All about Amsterdam, Munich, Italy and Paris

I have thought long and hard about this posting. And I guess I should start by saying that visiting and traveling through Europe is something that I have always wanted to do. I have witnessed my own idea of what it would be like transform over the years. What I have to about my experience is that it lived up to, over and under-whelmed, even disappointed at times. The trip had highs and lows, and everything in-between - and I'm so thankful for all of it, even getting drenched at every moment possible <3 Enjoy!

Amsterdam, Netherlands - we arrived early in the morning, and in the pouring rain. We discovered that (in the fall anyways) it rains probably 5 times every single day. The rain made it hard for us to fulfill our goal of biking around and utilizing the canoe that were all provided to us by our outstanding host on our houseboat, the MS Luctor. We toured Rembrandt's house, we drank in an old Brown bar, we walked the Red Light District, we indulged in AWESOME Indonesian food, ate bomb pancakes, we thrifted for warm clothes since we were SOOO under prepared for how cold it was! We had beer with almost everything and truly enjoyed our 3 days there. We started to figure out the layout of the city, the weaving of the canals, and for both of us, found that Amsterdam was entirely beautiful, in culture, people, country and traditions. We agreed that Amsterdam was also a great place to get our feet wet with being overseas since English is spoken everywhere - pretty flawlessly too.

Munich, Germany - Our arrival to Munich was exhausting to say the least. If Amsterdam was easing us into the language barrier, Munich forced us out of our crawl, and into a full on sprint! no English signs, no English speakers (that we could find) and it took us 2 hours to find where we were staying, when it should have taken 20 min. It was Chuck's birthday the day we arrived, and once we got settled, we immediately went in search on Hofbrauhaus www.hofbraeuhaus.de/en/index_en.html for a drink. Talk about a shit show. We walked in, and immediately walked out. The night before opening ceremonies for Oktoberfest was perhaps not the best time to check out the original Hofbrauhaus. So we walked across the street, ordered some pretzels and snitchzel, and got to work on a couple LITERS of beer. Needless to say, we drank our way through Munich, stopping only to find wi-fi, and discover that the city shuts down on Sunday - literally, nothing open but Starbucks. We wish we had known that ahead of time, because then we would have planned to make a day trip outside the city that day.
OKTOBERFEST - was more like a fairgrounds with lots of drunk kids and adults all running around in the same beer wench/ lederhosen costume on. It was hilarious. Although we had researched Oktoberfest ahead of time and were under the impression that you don't need tickets or reservations to the beer tents - you actually do if you want to get in and get a beer. Sooooooo - I helped sneak us in to 2 beer tents, because WTF man, this is why we effing came to Munich, and I'll be damned if I'm going to be at this glorified county fair, freezing cold, and not get a goddamned beer at Oktoberfest! We had great time once beer was in hand and proceeded to extreme people watch - one of our favorite sports.

Napoli, Scaffati, Castellemare, Amalfi, Positano, Sorrento, Capri and Rome, Italia - Italy has been THE place for me. For as long as I can remember, nowhere in the world have I wanted to go more than Italia. I love pasta, I drink wine, I even took Italian in college. I was warned that Napoli was filthy, and it was, but we were only there long enough to enjoy the best pizza on the planet. If you find yourself in Napoli for  only 3 hours - go to Pizza di Michele, it's worth the wait :)
I seriously could go on and on about how gorgeous that country is, and we only saw a small handful of places! I'm so thankful that our friend talked us into touring the Amalfi coast - not that she really had to convince us, but I hadn't really given much thought to doing that before. Epically beautiful, like unbelievably so. That little part of Italy far exceeded my wildest expectations of what european countryside is "supposed" to be like. The wildness, carefree attitude is evident in the faded, chipped bright paint on the houses and shops. The restaurants are so simple in presentation and ingredients but were miles from what good Italian restaurants in the States are like. EVERY. SINGLE. BIT. of those few days was just so.......indescribable. The word that comes to mind for me is gratitude - that I was able to share this beautiful place with the person I love most in this world.
Rome is insanity. Constant hustle and bustle, it's people crashing into each other all over the place! Why do people go to Rome? To witness a piece of history, see those things we only saw in history books come to life. It's incredibly humbling to see and walk through the Colosseo, Forum, Pantheon, Vatican, and countless other places/ landmarks/ pieces of history. I just kept thinking about the millions of people past and present that had been there before me, and it was something that we all shared - that experience, feeling dwarfed and inspired by our own ingenuity, sweat, blood, sacrifices that created these places. It's quite a thing to look at the Colosseum and in the same frame see a trolly, a BMW and a gelato cart. It amazes me to see how the city has grown all up and around these ancient ruins, people pass by the Roman Forum on their way to work!- it's just crazy.

