Well, I'm back from New York. I went back to work yesterday, which was so hard. My feet are still sore from all of the walking we did on Saturday. We went to Bloomingdale's, Grand Central Station (and the Chrysler Building - my favorite), Central Park, Bleecker Street Records (a record store in Greenwich Village), Times Square, Books of Wonder (a children's bookstore in Chelsea), Washington Square Park, Tiffany's, the Flatiron Building, etc. etc. etc. We walked almost everywhere, but took a few cabs when it was too far to walk. On Friday night, we went to MoMA (for free, which was awesome). It rained as we walked there, so my feet were good and blistered for the entire trip. Nonetheless, it was really fun. We ate bad, expensive food and stumbled upon two different parades. We sat in Central Park and watched all the people. We hobbled around the hotel room after we did too much walking. It was great. I can't picture living there (yet), but I still have a year...

That's what the sky looked like after all of the rain on Friday. We stood on a street corner and tons of people around us were looking up, pulling out their phones and cameras, and taking pictures of the sky. It was so New York.

As my dad says, it was good to go but good to be home.

I won't be writing for a while, as I'm headed to the big ole city: New York, New York.

(Image courtesy of www.gothereguide.com)

I can't wait! I'll supply pictures and details upon my return. Have a great weekend!

We went out to celebrate Chance's birthday last night, which is actually on Wednesday. He thinks the New York trip is our present to each other, which means he doesn't know he's also getting this:

(Photo courtesy of Apple)

He's interested in the new iPhone 3GS, so I'm getting him one for his birthday. He's not a big birthday person, but I am all about freaking out over them.

We're narrowing down our plans for our New York trip next weekend. It looks like we're going to be packing a lot of stuff into a very little bit of time. Still, if there are any suggestions (especially about places to eat), let me know!

Today was the first sunny day we've had in a while. I went to lunch with Alison and talked about fun things. She gave me a book, Miss Rumphius, that she used to read when she was little. I love it. I used to want to be a children's librarian, which I have recently reconsidered (I'm not very good at being quiet), but I still love love love children's books. I'm always looking for new books to add to my ever growing collection.



After lunch, I was feeling good and decided to take a walk. I watched cardinals sing and listened to a creek babbling along. I came home panting and beet red. It was really hot today. I'm not complaining. I hope this is "goodbye" to rain and "hello" to hot, sunny days.

Oh, and my internship is still going really well. Layout is severely intimidating, so I won't be touching that for a long time. My boss, however, allowed me to go into the official layout so that my first experience with that would be putting my own name into the magazine. My name is now in the masthead (there's some magazine lingo for you), which made me rather giddy.

Chance and I are trying to work out a wee getaway to New York City next weekend. His birthday is next week and mine is two weeks after that, so we're thinking it'll be a nice birthday celebration for us both. Plus, Chance has some business to take care of and I'd like to check out NYU. We've both been thinking a lot about relocating next year. We'll see!

(Image courtesy of www.tripadvisor.com)

Any suggestions about where to eat/sleep (good places, but inexpensive)?

Why is Zooey Deschanel so darn cute?


(Image courtesy of www.hollywood-celebrity-pictures.com)

I really feel like she can do no wrong. Even her cotton commercial is cool.


(Found on my TV and K is for Katie)

As seen on Smitten, there is this website/project/book called "Before I die I want to..." Some folks take polaroids of various people in a bunch of different places and get them to write down their answer to the question "What do you want to do before you die?" on their picture. It's interesting to see how many people want to do the same things. A lot of people say they want to have children or grandchildren, they want to travel, they want to change the world, etc. A lot of people have the same desires as I do, which is comforting. I think this is really cool. It reminds me a little of the "Post Secret" stuff but, obviously, different. Things like this really reveal a lot about people - mostly that we're more similar than we might like to think.

I considered keeping this bit of information to myself, but I just have to gush. Yesterday was the first official day of my internship. I woke up earlier than needed because I was nervous about the day. What would I be doing? What should I say? I just kept rolling the same thought around in my head, "if you're not getting scared, maybe you're being too safe." I just kept telling myself that the fear was good - it meant I was getting out of my comfort zone and doing something new, something exciting.

So, I arrived there a bit early. I was nervous and giddy. Maybe I laughed a little too much. Maybe I spoke in a high pitched nervous voice. Maybe my face was a bit red with embarrassment. Nonetheless, my boss was great. She showed me around, showed me where I'd be working, showed me how to log onto the computers, etc. I got my own folder on the computer, which may not sound like much to you, but really excited me. She told me all sorts of wonderful things that made me feel at ease. She started me on my first project, which will appear in the next issue of the magazine. I am SO excited. I think I'm still on a high from it all. It was ridiculously awesome. The people seem super nice. My boss (or "sponsor" as the internship people say) is flexible, warm, and fantastic. I can't sing her praises enough. She's just ideal.

The most exciting thing is I never really imagined myself with an opportunity as wonderful as this one. I am an English major and of course, I want to make use of it. I've always loved writing, but I don't know, it was just a dream I had that didn't seem like it could happen. Working at a magazine was too perfect for me to even consider. I just didn't think that was possible. Now, I know I'm just an intern, which really doesn't mean anything, but it still means so much to me. For the first time, I feel like I'm headed into a direction that fits me. It's a nice feeling. I think (I hope) this is the beginning of wonderful things!

Speaking of wonderful things, I can't help but mention this:


(Thanks to martawrites for posting this)

Growing up, I was a huge fan of Saved by the Bell (still am - and I have the DVDs to prove it). So, I seriously hope cute-as-a-button Jimmy Fallon can make this reunion happen!

A few nights ago, I finished reading Julie Powell's Julie & Julia.


