wine and love [vol. 5].

Hosted by Nora!

Things that are making me reach for my wine glass...

• Getting dirt under my nails from doing yard work. I'm not used to it since I used to bite my nails, so I get OCD about cleaning them.
• Feeling crampy, cranky, and just worn out. I hate being a girl sometimes.
  
• Wasting my day away. I don't even know how it happens, but usually I get to the end of day and realize I've barely done anything productive. I don't even do anything all day, yet I never have time for half the stuff I want to be doing (reading, journaling, etc.). It's frustrating.
• The judges/producers on SYTYCD annoy me. As much as I love the show, it's become redundant and not as good in recent years. The only good part left is the actual dancing and talent.
• E has been on vacation for the past week, and even though we only see each other once a week anyway, I miss him more whenever he's far away. (Plus, I'm jealous he had a week away in Florida, spending time on yachts and beaches.)
  

Things that are filling my heart...

• I finally downloaded Bruno Mars's latest album and I'm in love with it.
• This song.
• Having a boyfriend who lets me sleep in and knows how to wake me up without making me cranky (waking me up ten minutes before we're going to get up and then letting me stay in bed for those ten minutes).
• Gorgeous weather.
• Do you know how awesome it is to be obsessed with weddings and have three of your closest friends planning weddings simultaneously? I've been exchanging e-mails about picking wedding colors and planning a bachelorette party, and I got the invite for Danielle's wedding in the mail! Squee!
• Strawberry daquiris made with coconut rum. Delicious.
• I got a lot done this week! I finally went to the gynecologist, picked up paint samples to repaint my room, and got my car's oil changed. Productivity win!
  

i'm in a glass case of emotion.

{♥}
Talking about my feelings doesn’t come easy for me. At least, it doesn’t come easy in person.

You’ll be interested to know that the first time I expressed my feelings to E was through a letter. I’d written ‘love letters’ for all of my close friends for Valentine’s Day and figured he should get one as well. Being able to collect my thoughts and string together perfectly-worded sentences brought me comfort, the kind of comfort I can’t find in trying to express myself on the spot.

(That being said, I wasn’t even able to stay in the room while he read it because the vulnerability made me super uncomfortable.)

In an ideal world, I would communicate my deepest feelings via written letters forever, taking the time to compose my feelings into eloquent paragraphs. But this is the real world, and in the real world, we use our voices. Writing letters is nice, but sitting and talking face-to-face with someone is much more intimate and desired.

It’s slightly ironic that I have such a hesitancy to share my feelings with E since I have so many. My heart is full to the brim and it spills out onto the pages of my journal and occasionally here on my blog. Yet the idea of saying any of those things causes my brain to lock up and my ability to form coherent sentences to scamper away.

One reason for this is that my family never talked about emotions. We don’t say ‘I love you’ to one another, ever. Seriously. I couldn’t tell you the last time I told someone in my immediate family that I loved them. It’s not that I don’t, it’s just that it was a habit I was never taught and therefore never picked up.

The other reason is simply that being vulnerable scares the shit out of me.

All of this is to say that recently, for various reasons, I’m realizing it’s important to verbally express how I feel. A relationship can’t survive if the two people involved are incapable of communicating. As uncomfortable as I might feel, there are certain things written in my heart that he needs to hear. I keep running on some delusion that he 'just knows' how I feel and that needs to stop because it's likely untrue.

So here's to facing my fears, because every day that goes by without me saying a word is doing an injustice to our relationship, and I love him too much to let my fear get the best of me.

(Ten points if you know what the title's from!)

ten on tuesday [vol. 32].

1. What’s the recipe for your favorite drink? (Smoothie, alcoholic, coffee, whatever.)
Orange juice + cranberry juice + vodka = best cocktail ever. If you remove the vodka, it's just as yummy as a summery fruit juice.

2. What kind of razor do you use?
Venus. I have the fancy one with the vibrating handle but I just buy whichever refills are cheapest because most of them fit.

3. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
I remember really loving Prairie Dawn when I was little, but I don't think she's on the show anymore? It's actually really hard to pick a favorite - I guess it would have to be Grover or Telly. Or Snuffleupagus. See? Difficult. I also love the Yip Yips, of course.