Paris, France - If we have already had a chance to chat about this trip, then you already know what I am about to say about Paris. Neither of us had expectations for Paris. In fact, we had been warned, over and over about how its a "love it or hate it" type of place, warned about the "rude" Parisians, and even told not to expect much from the food. So we were a little hesitant about going, and only allowed 1.5 days there - 2 nights. I cannot say enough about how beautiful Paris is, how clean the city is, how kind the locals were, and how truly romantic it is. It's like the Eiffel Tower emits pheromones every hour, on the hour - maybe that's what originally inspired the twinkling at night?? We stumbled (literally) upon one of the OG's of french cuisine in Le Halles, walked the length of the Louvre before walking into the center of it and discovering a bride and groom taking late night, wedding pics there, and watched the Eiffel tower light up while we walked the city at night. I can't wait to go back. We have made it part of our future forecast - we want to live in Paris - we are giving it 5 years to make it happen. After all , we still plan on at least 2 more years here in DC.

How can you sum up a 15 day whirl-wind trip? I have been wrestling with this for a while and decided, with pictures! Thanks for bearing with me through one of my longest posts, I hope it was a fraction as fun to read as it was to experience.

xoxoxo- Sarah

 bikes like crazy in Amsterdam!

 Dam Square

 Oktoberfest, tent #2

 yup - thats a lot of beer!

 Oktoberfest parade on opening day

 without sarcasm - I would def choose these tomatoes over George Clooney

 Just another day for you and me in paradise . . .

 Positano - we ate there, check that view

 Scoot Scoot!

Ran into this hot guy . . .

 Capri

 Pantheon

 Vatican - there was a service going on, so we were kept out. How do you become a member of the Vatican anyway?

 Colosseo 

 Metro walkin'

 Louvre

 Btw, there are guys selling Champagne and champ flutes here every night. too adorbs!

Eating french fries in France!

And the rest, in no particular order - some of my favs ;)

Sept, birthdays, weddings = trips, trips, TRIPS!

So excited! In about 20 minutes we are going to get picked up and off to the airport we go! I will be waking up in Amsterdam tomorrow morning, nbd ;)

but way before that happens, holy crap has September 2012 been a whirlwind! I wanted to post about it before I get home and only ever way to talk about how effing fan-tab-u-lous Europe was for like every single post after, ha!

got some legit photos taken by our friend Kara - no we are not engaged even though the pics might make you think as much. It's so nice to have some really nice pics of us together, and although we went into it as helping her out, I'm so thankful we did it for us too! It was lots of fun - these are 2 of my favs;

So we started the month in Kentucky -Chuck's home state. I have to say, I really loved spending time with/ forcing his mom to spend time with me, and his step dad too. Those two are some pretty special people, there is so much love there :) The wedding was wedding-y - pretty dresses, cupcakes, cute kids saying inappropriate things in the middle of the ceremony, etc. It was quick couple of days, and I look forward to when we head back to KY next year for Derby - woot!

