On Monday morning, I put the last of my things in my car, gave my key to my roommate, and said a tearful good-bye to the city that's been my home for the previous three years.
When I first moved to Charleston, I didn't think I'd be in South Carolina long. And I didn't think I'd become so attached to the Holy City. But I was wrong on both counts and am having a hard time imagining my life away from the idyllic streets and cityscapes.
For me, Charleston will always be the city where I found myself (or at the very least, started on that journey). I know a lot of my feelings about Charleston relate back to the years of my life that I spent there. I was 23 when I first moved to Charleston, I had no responsibilities and no commitments and was enrolled in a program where I met a lot of wonderful people who were a lot like me in some important ways.
Strangely enough, I think I had the "college experience" in law school. Even though the past three years were some of the most difficult and trying of my entire life academically, they were also some of the best years for personal growth and for my social well-being. I made lifelong friends, found a passion, and started on what I hope will be a great career.
I could wax poetical about Charleston, but it is late at night and I'm afraid such ramblings will bring me to tears (again) so I'll keep it short. August 2010, I quit my job, packed up everything I own, moved 400 miles away to a city where I knew exactly four people - my aunt, my uncle, and my two cousins - and had the best, most amazing, incredible, freaking time of my life. And even though it was hard (it was so hard) I would do it all again in a heartbeat.
Have a great night y'all.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Twelve Years Ago
I know I'm writing this late, but it seemed wrong to let today go by without comment.
Twelve years ago today I was a freshman in high school. It was the second week of school. It was a Tuesday. The sky was blue. The air had the first hints of fall in it. I had finally managed to find my way around the high school without feeling completely lost. I was wearing a red shirt.
It was first block and I had World History with Ms. Greenough. Not long after the school day had started, Ms. Everhart, the teacher in the room next door burst into the room and told my teacher to turn the TV on. Horrorstruck, my class saw the first tower on fire. We saw the second plane hit the second tower. We saw the first tower fall. And then the bell rang.
For the rest of the day, New York was on my mind. We weren't allowed to watch TV for the rest of the day in school (I'm sure Ms. Greenough might have even gotten in trouble for letting us watch what we did). I don't remember a lot of the particulars of what happened that day at school after that first class.
But I do remember my mom hugging me close when I got home. I remember my dad crying when he got home later that night. I remember being glued to the TV for hours upon hours. I remember relieved phone calls to family and friends that still lived in New York. I remember a sad phone call from my aunt telling my mom that one of her friend's husband had been one of the first responders that day who never came home. I remember going to church the next night and crying my eyes out as the congregation sang "Amazing Grace." I remember the moments of silence in the weeks that followed.
Maybe more than anything, I remember being scared. I was never really scared growing up. I knew I was safe. I knew my family was safe. I knew that absent a horrible accident or debilitating illness, my life would keep moving in the direction it had followed for the pst 14 years. Now I didn't know. I didn't feel safe, for weeks and weeks, sleep was hard to come by. When I think about my life pre and post 9/11, the biggest difference is how quickly that feeling of safety went away. How we all lost something no one knew we really had.
Before I sign off for the night, I'd like to thank the first responders and all of the heroes that have proudly served our country not only on 9/11 but also in the months and years that have followed.
May we never forget. God bless America.
Twelve years ago today I was a freshman in high school. It was the second week of school. It was a Tuesday. The sky was blue. The air had the first hints of fall in it. I had finally managed to find my way around the high school without feeling completely lost. I was wearing a red shirt.
It was first block and I had World History with Ms. Greenough. Not long after the school day had started, Ms. Everhart, the teacher in the room next door burst into the room and told my teacher to turn the TV on. Horrorstruck, my class saw the first tower on fire. We saw the second plane hit the second tower. We saw the first tower fall. And then the bell rang.
For the rest of the day, New York was on my mind. We weren't allowed to watch TV for the rest of the day in school (I'm sure Ms. Greenough might have even gotten in trouble for letting us watch what we did). I don't remember a lot of the particulars of what happened that day at school after that first class.
But I do remember my mom hugging me close when I got home. I remember my dad crying when he got home later that night. I remember being glued to the TV for hours upon hours. I remember relieved phone calls to family and friends that still lived in New York. I remember a sad phone call from my aunt telling my mom that one of her friend's husband had been one of the first responders that day who never came home. I remember going to church the next night and crying my eyes out as the congregation sang "Amazing Grace." I remember the moments of silence in the weeks that followed.
Maybe more than anything, I remember being scared. I was never really scared growing up. I knew I was safe. I knew my family was safe. I knew that absent a horrible accident or debilitating illness, my life would keep moving in the direction it had followed for the pst 14 years. Now I didn't know. I didn't feel safe, for weeks and weeks, sleep was hard to come by. When I think about my life pre and post 9/11, the biggest difference is how quickly that feeling of safety went away. How we all lost something no one knew we really had.
Before I sign off for the night, I'd like to thank the first responders and all of the heroes that have proudly served our country not only on 9/11 but also in the months and years that have followed.
May we never forget. God bless America.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Adventures in Dating, Part 1
**Disclaimer: names of the dated have been changed to protect their anonymity.**
**Disclaimer 2: I don't talk about this part of my life a lot, so I'm taking a BIG leap of faith by posting this**
For those of you who know me in real life, you know I don't date much. I've always had a lot of guy friends, but not a lot of boyfriends. When I was still living at home and would get upset about being single, my mom would always tell me that I intimidated boys because I was loud and smart and funny. To me this has always been a weird statement to handle. I know that I'm loud; but the smart and funny comment are somewhat debatable. And (for argument's sake) even if I am smart and funny, why wouldn't these things be qualities that a guy would look for in a girl? And I'm not THAT loud.
When I was in high school I'd had a boyfriend. We were pretty serious at graduation and went to the same college, so we kept on dating. We were together through our first year at UVA and then the first semester of our second year. For reasons I won't go into here, we broke up just after that second Christmas break. To me, it happened suddenly; but I think he knew he wanted to end things for a while. Because I was 19 and naive and had low self-esteem, I left that relationship broken. I ate and cried and ate and cried and ate and cried. Three months later I was 30 pounds heavier and only just starting to piece my life together. Not only was I up about 4 pant sizes, but I also seriously doubted and despised everything about myself: I felt disgusting, ugly, stupid, undesirable, and hopeless.