4. What makes the perfect salad? (Lettuce type, toppings, dressing, etc.)
I am a huge, huge salad fan. (Just ask E, who pokes fun at me every time I order yet another salad when we're out to dinner.) My favorite is pretty simple: romaine lettuce, some kind of meat (shrimp, steak, or chicken), shredded cheese, croutons, sliced black olives, and ranch dressing. Yum.

5. What was your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject in the history of all subjects was spelling. I was a spelling PRO. After that, I'd say geometry because, though I'm a total geek and liked all of my math classes, that was a particular favorite.

6. What’s your favorite summer tradition?
Spending time outside, whether it be for a party or just lounging by myself.

7. Do you suffer from season allergies? How do you combat them?
Yup. I stick with allergy medicine, which I start taking around March. I also use eye drops when necessary because itchy eyes are my worst symptom.

8. How often do you have to charge your cell phone?
I wait until the battery is practically dead, so every three or four days, I guess. I don't use my phone much on a daily basis other than to text.

9. Do you have a bucket list?
Nope. I always want to make one, but then I feel like I'd be too lazy to complete it and then I'd just feel like a failure.

10. Do you have any desire to go back to school?
Other than to prove to myself and everyone else that I can succeed at it, no. I was a horrible student - I had poor time management skills, I never learned how to study properly, and I'm really averse to the idea of busywork or learning unnecessary things.

These questions are a part of Ten on Tuesday which is run by the wonderful Chelsea of Roots and Rings.

summer photo challenge: week 1.

My friend over at Stopping for Daisies came up with this neat little photo project for the summer. I decided it'd be fun to participate since I like to pretend I'm good at photography - I am definitely not, but she is, so you should check out her blog!

This week's theme was something sweet, which I interpreted pretty literally.


The two lone pieces of candy leftover from my favor from Danielle's bridal shower, inside the orange mug they came in.

Want to participate? Head over to the main post or the flickr group page, grab the list, and start taking pictures!

father's day weekend.

Happy Monday!

Okay, no, I'm not actually this cheerful on a Monday. I did have a fantabulous weekend, but this morning I woke up early and left E's house when he left for work instead of sleeping in, got stuck in horrendous traffic for a little while, and generally felt like crap.

Now that I've arrived home, devoured a hazelnut coffee coolatta and cheddar bagel twist from Dunkin Donuts, and showered, I wanted to share a few bits of my weekend with you.

Saturday was my friend Danielle's bridal shower, something I have been looking forward to for a while because it was my very first one. We held a low-key brunch for about thirty people in her backyard, renting a tent and bringing in a wonderful caterer. There was a Belgium waffle station, an omelette station, a variety of fruits and scones, and of course, mimosas. We played a few games, met the rest of our fellow bridesmaids, and made plans for the bachelorette party. It was a really wonderful afternoon, and we were sent home with tons of leftovers.

Also? That semi-unexpected gift I talked about last Thursday? It was for Danielle, put together by Natalie and me. Since her registry is for her honeymoon and you purchase the gifts online, we decided we also wanted to get her a little something to open at the shower. Our idea was for a "Honeymoon Kit" and, not to toot my own horn, but I think we did a good job - bath stuff, candles, bridal-shower-appropriate lingerie, tics tacs, lip gloss, a homemade door tag, and a tote to put it all in.

On Sunday, I headed out to spend the day with E. This might seem surprising since it was Father's Day, but it isn't really a big to-do in my family. In fact, my dad likes having the house to himself, so I'm sure he actually preferred having one less person running around. I did, however, celebrate with E's family. We (E and I, Natalie and her fiance, and their parents) went to a small out-of-the-way Spanish restaurant where we sipped on sangria and had some really, really good food. As usual, I had a really fabulous time chatting and joking around with their family.

After dinner, E and I started watching Modern Family as per Natalie's recommendation and now we're hooked. We blew through six episodes and really enjoyed the show - I can't wait to watch the rest. I made a last-minute decision to stay over because I was incredibly sleepy from my busy weekend.

Like I said, it was a pretty wonderful weekend. Plus, I have leftover cake and arroz con pollo in the fridge, so I'm a happy camper.

wine and love [vol. 4].

{hosted by Nora!}

Fill up the wine glass...