Then, I flew home to Tucson to surprise my mom for her bday. How cool is that??? Srsly, I am the absolute WORST at keeping secrets, but i held it together for this one, and it was nothing short of a movie quality moment. She did a 22 take and burst into tears - I started to tear up too. I am so thankful for her, I surely have the worlds most awesome and fantastic mother ever. It was so special to be able to have a few days with her, my dad, sis, bro and cousin. As far as families go, they are alright, I think i'll keep them. I unfortunately didn't have enough time to visit everyone I wanted to as far as friends go - it was just too quick, and I really didn't have the flexibility of seeing everyone since my priority was to spend time with the fam, you know? anyway, we head back to AZ for thanksgiving so that will be good :)
It's funny when you finally uproot yourself from the familiarity of your hometown and then you go back to it. I actually felt like a visitor in my own town, the newness of the businesses, the roads, it felt different than the same old Tucson, and that was a great thing to see. I was happy to come home tho, I missed my boys lots - I even got the BEST surprise myself! Chuck came and stopped me from the airport so I didn't have to metro home alone! that guy - he must have it bad ;)

so now, EUROPE!!!! Amsterdam, Munich, Italy, Paris. I'm just sooooooooo looking forward to being there, making some great memories and taking in the culture. I will have a full report when I get back, but for now - Ciao! gotta chug the rest of this wine and catch our plane!

xoxooxoxo see you in 2 weeks USA!

Whaaaaaaaaoooooooo??? Way overdue for a post

Hiiiiiiii! Sorry I have let this summer and posting just get away from me! But hey, It's Saturday, i have had 2.39 glasses of wine, we are making pirogies, kielbasa and kishka (for those of you who are unfamiliar - google is your friend ;) ), my hair is still wet from the rain - what better timing really?

Wow. I can hardly believe that it has been the better part of a year that we have been residents of the district. I am happy to report that although I find myself abandoning my "smile at every single stranger" campaign, I still have a wonder about this place that fills me with such peace every day - I am so glad we made the choice to come here.

So since Jersey, we have been up to the usual. Still working on the place, de-kitty-ify-ing it as best as we can. Our friend Kara, used to own and operate an animal shelter, and she is a wealth of knowledge on the subject. She also fosters kitties and photographs them for adoption - srsly, she makes me feel like i could def be a better person, basically every single day. So, upon her suggestion we have invested in a cat treat/ food ball. the boys seem to love it, although at any given point, there is cat food on the floor - AND both Chuck and I have sent it flying into the wall while we walk across the living room.

We have been making head-way on the Euro Trip 2012 - only need to book Paris and we are all set! I bought my Osprey bag - it's carry-on size with a detachable daypack and the whole thing can be carried back pack style, or rolled. i think i'm in love :)

Went to Rockville to check out this LEGIT Polish deli and stocked up on our favorites - hence the Polish dinner tonight - we are using up the last of it tonight. My grandma would be proud. I completed my second mud run of the year too! Lozilu - all female, run in the rain and mud and muck. Also, my friend Sarah and I got to laugh at my squishy shoes for pretty much the entire way! btw, that makes 2 mud runs in 2012, both raining, both metro-ed back with a bunch of mud on my face :) at least the time I was prepared for the funny stares.

While Chuck was home in KY to visit his mom for her bday, I spent some solo time here, work friends outing, lots of time at the gym, and i died my hair - that's right! I'm a strawberry blonde again! the first time i went 'berry, I was living in TX - circa 2002-ish? Anyway, I'm loving it, and others seem to be too :) :) :)

Went to the Mackey Bay House last weekend. Apart from getting to spend time with one of my best friends - which is always the best - we went out on the boat, cooked massive meals, played lots of games and in general got to really feel unwound for the first time in a long time. we loved every minute of it.

Now we are in preparations to go to KY for a wedding over Labor Day weekend, and a short 2 weeks after that - EUROPE! Today we finally went out to Tyson's Galleria - AZ friends - think Fashion Square combined with Scottsdale Quarter. I have been putting all this pressure on myself to find the perfect wear-to-a-wedding dress, and finally today at Nordstrom's, the sky opened up and delivered the winner. pics to come - Sept 1 will be the debut ;) hahhaha

Also, Chuck wants to make sure that I write about how he sings 1960's rock to me. Have I mentioned that I love this guy?

okay guys, the pierogies are done, wine glass empty. I love you all.

