There goes the fear

A year ago, I was 2 weeks into being 27. I was still scared of the unknown and unhappy with the current state of my life. In the past year, I’ve made more drastic changes to my life than I could ever image. I packed up my life in Philly and moved to Richmond, I quit my ‘glamorous’ yet unfulfilling fashion job, I decided to go back to school to realize my dreams of being a teacher, and I moved in with the love of my life. Like all adjustments, it’s all taken some getting used to but I’m so incredibly happy right now it’s crazy. Things have somehow worked out perfectly for me in the past year, even despite a handful slip-ups and misjudgements on my part. Can’t help thinking it was all meant to be.

Since scary 27 is over now, so is this blog. It definitely won’t be my last, however, since I already realize how great it is to go back and relive the awesome times I had when I was 27. If you’ve kept up with it all from the start, you’re either happy I’ve overcame my fears or you’re shaking your head saying I was a fool to worry at all. At any rate, wish me luck for 28! I have a good feeling about it.

Burnt toast, earthquakes, & birthdays

Today was my 28th birthday. I survived the inexplicably terrifying 27. Admittedly, it wasn’t the scariest year of my life. Instead, it was the best! (Go figure.)

I started off my birthday being woken up by the smoke detector going off. My adorable boyfriend was cooking breakfast for me and had accidentally burnt some toast. He woke up extra early so he could beat me out of bed and have it all ready by the time I woke up. Despite the extra-crispy toast, the breakfast was delicious and it made my day early on.

Since I’m now a nanny and a student, most of my birthday was spent around little boys and then later in class. I didn’t mind though— the weather was absolutely beautiful so I took the boys to a petting zoo and park. We had a slight scare, however, when the barn started shaking violently with us inside it— yes, the infamous east coast earthquake of 2011 happened on my birthday. The earthquake, or birthquake as I called it, didn’t do much else than rattle the nerves of most of the eastern seaboard but it was definitely an exhilarating event to happen on my birthday. (My rad friend Jenn even created a meme out of it…)

After nannying and class, I came home exhausted to find the back deck decorated with candles. My boyfriend had bellinis and frozen yogurt waiting for me. We sat out back in the beautiful late summer weather and relaxed for a while and then he gave me my present. He gave me an awesome sky blue colored bangle bracelet decorated with anchors that perfectly compliments my lucky anchor necklace that I wear practically everyday. He also gave me temporary tattoos he had designed himself and some money for my “tattoo fund”. I’ve been wanting one for ages and the desire has gotten worse lately but I always have a hard time justifying spending money like that. Problem solved! Now I just have to figure out what to get… I have 3 ideas and I need to narrow them down to one. My top choice is an uber painful rib tattoo on my side. We’ll see if I’m brave enough… Here is the temporary tattoo Phil created for me on my thigh (one of the spots I’m contemplating… though I wouldn’t be getting mine and Phil’s names tattooed on me. Sorry, Phil. Haha)

If my birthday is any signifier of things to come, 28 is going to be a year of hard work, lovely surprises and earth-quaking events. As an optimist, I predict those events will all be good. After all, I’ve never been afraid of 28.

Richmond’s Audition Weekend

This past weekend I had my first (non-family) visitors come to Richmond to see me. My two best friends, Maria and Lauren, drove down from Philly on Friday afternoon and it couldn’t have been a more perfect weekend.

Before I visited Richmond for the first time last spring, I had absolutely no expectations. I knew nothing about the city, the people, the culture. I’d heard nothing about Richmond in my life, beyond what was in history books. So when I spent my first weekend here, I was absolutely shocked by how awesome it was. It was like this little gem tucked into the sleepy hills of Virginia. I couldn’t believe nobody I knew in Philly had discovered it before me. A year later, I was moving to Richmond, despite confused reactions from my friends up north. All that mattered was that I knew how great of a place it was.

So when my friends came to visit, I knew they didn’t really know what to expect. It wasn’t that they had low expectations, but, like me, they had NO expectations. When they arrived, I could tell they were immediately impressed by how pretty the Fan neighborhood was, how perfect the weather was, and how awesomely easy it is to park on my block.

As soon as they got here and had gawked at the lovely balcony off my bedroom and my massive walk-in closet, we headed to Kuba Kuba, an insanely delicious Cuban place nearby. Post-dinner drinks followed at fancypants bar Balliceaux and “underground hobbit bar” Ipanema (as my friends dubbed it… it’s a good thing in fact). I could tell my friends were already loving the easy pace of Richmond as well as the good (and cheap) food and drinks.

When we got home and ready for bed, my friends mocked my comment about “perfect sleeping weather” until they were dozing off with the perfect summer breeze on their faces. HA. Laugh all you want but perfect sleeping weather is a THING. And Richmond, VA was the epitome of it this past weekend.

