They Say it's my birthday

Yes indeed, tomorrow, September 23rd, I will be 24. Not really a “big one”, but another birthday and another year. I’m notorious for not handling birthdays very well, I tend to become overly nostalgic, crying and panicking about where all the time has gone. Even as a young child, I would habitually destroy my own birthday party throwing tantrums as only a simultaneously attention hungry and self-conscious aging toddler can do. There will hopefully be none of that tomorrow. Mostly because there can’t be, I have work and school and I don’t think tantrums are tolerated in proposal meetings or marketing lectures.

Although 24 isn’t what I previously labeled as a “big one”, I did put special weight on 23 as it was my golden year. It seems like this concept of “golden year” isn’t as widespread as I initially believed. In fact, I’m not totally sure where I got it in the first place, but since I was little, I looked forward to my 23rd birthday as my golden year. For anyone who still isn’t following, what makes the year golden is the correlation between birthday and age. September 23rd + 23 = Magic. Right? Well, at least significantish?

A year ago I pondered the weight of the year ahead of me. What would this “golden year” have in store? There was plenty of room for improvement, I was unemployed, D. was away working for the campaign and my lease in Denver was rapidly running out. I was definitely lacking purpose and my options seemed a little slim. That’s not to say that I was itching to leave Denver - or that I was even aware that I would ultimately do so, but my life was ripe for change. AND CHANGE IT DID! (okay - all caps was way too overdramatic for that statement) And change, it did. I am employed and have been consistently since moving to D.C., D. is not only here with me, but we are getting married and we have a new house in a new city in a new state. My purpose might still be a little undefined, but I’m working on it with school added back into the mix. I would call these developments major and this year, pivotal. Yes, rah rah me, but in a time of reflection I am so happy looking back on all this year has brought.

There you have it. Now, 24, another year - not “golden” but certainly one that won’t disappoint. Next year I will be married, I will be half way through my masters program and far more familiar with my new home - which won’t be so new! I’m looking forward to every moment.

Yep, sappy, nostalgic, dramatic, definitely a birthday appropriate post.

And We're Back

The long commercial break of travel and family is over and we’re back. We’ve been back, back to work and back to school for two weeks now, and we’re settled into the old routine.
Work is wonderful, wonderfully busy, but at least a constant routine. No more late nights ordering Chinese food into the office, now my only late nights are school nights. School on the other hand is still school. It has yet to be scintillating or stimulating, but as I am often reminded compliments a full-time job nicely.
I have class Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30-8pm and make it home before 9. It works well with work and hopefully I will have further news on that front in the future.
The time in North Carolina, Denver and Washington was fantastic. For the most part it felt unrushed, like a real summer vacation. Of course it wasn’t all relaxing poolside (although we did get some of that in), there was plenty of wedding planning to do.

With two weeks in town I managed to hit roughly a dozen ceremony and reception sites. Mom, M. and I did some heavy R&D at Barnes and Noble, sifting through piles of bargain bridal and complete wedding compendiums. I bought a dress. Ok, have to write that again, I bought a dress. I didn’t mean to really. I was just getting my feet wet in the dress trying on and then, oops, there it was. I started in the bridal equivalent of the kiddie pool - David’s Bridal - and was left with the impression that finding the right dress was going to take a long time and a lot of money. Then the next day, one store later, there it was. It was nothing I thought I wanted (strapless, god forbid) but it is perfect. You know, we had the whole moment, the dress went on, everyone loved it and then they added the veil (that’s where they really get you); waterworks. Bundle up the dress and send it home, I was sold.

So dress, date, church, site... looks like we’ve got a wedding. I’d tell you the plan, but then that would ruin the save the date cards that we need to get started on. We’ll stick to formalities, and you can wait for the details. More to come as we move into the world of caterers, bouquets and bridesmaids’ dresses.

Well, there’s plenty more to tell: new restaurant discoveries, tourist time at museums, pictures of our travels, but for now this will have to be my “back in the swing of things blog”. More to come... I’ll leave you with this pic of the fam at M.’s summer digs in Flat Rock, NC and a piece of bark that I think looks like a heart. D. thought I should specify since he didn’t know what it was a photo of.