*hugs*

Disneyland for Dummies

It's such a great feeling to finally feel like you have found your niche and you belong. It has been a feeling i have been chasing ever since movie here. The trouble with uprooting yourself from a place you have been so long, it planting your roots again and playing the waiting game for them to take hold. It bills down to time, and patience - which i am terrible about. In these last few weeks, i have felt more like myself than i have in a long time. More comfortable with my job, coworkers, friends, and time off. It's strange to say that i feel comfortable with time off - but what i mean is that being here, in the city, it makes me feel like there is always something happening and i don't want to miss any of it. When I look forward to having a relaxing weekend, my pulse quickens with the thought that with all that free time i better squeeze everything in! but now, I'm happy to say that Chuck and I have found our stride with it all, living together, working, playing, and it feels really nice.

For those of you who didn't know, we went to the happiest place on Earth last weekend - The Jersey Shore!!!! Yes, we saw the cast, they were filming :) I got to see Deena in all her meatball glory, Paulie's blow out that legit looks like its a foot in the air, Mike is just as sleazy as you probably have pictured and watching him scam on some girl in the bar was much like watching a lion tackle a gazelle in the wild, Vinnie was surprisingly small - i always pictured him taller, and Ronnie's laugh really resonates in the bar - loved it! Did not see Snooki or Sammy sadly :( The beach was really nice though, clean, soft sad, we rented an umbrella for Sunday and the shade made a huge difference - very nice. Karma was hysterical and I was like a kid in a candy store gawking at just about everyone there. We got bottle service and had the best table in place! fun, fun, fun!

The people watching was by far worth the 7 hour return drive on Sunday night. Those Jersey Shore locals do NOT disappoint! They were so outrageously gross, i felt kinda like they were cartoon characters! Big muscles, fat butts, crazy make-up, tribal tats, tramp stamps, all sorts of piercings, protein powder, animal print everywhere, loud, obnoxious, walking freak shows. I was in heaven. Chuck likes to say that I'm attracted to "human train wrecks" and here is a perfect example of how right he is. We went with our friends (the ones we visited in NYC a couple months ago) and it was fan-freaking-tastic to see them again. Donna and Tucker are just great people, and we both have a blast with them all the time :)

In other news, i need new book suggestions. I have been finished with 50 shades of grey for a couple months now, almost done with the hunger games, but i don't know what book (or book trilogy) i should get next. open to any suggestions!

thanks, love you guys :)

A Short List; Things about this week, or Happy Father's Day

1. I live in/ on a swamp
2. Cheat days are HEAVEN
3. Go see Moonrise Kingdom - so good
4. Kalon GTFO
5. Bought and am anticipating the arrival of my new Osprey pack! http://www.ospreypacks.com/en/product/convertible_wheeled_packs/meridian_2260l 
6. When given the opportunity to purchase tickets to a Simpson's- esque, post-apocolyptic dramatic performance  - pass
7. Pedicures + mimosas + collection of rad girls = awesome sunday afternoon
8. Sometimes it's ok to get rid of your junk
9. Throwback music with your bf make sun burns sting a little less


10. I was able to be his first Father's Day 28 years ago - pretty cool - Happy Father's Day Dad :)




Also, my fur babies say Happy Father's day too - meow!

Mom and Emily visit!

National mall

@Lincoln Memorial

Hirshhorn - Interactive art

Smithsonian Natural History Museum

Mobile blogging because I'm just that excited!

So my mom and sister arrive tomorrow (insert ridiculously huge smile here). It's been 4 months since seeing them and it definitely feels like it. Apart from the fact that I am super close to my family and I'm eager to see, and hug them, I really can't wait to show them my new life here. How different each day is here for me, but how I much it really suits me. I think I'm just so looking forward to sharing all the excitement i feel with them and hoping that some of that will rub off as they tour my new home, see the sites and fall in love with DC as I have. Mom, Em, I love you and I can't wait for Wednesday night!