• I'm sick... again. This time it's a ridiculous cough that came out of nowhere. It started with my voice randomly feeling and sounding strained, and I now have a sore throat from all the coughing. My doctor told me it was bad allergies, but I think it's that plus a cold. Still, I'm glad it's not something worse.
• I've been to two locations of the same store looking for something specific, but have yet to find it. Luckily there's a third option, so fingers crossed I find what I'm looking for!
• This entire week has felt one day ahead. On Monday, I thought it was Tuesday. Yesterday, I thought it was Thursday. It's not fun.
  

Fill up my heart...

• Planning surprises in the form of semi-unexpected gifts (#vague)
• Creamy Strawberry Halls Breezers, which I use instead of real cough drops because I'm a sissy and think regular ones taste nasty
• Having a very successful shopping trip with Natalie
  
• There was a short period of time on Friday when Natalie was still at my house after shopping and E arrived for date night. Sitting at the kitchen table, the three of us shared some friendly banter (along with my mom) and it was just a reminder that dating my best friend's brother can be kind of awesome.
  
• A yummy Panera dinner date with E
• Listening to Adele's latest album on repeat (I am always so late to the party, I know). My favorite song? Set Fire to the Rain.
• Finally getting my first cupcake from Crumbs. I went with Red Velvet and it was delicious.
  

summer goals.

{♥}
I’m constantly making goals around here, which is weird because until recently, I thought making goals was a little silly. I figured I would be better off living life day-to-day. I didn’t see this as aimless but more as taking things as they come and trusting that what was ‘supposed’ to happen in my life would.

There are a few goals I’ve set for this month, most of them rolling over from previous months. Instead of limiting myself to June, I’m going to allocate some bigger ones to summer. The little ones – like making doctor’s appointments – I will still intend on accomplishing by the end of the month (it’s on my calendar to make those appointments this week, so I’m putting my foot down).

Without further ado, here are my Summer Goals.

Get on a regular, normal-person schedule. I’ve finally taken the initiative to identify a more specific set of goals than just “get healthy” – I have a subset of goals and how exactly I plan to achieve them. This one is absolutely crucial because not only do I need to start feeling better but one of my best friends is getting married in September and I need to be in tip-top shape to be a supportive bridesmaid and friend.

Journal more and work through some of my recurring 'issues'. Working on Joy Juice has already kick-started this for me. I adore having specific prompts and questions to think and write about. However, there are also some issues (about things like my past and my personality quirks) that keep my brain up at night. Writing about them will help me work through them and this summer is my chance to do just that. I don’t expect to settle everything, but I hope to tie up a few loose ends in my mind.

Read more. Simple, really. I plan on taking the “to-read” list I have on Goodreads, print it out, write down call numbers, and make my way to the library a few times every month.

Jazz up this space. My blog is almost three and a half, so it’s high time I got a big-girl web address and a pretty new layout.

Like many others, I see summer as a time to really tackle some goals. I don't know if it's the nicer weather or what, but I find energy and inspiration in these three months. Let's see what the summer of 2011 will bring for me.

ten on tuesday [vol. 31].

1. How do you pronounce the word aunt? Does your pronunciation rhyme with ‘haunt’ or ‘can’t'?
I used to say it the way that rhymes with 'haunt' when I was a teenager because I thought I was being super mature that way. Then I decided that, coming from me, it just sounded pretentious. Now the way I say it rhymes with 'can't' which is how everyone else I know says it.

2. Do most of the people in your life know you blog? Or are you partially or totally anonymous?
Somewhat. My immediate family 'knows' about my blog, but not really the extent of it. I don't talk about it in any capacity except if I receive something in the mail from a blog friend. My close friends know about and read my blog (hi guys!). E discovered it before I told him about it and used to check in from time to time, but I don't think he does anymore.

I'd say I'm partially anonymous. I use my real name and talk generally about my life, but I'm careful not to drop specific details on the blog. My goal is to keep from linking my 'real life' identity to my blog, mostly so that potential future employers don't stumble on it, but I have no problem sharing my identity with bloggers.

3. When you grocery shop, do you prefer to bag your own groceries or do you like it when the store bags them for you? Paper, plastic, or reusable bags?
When I was younger, I loved bagging groceries for my mom. I prefer bagging them myself, but when I'm shopping alone, it's difficult because I'm trying to pay and get out of the way of the next person in line. In that situation, it's easier for the cashier to do some, or all, of it. I don't grocery shop often, so I'm always forgetting to bring reusable bags, which means I go for plastic.