Throughout the rest of college and when I was working, I'd fall head over heels for a guy only for him to fall head over heels for another girl or for the timing to not work out. More often than not I was friend-zoned (yes this can happen to girls too). Thankfully (or maybe ironically), law school saved me from this pattern. True, I didn't date; but I also had a lot on my plate - there was a lot of studying, papers to write, exams to take - a ready excuse to the answer "why aren't you seeing anyone?" It also didn't leave a lot of time to meet new people and most of the guys in my program were either married, seriously dating someone, or seriously not my type.
About a year ago I decided I was ready to take the plunge and start dating. I went on a few first dates - some were ok, some were not. I met some new people, gained some confidence, felt better about myself. All positives.
Then I met Steve. We met at a wedding. We danced for most of the night and hung out at the after party. I gave him my number and we texted a lot for a while. He even took me out on New Year's. Since we lived several states apart, we talked and texted a lot, but didn't see each other often/ever. In the end it didn't work out. But because of all the conversations and the interest that Steve showed me, I felt like I could be seen as interesting.
As things fizzled out with Steve, I met Nate. Nate was in the class behind me at my law school and was a friend of a friend. We met at a school function and wound up hanging out for the rest of the day. He asked for my number and called a few days later to ask me out. Nate and I got dinner and had a great first date. He was sweet, funny, and very shy. We hung out pretty regularly throughout the semester, but it was never serious. Nate was always complimentary and paid me a lot of attention when I would run into him. Even though nothing really happened between me and Nate, he made me feel attractive and desirable.
The semi-relationship / romantically-tinged friendships I had with Steve and Nate made me feel better about myself than I had in years. I finally could see myself in a relationship; finally believed that someone would actually want to date me. After years and years of watching my friends fall in and out of love, I was finally ready to fall on my own.
Then I met Henry.
But that's a story for another day.
**Disclaimer 2: I don't talk about this part of my life a lot, so I'm taking a BIG leap of faith by posting this**
For those of you who know me in real life, you know I don't date much. I've always had a lot of guy friends, but not a lot of boyfriends. When I was still living at home and would get upset about being single, my mom would always tell me that I intimidated boys because I was loud and smart and funny. To me this has always been a weird statement to handle. I know that I'm loud; but the smart and funny comment are somewhat debatable. And (for argument's sake) even if I am smart and funny, why wouldn't these things be qualities that a guy would look for in a girl? And I'm not THAT loud.
When I was in high school I'd had a boyfriend. We were pretty serious at graduation and went to the same college, so we kept on dating. We were together through our first year at UVA and then the first semester of our second year. For reasons I won't go into here, we broke up just after that second Christmas break. To me, it happened suddenly; but I think he knew he wanted to end things for a while. Because I was 19 and naive and had low self-esteem, I left that relationship broken. I ate and cried and ate and cried and ate and cried. Three months later I was 30 pounds heavier and only just starting to piece my life together. Not only was I up about 4 pant sizes, but I also seriously doubted and despised everything about myself: I felt disgusting, ugly, stupid, undesirable, and hopeless.
Throughout the rest of college and when I was working, I'd fall head over heels for a guy only for him to fall head over heels for another girl or for the timing to not work out. More often than not I was friend-zoned (yes this can happen to girls too). Thankfully (or maybe ironically), law school saved me from this pattern. True, I didn't date; but I also had a lot on my plate - there was a lot of studying, papers to write, exams to take - a ready excuse to the answer "why aren't you seeing anyone?" It also didn't leave a lot of time to meet new people and most of the guys in my program were either married, seriously dating someone, or seriously not my type.
About a year ago I decided I was ready to take the plunge and start dating. I went on a few first dates - some were ok, some were not. I met some new people, gained some confidence, felt better about myself. All positives.
Then I met Steve. We met at a wedding. We danced for most of the night and hung out at the after party. I gave him my number and we texted a lot for a while. He even took me out on New Year's. Since we lived several states apart, we talked and texted a lot, but didn't see each other often/ever. In the end it didn't work out. But because of all the conversations and the interest that Steve showed me, I felt like I could be seen as interesting.
As things fizzled out with Steve, I met Nate. Nate was in the class behind me at my law school and was a friend of a friend. We met at a school function and wound up hanging out for the rest of the day. He asked for my number and called a few days later to ask me out. Nate and I got dinner and had a great first date. He was sweet, funny, and very shy. We hung out pretty regularly throughout the semester, but it was never serious. Nate was always complimentary and paid me a lot of attention when I would run into him. Even though nothing really happened between me and Nate, he made me feel attractive and desirable.
The semi-relationship / romantically-tinged friendships I had with Steve and Nate made me feel better about myself than I had in years. I finally could see myself in a relationship; finally believed that someone would actually want to date me. After years and years of watching my friends fall in and out of love, I was finally ready to fall on my own.
Then I met Henry.
But that's a story for another day.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Hello Blogosphere!
Hello?!?! Is anyone out there?!?! Probably not, but world, I'm BACK!
Now it's been almost a year and a half since my last post...so I'll try to catch you up really quick. I finished my 2L year, worked for a real estate firm in Virginia, worked for the mayor's office in Charleston, served as SBA Vice President, learned how to make some banging guacamole, got over my fear of public speaking, made a lot of new friends, hosted a bachelorette party, went back to Charlottesville, was a bridesmaid in one of my best friend's weddings, got an iPhone, served as SBA President, went to D.C., turned 26, found my mojo, rediscovered running, dated a little, studied for final exams, saw Kathie Lee and Hoda Live, enjoyed Charleston's night life, graduated from law school (!!!!), started studying for the bar exam, moved out of my downtown Charleston apartment, studied, moved in with a friend for the summer, studied, ran, studied, ran, developed a severe caffeine addiction, ran, studied, studied, ran, studied until I dreamt the law, studied until I didn't sleep, drove to Roanoke, studied, took the bar, drove back to Charleston, chopped off my hair, fell into a recovery coma, went to the Dominican Republic for a recovery vacation, caught up with old friends, and am now in the process of moving to Virginia and finding a full time, grown up job (you know the kind I'm talking about: one with benefits, a regular paycheck, and a demand for a professional wardrobe).