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Long time, no post . . .

ok, so it's been a long time since my last post. I would like to be able to blame that on something other than my own laziness, but sadly - that's exactly the reason. Although, I HAVE been super busy lately, so there's that too :)

Oyamel, (www.oyamel.com)last Friday - omfg. not only was it super fun to get together with a great group of girls, but i got to enjoy some muy bueno tamales, and margaritas, AND i totally saw Jose Andreas walk in too! I felt like it was Christmas morning when i saw him, and geeked out a little - i can't even pretend to be too cool to not be impressed by him.

Run - a - Muck, last Saturday. MUD. RAIN. FUN. basically, i couldn't believe that i had agreed to do such a thing when i showed up @1130, but by 1230, it was run time, and i couldn't have been more excited! yes it was raining, and freezing, but running was going to warm us up! the entire time i was running uphill, through tires, over rock walls, through 2 (2!!!!!) lakes - complete with sink holes, and yes, a rope wall as well - - all i could do was think about the mud pit i was going to have swim through at the very end. the results are posted below. laugh it up - i sure did :)

Saturday (post run) was a loooooooong shower, nap, and champagne before going to dinner, and russia house and then lima for dancing in to the wee hours of the morning. i felt 21 again! it was fun, but man was i feeling the after-effects of that day until today! sore and exhausted but also super satisfied that i killed myself physically with he run, and lived it up as a treat after. I feel like i don't live my life like that anymore, and once in a while, its a lot of fun!

Europe???
yep, it's booked (thanks to the bf for being so diligent and getting on it) amsterdam, munich, florence, rome, naples (?), and finally paris. we are starting to look into places to stay and so far (www.airbnb.com) and it seems like munich is going to rape us out of our cash since we will be there during Oktoberfest. Whatev, I'm so excited i can't even stand it. Europe - here we come! in August! but i know it will happen faster than i can plan!

last but certainly not least, my mom and sister are booked to come out and visit me!! woot! I can't wait to show off my new hometown, and all the stuff that i have come to love about DC, MD, and VA. when i think about all the things that have happened in the last year, i need to take a step back to really appreciate how far i have come (literally and figuratively).

"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on." - Havelock Ellis

I find myself continuing to learn to let go and hold on in all manner of things, but no matter what i find myself experiencing, i feel thankful for this life and forever grateful that i can be in touch with myself enough to follow my heart and trust the outcome.

ok, ok, now onto the pictures :)
xoxo - S

More mimosas please!

What a happy weekend we had! As the weather gets warmer here in the capitol, its easy to want to spend every moment outside. Yesterday, we had a leisurely day building up to the "main event" of our evening - booze cruise on the Potomac to catch a glimpse of the fast-fading cherry blossoms. It's funny to think about, but it was our first time on the water since moving here. For some reason, I thought we would find lots of time to steal away, after-all, we are practically sandwiched by bodies of water here! But it was nice, however brief. We walked to the Titanic memorial right by JBAB military base, and finished our totable, single serving, "juice-box" wine while watching the water and talking about the unsinkable ship that sank 100 years ago. We then found ourselves in the midst of the cherry blossom festival - tourist trap central! so we headed back up the greenbelt and walked over to this quaint little sushi restaurant for dinner. sushi. so. good. omg.

Today was spent with new (great) friends, over brunch and bottomless mimosas. Its the little things, like chatting about work, next weekend's plans and sipping mimosas that I have missed so much about our life in AZ. It's not so much Arizona that I missed, but the friendships I have there - miss you guys! And to Holly and Morgan - I'm looking forward to many more days like today, thank you both :)

Our relationship is still so new, although at times it doesn't feel that way, days like today remind me. It's the 2nd Easter we have spent together, and last year, it was the first holiday we spent officially together. I love remembering things like that because it gives me butterflies in my stomach - and that feels good :)

African drum circle was going down today and it was great. I'm really loving making our way over to our little historical park every weekend. I feel so connected with the neighborhood when we go, and I don't think it will not phase me that we have such a lovely oasis in the middle of the city - so close to home.

xoxo my friends - until next time :)

Griswold (and Carpenter) Euro vacation - to come!