4. Do you have a green thumb?
Not really. The idea of gardening sounds enticing, but seems like too much work. My dad used to garden and I would help him, but we always half-assed it, so the perfectionist in me thinks the real thing must take way too much effort.

5. If you watch the Food Network, which chef/show host is your favorite?
I used to watch the Food Network like it was my job. Nowadays I occasionally watch it, particularly when there's nothing else on TV. Picking a favorite is like making me pick a favorite child - I just can't. If you force me, I'll have to say Alton followed closely by Giada and Ina. (Yes, I refer to them only by first name.)

6. Do you like to take baths? Do you take them very often?
Love them. I don't get around to it as often as I'd like, though.

7. What color are the walls in your kitchen?
Pale, pale orange. Almost peach, I guess.

8. Do you prefer to dine outdoors or indoors?
Outdoors! We don't do a lot of it here at home, however, because we don't really have a nice patio or anything on which to set up a table.

9. Describe your ideal weather.
Temperature in the high seventies, low eighties. No humidity, clear skies, and a light breeze.

10. If you could learn any foreign language, which would you choose to learn?
I would really love to learn French - I was always jealous of the girls in high school who took French instead of Spanish. On the other hand, E's family speaks Spanish (many as a primary language) and while I took four years of classes in middle and high school, I recall very, very little. If E and I are going to be together for a while, it would be nice to learn so that I could understand what people are saying and, at best, be able to have conversations with them.

(Also, the part of my brain that launches itself into the far future at any possible opportunity wants you to know that if E and I stayed together and got married, I would likely pursue this realistically, either taking a class or getting a program or something. Because I'm adorable like that.)

These questions are a part of Ten on Tuesday which is run by the wonderful Chelsea of Roots and Rings.

wine and love [vol. 3].

{hosted by Nora!}

Filling my wine glass...

• Unbearable heat. Listen, I wanted summer, but not the part where it feels like one hundred degrees.
• I've procrastinated on writing out and working on my health plan. It really needs to start happening because I now have exactly three months until BFF Wedding #1 (yikes, that's so soon), and I need to have healthy habits by then.
• Getting stuck in traffic on the drive to E's. It was my own fault, but it sucked, as traffic always does.
  

Filling my heart...

• A (semi) spur-of-the-moment trip to see E when we both decided waiting until the weekend to see each other was way too long. Getting another chance to see him was good on its own, but then we actually had a nice date night, which made it an even better decision.
  
• The pretty blue color I painted my nails last night.
• Catching up on some journaling.
• Filling my upcoming weekend with plans, including a shopping trip with Natalie, a visit from E, and playing catch-up with Katie.
• Going to see The Hangover Part II with my brother at the fancy new dine-in theater by us.
  

ten on tuesday [vol. 30].

1. What type of phone do you have? Do you like it?
I always forget the name off the bat, but then it comes to me. It's an LG Cosmos. It's pretty good. I don't have/want a data plan because I can't afford it and don't really need it, so the coolest thing about it is that it's my first phone with a QWERTY keyboard. I've become a texting fiend.

2. How old were you when you got your first cell phone?
Sixteen, I think. It was definitely in my sophomore year of high school, so sixteen sounds about right.

3. How many cell phones have you owned since your first?
Hm... counting the first and the one I have now, I've had five or six. I can't remember if there was one in between my first and the one I was using at the beginning of college. I feel like I had two phones on my original carrier (Virgin Mobile) before I went on my parents' family plan, at which point I've had four different ones, but I can't be sure.

4. How much is your average monthly phone bill?
Is it sad that I have no idea? My parents are gracious enough to pay for my phone plan, since we have a family plan, so I don't encounter the bill at all.

5. When you were a kid/teenager, were you allowed to have a phone in your room?
I had a phone in my room once I hit my teenage years, but to be honest, I didn't use it much. I wasn't your typical teenage girl who spent hours tying up the line chatting about high school drama. It was there mostly so I could easily take a call in private if necessary or to answer the phone when nobody else was home without having to run to another room.

6. Do you like talking on the phone or do you despise it? Or somewhere in-between?
Mostly, I find it really awkward because I'm terrible at phone conversation flow and I get really self-conscious about it. Exceptions are made for friends and family, especially now that I see my friends less often, but I still feel I communicate better via e-mail. Formal phone calls (like making a doctor's appointment or ordering food) are the worst and I avoid them like the plague.

