 5 will do me well!!!!! I can’t wait to sleep, read, watch movies, change up my exercise routine and spend some good quality time with family and friends. If a couple of snowstorms were to be thrown in there, I would hardly object :) I was able to see Kate and Dave for lunch today, and, after a weekend spent with my dad’s side of the family in New York, I’ll get the chance to meet up with Kristin and Alex in Boston, which I couldn’t be more excited for!!!!!! As I have said on many occasions previously, I’m kind of experiencing some separation anxiety when it comes to my college friends, so the chance to see three of them over break was one that I jumped at. I also have a February reunion with Allie, Kristin and Kate to look forward to, in addition to Molly moving back to DC, so I have lots of fun college friend time in my future!

This holiday season has been a wonderful one in so many ways, so I thought I would just take a moment and list off the things that I’m loving right now, the things that are keeping me happy despite my exhaustion. First and foremost (and I know this is echoing my Thanksgiving post), I feel so lucky to be surrounded by a wonderful family and the best friends a girl could ask for, and also to have a job and a place to live. I count my blesssings every day, because, for all intents and purposes, I don’t want for anything. Another thing that is keeping me sane? The promise of returning here next Christmas. I’ve already informed my family that I’m going to be AWOL at this time next year, because, with the amazing Christmas break that Georgetown gives us, it’s the best time to go and not have to use a ton of vacation days. There is a constant, dull ache in my heart when I think about Strasbourg, and would give anything to go back. Considering that Christmas is the ideal time to go, what with the Marché de Noël and all that that entails, I can’t help but think of the magic that is Christmas in Strasbourg.

Some other noteworthy mood-lifters that take some of the edge off of the frigidly cold winter days?
~A friend shared Bippity Boppity Boo with me over the summer, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I refer to it as my “essence,” because it touches the hopeless romanticism that is at my very core. I have since stumbled across other Tumblr feeds that I love, but none match the glowiness elicited from BBB.

~ I think I have gotten mildly addicted to the Epiphany, the raspberry hot chocolate that they make at Uncommon Grounds. I think I need to make it one of my New Year’s Resolutions to stop spending my money there and just make my own hot chocolate. But it’s so delicious...

~ Breaking out my winter coat is always fun, especially now that I have one that I love. It’s a beautiful jewel-tone purple, and it just makes me so happy every time I put it on. I think it literally puts a little bit of a spring in my step, because, when I look around at all of the other commuters on the metro, falling asleep and looking so uniform in their black coats, I seem the most awake and cheerful out of all of them. Not that there’s necessarily a correlation between the color of your coat and your mood, but it just makes me happier. And it’s so warm... :)

~ Usually, I judge artists that come out with Christmas CDs, but, since I unquestioningly support any decision that Coldplay makes, I have come to love this song.

~ By now, you all know of my love of Glee...and, in case you haven’t heard about it, I will also tell you about my love of Darren Criss. He played the title character in StarKid Productions’ A Very Potter Musical, basically the most amazing thing since sliced bread. Seriously. Mind-blowing. Now, Darren has a long-running guest stint on Glee, much to my, you guessed it, glee. While I dislike most of the songs on the Glee holiday album, this one, which I fell in love with even before I saw the INCREDIBLE episode, instantly makes me smile, from the inside out. If you disregard the fact that the song is kinda sorta predatory and creepy, you can appreciate how fantastic of a song it is...or at least admit that it’s catchy!

~ When I get home from work on the days when I don’t have something planned for after work, I have fully embraced throwing on my flannel pajama pants, big, roomy Georgetown sweatshirt and LL Bean furry slippers. It’s the simple things in life, really. My roommate and I have definitely come home on a few occasions, thrown our pajamas on and sat in front of the TV watching Christmas movies or old movies (Funny Face was our most recent viewing, another movie that makes me positively glowy).

~ Georgetown basketball. I feel like no explanation is required, and my afternoons or evenings spent at Verizon have the power to single-handedly lift my mood. You can ask my friends, the second I set foot in Verizon on gameday, I’m positively giddy. Also, to get myself in the mood to watch my Hoyas, I’ll typically wake up to either the Fight Song or the pre-game video song...as if I needed any more encouragement :)

I’m wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas, and I’ll be posting again in a few days with my 2010 highlights!