WE ARE GOING TO EUROPE IN 6 MONTHS! omg omg omg. Amsterdam on my birthday (9/19) and Munich on Chuck's (9/21).  Then make our way down to Italia, and fly back home from Paris :) As far as having any clue as to how many days in each city we plan on spending, well, thats what we have the next few months for! I'll be excitedly posting on all of the news about this as we decide and make further plans. :) now accepting any suggestions for a great carry-on style backpack, light-weight, with or w/o rollers and a possible detachable portion for day tripping.
Chuck sold the crossfire! We are officially car-free! (Care-free even?) I don't need it for work since I metro, and he either walks or takes the bus, so it was just becoming a bigger hassle than it was worth to us. It's pretty exciting to be in a place that does not require a car for daily transportation, and surprisinglyI don't even notice that we don't have it now. Sigh, city-living.
In DC related happenings, its raining all weekend so unfortunately no paddle boating on the Potomac for us :( maybe next weekend will be nice and we can get some great cherry blossom pics up. Here is one from yesterday,

Sometimes, it feels like a fairytale it's so beautiful. Also, I need some rain boots. 

Totally unrelated, but meaningful.

Yesterday I learned of my friend's untimely, and tragic death on Friday, in Tucson. The circumstances surrounding how he got to that point, and the details of what exactly happened, I am still unsure of. My heart breaks for his family, his wife and daughter especially. Life can be scary, surprising, and difficult at times. I know he has struggled with many demons in the past but thought that he was finally out of the woods and moved on. We all encounter challenges, and struggle with what it means to be a better person and how to get there. Not one of us has it figured out. I keep thinking of my friend and wishing for him the peace that he was trying to find in life. I keep finding myself thinking of his wife, also my friend, and feeling so bewildered and lost for her. No one can know the bevy of emotions she must be going through. I wish I could hug her, cry with her and tell her I love her. She is an outstanding person, so beautiful, giving and incredibly smart. She is lucky to have so much family and so many friends around her to give love and support. I wish I too could be there, but I am sending it long-distance. 

I try to remind myself daily of how fortunate I am in life. Terrible things like this really bring to the forefront the truth about what we have to be thankful for. My fantastic, crazy, loving family, and outrageous, courageous, and cooky friends - I LOVE YOU. I hope you never forget it. 

How did I miss seeing George Clooney get arrested??

its funny how so many things can happen in such a short amount of time. the last couple of weeks have been so full and fun. We enjoyed a great weekend with some of the best "family" members anyone could hope for with the Mackey's at baby Lantz's first birthday. NC is just beautiful, and Chapel Hill is no exception. I love being this close to this family and I'm looking forward to many more get togethers like this with them :)

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Probably some of the biggest news on the radar is that I got a job and started last Monday! woot! It has been exactly 2 months since my last day at UoP to my first day at WeddingWire. I'm excited about my job, and this company. I'm doing sales - which is exactly what I wanted and working with a company that's sorta still a start-up feel, but big and getting bigger. It's young and energetic, and seems to totally embody the "work hard, play hard" philosophy - and I think thats exactly what I have been looking for. I've only had 1 week there, so far but it seems really great, and it feels so good to be working again. The only bummer is that I need to factor about 45 min extra (each way) for commuting - the good side of that coin is that I get to Metro so its a lot less stress, and gives me some time to wake up in the morning and wind down on my way home. Also, I'm totally THAT person that gets to Metro to work - and the little kid inside of me that grew up in AZ is WAY geeked out about it :) 