In the morning, we walked to brunch at Joe’s Inn and then drove over to Carytown for a little shopping. My ever-patient boyfriend tagged along with us into every boutique and vintage store and card shop and toy store and record store.

We treated ourselves to fro-yo at Sweet Frog (my #1 guilty pleasure in RVA) and jumped back in the car so Phil could give one of his famous Richmond driving tours to the girls. After touring Byrd Park, Maymont, Hollywood Cemetery, and downtown, we went home and crashed. Post-nap it was time to head to Phil’s apartment for a rooftop bbq with a bunch of friends. We grilled burgers, drank beer, took pictures in front of the graffiti wall, and watched the sunset before we headed back to my apartment to get ready to go out.

Phil was hosting his monthly DJ night at Cous Cous that night which always brings out our friends’ ridiculous sides. Though I suspect I ended up having the most fun out of everyone, it was a definitely great night for all of us.

Waking up and shaking off our hangovers on Sunday, we did brunch part II all together and before I knew it, it was time for the girls to go. I said goodbye to them not having any idea when I’d see them again but knowing they’d definitely come back to Richmond. I’ve had multiple emails and IMs since then from Lauren and Maria telling me how much fun they had and how they wanted to come back as soon as they could.

Phil said he considers every person’s first trip here to be “Richmond’s audition”. Seeing how my friends reacted to this city and the people they met over the weekend, I’m pretty sure Richmond nailed it.

nice day for an italian wedding

Last weekend I made my first trip back to Philly since my move for my best friend’s wedding. It hasn’t even fully sunk in yet that she’s married now and the weekend was a total whirlwind. Phil & I took off on Friday (what should’ve been my 5th day at my new job… whoops) and spent the day driving up north in gorgeous 70 degree weather. Our first stop was Brown Betty, a cupcake shop in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philly. I picked up 9 incredible looking cupcakes as a thank you present for my best friend’s parents for letting us crash at their house the night before the wedding. We made it to the rehearsal just in time and once that was over, headed to Bacio, an Italian restaurant in South Jersey. What followed was an INSANELY good, tapas-style, Italian meal that left us completely stuffed (not stuffed enough, however, to prevent us all from eating cupcakes when we got home).

The next morning we got up early for hair and makeup. The hair stylist showed up at 8:30 and was somehow out the door by 9:45. She did four girl’s hair in an HOUR, including the bride. And everyone looked amazing. So we sat around for a bit, eating breakfast, drinking mimosas, and playing with my Fatbooth app, until our friend Krissy showed up to do the makeup. Two hours later and we were beautified and ready to get dressed. We threw our dresses on, took a few pictures at the house, and zoomed off in the stretch Escalade (!!!) to the wedding.

The ceremony was at a cool, tiny chapel in the middle of nowhere (it seemed) that looked a lot like a log cabin. We started a little late because Maria’s mom-mom was MIA (due to a faulty GPS) but the entire ceremony didn’t last longer than 20 minutes (which was good for my aching feet). Afterwards, we took pictures outside where it was sunny and beautiful (albeit a leeeeettle cold and windy for sleeveless dresses and bare legs).

Forty minutes and 2 bottles of champagne later, the bridal party arrived at the reception where I FINALLY got to eat for the first time since my small egg breakfast at 9am. By this point it was 5pm so I was STARVING (aaaand slightly drunk). The mashed potato bar solved that problem and by the time I had to give my toast, I was nursing the perfect buzz to take the edge off. As promised, I brought up the time Maria stole cauliflower from the Super Fresh salad bar and promptly started choking on it. A stranger grabbed her from behind and gave her the Heimlich, after which she threw up all over the floor of the supermarket and ran out the door in embarrassment. For ages I’ve been threatening her with telling that story at her wedding so I obviously couldn’t resist.

After my toast, I was free to relax and have a good time— my maid of honor responsibilities having come to an end. So I ate, drank, and danced the rest of the night with Phil, my friends and my awesome parents. In between meals, drinks, and songs, we all made sure to utilize the photobooth as much as possible. I’m now the proud owner of about 15 or 20 ridiculous photo strips of myself and my friends. The winning photos of the night, however, belonged to Phil whom I abandoned in the photobooth so he decided to take a solo set by himself. The results: pure awesome.

Following a seriously italian dessert-fest (a dessert buffet followed up by red velvet cake and tartufo served to each table— WHAT), we danced like maniacs. At 10, the music stopped but we weren’t done partying. We went back to the hotel and hung in the lobby for a few hours while an awkward one man band crooned Motown hits nearby. It was a relaxing way to end such a chaotic day. And I was so happy when the bride and the groom walked into the lobby to hang out. I felt like I hadn’t gotten a chance to really see my best friend at all that day and I knew I wouldn’t see her much before heading back to Richmond so it was rad to hang out with her a bit post-wedding.