Giving Thanks: The Detox Edition

Now that the food coma has essentially worn off, I thought I'd do a little debriefing session on the Thanksgiving holiday. I had been looking forward to Thanksgiving weekend for weeks beforehand, mostly because of the promise of a few solid nights of sleep (something I am severely lacking in my daily life), as well as that of an escape from the hectic city pace that my life has assumed since I began working. I was thinking, on my commute home on everyone's favorite Red Line, how easy it is to get sucked into the daily grind and forget to take time out for what you truly love. I could not wait to be enveloped in the peace and tranquility of the Shenandoahs, where I would spend a few days at my grandparent’s house with the two of them and my immediate family. My grandparents do not have wireless, and I couldn’t have been looking more forward to disconnecting from the internet (too much of a presence in my life) and all other means of communication other than my phone for the weekend. I haven’t read a book for pleasure since I devoured Eat Pray Love at the Lake, and it has been far too long since I’ve lost myself in reading, something I love so much but can never seem to find the time to do. The thought of leaving all of the stress of this fall behind in the city was more than a little bit attractive to me.



I was exhausted by the time we rolled into my grandparent’s hilly mountain driveway, emotionally and physically drained by a long, stressful week at work, and a lack of sleep that dates back to the end of July. But I couldn’t have been happier the second we were met by my grandpa. I immediately took note of his wardrobe; one thing you should know about my grandfather, if nothing else, is that his life is more routine driven that you would ever think possible; you may think that my adherence to a 5am wake-up time during the week so that I can work out before work is excessive, but Grampsy takes his routine to an obsessive level. You can plan to the minute when he will take his tea breaks (and his tea must be prepared just so; watching him carefully measure out his tea, set his timer so the water will be perfectly warm, and then, once carrying his teacup over to his chair, pouring the water so that it just skims the rim of the cup), take his beloved (and adorable) dog, Disney, out for a walk, take his afternoon nap and go into town and get the mail. But his obsessive routine is one of the things I love about him most, because, most of the time, it is just an adorable little quirk about him. Additionally, he has his uniform of sorts, his Episcopal High School track pants, a flannel shirt (and, if it’s cold enough, a fleece jacket), tall white gym socks, sneakers, and a hat, sometimes worn upside down on top of his head, to keep his perfectly shaven head warm. So you can imagine my shock when I noticed that Grampsy was wearing…wait for it…JEANS. I think my mouth was agape, and I had a good laugh about it later with my mom. Grammy immediately fussed over who was sleeping where and where all of our stuff was going to go, one of the things that I love about her, but we were all soon sitting around the roaring (gas) fireplace catching up. I called it an early night, being that I was exhausted, and that full night of sleep was absolutely delightful.

Thanksgiving morning was completely lazy, which was such a nice change in pace from a normal weekday for me. I did some writing, baked a pie, and generally lazed around. By mid-afternoon, though, the type-A in me took over, and I decided to go for a run. Well, a run turned into a hilly trek (seriously, those hills were like nothing I had run before), and I ended up over by the highway. I ran, on the highway, back down into the valley, after having run, essentially, to the top of the steep ski slopes. By the time I got back to the house, an hour-and-a-half had passed (that’s what happens when I have my iPod and decide to go for a run; one of the things I have loved about getting back into running in recent weeks has been my ability to get truly lost in my music and in the rhythm of running. It is the most head-clearing, wonderful feeling, and is truly a natural high), and I felt on top of the world. Add to that a delicious Thanksgiving dinner and you have the makings for a pretty amazing day. I even watched a little bit of football…begrudgingly, claro.



I realized how long it had been since I had seen my grandparents (I hadn’t seen them since my cousin Amy’s graduation from JMU in June) until Grammy and I had a ladies day out (my mom, unfortunately, had caught Grammy’s Thanksgiving stomach bug, and Grampsy would too later on in the day) when I went for a girls day out with Grammy and realized how little she knew about my life since May! We had a great day, complete with a stop at an art gallery, lunch at a tearoom, and a lovely drive over rolling hills and past vineyards, with gorgeous mountain vistas all around us. It's the simple things in life, man...I took another hilly run later in the day, and then we settled in around the fireplace and ushered in the Christmas season with a little Love Actually viewing. It had been ages since I last watched it (perhaps since last Christmas?), and I always love being re-introduced to all of the storylines of varying degrees of romance. Unsurprisingly, my favorite is that of Jamie and Aurelia, he the bumbling, adorably awkward Englishman and she the Portuguese transplant in Marseille. Their miscommunication is funny enough to leave the viewer in stitches, but the part of the storyline that makes me melt is that they each learn each other's language...well, kind of. When Colin Firth's character marches through the streets of Marseille with the entire Portuguese community there in tow, intent on finding the woman he loves to propose to her in his (not so) carefully spoken Portuguese. This movie would make even the biggest of cynics turn into a hopeless romantic :)