WHEW! The past 18 months have been stressful, challenging, and amazing (well 15 - those 3 months of studying for the bar were hell on earth). And now? Well now I'm unemployed and attempting to enjoy my last few weeks in Charleston. But if I can be completely honest, I don't really do tons of free time well. I mean I have a great tan (product of my vacation and lots of hours by the pool/beach) and I'm doing a lot of reading (almost half-way through the last Game of Thrones book) and applying for A LOT of jobs, but other than that I have a lot of hours to fill. And I think I should do something constructive, so I've rediscovered the blogsphere.
Now most of the events that I mentioned above probably deserve their own post. But that's a promise I'm not quite willing to make. But I will promise this. I need to do something good with my free time. So I'll write. And just in case I don't get to these events, here are a few pictures to hold you guys over on some key events of the past 18 months:
Now it's been almost a year and a half since my last post...so I'll try to catch you up really quick. I finished my 2L year, worked for a real estate firm in Virginia, worked for the mayor's office in Charleston, served as SBA Vice President, learned how to make some banging guacamole, got over my fear of public speaking, made a lot of new friends, hosted a bachelorette party, went back to Charlottesville, was a bridesmaid in one of my best friend's weddings, got an iPhone, served as SBA President, went to D.C., turned 26, found my mojo, rediscovered running, dated a little, studied for final exams, saw Kathie Lee and Hoda Live, enjoyed Charleston's night life, graduated from law school (!!!!), started studying for the bar exam, moved out of my downtown Charleston apartment, studied, moved in with a friend for the summer, studied, ran, studied, ran, developed a severe caffeine addiction, ran, studied, studied, ran, studied until I dreamt the law, studied until I didn't sleep, drove to Roanoke, studied, took the bar, drove back to Charleston, chopped off my hair, fell into a recovery coma, went to the Dominican Republic for a recovery vacation, caught up with old friends, and am now in the process of moving to Virginia and finding a full time, grown up job (you know the kind I'm talking about: one with benefits, a regular paycheck, and a demand for a professional wardrobe).
WHEW! The past 18 months have been stressful, challenging, and amazing (well 15 - those 3 months of studying for the bar were hell on earth). And now? Well now I'm unemployed and attempting to enjoy my last few weeks in Charleston. But if I can be completely honest, I don't really do tons of free time well. I mean I have a great tan (product of my vacation and lots of hours by the pool/beach) and I'm doing a lot of reading (almost half-way through the last Game of Thrones book) and applying for A LOT of jobs, but other than that I have a lot of hours to fill. And I think I should do something constructive, so I've rediscovered the blogsphere.
Now most of the events that I mentioned above probably deserve their own post. But that's a promise I'm not quite willing to make. But I will promise this. I need to do something good with my free time. So I'll write. And just in case I don't get to these events, here are a few pictures to hold you guys over on some key events of the past 18 months:
Friday, April 6, 2012
Hunger Games
Remember when I used to post kind of regularly and actually had some interesting stories? No? Me neither. Ah but such is life.
I did realize that I have desperately failed you by not posting ANYTHING about The Hunger Games. No book review, no movie review, no post about how much I LOVED this series. So I'm going to do it here.
For about the past year, everyone I know and their grandmother was reading The Hunger Games. Big blockbuster books always make me a little nervous - what if I don't like it as much as everyone else? Then you're the weird girl who constantly has to explain why she didn't like the book that everyone else is obsessed with.
But after I had heard from the 14736867926th person that I needed to read The Hunger Games, I decided to take the plunge. After my exams were over in December I bought the first book. And read it in a day. And loved it. And proceeded to read the second book. In another day. And then the third. In a third day. And then I had this weird Hunger Games hangover and couldn't really adjust back to reality for a few days.
The series was mesmerizing. The books are Young Adult (YA) and very easy to read. The story, however, is geared to a much broader audience. I honestly cannot remember the last time that I had a reading experience like I had while reading The Hunger Games. It was similar to my Harry Potter experience, but different in an important way. I waited for years in between Harry Potter books (where I read the available books again and again and again). But all of The Hunger Games books were already out! No waiting! It let me get absorbed in the series in a different kind of way that I liked.
So without further ado, my review of The Hunger Games.
Many years in the future, after famine and war and floods and eventually a new peace, the U.S. is no more. Instead there is the Panem which is made up of Twelve Districts and a Capitol. To maintain its dominance over the districts the Capitol requires each district to send a boy and girl tribute every year to the Capitol to participate in the annual Hunger Games: a brutal, televised fight to the death that is required programming for all citizens of the Panem. The winning tribute brings riches, fame, and glory back to their district in a hopelessly self-perpetuating style.
Enter Katniss Everdeen. Katniss is a sixteen year old girl from District 12, located near modern Appalachia. Her father died years before in a mining accident and has dedicated her life to taking care of her mother and younger sister, Prim. When her sister's name is drawn to be the District 12's Tribute, Katniss volunteers to go in her place. Peeta Mellark is chosen as District 12's male tribute. Together Katniss and Peeta head to the Capitol with their coach, Haymitch, and District liaison, Effie, to participate in the 74th Hunger Games.
I won't say much more about the plot, I don't want to give anything away, but I really do think you should go read it. You can purchase The Hunger Games here.
Now for the movie. I loved it. I thought it was a really great film adaptation of a really excellent book. No movie is ever exactly like the book, it can't be. But I thought that this movie was pretty true to the book. They spent some time showing what was going on outside of the arena while the Games were going on. I liked the context that those scene gave. I liked how they portrayed the differences between people from the Capitol and people from the Districts.
What didn't I like? I felt like a few of the details of the movie were confusing. In the book they really explain Haymitch's role in the Games. In the movie it was just explained in passing that he was their coach and mentor. I also found that a few of the relationships fell a little flat. But as a whole, I think they did a great job and I'm excited for the sequel!
I did realize that I have desperately failed you by not posting ANYTHING about The Hunger Games. No book review, no movie review, no post about how much I LOVED this series. So I'm going to do it here.
For about the past year, everyone I know and their grandmother was reading The Hunger Games. Big blockbuster books always make me a little nervous - what if I don't like it as much as everyone else? Then you're the weird girl who constantly has to explain why she didn't like the book that everyone else is obsessed with.
