I can't keep my west and east side straight

I have been doing my best to soak up my people since we got home from the beach. Here is the quick run down:

Wednesday night I stayed with Tiffany - loved seeing the kids faces when I walked in the door, Morgan and I spent the afternoon together which was load of fun and a learning experience!

Thursday I headed down to DC - my new home town - it was a gorgeous night and Kristen and I took the bus into Dupont, dined on amazing Greek food outside with a bottle of wine. I love the vibe of DC, the culture, the people. It will be cool to explore more once I get back from my summer holiday abroad!

Friday I met Jaime and Jackson for lunch, swing by to see Chrissy and Mom and then headed to Val's for the evening. It was great to just hang out with her, Dan and Zach - love having them just down the street! Friday night I stayed in Frederick -hardly slept because my mind was racing with all that I had not yet done. Saturday morning we went for an early morning walk, bought my euro rail pass and had breakfast. I headed to White Marsh to catch the megabus to NYC - this was a first and actually was not too bad. The bus was crowded and I didn't realize there was a bathroom on it so I did not hydrate myself well on the 3 + hour journey up to New York. Kelly was waiting at the drop off point and it was so great to see her! We grabbed lunch and putzed in some furniture stores before hopping on the subway and taking it up to the upper west side (I think, I am so bad with neighborhoods!) to see her new apartment. It is so cute and in an ideal location. For the first time ever, I could see myself living in the city after walking through neighborhoods on my own, becoming more familiar with the subway and of course, the plethora of food options - LOVE! We met up with Heather Saturday night for her birthday celebration - she didn't know that I was coming and it was so great to see her after too many months. Probably stayed out a bit too late at this cool hooka bar and definitely slept most of the morning away on Sunday. I met Maria and Jason at this amazing venezulan spot for brunch, got to hang with Meredith after, met with Brian in Central Park...it really was such a great weekend! And now I am trying to take deep breaths and prepare myself for the trip of a lifetime - 3 days from now I will be on the plane, heading over to France!

my grandmother, my hero

My grandma blows me away. I was lucky enough to spend part of the day with her yesterday and literally was in awe of how much she is doing to change peoples lives, how much she has accomplished, how modest she is and how way ahead of her times she really was. I think that my two month trip is kind of a big deal but I have not packed up my bags and traveled to Asia for months not knowing where I was going to stay and going into not necessarily safe areas. She has written a book about her most recent experience with the church and converting and it's release date is today! There are already people singing it's praises and a big write up on her talent. She calls people that she has met along the way regularly. One lady in particular who has alzheimer's disease and often forgets when they last talked and yet Bubi calls her every week and it is often the only call this woman receives. I love to hear stories of her growing up and of her experiences. She has a special place in her house dedicated to prayer and reflection. She traced her roots and wrote about it. She is putting me in touch with our Czech relatives that I am hopeful to connect with this summer. She doesn't realize what a big deal she really is at almost 85. Mom said that I get my sense of adventure and travel from her and that makes me proud.

bye bye anna maria island

Our week of walks on the beach, chasing the birds, family dinners, soaking up the rays and burying our feet in the sand has come to an end. It was sad to leave our beach house this morning. Luckily, I was able to fit in one more walk up and down the white sea shelled filled shore. It is not every day that you find a quaint little town tucked away on beautiful beaches where everyone says hello in the morning. Waking up and walking up the stairs to see Morgan and Carter all smiles eating breakfast never got old. I will miss hearing aunt Kelly on a regular basis and doing yoga on the beach with Morgan. Yesterday we went exploring a bit, ducked into little beach boutiques and took a walk up the pier. We wanted to do anything but get off the beach at dusk when the sun was almost setting and the tide was low. Everything is a little slower down here which I so appreciate. The renewal and photographs on the beach on Thursday was beautiful and so much fun.

It's hard to believe that in two weeks I will be in the South of France starting my two months abroad with many vacations fit into one. It will be interesting and such an experience! I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow and soaking up as much of everyone as I can before I head out for what is sure to be a trip that I will not soon forget.

mother's day in fla

Today was a great day - so fun to spend it with Joanne, dad, Tiffany, Chris, Morgan, Carter, Kristen, Kara and Brian.

We arrived in sunny and sticky, crazy humid Florida yesterday afternoon after planes, shuttles and a huge rental van big enough for us all to fit. The house is quaint and beachy with so many different entrances and flowers growing up and around the balcony. There is a bean shaped pool out back and we are steps away from the gulf where white sand beckons and the water is clear and shades of blue and green. It is safe to say that I am the darkest I have been in quite some time after only our first full day with pretty spots of pink and white for an added bonus. Morgan and I did yoga in the warm water and it felt so incredibly good to have my feet in the sand, to chase the birds with Carter, to look for shells with Morgan and to have no where that we really had to be or nothing to do all day. Anna Maria Island is definitely somewhere that I would come back.

Mother's day is tough for so many people and my heart aches for them. I cannot help but think about how we just learned of Val on this day several years ago and now she is such a part of our lives. I spent Friday afternoon with Jon's mom and I think it was good for both of us. I know that we are forever bound together by the love we have for him and hope that even as the years race by - and they really seem to these days - that will never change.

There are so many women that have shaped me and that I love so much. My heart could burst at mere thought of how unselfish and caring mothers truly are. (Sometimes just watching Tiffany exhausts me) I am rambling and having a hard time trying to eloquently say what I want to say for some reason. It must be a combination of the sea air and sauvignon blanc.

Kristen just said "I am scared that I might fall out of the bed" - and she is not kidding.

my first few days of being an east coaster again

I honestly don't ever think that I have been more unsettled in my life. My boxes are all in Dad and Joanne's basement, I am driving around with 2-4 suitcases in Kendall's car, I can rarely find exactly what I am looking for and I have been wearing jeans in the sticky Maryland heat because my summer clothes are who knows where. But it is great to be back.

My summer holiday flight is now booked - I finally did that on Friday just before I discovered I had a flat tire.

Cathy's wedding weekend was great. I arrived in College Park Friday night after hanging with Tiffany, Kristen, Carter and Morgan and got to hang with Shelly. We were up talking for hours -I've so missed this! Saturday I hung with the girls in the suite while they were getting ready, pouring mimosas and taking photos. It was like a reunion of sorts for us OC girls and my adopted sorority sisters and we had a blast catching up, cheersing and dancing. I love that even though all of our paths are a bit different and we haven't seen each other in some time, it is still so fabulous to be together.

Today for 2 minutes, I wished that I was a soccer player - but it was too hot to be running around in the heat. Went to Chris' game before heading up for a Sunday dinner with Chrissy. Kendall will be living and working at the beach this summer and I am so thrilled for her!

Florida is right around the corner :)