7. Do you text a lot? Is texting/talking while driving illegal where you live? Are you guilty of it anyway?
My texting frequency is pretty middle of the pack. I do text every day (usually just with E), but not constantly. I feel like I'm in the age group that just missed the cutoff for obsessive texting - my 20-year-old cousin would gladly have her phone surgically attached to her and my 22-year-old boyfriend would likely have actual withdrawal symptoms without his.

Texting and talking are both illegal here, as far as I know. I know talking is, I just assume texting is too. If I have to talk on the phone, I put it on speaker. I am, however, guilty of texting while driving. In my defense, I'm a pretty good driver in general, never look down for more than a second or two, and try to limit it to texting at stop lights.

8. What sort of texting keyboard does your phone have? Touch screen, slide out, or something different? Do you care?
I have a slide-out QWERTY keyboard for the first time ever and I'm in love with it. It's also my first phone that has real T9 texting (my old phones had some other knock-off that sucked). I like both methods and have become pretty efficient in both, but I think I prefer the QWERTY just a little bit more.

9. Look at the last call in your call log – who is it? What were they calling about? Who calls you the most?
It's from Mark. He was calling to let me know he was home so I could head over to his house to set up for his going away party. I don't get many calls because everyone knows I hate it, but the person I talk to most on the phone is Natalie.

10. What is the longest phone call you can recall having?
Some of the ones logged between Mark and I while we were dating were pretty long, sometimes reaching several hours. Before that, the longest was probably way back in high school when I was visiting my grandparents one summer and didn't have internet access - I called my best friend at the time and stayed on the line for hours.

These questions are a part of Ten on Tuesday which is run by the wonderful Chelsea of Roots and Rings.

lessons learned from eat, pray, love.

Last weekend, I began reading Eat, Pray, Love. It was a spur of the moment decision to read it – I actually wasn’t sure if I wanted to, seeing as it’s received mixed reviews, but my mom had picked it up at the library and I just happened to be looking for something to read while lounging in my backyard.

As I read through the first section about Gilbert’s travels through Italy, I found it strangely fitting that I’d picked this book up when I did. I had vowed to take Memorial Day weekend to relax and unwind, putting away my responsibilities and stresses for a couple of days. My goal was to connect with and enjoy the moment; this was Gilbert’s goal as she spent her days in Italy.

In her quest to figure out her life, Gilbert spent several months in Italy simply because it was something she wanted to do. She didn’t have a set plan to visit certain places or do anything specific. She got up in the morning and did whatever she felt like doing. I found that so truly inspiring that I almost wanted to get up and go to Italy, too, except then I realized I don’t much care for traveling or being in a country where I don’t speak the language. Instead, I tried to extract this revelation and apply it somewhere in my own life.

If you read this blog regularly, you know that one of my goals this year is to live in the moment because I have a hard time doing so. I’m constantly dragging the past along with me like a ball-and-chain and simultaneously worrying about all the possible outcomes of any given day in the future. If I’m not doing that, I’m busy listening to music, reading blogs, or watching TV to distract myself from my own thoughts. Rarely do I ever just sit with myself and breathe.

I am, however, pretty good about indulging myself on a regular basis. If I want a treat from Starbucks or a cute top from Forever 21, I go ahead and get it, so I’m no stranger to the whole “doing what I want when I want to” mantra. But usually I don’t go deeper than simple things. I don’t stop and listen to my mind, my heart, or even my body to figure out what it is I want on a daily basis. Last weekend, I had no choice – my body was pretty much demanding that I take a break and spend time in the fresh air.

I really enjoy the way Gilbert weaves her story because it’s relatable. I’m hopeful, but not necessarily expectant, that perhaps I’ll find inspiration in the next two parts of the book. For now, though, the reminder to check in and do what makes me happy is floating around in the forefront of my brain and it’s doing wonders for me.

may was quiet; june, please be good to me.

{♥}
Is May really over already? I think the sporadic nature of the weather here (cold and rainy jumping directly into hot and sunny), along with two weeks of feeling “off” have really made the month pass by much too quickly. Honestly, I feel like Easter was yesterday and I was just checking my calendar thinking it was a long way off until June.

My month was pretty quiet – if anything, everyone else had excitement in their lives. E took a weekend trip to DC and an epic week-long vacation with his friends last week. One of my friends made a big decision with her career, one of them got engaged, and the first bridal shower discussions for another were started.