But after I had heard from the 14736867926th person that I needed to read The Hunger Games, I decided to take the plunge. After my exams were over in December I bought the first book. And read it in a day. And loved it. And proceeded to read the second book. In another day. And then the third. In a third day. And then I had this weird Hunger Games hangover and couldn't really adjust back to reality for a few days.
The series was mesmerizing. The books are Young Adult (YA) and very easy to read. The story, however, is geared to a much broader audience. I honestly cannot remember the last time that I had a reading experience like I had while reading The Hunger Games. It was similar to my Harry Potter experience, but different in an important way. I waited for years in between Harry Potter books (where I read the available books again and again and again). But all of The Hunger Games books were already out! No waiting! It let me get absorbed in the series in a different kind of way that I liked.
So without further ado, my review of The Hunger Games.
Many years in the future, after famine and war and floods and eventually a new peace, the U.S. is no more. Instead there is the Panem which is made up of Twelve Districts and a Capitol. To maintain its dominance over the districts the Capitol requires each district to send a boy and girl tribute every year to the Capitol to participate in the annual Hunger Games: a brutal, televised fight to the death that is required programming for all citizens of the Panem. The winning tribute brings riches, fame, and glory back to their district in a hopelessly self-perpetuating style.
Enter Katniss Everdeen. Katniss is a sixteen year old girl from District 12, located near modern Appalachia. Her father died years before in a mining accident and has dedicated her life to taking care of her mother and younger sister, Prim. When her sister's name is drawn to be the District 12's Tribute, Katniss volunteers to go in her place. Peeta Mellark is chosen as District 12's male tribute. Together Katniss and Peeta head to the Capitol with their coach, Haymitch, and District liaison, Effie, to participate in the 74th Hunger Games.
I won't say much more about the plot, I don't want to give anything away, but I really do think you should go read it. You can purchase The Hunger Games here.
Now for the movie. I loved it. I thought it was a really great film adaptation of a really excellent book. No movie is ever exactly like the book, it can't be. But I thought that this movie was pretty true to the book. They spent some time showing what was going on outside of the arena while the Games were going on. I liked the context that those scene gave. I liked how they portrayed the differences between people from the Capitol and people from the Districts.
What didn't I like? I felt like a few of the details of the movie were confusing. In the book they really explain Haymitch's role in the Games. In the movie it was just explained in passing that he was their coach and mentor. I also found that a few of the relationships fell a little flat. But as a whole, I think they did a great job and I'm excited for the sequel!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Samantha Brick
Over the past few days, Samantha Brick has taken the internet by storm. If you haven't heard, Samantha is the woman who wrote an article about women hating her for being too beautiful. If you haven't read it, you can find a it here.
This article has launched a firestorm of comments: some good, some bad. One woman even said that Brick looks like a "pit bull chewing on a wasp." Mean.
I feel for Ms. Brick. Not because I think I'm too beautiful, but because I think the main point of her article has gone over everyone's heads. Women love to bring each other down. Someone does something better than you? You automatically hate her. She's prettier, she's smarter, she has more money, she has better clothes, the list could go on and on. It doesn't matter that you completely rock your job or that you have flawless skin if her hair is just the right shade of chestnut brown.
For one, I hope we can stop criticizing Ms. Brick's looks. I also hope that as women, we can stop beating up on each other and taking away from each other's accomplishments. It's time that we start celebrating each other and encouraging each other to be the best that we can rather than tearing each other down at every chance.
And if this post starts an internet frenzy....well so be it.
This article has launched a firestorm of comments: some good, some bad. One woman even said that Brick looks like a "pit bull chewing on a wasp." Mean.
I feel for Ms. Brick. Not because I think I'm too beautiful, but because I think the main point of her article has gone over everyone's heads. Women love to bring each other down. Someone does something better than you? You automatically hate her. She's prettier, she's smarter, she has more money, she has better clothes, the list could go on and on. It doesn't matter that you completely rock your job or that you have flawless skin if her hair is just the right shade of chestnut brown.
For one, I hope we can stop criticizing Ms. Brick's looks. I also hope that as women, we can stop beating up on each other and taking away from each other's accomplishments. It's time that we start celebrating each other and encouraging each other to be the best that we can rather than tearing each other down at every chance.
And if this post starts an internet frenzy....well so be it.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
St. Patrick's Day
Happy St. Patty's Day! The one day of the year that everyone actually wants to be Irish. Unfortunately I had to take the MPRE this morning (this is the test that the ABA gives out that tests the ethical requirements of lawyers) so I was unable to take full advantage of St. Patty's Day ACTUALLY FALLING ON A SATURDAY. It's all good though - since this test has been looming large for a while now I wasn't able to really do much of anything for my birthday (which was this past Thursday).
So my friends and I are painting the town green tonight. To celebrate myIrish heritage birthday we are going out for Mexican which is my favorite. Hopefully, I'll remember to bring my camera with me (and then, you know, actually use it).
I hope you all have exciting St. Patty's Day plans too!
Before you go, here's some St. Patrick's Day goodness.
An Irish blessing:
So my friends and I are painting the town green tonight. To celebrate my
I hope you all have exciting St. Patty's Day plans too!
Before you go, here's some St. Patrick's Day goodness.
An Irish blessing:
May you always have...
Walls for the winds
A roof for the rain
Tea beside the fire
Laughter to cheer you
Those you love near you
And all your heart might desire.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Springing Ahead
I know it's been a while, but I have not fallen off the face of the earth. I know I sound like a broken record, but school has been CRAZY busy over the past month or so. Unfortunately when things get busy, blogging's kind of the first thing to go. I also got a Kindle for Christmas which means any extra time I do have gets spent reading (BTW, if you haven't read The Hunger Games yet, DO IT NOW!)
This past week I had spring break so I spent a few days back home in Virginia. It was a restful week (one night I slept for 13 and a half hours. not exaggerating) and I was glad that I got to spend some time with my family and friends.
One of the best things about spring break is that it's an opportunity to restart. Over the break I got caught up on some work that slipped off my radar during the semester. I managed to lace up my sneakers and get a few good runs in and restarted my training for the Marine Corps Half Marathon (which will be here before I know it!). I know the next week is going to be crazy (I'm taking the ethics portion of the bar next Saturday - yes on St. Patty's Day!) and have bunches of work to get done this week. I'll pretty much need another spring break after next week.