The second I got back to DC on Saturday, a newly purchased Christmas tree and ornaments in tow, I felt the stress of city life come rushing back. After spending the weekend relaxing, reflecting and writing, it was back to reality. I immediately shifted into full-on type-A mode, flitting about and trying to get all of my errands done. On Sunday, though, I was able to run to Georgetown, where I went to a wonderful 1st Sunday of Advent mass at Holy Trinity, and then continued my run along the waterfront, around the Tidal Basin, and then over to the Portrait Gallery. There has been a Norman Rockwell exhibit there for months that I've been meaning to go to, and I figured that this would be the perfect opportunity. I was not at all disappointed; even though I have been to Rockwell's house and official museum in Stockbridge, MA, there were still some paintings that I hadn't seen before. I just love how he captures the spirit of his subjects, as well as the spirit of their times. Each of his paintings is like a scrumptious little slice of Americana, and I could look at them all day. Being able to stand before those paintings to the point where I could see the brushstrokes and blending of colors, well, it just made my day. I limped home (yeah, going from not running at all to running 4 times- for 8-10 miles each run- in one week took a toll on my poor little knees, so I think I'll sadly have to skip running...well, until this weekend!) and got ready for a new week of work after a positively lovely long weekend.

The Christmas season is officially upon is in DC, and I can't wait for all of the joy and revelry that I'm sure it will bring. One thing I'm particularly joyful about? Georgetown basketball!!!!!!! I was remiss in neglecting to mention my beloved Hoyas in my original "Giving Thanks" post, but, when I think about the happiest I've been in recent memory, it was November 15th, the day of my return to the dear old Phone Booth, the Verizon Center. Although our seats are about a gazillion times worse than the first-row seat that I occupied for my entire time at Georgetown (not to mention about four times as expensive), just the chance to be there and watch my beloved team left me walking on air. This season promises to be full of near-heart attacks, as is evidenced by Chris Wright's buzzer-beating three that sent our game against Mizzou last night into overtime (we went on to win the game 111-102), but I couldn't be happier for another season of the Hoyas!!!!!!!! It's nice to have something to look forward to!

Now it's on to my next projects: decorating my apartment for Christmas and sending out Christmas cards!!!!!! Ahhhh, I love the Christmas season!!!!!!! I'll leave you with a little something from my favorite Christmas crooner: BING!!!!!

Here's hoping for another snowy DC winter :) Hey, a girl can dream!

Giving Thanks

So I’ve been meaning to blog again for awhile now, and I thought that, with Thanksgiving only days away, I would take a moment and blog about all of the many things that I am thankful for (okay, I also read Kate’s post of the same theme this morning, so I thought I should get my act together and follow suit). First of all, the opportunity to stay and work in DC (and, specifically, at Georgetown) has been so wonderful, and is something that I am so grateful for. This is such an incredible city, and I think you all get how much I love Georgetown. I mean, come on, I’m like a living, breathing, gushing Georgetown ad! One thing that I’ve noticed about working at Georgetown is that there are just fantastic people working here! When I was interviewing for my new job (which I started two weeks ago and is going fabulously!), I was asked about how I handled any disagreements I had ever had with coworkers. Maybe this just speaks to the fact that I haven’t been out in the workforce for very long, but I have honestly never been in a disagreement with anyone I work with, because Georgetown, quite simply, hires good people. It feels so nice to be surrounded by people who are committed to keeping Georgetown the best place possible.

I can honestly say that I give thanks for my family and friends every day, but I suppose that all of you deserve special recognition in honor of Thanksgiving (because, to borrow, and alter based on holidays, a line from Love Actually, the bastion of cinematic Christmas/romantic comedy genius, “if you can’t say it at Thanksgiving [actually Christmas], when can you, eh?”). I count my blessings every day for the family that God has given me. In a world where so many families suffer innumerable hardships and have relationships wrought with strife, I feel so lucky that my family, despite its imperfections (like every family’s) is intact and just full of love. The four of us had dinner last night when my parents got back into town (they’re meeting with a realtor today so they can find themselves a new home in DC!!!!!), and I couldn’t help pausing for a moment while we were all chatting and laughing to think about how lucky I am and about how much I love my family. I feel as though my relationships with each member of the family have each gotten stronger since graduation, which has reassured me that maybe I CAN find the balance between breaking out in the world and being independent while also staying grounded and connected to the people I care about the most. In addition to our cozy little foursome, I am equally blessed with a wonderful extended family.