There was one big… milestone, I guess, that happened in my life this month, but unfortunately I won’t be elaborating. Instead, I’ll embarrass myself by telling you how I cried over several TV shows’ season finales, how happy I am to have So You Think You Can Dance back in my life, and that I got drunk off of a wine called Silly Goose while watching the Billboard Music awards with Lyndsay.

And now, time to check up on those goals.

Get healthy. This month was terrible. I fell off the wagon during Easter weekend and never quite got back on.

Work on my anxiety. I didn’t do too much to actively work on my anxiety. There were no outright issues, but I wasn’t proactive, either.

Live in the moment. Not so much for most of the month, because I was feeling sick and miserable. I did, however, pull myself back into the present moment for almost all of Memorial Day weekend – enjoying the fresh air while reading outside, being in-touch with myself while journaling, and embracing the pure happiness I felt when I was snuggling with my boyfriend – and it did absolute wonders for my mood.

Stay in touch. For the beginning of the month, this was a bust. I eventually got around to seeing some of my friends and making plans with others, but I still felt like I wasn’t caught up on everyone’s lives.

Be me and stop worrying what other people think. Big fat no. I’ve regressed in terms of worrying about how my personality plays into my relationship, which culminated in an awful mood swing Tuesday night that was only cured by copious amounts of alcohol.

May’s goals were only mildly successful. Out of seven goals, I completed two and a half: replying to blog comments, reading a book, and writing out a plan to improve my life. The “half” one is writing out my life plan – I started to at the beginning of the month, but never got around to finishing it or following through with it.

Goals for June: finish my daily life plan and start implementing it; make a gynecologist appointment; make a dentist appointment; try a new recipe; grow out the rest of my nails; be more forthcoming about my emotions in my relationship; spend as much time outside as possible; apply to jobs.

How was your May? What are you looking forward to in June?

perfect MDW.

On Friday, I promised myself I would take it easy for Memorial Day weekend. My health was just starting to get back on track, so instead of rushing off to make plans, I settled in for a few days of "staycation."

I made the decision to unplug from the internet for the weekend, so aside from checking my e-mail and Facebook once or twice per day, I stayed away from my computer. Instead, I grabbed a book (Eat Pray Love, and yes, I realize I'm really late in reading it), some fresh watermelon, and a lounge chair and planted myself in the backyard. Thankfully both Saturday and Sunday were gorgeous and I actually got some color. (Of course, that color is still pink and not tan, so we'll see about my goal to be a little bronzed by the end of the summer.)

Even after I came back in for dinner each night, my evenings were spent chatting with my mom, curling up in my room and reading more, or doing some journaling. I made it my mission to completely relax and not worry about anything except making sure I was eating better and drinking more water. By Sunday, I was feeling much better and back to my "normal" self, which was a huge mood booster.

It was also fortunate because E wanted to see me despite driving ten hours back from his week-long vacation with his friends that day. We had discussed that he'd likely be tired so I didn't count on seeing him, but when he asked, I only thought about it for a little while before agreeing. That night I was on my way.

It was a short visit, but a good one. I met him at his friends' house for a graduation/Memorial Day party for a few hours, then we headed back to his house where we promptly fell asleep because he was exhausted. We slept in pretty late on Monday for the same reason, but I wasn't complaining because one, I love sleep and two, more cuddle time. It was my favorite part of the weekend, especially when I was mostly awake and he was still half-asleep, so I could really savor it.

I already had plans with Danielle and Natalie for Monday night, so I was figuring out the specifics when E's friends invited him to the movies. Unfortunately it meant we had to part ways, so I headed home and had dinner before meeting the girls to see Bridesmaids. It was really good - just the right mix of funny, crude, and girly. I laughed really hard and even cried a bit... but I could've done without the whole bathroom scene. My hands were covering my face the entire time. Still, it was the perfect movie to see with the two girls who are getting married in the next year - we kept pointing out crazy things in the movie that we promised we were planning for each of their bridal showers/bachelorette parties/weddings.

At the outset of this weekend, I was slightly bummed out because I didn't have plans to be on a beach or at a barbecue. But you know what? It turned out to be perfect anyway. I had an entire day and a half to myself, an unexpected visit to see my boyfriend, and a fun night out with my friends. I was absolutely exhausted by the end of it, but it was the good kind of tired, where you fall into bed and know you'll sleep well because you've been busy enjoying life.