I also started toying with the idea of restarting this blog. I'm thinking a make-over might be exactly what this thing needs. I'd like to keep my web-address but I'm looking for a new title. Unfortunately I'm pretty uncreative which is where you guys come in! Come up with a new name for this blog! It'll be like a contest except the only thing you'll win is my respect and gratitude.
So I realize this post kind of went no where, but it did let you know that'm still alive, so we'll say that was the point. Happy Daylight Saving Time!
This past week I had spring break so I spent a few days back home in Virginia. It was a restful week (one night I slept for 13 and a half hours. not exaggerating) and I was glad that I got to spend some time with my family and friends.
One of the best things about spring break is that it's an opportunity to restart. Over the break I got caught up on some work that slipped off my radar during the semester. I managed to lace up my sneakers and get a few good runs in and restarted my training for the Marine Corps Half Marathon (which will be here before I know it!). I know the next week is going to be crazy (I'm taking the ethics portion of the bar next Saturday - yes on St. Patty's Day!) and have bunches of work to get done this week. I'll pretty much need another spring break after next week.
I also started toying with the idea of restarting this blog. I'm thinking a make-over might be exactly what this thing needs. I'd like to keep my web-address but I'm looking for a new title. Unfortunately I'm pretty uncreative which is where you guys come in! Come up with a new name for this blog! It'll be like a contest except the only thing you'll win is my respect and gratitude.
So I realize this post kind of went no where, but it did let you know that'm still alive, so we'll say that was the point. Happy Daylight Saving Time!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Super Bowl
If you were in America last night (and paying at least the tiniest bit of attention to pop culture) you know that yesterday was the biggest unofficial American holiday of the year. I was really happy with the Super Bowl: I'm not a huge football fan, but if I had to pick a team I would without a doubt root for the Giants. I also hate Tom Brady with the fire of a thousand suns, so to see him lose is always fun.
Football aside, I do always enjoy Super Bowl Sunday. To me, Super Bowl Sunday is a good food, good friends, good beer, good commercials, good time kind of day. I have to admit, the commercials this year were a little bit of a disappointment. But it was the Super Bowl, so there were a few gems in there. Here were my favorites:
Football aside, I do always enjoy Super Bowl Sunday. To me, Super Bowl Sunday is a good food, good friends, good beer, good commercials, good time kind of day. I have to admit, the commercials this year were a little bit of a disappointment. But it was the Super Bowl, so there were a few gems in there. Here were my favorites:
There is no such thing as too many monkeys in advertising
Hope you enjoy!
WHAT WERE YOUR FAVORITE ADS???
WHAT DID YOU DO FOR THE BIG GAME?
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Weights
If you caught my New Year's post (not linking it, it's only a few entries back) then you may remember that one of my New Year's resolutions was to have more balance in my life. This is kind of an "all-inclusive" resolution, but one thing I definitely wanted to work on was adding a little more balance to my work-outs. I wanted to do more cross-training (truth: any kind of cross-training would be more than I was doing last year) and I wanted to incorporate weights into my routine. I have been successful with one of these and unsuccessful with the other.
The cross-training has not happened yet. I had the best of intentions today, but sometimes these things don't work out. The gym I belong to in Charleston is pretty good. There are a lot of locations all across the Low Country, so you're never far from one. Which I like a lot. They have a wide variety of classes offered all day. Which I also like a lot (actually these are the two reasons I joined this gym, but I never really take advantage of these things). Two of them have pools.
So today I decided to skip my run and go for a nice swim instead. I got all ready, packed my gym bag, and drove over to one of the locations that is advertised as having a pool. Technically the gym does have a pool. I mean there is a large-ish, in-ground pool-like structure, but in no way, shape or form was it the type of pool that I expected to find at a gym. I was expecting lap lanes and found a place where you can splash around with your kids. A few gym members were bobbing around on pool noodles and I knew that there was no way that I could swim laps there. Pretty disappointing. I think I'll give the other pool location a shot, but I think this time I'll do some investigative work before.
Ok, so the cross-training's been a total bust. But the weight lifting has not. And I'm excited about it. A few weeks ago I bought a book on weight lifting for women. More specifically I bought this book:
This book's pretty intense. I don't know if I'm as weight-lifty as the guy who wrote it (ok, actually I do know that I'm not nearly as weight-lifty as he is. Exhibit A: I said "weight-lifty"). But its full of great information and misconceptions about women and weight-lifting, comes with a nutrition section, and (here's the best part) SIX MONTHS of weight lifting work outs.
It's broken down into stages and each stage is made up of two work-outs that you do for a certain amount of times. In stage one, you do each of the two work-outs 8 times or a total of 16 lifting sessions. The best part is that it's not a long, drawn out sequence. Both sequences in stage one are only five exercises long. Even when I really took my time today, I was done in less than twenty minutes. Which is totally great and really manageable. And if soreness is any kind of indication of effectiveness, it's totally working - I'm crazy sore from my Monday weight lifting session and I'm simultaneously looking forward to and dreading the soreness I'll feel tomorrow.
I think I'll take some before and after pictures, but I won't post them until I see a major difference. So there's that to look forward to :)
Hope everyone's having a great week so far!
The cross-training has not happened yet. I had the best of intentions today, but sometimes these things don't work out. The gym I belong to in Charleston is pretty good. There are a lot of locations all across the Low Country, so you're never far from one. Which I like a lot. They have a wide variety of classes offered all day. Which I also like a lot (actually these are the two reasons I joined this gym, but I never really take advantage of these things). Two of them have pools.
So today I decided to skip my run and go for a nice swim instead. I got all ready, packed my gym bag, and drove over to one of the locations that is advertised as having a pool. Technically the gym does have a pool. I mean there is a large-ish, in-ground pool-like structure, but in no way, shape or form was it the type of pool that I expected to find at a gym. I was expecting lap lanes and found a place where you can splash around with your kids. A few gym members were bobbing around on pool noodles and I knew that there was no way that I could swim laps there. Pretty disappointing. I think I'll give the other pool location a shot, but I think this time I'll do some investigative work before.