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Ok, so I was doing the slow-carb for the last 3 weeks. I decided that with starting my new job and feeling so rushed in the morning and ultimately inconvenienced when it comes to lunches too, I'm calling it quits. However, I did see some changes in my body, and I know now from a first hand experience what this type of lifestyle change entails. So in terms of measurements - here we go - I lost 1/2 inch off my waist, 1 inch off my hips (I measured across my hip bones for this one) another inch of the largest part of my hips, and 1/2 inch off each thigh. 3.5 inches gone and roughly 5 solid pounds altogether. At week 2 I had lost 6.5 pounds but when I weighed myself yesterday I seem to have up a little so I'm calling 5 pounds to be fair. The biggest difference I noticed though was how my body felt during this process. It's corny to say, but when you "clean" thats how you feel. I felt/ feel so clean, like giving your insides a cleanse. Chuck and I eat pretty healthy anyway but this takes it to a whole different level. Its comforting for me to know that if i find myself in a position of wanting to see certain results in my outward appearance, that this is something I can count on, and that feels good too. 

In other news, Chuck baked for me yesterday!!!! As if having a boyfriend that cooks me dinner almost every night wasn't good enough, now he can totally pull off an outstanding Nutella cake, complete with Grappa-Jam syrup and home made whipped cream. This recipe can be found here --> www.underthetuscangun.com  

Also, I know it's a little late, but HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! I hope everyone had a great time and lots of green beer! We had the pleasure of having our newest friends Sarah and Ben over for some pre-gaming. Poor Sarah forgot her ID so we headed back to our place with their friends, Natalie and Tony and continued to have what Sarah called "the most intellectual St. Patty's day ever." Truth is, neither of us were bummed about staying in, and rather enjoyed NOT getting drinks spilled on us, or shouting to hear each other. I guess that's a clear shout out to our age group, but whatev, we had fun and thats really all that matters anyway, right?!

More other news, and a little bit of a teaser....We have been talking for a while about travel opportunities since we now live in a place that can do flights to England in just 6 hours and not be as crazy expensive as AZ. I think we will settle on exactly where we want to go and when this weekend/ next fews days and get our tickets. Pretty excited?? You bet your ass I am. 

Last thing, next week kicks off the 100th anniversary of the Cherry Blossom festival here in DC. It lasts for 1 month and I'm already seeing the blooms pop up around they city. If you want to be blown away by nature, visit some fun people, and can deal with free accommodations on our air mattress, well then get yourself here because its positively breathtaking. 

Happy birthday Ross!

I am so pleased and also a little freaked out to say it's is my little brother's birthday! He is 25 years old today :) I'm feel sorry to not be spending today with him and the rest of family to celebrate :( but I know he will have fun, eat his favorite foods, and feel truly loved, as we all do, by our outstanding parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. To say that Ross has had a profound effect on my life, might be putting it simply. He is a constant reminder to me to stay focussed on the things in life that really matter. I know that growing up with a brother who has special needs can be a challenge for anyone, and i commend my parents for continuing to do such an excellent job, day in, and day out.

Ross, Happy birthday Bud! I want to tell you that I love you SO much and I miss you a lot too :) I hope you have an awesome birthday today, have tons of fun, and eat lots of mint chocolate chip ice cream!!
You are a very special guy, and I am so lucky that you are my brother. These are just a few of my favorite things about you that I will be thinking about today :)
- your laugh - its so genuine that you can't help but start laughing yourself!
- your angry face - not to be mean, but you look so mischievous, and adorable
- how excited you get when you clear a level in one of your video games and you call me into your room to tell me all about how you got there - very cool
- the way you say "no thank you!" even when you are angry about something - I hope that you are always that polite :)
- your sound effects
- how sweet you are with babies, and how you make soft cooing sounds at all of them
- your small pranks - you know you can't keep a straight face!
- I love how you are always trying to be a great big brother to Emma, and take care of her
- when I ask you to, you will try to have a conversation with me, even if you don't feel like it sometimes.

You are the best brother in the whole wide world, and I love you very much.
HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY ROSS!!!

Tuesday afternoon . . .