(Image courtesy of www.barnesandnoble.com)

I was intrigued by this book because it springs from a blog (the Julie/Julia Project) that existed before blogs were all the rage. Although I was not one of Julie's "bleaders", I am inspired by the idea and the way in which she captured the hearts of so many readers. If only such a unique, eye catching idea would enter my brain! Unfortunately, I can only record random thoughts with no real direction or purpose. Nonetheless, I like that blogs are submitted into cyberspace, just waiting for someone to reach out and connect with something written there. It's such a strange opportunity - sharing things with who knows who. Anyway, back to the book. Mostly, I like that it encourages one to believe in the possibility of drastically changing one's own life. Julie was 29 when she began this - she was just an unhappy secretary. By starting this journey (cooking through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, writing a daily blog about her experiences, etc.), Julie Powell went from lowly secretary to full time writer. Julia Child herself didn't even attend culinary school until she was 36. I don't know. It's a nice thing to keep in mind. Don't resign yourself to having an unhappy life. (Is it bad that I didn't mention the food? This definitely proves that I'm a picky eater, as all the food described sounds, well, gross).

The book really makes me want to see the movie adaptation, which stars Amy Adams as Julie and Meryl Streep as Julia. It hits theaters August 7, 2009 and I can't wait.

Tomorrow is an Election Day in Virginia. Although many people shy away from voting in primaries (especially for state elections), it is very important. I really think people underestimate the local and state government. Voting in the presidential election is simply not enough. Tomorrow, we decide what democratic candidate will be running for Governor. For any Virginians who might possibly read this, please remember to vote!

Personally, I love voting. When I turned 18, I wasn't excited about buying cigarettes (I'm not a smoker) or lottery tickets (I'm not a big gambler either) - I was excited about voting. I know that sounds geeky and unlikely, but it's true. When the election rolled around that year, I even got my mother to take pictures of me with my "I voted" sticker on. I love waking up a little bit early, grabbing my Voter Registration Card, and heading to my polling place. I like waiting in line, going into the little booth, and pressing the button for the candidate(s) I'm rooting for. It makes me feel like I'm involved, like I'm accomplishing something.

This time around, I'm gunning for Mr. Creigh Deeds. He's a good, experienced man. I have met Mr. Deeds and his patient voice and kind eyes (as well as his positions and plans) convince me that he will make a great Governor.

Whether you vote for Creigh Deeds or not, please get out and vote!

One of my favorite things:


Driving down a country road on a Sunday evening. Windows down, radio up, enjoying the mountains and gorgeous farms as the sun begins to set. Sometimes, I cannot believe that I got to grow up here.

Summer is my favorite.

On Friday morning, six of us piled into Chance's Lincoln Town Car headed for Washington, D.C. The day was dreary, but our spirits were high. We stopped at an IHop and had breakfast and then made the rest of our way to D.C. Our destination: The International Spy Museum.


(Photo courtesy of http://www.visitingdc.com/)

The museum was much larger than I anticipated. The layout was interesting - various sections of the museum had different themes. Each section had a great deal of information that catered to adults but also had plenty of hands-on activities to entertain children. Its downfall was that it was just a bit too loud and bright. There was always a lot of noise going on - kids running around screaming and loud videos blaring - and different sections of the museum had bright, flashing lights. Three hours after entering, I left with a headache and a major case of sensory overload. It is a very nice, well put together museum but I think it might be teetering on the edge of too much.

There were definitely certain areas of the museum that I found more interesting than others. I thought the various spy gadgets were fascinating, such as the lipstick gun.


(Image via http://www.gizmag.com/)

I also liked the section about celebrities involved in espionage (like Marlene Dietrich) and was shocked by the WWII posters like this one:


(Image courtesy of http://www.wwii-collectibles.com/)

There was definitely a lot to see. I think there is something for everyone at this museum. Overall, I had a good time, but it was rather exhausting. As far as museums go, I would prefer to explore the (free of charge) Smithsonian instead of paying the $18 for the Spy Museum. Nonetheless, it would be worth the trip for spy fans and more entertaining for kids than much of what the Smithsonian has to offer.

Hello!

My computer has been down and out, so I've been away from the internet for a few days. Being without internet access really opens one's eyes to one's dependency on the computer. It was nice to have a break, but I'm also glad to be back!

So, summer is the best time for movies, right? I guess so, because there are a few movies coming up that I'd really like to see.

Away We Go




(500) Days of Summer

Post Grad



This weekend brings a trip to D.C. for me. Enjoy your weekend!

It's the first day of June!

This is my favorite time of year. I absolutely love summer. Mostly, it's because of the food. Strawberries, peaches, corn, blackberries, tomatoes - the list goes on. I crave fresh fruit and vegetables all year, as grocery store produce just doesn't cut it for me. There's nothing like fresh, local produce!

I also like to be outside more. I love walks in the summertime. I also like to visit Maymont Park in Richmond, VA at least once a summer. It's usually unbearably hot, but it's so beautiful there.

Interestingly, the first day of June has been mild. Summer humidity is definitely not in full swing yet. I would be enjoying the unusual cool temperatures, but I've been cooped up inside, trying to clean before my internship starts and I become obsessed with the magazine. I only have one more week! I have an orientation seminar next Monday and my first day of work is Wednesday, June 10th. I am SO excited!

Since it's June 1st, I thought I'd make a list of things I'm looking forward to this month:

-my internship finally starts
-Chance's birthday
-a trip to Washington, D.C.
-a second visit to Stone Soup Books with Alison
-reading more books on my summer reading list (Persuasion, I Capture the Castle, My Sister's Keeper, Revolutionary Road, etc.)
-peaches ripening

Here's to an exciting and busy start to summer!