Ok, so the cross-training's been a total bust. But the weight lifting has not. And I'm excited about it. A few weeks ago I bought a book on weight lifting for women. More specifically I bought this book:
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| which you can purchase here |
It's broken down into stages and each stage is made up of two work-outs that you do for a certain amount of times. In stage one, you do each of the two work-outs 8 times or a total of 16 lifting sessions. The best part is that it's not a long, drawn out sequence. Both sequences in stage one are only five exercises long. Even when I really took my time today, I was done in less than twenty minutes. Which is totally great and really manageable. And if soreness is any kind of indication of effectiveness, it's totally working - I'm crazy sore from my Monday weight lifting session and I'm simultaneously looking forward to and dreading the soreness I'll feel tomorrow.
I think I'll take some before and after pictures, but I won't post them until I see a major difference. So there's that to look forward to :)
Hope everyone's having a great week so far!
Election Season
I know this is going to sound a little strange, but we are in the middle of one of my favorite seasons - ELECTION SEASON! I've always had a love of all things politics.* Growing up, politics were frequently discussed at the dinner table - my dad representing one party, my mom the other.
Although this isn't a "normal" way to grow up, I'm glad I grew up in this sort of environment. My parents taught me from a young age the importance of being invested and involved in the political process. Since my parents didn't necessarily agree with each other most of the time I got to hear both sides of almost every argument on just about every issue.
What started as family dinner conversation grew into a passion. I don't think that The West Wing helped anything on that front. I was OBSESSED with that show in 7th grade and used to chat about the story lines with my history teacher (as a side note, how great is the cast of The West Wing??? I mean seriously, look at that cast! Rob Lowe! Allison Janney! Martin Sheen!!). In college I majored in Political Science, specifically I graduated from the American Government department.
Right now I am VERY excited to be in South Carolina. Last night was the New Hampshire primary which means they are onto South Carolina! Virginia is never an exceptionally important state in the primary process because it's usually one of the Super Tuesday states or the primary is so late that the candidate has already been decided. But not now. And what happens in South Carolina is going to matter. And I'm going to be here to witness it. I would just about die if I had the opportunity to meet one of the candidates.
Even though I can't participate in the primary (I'm a registered voter in Virginia), I am so excited to have the opportunity to get to witness the process. The ads are all over TV and I'm sure (and sooner rather than later) the candidates will start showing up in charming Charleston. I love the democratic process. And even more I love when people get excited about engaging in that process. Here's to the next two weeks - can't wait to see what they have in store.
*As I love politics, I do have rather defined political views. I enjoy talking about politics, but I try not to use this blog as a means of putting my political ideas out into the blogosphere. This post is simply intended as a way of me sharing a passion with my readers without engaging in the political nitty-gritty.
Although this isn't a "normal" way to grow up, I'm glad I grew up in this sort of environment. My parents taught me from a young age the importance of being invested and involved in the political process. Since my parents didn't necessarily agree with each other most of the time I got to hear both sides of almost every argument on just about every issue.
What started as family dinner conversation grew into a passion. I don't think that The West Wing helped anything on that front. I was OBSESSED with that show in 7th grade and used to chat about the story lines with my history teacher (as a side note, how great is the cast of The West Wing??? I mean seriously, look at that cast! Rob Lowe! Allison Janney! Martin Sheen!!). In college I majored in Political Science, specifically I graduated from the American Government department.
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| photo cred |
Right now I am VERY excited to be in South Carolina. Last night was the New Hampshire primary which means they are onto South Carolina! Virginia is never an exceptionally important state in the primary process because it's usually one of the Super Tuesday states or the primary is so late that the candidate has already been decided. But not now. And what happens in South Carolina is going to matter. And I'm going to be here to witness it. I would just about die if I had the opportunity to meet one of the candidates.
Even though I can't participate in the primary (I'm a registered voter in Virginia), I am so excited to have the opportunity to get to witness the process. The ads are all over TV and I'm sure (and sooner rather than later) the candidates will start showing up in charming Charleston. I love the democratic process. And even more I love when people get excited about engaging in that process. Here's to the next two weeks - can't wait to see what they have in store.
*As I love politics, I do have rather defined political views. I enjoy talking about politics, but I try not to use this blog as a means of putting my political ideas out into the blogosphere. This post is simply intended as a way of me sharing a passion with my readers without engaging in the political nitty-gritty.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
New Year's
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I know I'm a day late, but I think we can all agree that being on time just isn't my style. I rang in the New Year with some of my dearest friends. Honestly, I was excited for 2012 to begin because 2011 was not the best year of my life. Nothing really bad happened, but it was a difficult and trying year. Needless to say I'm pretty excited to have a fresh start.
Last year I only made three resolutions: to be optimistic, to finish a half marathon, and to take time for myself everyday. How did I do? Well, I finished the half back in February, but I don't think that I did very well on my other resolutions. I struggled with some personal things and let a lot of things get to me in ways that I shouldn't have. I also let school/work/other obligations eat into any time that I had earmarked for myself.
So what's on tap for 2012? Looking ahead - two more semesters of law school will be under my belt, hopefully a decent summer job, a few trips to visit friends over the summer, and I'm going to be a bridesmaid (I know, again) in October.
Now for resolutions. There are only a few things that I want to accomplish this year. First, and most importantly, I believe that I need more balance in my life. This kind of transcends everything. I need to make more of a point to enjoy myself during school (as in taking a break from the books on Friday nights and having some actual fun). I need to make more time for friends. I need to get rid of known stressors (like all of the clutter that is currently occupying way too much space in my bedroom). I'd even like to become more balanced in my approach to working out (that's right - no more running only! I'd like to incorporate free weights, swimming, and maybe even pilates into my life this year).
Other than that, I'm going to stand up for myself a little bit more this year. There had been several times over this past year where I let people do things that hurt me, times where I should have put my foot down and stood up for myself. I could pick these moments out as they were happening, but let them slide anyways. This year, I'm going to say something and not give people the opportunity and permission to do so.
That's really it for this year. I hope that 2012 is filled with love and joy; good times and memories; friends and laughter. Happy New Year to you all, dear readers.
Last year I only made three resolutions: to be optimistic, to finish a half marathon, and to take time for myself everyday. How did I do? Well, I finished the half back in February, but I don't think that I did very well on my other resolutions. I struggled with some personal things and let a lot of things get to me in ways that I shouldn't have. I also let school/work/other obligations eat into any time that I had earmarked for myself.