The next morning, instead of heading home right away, Phil & I stuck around in the city. Before I moved, he’d bought tickets to see Mark Kozelek that night, expecting to just crash at my house in Philly afterwards and take off work the next day. Neither of us expected me to already be living in Richmond in mid-March but it definitely made things a little more complicated. Since I’d just started a new job a week earlier, I couldn’t exactly go in late. So we decided to stay for the show and drive straight back to Richmond afterwards— I would sleep in the car and hopefully not be too exhausted at work the next day.

It turned out quite nicely actually because Sunday became the day in Philly that I never got before I left. The days between when I got my job offer and when I actually moved were pure chaos and I didn’t get a chance to really say goodbye to Philly. So with an entire day to kill, Phil and I got to spend the day in the city. And I got to say a proper goodbye.

Our day included a diner breakfast with my parents, a loooong (but productive) mall trip, a delicious pho date with my favorite little Lauren and her boo, a walk through center city, and a fancy city dinner. It ended with a beautiful show from Mark Kozelek who I knew nothing about but ended up really loving. At 11pm when the show ended, we jumped into the car and onto 95S and I promptly passed out. My amazing Phil let me sleep for the next 4 hours, even listening to quiet music so it wouldn’t wake me. By 3am, we were pulling up to my apartment and bidding each other sleepy goodbyes. Three whirlwind days in Philly and NJ— I watched my best friend get married, I said goodbye to my city, and I found a new musician to love. What a weekend.

starting a new life

Since December, twenty seven hasn’t been scary as much as crazy. Ok well slightly scary because I woke up a few weeks ago with a brand new life. But now that I’m adjusting, I’m realizing (like everything else) it’s not scary at all. It’s actually quite awesome.

In December, Phil & I decided it was time to do something about this long distance relationship situation. Having lived in Philly for almost 5 years and been at my job for almost 4, I felt like I was ready to leave. The city had gradually been taking its toll on my sanity for a few months. My favorite parts of Philly— the restaurants, the bars, the parks, the museums— were no longer a part of my life because I was never around to enjoy them. I really only experienced the negative aspects of the city: the traffic, the parking issues, the snow. Philly was just where I slept and worked on weekdays. It was time to go.

So with my mind made up, I set things into motion. Before I knew it things just started falling into place. It was like the stars were aligning for my move to Richmond. A new hire came on at my job and I finally felt okay about leaving them. A room opened up in an awesome apartment in Richmond that was available for me whenever I was ready to move. The friend who introduced me to my Philly roommate was all of a sudden in need of an apartment and willing to take over my lease as soon as possible. And then of course, I found a job. I got the offer on a Friday and I put my 2 weeks notice in the following week. Fast forward 3 weeks and I’m living in Richmond.

bai bai, crazy city life… hello, porch hangs.

Now I’ve been here 3 weeks. I’m still adjusting to work and learning my way around the city but so far I absolutely love Richmond. The trees are blooming, the weather is warm, and I’m a mere 5 minutes from my love as opposed to 5 hours. How could I not love this new life?

a very rad saturday

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again— I’m not bored very often these days. Life has seemed nonstop for the past year or so— just crazy enough that I feel like weekend downtime is few and far between. That’s why whenever Phil comes into town for the weekend, I’m perfectly content staying in bed most of the day and only getting up to eat once or twice. But this past Saturday, Phil gave me the push I needed to get the hell out of the house and not let my couch potato cravings get the best of me.

Our damn internal clocks woke us both up too early for a Saturday but instead of rolling back over and sleeping until noon, we decided to take advantage of it and try to beat the crowds at my favorite brunch spot in the city. We bundled up, jumped in my car, and headed to South Philly, home of Sabrina’s Cafe.

I was happy to see the usual crowd waiting for tables wasn’t outside Sabrina’s yet until I quickly realized they’d recently opened a “waiting room” next door so nobody would have to stand outside in the cold. Bummer. The hostess told us it would be “Fifteen minutes to a half hour” (quite a range there) so we joined the rest of the hungry brunch crew in the waiting room. Not two seconds later, the hostess was back in the room telling us she could seat us immediately. Phil & I gave each other mental high fives as she lead us to a perfect table for two with a view.

We feasted on delicious brunch (and Phil somehow avoided the lure of the stuffed french toast, even after witnessing its glory at a table nearby) and once our bellies were content, we went back into the cold and decided to explore the Italian Market. Phil had never seen it before and I could tell he was impressed (and by impressed, I mean… he felt a mixture of awe and grossness). There’s nothing like seeing the look on someone’s face when they realize just how many different types of meat can be bought and consumed. Or that fires burning in steel drums exist in real life, not only in the movies…

After our Italian Market adventure, we decided we still hadn’t reached our queasy quota yet. What would be the perfect midday grossout? How about a dude cutting his own arm off? Perfect.