I can't believe that in some places, the cherry blossoms have already arrived! I'm so excited for it to be in full effect and see this city turn pink! Also, when the cherry blossoms come, so too (hopefully!) will my mom, and I can't wait to see her :) I love you mommy <3
   Some of you may already know that Chuck is the chef in our household, and a great one at that! Believe me, I know how lucky I am that a) my boyfriend cooks, b) he's better than me at it! He has been preparing meals for me since we first started dating, and he cooks in true Paleo fashion. Never heard of it? Check this out; http://www.thefitblog.net/2010/12/going-paleo-101-what-is-paleo.html So this has become something that I am accustomed to and quite enjoy actually! But after the holiday's, our unhealthy road-trip out here, and just getting settled here, I wanted to try something a little more strict, and something that Chuck has done in the past too. Slow-Carb is what I decided I wanted to do with him. Slow Carb = http://gizmodo.com/5709913/4+hour-body-+-the-slow+carb-diet I'm at week 1 and so far, so good! Really, it's not about losing 20 pounds or anything, its about feeling more comfortable in my own skin, and also testing my will-power, my ability to say "no" to things that pollute my body. For any of us, I know that can be a challenge, especially for me since I am lactose intolerant and can't allow myself things I love like cheese, yogurt, and ice cream because it tears up my stomach. I know, sob story right?? haha Anyway, this slow-carb diet is something I'm giving a whirl. I have taken measurements and will report any changes in a month. It's sure to be a nail-biter!
   On another note, I attended a beautiful brunch/ Stella and Dot party this Sunday. Thank you to my friend Sarah for hosting such a nice get together! I met several really nice girls and I'm so looking forward to getting together with them for wine tastings and museum trips!
   On Friday I got to spend time with my "nephew," his dad, his lovely wife and her parents for hiking in the AT and wine tasting in Virginia. I can't deny that being closer to the Mackey family was a HUGE draw for me when Chuck and I wanted to move out here. I love that when I see little Lantz growing up, he will actually know who I am :) the same goes for little Parker and Lorelai, and I can't wait to meet them in a couple of weeks at the little guy's first birthday party :)

K, I'm off to make some Kale chips! Bye for now!

New York State of Mind

We had such a wonderful time in NYC this weekend! A GIANT thank you to Tucker and Donna for being such excellent hosts and showing us all around.
It been 10 years since I had been in the city that never sleeps, and it felt like such a whirlwind then, it's was new years just a few months after terrorists attacked the World Trade Center. Understandably the city was in the midst of a transformation, the tension, fear, love was all palpable. Even for a first-timer I knew the atmosphere that surrounded me was different than usual. It was different than what i had expected all except for one moment - to be there, in the heart of Times Square to watch the ball to drop was something I will never forget. All of a sudden, I found myself counting down the end of that year with 500,000 other people and all o us had our eyes fixed in the same spot, and I like to think that we all had similar emotions of hope and renewal too.
Well it's been a long time since I had been and I was eager to see how much I remembered, what was different, and what else I could squeeze into 3 days! In a nutshell, this it what we did; had 2 delicious brunches, rode the subway a lot, central park - strawberry fields, the Guggenheim, consumed copious amounts of alcohol, had some o the best sushi I have ever eaten, NBC store, saw lots of sites- radio city music hall, MoMA, Katz's, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, ate pizza and all in all had one excellent time. I tried to document as much as I could without missing everything. I will post pictures below :) I believe that it takes a special type of person to live in NYC. The truth is, NY is great, but it's tough too. I feel in awe of those that live and make a home amidst the chaos. Returning home last night, I felt like DC was small peanuts compared to what we had just left. I did notice similarities between these two places though. The narrow streets, the masses of people that flood the sidewalks, the architecture, the homeless. The history that packs itself into the walls of virtually every building is hard to ignore. I tend to feel dwarfed by it all.
One of the best feelings I had this weekend was while we were walking home from our bus stop in DuPont. Our feet hurt, we were carrying our bags that seemed to get heavier at each block, but it felt so good to be HOME. And it felt even better to feel like DC is our home now. It's the best one monthiversary present that DC could have possibly given to us :)