So what's on tap for 2012? Looking ahead - two more semesters of law school will be under my belt, hopefully a decent summer job, a few trips to visit friends over the summer, and I'm going to be a bridesmaid (I know, again) in October.
Now for resolutions. There are only a few things that I want to accomplish this year. First, and most importantly, I believe that I need more balance in my life. This kind of transcends everything. I need to make more of a point to enjoy myself during school (as in taking a break from the books on Friday nights and having some actual fun). I need to make more time for friends. I need to get rid of known stressors (like all of the clutter that is currently occupying way too much space in my bedroom). I'd even like to become more balanced in my approach to working out (that's right - no more running only! I'd like to incorporate free weights, swimming, and maybe even pilates into my life this year).
Other than that, I'm going to stand up for myself a little bit more this year. There had been several times over this past year where I let people do things that hurt me, times where I should have put my foot down and stood up for myself. I could pick these moments out as they were happening, but let them slide anyways. This year, I'm going to say something and not give people the opportunity and permission to do so.
That's really it for this year. I hope that 2012 is filled with love and joy; good times and memories; friends and laughter. Happy New Year to you all, dear readers.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
My Christmas Wish
Merry Christmas! I won't be long but I wanted to wish my readers a very happy holiday! Since I'm having a hard time coming up with the right words, I'm going to borrow the always eloquent Kermit the Frog's Christmas Wish (you can check it out here). I know it's Kermit, but I promise that it's beautiful, and worth a read.
I don't know if you believe in Christmas
Or if you have presents underneath a Christmas tree,
But if you believe in love, that will be more than enough
For you to come and celebrate with me.
For I have held the precious gift that love brings,
Even though I never saw a Christmas star
I know there is a light, I have felt it burn inside
And I have seen it shining from afar.
Christmas is the time to come together
A time to put all differences aside
I reach out my hand to the family of man
To share the joy I feel at Christmas time.
For the truth that binds us all together
I would like to say a simple prayer
That at this special time, you will have true peace of mind
And joy to last throughout the coming year.
And if you believe in love
That will be more than enough
For peace to last throughout the coming year.
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, filled with joy, love, and happiness. I'm so thankful for you all. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
FINALLY
I am FINALLY done with my finals, which, if I passed all of them means that I am officially half-way done with law school!!!! The past few months of my life have been exceptionally miserable so hopefully I passed everything and don't need to take anything over the summer or stay an extra semester or repeat this past semester or anything...I suppose only time will tell. The worst part about exams (besides the fact that they bring out the craziest in me) is that I don't actually get my final grades until AT LEAST the beginning of January, but not finding out until late January is not entirely unheard of.
Anyways, despite all of these things, I have an ENTIRE MONTH to myself right now. I have a few small-ish school things to do over my break, but aside from those things, I'm entirely free, which makes me entirely happy.
How do I plan to spend this glorious month. Well if the past few days are any indication, there will be a lot of sleeping and lounging in my pajamas. Yesterday I got a massage and finally started my Christmas shopping (yeah you read that right...December 12 and just starting now).
There is also the current state of my nightstand. Which I think will keep me pretty occupied for the next month:
Hope you've all had a Happy First Half of December and that you are MUCH further along in your Christmas shopping than me!!!
Anyways, despite all of these things, I have an ENTIRE MONTH to myself right now. I have a few small-ish school things to do over my break, but aside from those things, I'm entirely free, which makes me entirely happy.
How do I plan to spend this glorious month. Well if the past few days are any indication, there will be a lot of sleeping and lounging in my pajamas. Yesterday I got a massage and finally started my Christmas shopping (yeah you read that right...December 12 and just starting now).
There is also the current state of my nightstand. Which I think will keep me pretty occupied for the next month:
Hope you've all had a Happy First Half of December and that you are MUCH further along in your Christmas shopping than me!!!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Home Stretch
I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. My last final is at 1 this afternoon, so in something like 8 hours from the moment that I'm typing this, I will be free. For a month. My supreme and utter exhaustion and stressed-out-ness prevents me from really explaining how excited I am (and how beyond ready I am for it to be 4 pm). I'm so excited I don't even know what I'm going to do first! But I think Happy Hour is going to be going down after the test!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Indian Summer
The title of this post is a word New Yorkers use when there is an unusually warm spell in the middle of fall. But I think South Carolinians just call it November.
People who have spent time with me over the past few weeks may have heard my running commentary on the weather recently in Charleston. For lack of a better word, its been hot. I don't really do hot very well, especially when December is three days away.
It's been too hot for me to wear jeans and I'm tired of all of my summer clothes (I mean I've only been wearing them since May). It's been too hot for me to sleep, and I'm tired of being tired. And hot. And sweaty. And grumpy/irritable due to lack of sleep and wardrobe and copious amounts of sweat.
The bright side? It is supposed to drastically cool off tonight. Instead of highs near 80 today, the rest of the 10 day forecast has highs in the upper 50's to low 60's. So here's to grinning and bearing it for 24 more hours, but I'm sure ready to cool off.
People who have spent time with me over the past few weeks may have heard my running commentary on the weather recently in Charleston. For lack of a better word, its been hot. I don't really do hot very well, especially when December is three days away.
It's been too hot for me to wear jeans and I'm tired of all of my summer clothes (I mean I've only been wearing them since May). It's been too hot for me to sleep, and I'm tired of being tired. And hot. And sweaty. And grumpy/irritable due to lack of sleep and wardrobe and copious amounts of sweat.
The bright side? It is supposed to drastically cool off tonight. Instead of highs near 80 today, the rest of the 10 day forecast has highs in the upper 50's to low 60's. So here's to grinning and bearing it for 24 more hours, but I'm sure ready to cool off.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Rivalry Weekend
Wishing I was here:
Or more specifically here:
With these people:
Or even this person:
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| who I know HATES UVA football, but is too nice to admit it! :) |
But instead I'm sitting here:
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| ok, this is my old apartment |
FML.
Ok, pity party over. In two years I'll be there. Until then....LET'S GO HOOS!!!
Ok, pity party over. In two years I'll be there. Until then....LET'S GO HOOS!!!