And so, we caught a 1pm showing of “127 Hours” starring James Franco and it turned out to be a pretty good movie, albeit nauseating and nerve-wracking. Not to mention we got some free entertainment in the form of a VERY excited woman watching from the first row, dead-center.

Worn out by blood and gore overload, we went home and immediately passed out for a solid Saturday disco nap. By the time we woke up, it was time to head out to our next event. We had tickets to see one of our favorite new bands of 2010, Stornoway that night at Johnny Brenda’s.

We grabbed some noms and a couple drinks downstairs at Johnny Brenda’s and headed upstairs for the show. Might’ve been the booze, but neither of us were really feeling the opening band and their handlebar mustaches. As Phil put it, they sounded like hipster Barenaked Ladies and we both decided that wasn’t a good thing.

Stornoway finally took the (tiny) stage and we were a hot 10 feet from the action (one of the reasons I love Johnny Brenda’s so much). They played almost an hour set, ending with two unplugged songs (the last one being the song Phil & I were most excited to hear live). Despite their uber-mellow stage presence and weird British dry humor, they sounded amazing and put on a great show.

Dizzy with booze and good music, we headed a few blocks down the street to Kung-Fu Necktie for their hip-hop night and closed out the night with a couple more greyhounds and some Biggie. It was the perfect cherry on top for an awesome Philadelphia Saturday.

You know, Philly can drive me insane sometimes, but when the sun is shining and I’m running around town with the guy I love, it’s not so bad.

weekend warriors

Aaaand we’re off… another weekend, another day trip.

When Phil decided to come visit last weekend, we didn’t make any plans. It was sort of nice to keep the entire weekend open to do whatever we wanted. I so rarely do that nowadays since long distance usually requires quite a bit of planning and we like to always have things to do when we visit each other. But this weekend, I decided we should just let ourselves be carried away, wherever that might take us.

So when we woke up on Saturday morning, I knew I wanted to drive somewhere. I felt the need to get out of the city and the weather was looking perfect for a day trip. For some reason, Princeton popped into my head. It was less than an hour away, beautiful in the autumn, and Phil had never been there. He was all for it so we jumped in the car, opened the sunroof, and headed north for NJ.

The town was bustling when we got there but we headed up Nassau Street and onto campus. I’d spend a week there during high school for a summertime symposium so I sort of knew my way around. We just wandered down paths and past beautiful old buildings for about half an hour before finding the dorm building where I’d stayed during my visit.

We sat on a shady bench for a bit before deciding that we were starving. We found a cute spot in quiet alleyway called Alchemist & Barrister and both enjoyed absolutely deeeelicious Mediterranean veggie burgers. After an obligatory stop at Princeton Record Exchange, we got back into the car on our next quest: getting Phil a winter coat.

The mall was a huge success— he ended up finding the perfect coat that looks fantastic on him and saving about $100 on it with my help (I always have some money-saving tricks up my sleeve). Another amazing mall discovery: there is an alternative to Hot Topic and it’s name will blow your mind (hint: it’s Cool Topic).

After the mall, we decided we’d waited long enough and it was time for Pho.

Quick sidenote about Pho:
I’ve been in a love affair with pho for about two years now. I wish I’d known pho all of my life because I just love it that much. When I start thinking about it, I can’t stop until I have it. Pho is my drug. Pho is my safety blanket. Pho is my lifeblood. Pho is the only constant in my life. Pho is perfection.

Phew. That’s out of the way… So we went and got Pho. And it was perfect, as anticipated.

Bellies warm with sweet, sweet pho broth, we headed home, made ourselves a drink and settled onto the couch to watch Trading Places. A lovely Saturday.

Sunday was mostly sleeping and eating, as most Sundays are when we’re together. Phil didn’t have to work the next day so I had the luxury of spending an entire Sunday with him. A diner lunch, a South Philly shopping trip, and a two hour nap made it the perfect Sunday afternoon.

We walked to a BYO Thai restaurant in my neighborhood for dinner, taking in some of the beautiful buildings along the way, and spent the rest of the night alternating between terrifying TV (“The Walking Dead” on AMC) and Christmas movies (“Elf”).

This morning, I got to wake up next to my sweetie before going to work— something most people take for granted. It was so nice getting ready for work with him nearby. He came with me to my office so we could have breakfast together at the coffee shop before work and then he was on his way back home.

I blame him for the high spirits I was in all day… I wouldn’t mind every morning starting with a pre-work breakfast with my man. Someday right?

oh philly…

I might hate on Philly a lot for it’s traffic and angry sports fans and summertime stench, but I will admit the skyline gets me every time.

Note: I’m sitting in traffic. It is a very rare occurrence for me to feel affection towards my city while sitting in traffic. Must’ve been a very special day.

Things that make me happy #577

My getting-bigger-and-cuter-every-single-day niece, Charlotte