Thank you Tim for actively ruining this with your aversion to smiling for photos

My "Lake family" (if you hear me talk about my "fake siblings", here they are!)

I don’t even know where to start when it comes to my friends. Ever since graduation, I have struggled with the scattering of my closest college friends to all corners of the globe, and have (somewhat begrudgingly) had to dust off the old Skype account (which was the only reason I made it through my year abroad in one piece) in order to keep in touch, rather than popping my head in the room next door or walking all of 5 minutes for a hot chocolate break. There is no way I can pay tribute to all of my friends in this post (God knows that concision is not one of my virtues when it comes to letter-writing and blogging), but I just wanted to take a few minutes and thank the people who have touched my life so much. I can’t even say how blessed I feel to know all of you.
My closest girlfriends (my senior year roommates plus Allie, my roommate sophomore year; but minus Lauren)

I’ll start with Allie, my first true Georgetown friend. I remember how we used to go to breakfast at Leo’s every morning before class, initially in a group but then just the two of us. Actually, I was thinking about it, and, because of the fact that she was in LAS, I can indirectly trace most of my closest Georgetown friendships to her, so I will be forever grateful to her for that! I think it’s impossible to put into words everything that Allie means to me, because we’ve been through so much together, but it basically comes down to the fact that we are kindred spirits. Some of my happiest college memories have come when we had head-banging dance parties to release our daily frustration, or when we walked on the banks of the Seine in Paris and through the windy streets of La Petite France in Strasbourg. Our conversations may, at times, dissolve into delirium, but it’s only because we’re THAT comfortable being weird around each other. She has been the most incredible confidante imaginable, and I am confident that I could talk to her about nearly anything and she would give me the most amazing advice ever.

Molly. Our friendship is epic in nature, with Facebook albums, phrases (“CLARO”) and gravity-defying jumping pictures stemming from it. Sure, we were good friends before going abroad, but, when I looked back at our wall-to-wall on Facebook recently, I noticed how NORMAL (perhaps bordering on boring? lol) we were before we went to Spain. Our posts used to be so cordial, like “Molly, I really like your new profile picture! We should get a group together and see a movie soon,” and, “Kristen, I really like your new haircut! I hope you had a fun Christmas break.” Now, inside jokes and name-calling (we have been known to throw “bitch around”, and sometimes call each other by the names of my host sister’s pet hamsters) abound, but that’s only because...well, because we kind of turned into sisters when we spent 16 hours a day together in the Dirty Sal. We are each other’s partner in crime, always willing to try new things, even if we look silly (or get too drunk?) in the process. Whenever I do something fun, I literally ALWAYS think, ‘I wish Molly were here,’ so you can’t even imagine my glee that she’s coming back to DC soon! Despite the fact that Molls is my friend who I can always rely on for a good time (and more than a few good laughs), our multi-hour deep life chat over 4th of July weekend is evidence of the fact that we CAN have conversations that don’t involve Spanish pirates, Harry Potter, or the ladroning of certain accessories.

Lauren was one of the many LASer friends that I made, and one of my first memories of our friendship was the set of email exchanges we had over the summer after freshman year. At that point, I barely knew her, but the interest she took in what was going on in my life speaks to the fact that she is the most giving friend I know. I often find myself feeling guilty when I’m with her, because I feel like we’re always talking about my problems, but she always shrugs it off. All of my closest friends know that, as a hopeless romantic, my head is perpetually in the clouds, and, while Lauren is definitely so supportive of whatever makes me happy and listens to all of my glowiest moments, she also has the power to bring me back down to reality and think logically about whatever issue I’m tackling. That undying support on the one hand and reason on the other is one of the things that makes her the most incredible friend. Whether we’re having the deepest of life chats (we LITERALLY talk about anything and everything) or I’m calling her sobbing, unable to produce any words, she always has the most insightful of advice. I truly think that she knows me better than I know myself, and she has the amazing power to predict how I will handle certain situations (and read my mind) because of how well she knows me. And, I can safely say, it brings me so much joy when one of us says, “Did you SEE... [insert celebrity’s name]?”, and the other immediately knows which people.com story the other is speaking of an has thoughts on it, leaving the other people around us completely confused. Also, Lauren is very much responsible for introducing me to new parts of the city and new things to do in the city, which speaks to her adventurous spirit, a part of her that I so love. I can’t even begin to describe how glad I am that she is not only in DC with me, but is also working at Georgetown- our lunch dates always make me so happy! The inside jokes...the people in Hoya Court must judge us like no other...

