holi-daze

the last few months have been a blur of work and play, and somehow i've found myself on the other side of fall, staring christmas - and all it brings - right in the face.

this past weekend, sister, e and many, many sweet friends gathered to throw me a gatsby-inspired celebration of a lifetime (30 years to be exact) and it couldn't have been more perfect. i looked around at all the smiles and love in that room and my heart almost burst. it was yet again another sign, confirming i'm exactly where i should be in my life and i don't think i've felt a stronger joy.

this thursday, after e and i participate in our respective work holiday soirees, we'll head to NC for our annual christmas celebration with family. i'm looking forward to heading down south to the land of the pines, lounging in some comfies and starring at the lights on two trees, each in a warm, familiar environment. i'll have cookies, mom's spaghetti and burgin beale's spiked eggnog. i'm excited to hug all their necks and truly live "off the grid" for a few days, which always forces me to slow down. i'll visit with gram + grandaddy, i'll remember christmas evenings with grandma + papa beale and i'll watch the christmas story at least 3 times.

i'll officially ring in 30 on the 24th, with e in a small bar in chapel hill. we'll have a beer and take a shot. he'll tell me how he can't believe i was 22 when we first met. and i'll ask him if i'm the hottest 30 year old he knows (he'll say duh). then i'll open his gift (the first of the day) and we'll head back for late night cookies and bed. after many moments of agony over the past few months, it's safe to say i'm approaching a feeling of excitement about this new chapter. yes, i look at it as an end to much that i know, but i'm excited about the beginning it marks as well and all in all, i remind myself i haven't even reached the middle yet. all the faces of friends and family this weekend, the dances, the drinks, and the pure happiness soothed my anxiety, reminding myself that all this is only possible because of the passing of that bittersweet frenemy, time.

merry christmas to you and yours. may your reminiscing of the past, excitement for the future and most importantly, enjoyment of the present keep you all warm and cozy!

xx

the pursuit of happiness

this weekend was a long one (thanks to the columbus day holiday) and it brought us perfect fall weather. e + i took advantage of the cool, sunny days + decided to go pick a few apples. we headed back to the orchard we visited last year (we're partial to the wine + beer tasting we can do there after we pick), and we grabbed a bushel of numerous crisp varieties. we spent the late afternoon on the porch, looking out over the orchard at the changing leaves + a few quintessential new england steeples dotting the skyline.

a quick reading of the forecast confirmed that saturday would be just as nice + i was SUPERexcited to finally take out my bike. she's a beaut and was one of my roadside treats that i stumbled upon a few months ago. i know, i know, i too am surprised someone would choose to let her go. my friend alyson + i took advantage of the day with ride + picnic along the esplanade. we gathered our group + grilled out in the north end before we headed down to the riverside bocce courts to get our game on. the chill that night reminded us that winter was not far off.

e + i did a little bike loop on sunday as well - dodging octoberfest traffic that morning, before we headed straight for the crowds that afternoon at charlie's beer garden. a re-group on sunday night for yet another grilled dinner was wrapped up with alyson's homemade cider doughnuts + some hot apple cider (with bourbon of course!).

happiness...found.

country grammar

although fall technically began almost two weeks ago, i feel like i just got the official kick-off to the season this past weekend. we piled two cars full of people, food, drinks and warm clothing, and headed to a friend's house in upstate new york. our saturday was filled with ATV rides, target practice, oh-ing + ah-ing over the changing leaves, exploring the few + far-between houses of the countryside, and preparing a family feast. it couldn't have been more different than what we do in our day-to-day routines and we couldn't have been more happy about it. we ended that saturday toasting smores over a bonfire and checking out stars that we can never see in the city.

last night i arrived back in cambridge to (much) cooler temps and an excitement for my favorite season. seeing fall's arrival each year has been one of my favorite things about living up here in MA. it's something i feel i never really got to experience down in NC and it's something that will be hard for me to leave when it's time. but for now, we're celebrating the fact we have another year here after e finishes law school. he'll begin a clerkship after graduation that will keep us around until 2012 + we're so excited to stay. on the list of things i just wasn't ready to let go of yet, were the definite changing of the seasons.

so long summer. i'm ready for mums, pumpkins, boots, chunky knits, halloween and some hot apple cider.

the third + final

there's a part of me that wants to scream "how-oh-HOW is it september 1!" but most of me can believe the cold hard fact of this passing of time. the summer has gone all too quickly, but it was an amazing one for sure.

e + i are approaching our last summer retreat with friends for labor day weekend, and when i return to cambridge, i'll be expecting (and wanting) some fall-like temps and i'll begin looking out for the first sign of falling leaves. my favorite season is upon us + i couldn't be more excited for the change. e starts his third year of law school today. every year i do the same two things: take a picture of him departing to class; and reflect on what the last school year brought us while wondering what the coming one will hold.

i won't forget the sadness i had two years ago when we first arrived. the loneliness that just didn't seem to go away quickly. i'll never forget thinking, "these three years are going to be a long stretch."

now, i can't stop saying, "these three years just aren't enough."


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