Monday, November 21, 2011
The Muppets
I thought I'd take a page out of my pal Hannah's book and write about a movie I'm DYING to see. (Hannah, by the way, is one of my fabulous law school friends who manages not only to be my study buddy but is also able to keep up with her winningly witty blog which you can find here.)
I grew up in a Muppet household. I don't remember a time in my life when there wasn't Kermit the Frog or Miss Piggy. From The Muppet Movie to The Great Muppet Caper and from Muppet Babies to Kermit's stint as a special reporter on Sesame Street, I have developed over the course of my life time a deep-seated and very important admiration for the Muppets. Christmas was celebrated with this (it never quite feels like Christmas until I hear all the Muppets sing the ba dum dum dums during the 12 Days of Christmas):
Anyhoo, I have been looking forward to this day since LAST Christmas when I first heard about the Muppets' new movie. Once I heard that Jason Segel (of How I Met Your Mother fame) had not only written the movie, but was also set to star in it, I was more than sold, I was ready to buy my tickets then and there.
I grew up in a Muppet household. I don't remember a time in my life when there wasn't Kermit the Frog or Miss Piggy. From The Muppet Movie to The Great Muppet Caper and from Muppet Babies to Kermit's stint as a special reporter on Sesame Street, I have developed over the course of my life time a deep-seated and very important admiration for the Muppets. Christmas was celebrated with this (it never quite feels like Christmas until I hear all the Muppets sing the ba dum dum dums during the 12 Days of Christmas):
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| The BEST Christmas album EVER |
This morning Jason Segel appeared on Live! with Kelly (now without Regis, sad). He started talking about why he loves the Muppets, and it was EXACTLY why I love the Muppets. I wish I could find a clip somewhere, but it only aired this morning and quite honestly, my google skills are not quite up to par. To paraphrase, Jason Segel talks about how the Muppets represent the best part of ourselves, how we're always better together than apart, and how they somehow symbolize the innocence of childhood, just teetering on the brink of chaos. It was fantastic, if you can find the clip (and love the Muppets) then I strongly recommend checking it out. It was wonderful. Almost as wonderful as Miss Piggy.
P.S. In case you have yet to see it, here's the trailer for the latest Muppet wonderfulness, coming out in TWO DAYS!!!
P.S. In case you have yet to see it, here's the trailer for the latest Muppet wonderfulness, coming out in TWO DAYS!!!
ANY MOVIES YOU'RE DYING TO SEE OVER THANKSGIVING WEEKEND?
ARE YOU UNABASHEDLY IN LOVE WITH THE MUPPETS? WHICH ONE?
Odds and Ends
A few things:
- So I pretty much failed at following my pre-planned food attempt. It was a great idea and totally something I could do, but this point in the semester is not the time to be trying new things. It's something I'll try again next semester.
- I finally decided on my Thanksgiving plans. Those of you who know me, know that I was really struggling with this one this year. But for a variety of reasons I decided that it would be better/more practical to stay in Charleston again this year. I'll have dinner at my aunt's house and I'll run the Charleston Turkey Day Run and Gobble Wobble. One big deciding factor, I'll be home in about 3 weeks for a month and I was just home a couple of weeks ago.
- I know that Christmas is right around the corner. Not because Christmas carols have invaded the airwaves or that Thanksgiving is in 2 days, but because this commercial is again on TV, like it has been since I was little:
Friday, November 18, 2011
Build Your Own
My new-ish favorite trend in food right now is something I call "build your own." I've always been a little like Sally from When Harry Met Sally. I'll go someplace and ask for the dressing on the side, hold the tomatoes, can I add some avocado on that, hold the cheese, extra cheese, you get the picture. This usually winds up with the server getting exceptionally annoyed with me and messing up my order.
So I guess it's not surprise that I've fallen in love with these restaurants where I get to craft my food for myself without any judgment.
My obsession started innocently enough when I discovered the build your own burrito concept. My personal fave is Moe's. I knew it was meant to be when I discovered Moe Monday's - $5 for any burrito of your choosing AND a drink. That's something that even this poor law student can afford!
I became more obsessed when the self-serve frozen yogurt craze swept the nation. I love fro yo so it wasn't much of a stretch - especially when I can top it with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups AND chocolate chip cookie dough bites. When I'm in Virginia, the ONLY place I get my fro yo from is The Skinny Dip. So awesomely good. When I'm in Charleston, my fro yo establishment of choice is Yogurt Mountain. (Personally I prefer the Dip, but Yogurt Mountain is pretty close.)
I recently discovered the trifecta of build your own restaurants. It's a brand new place in Charleston called Verde. I LOVE the concept - build your own salad. For $6.95 you get lettuce (a lot of lettuce), four toppings, and a piece of bread. You can add chicken, turkey, or shrimp for a few extra dollars. I'm more than a little obsessed with this place. It's been open for about three weeks and I've been about 7 times. It's bad for my wallet, but it's so good. I love that I can go there and get something that I don't feel guilty about eating a few hours later. If you're ever in Charleston, I highly recommend checking it out.
So I guess it's not surprise that I've fallen in love with these restaurants where I get to craft my food for myself without any judgment.
My obsession started innocently enough when I discovered the build your own burrito concept. My personal fave is Moe's. I knew it was meant to be when I discovered Moe Monday's - $5 for any burrito of your choosing AND a drink. That's something that even this poor law student can afford!
I became more obsessed when the self-serve frozen yogurt craze swept the nation. I love fro yo so it wasn't much of a stretch - especially when I can top it with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups AND chocolate chip cookie dough bites. When I'm in Virginia, the ONLY place I get my fro yo from is The Skinny Dip. So awesomely good. When I'm in Charleston, my fro yo establishment of choice is Yogurt Mountain. (Personally I prefer the Dip, but Yogurt Mountain is pretty close.)
I recently discovered the trifecta of build your own restaurants. It's a brand new place in Charleston called Verde. I LOVE the concept - build your own salad. For $6.95 you get lettuce (a lot of lettuce), four toppings, and a piece of bread. You can add chicken, turkey, or shrimp for a few extra dollars. I'm more than a little obsessed with this place. It's been open for about three weeks and I've been about 7 times. It's bad for my wallet, but it's so good. I love that I can go there and get something that I don't feel guilty about eating a few hours later. If you're ever in Charleston, I highly recommend checking it out.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT OR FAVORITE FOOD TREND?
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