Before I came to college, I didn’t know many people who share my name, but you can imagine my delight when my Burrow roommate turned out to be the beautiful (and similarly left-handed!) Kristin! From our first bonding experiences with our favorite Grinnellians over Celtics games and being beer pong partners (we were actually unstoppable, just ask all of the other teams who we so gracefully dismissed), I knew that we were destined to be good friends. By senior year, our gym dates (I think she is the only one of my friends who truly shares my obsession with exercise), bitchfests and TV watches had become pillars of our friendship. Kristin’s biting, sarcastic sense of humor cracks me up like no other, as do her absolutely unforgettable faces. She is one of the smartest people I know, but, rather than take herself too seriously, she adds life and humor to every situation she’s in. I love our serious life Skype chats (yes, one of the many perks of Skype: you can still have those serious chats), but her power to make me laugh is just the best. Also, I just have to say that her close relationship with her brother is what I aspire to in terms of the closeness of my relationship with my own brother.

Kate and I first bonded over the fact that, unlike our other friends (and much of the rest of the college population), we were both going abroad for an entire year. Having her there, in the same time zone and always available to chat about the joys and challenges of studying abroad in a non-English-speaking country (or countries, in my case!) was so reassuring, and I feel like we had our own little sisterhood of full-year study abroad survivors that our other friends couldn’t necessarily relate to. Whether it was talking about creepy Italian/Spanish men, issues with classes, language snafus, the joys of traveling, missing Georgetown or getting proposed to (!!!!!!! this was all Kate), I felt like there was someone who could relate to whatever I was going through. We were then able to share our experiences about our return to life in America, and to the Hilltop (slash, to a university with ACTUAL work), all the while developing a bond as roommates. Kate told me a few weeks after graduation that she was having difficulty falling asleep without the low drone of my fan as white noise (since, being in the stuffy loft, I turned the fan on every night while I slept), and I will never be able to think about the Charlie Bit My Finger auto tune remix, dates and goat cheese, ANTM, Project Runway, Bride’s Magazine or wedding planning without thinking of her. Seeing the fruits of her hard labor coming to fruition on her wedding day was such a wonderful feeling, and seeing her as a blushing bride was such a joy. And, consequently, the two most wonderful weekends of my life happened to be her wedding weekend and the weekend when I visited she and Dave (and others) in Georgia this summer. I loved having her as a birthday buddy- our joint party certainly made for more than a few interesting stories, and I appreciate her ability to laugh at my weird quirks.

Alexandra surprises me every day with her sunny disposition and willingness to tackle daily challenges head-on. Whenever life has dealt her a tough hand, she has not given up, but has employed her inner strength, which I wish I could muster more of at times, and has become all the stronger for it. Her child-like spirit is absolutely infectious, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone get as excited about chocolate, dogs and Disney movies as her (I have to say, the chocolate stash was so key to making it through the last few weeks before graduation). She is truly an inspiration because of the grace with which she lives her life, and she is incredibly giving to those who she cares about the most.

Since these are my closest girlfriends, I just had to acknowledge all of them. But it does not mean that I don’t love and give thanks for the rest of you! Whether you are a friend who I’ve known since I was seven and have shared in so many Georgetown basketball memories with; a friend in law school in NY who, as it turns out, is my twin in a lot of ways; a friend in grad school at Georgetown who has taught me how to laugh and not take myself too seriously; a friend who I met in France and so enjoy reliving our many experiences there with (par exemple, the canneberge lady); an office friend with whom I can be a complete and total creeper and know that you are not only not judging me but are being equally creepy; two wonderful new roommates who have induced so much laughter and have introduced me to so many great people and experiences; a friend who never refuses a dance party and a French conversation; someone currently in the mountains of Georgia who has taught me so much about myself and about love; or any other friend in between, I really do give thanks for you every day. The various people who have come into my life, from 99 Days, Tombs trivia, Georgetown basketball, and various other outlets make it worth it to get up every day- it’s hard not to want to get up when you’re surrounded by so many incredible people!!!!!!!!!!!

I am wishing you and all of your loved ones a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course, I had to add in some pictures for the “Awwwwwwwww” factor...and because, with my photo-taking addiction, I’ve built up quite a cache over the years.
At Kate's wedding! We take pretty pictures :)

...but don't ever accuse us of taking ourselves too seriously!