we all have a weakness.

So, this weekend my sister Sara came to visit me at my humble home in good old Narberth. She arrived on Thursday night with my dad and the little guy (my adorable youngest brother, James) for some late night Quizzo (a local trivia game held at many Philly venues) and some tasty veggie burgers... we tied for first and lost in sudden-death overtime, in case you were wondering.

We spent a lovely Saturday downtown, indulging in the many sights and sounds (and tastes!) that Philadelphia has to offer. The day kicked off with a trip to the Museum of Art, which is always quite a treat. I love the Philly art museum. It's no Louvre, but I find the collection rather impressive and well-rounded... After the museum we strolled around and had a picnic lunch in Rittenhouse Square. It was bustling with life: sunbathers, musicians, children, pups. We had a nice time people-watching, after which we perused the cafes of South Street and headed to Baltimore Avenue for some amazing Indian food. I can't tell you how much I adore ethnic cuisine, or how good the Bhaintan Bhakra tasted in my mouth. Delicious.

The day ended with an amazing Incubus show at Festival Pier on Penn's Landing. Really, words cannot describe how happy I was to be there. Aside from a few assholes (sorry, it's true) in the crowd, the show was perfect. The band played awesome and the set list was great, but the highlight of my evening was a perfect view of the incredibly talented, incredibly sexy Mr. Brandon Boyd. His performance was stellar, and I can't help but imagine that he was singing directly at me (hey, a girl can dream). Tall, painfully handsome, intelligent, creative, talented, artistic, humanitarian... where do I find you?

July, July!

From one commonwealth to another...

So, I am just finishing out my first month as a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania. How can I even begin to explain the myriad of emotions and thoughts whirring through my brain? After almost a year of living under the rooves of (several) others, I am finally settled into my own place (well, almost) once more. I am living with my cousin, Robert, in a cute little apartment in the quaint Main Line town of Narberth. I couldn't be happier with our humble home or our wonderful new neighborhood... School, on the other hand, is a bit more frustrating. I feel incredibly blessed to be living out my dream and attending any Ivy League university for my graduate studies, but the work and stress loads are quite overwhelming. I am currently taking three courses, which generally revolve around educational theory, and I am an unpaid intern at a local inner-city youth program. I love my "job," which involves working with the Urban Nutrition Initiative to educate students about nutrition and food production and distribution. I get to work in a garden (if you know me, then you know this is perfect for me), soak up the sun and interact with some really interesting kids. I love learning and I love the class environment, but the workload for this program is off the charts!! I have never been so overwhelmed in my life!! Wait...

Well, what can I say? I asked for this, right? Right. So, I am doing my best to own this new lifestyle. Insomniac Ivy League grad student meets starving artist meets midnight blogger meets overachieving, type-A, coffee-drinking, yoga-practicing, procrastinating, high-strung, health nut???? Done. One month down, eleven more to go. Bring it on, world.  I'm ready.

the countdown.

I just thought I would inform you, loyal reader, that my birthday is exactly one month from this very day. I will be turning 24, finishing out the last year of my first quarter-century. I am quite on the fence about all of it. I am agog over the idea of embarking on a fresh, new year of life, but also a bit disappointed. I suppose I had always assumed I would have accomplished so much more by age 24 and feel I have let myself down. But that's what this site is all about, no? New beginnings, conquering the world... Alright, well, bring it on, 24!

Home, home again.

So, I have been home (the real home, my place of birth) for about a month now. It is a bit surreal, I must say. I haven't really been home for a significant period of time since I left for college 6 years ago. I don't really feel like I belong here, especially since my mum no longer is here to make this little green house a home. I know that I belong in New England, where my heart lies, but that gratification will be delayed for another year.
"Home," as I suppose it must be called, is a little village nestled in the Hudson Valley. It would really be a nice little place to live if it weren't for the ignorance, racism and alcoholism that run rampant in its streets. Greenery is abound and I have always been within walking distance to a state park - a nice escape from the concrete slabs of New Jersey that lie only a few miles south. The sweet perfume of honeysuckles and summer rain fills the air and I find myself peculiarly happy and hopeful, especially driving around with the windows down and radio on.
In a few short weeks I will be settled in my little apartment outside Philadelphia, preparing for the wisdom, experience and adventure that I am about to take on. For now, I am enjoying the company of my family, particularly my sisters, whose presence is comfort to my soul. I can't begin to express my excitement over the happenings to come or how everything seems to be falling into place right now. This ingénue is ready to take on the world!

I am quite blessed.

This past year, from my mother's death in December to this very day, has been the most confusing and challenging of my life. I have lost some of the dearest people to my heart - to illness, to old age, to lies and emotional complications. Despite this dereliction by departed loved ones, I do not feel alone. For the first time in quite a while (possibly in my entire life) I feel truly and completely loved. I've always had that background awareness that "I am loved," but this is more than just a consciousness. I now verily believe and appreciate that there are people out there that love me for who I am, who I am not, and who I want to be. Throughout my recent hardships, particularly my most recent obstacle, I have been shown an outpouring of support that has moved my heart. I am so thankful for the amazing people in my life and for the dear friends who have helped me weather this storm. From letters, to hugs, to late night conversations, I thank you for your compassion and good will. As I prepare for graduate school and an exciting (albeit intimidating!) new phase of life, your love has given me the confidence boost I so desperately needed. In short: you rock.

Until then, Boston

I am emotionally unprepared to disclose the circumstances at the moment but, for one reason or another, I find myself taking a brief hiatus from my life in New England. I say brief because I know I am destined to return at some point in my life. I have lived north of Boston for just under two years now, but my heart has belonged to New England since a very early age. My Uncle John, Mum's youngest older brother, raised his family on the north shore of Massachusetts, and we started visiting before I can remember. I fell in love with everything instantly: the people, the food, the outdoors, the lifestyle... even as a little girl I knew this was where I wanted to settle down with my family. I have yet to start a family of my own but, at twenty-three, I am still quite sure of my New England fate.
Alas, however, I must leave my beloved Boston for a short while. I am off to the University of Pennsylvania to begin my Master's in Education. After a brief layover at my father's house in New York, I will venture to Philadelphia to begin a new (assuredly exciting and enlightening) phase of my life. It has become obvious to me that several chapters of my life have come to a close. Reluctant to move on, I have been re-reading those chapters in an effort to cling to certain things that I love, but it is time to bite the bullet and start anew. I am not afraid of the future - in fact, I have always been a future-oriented person - but I am for the first time realizing that certain things we hope to take along on our journey cannot, or will not, always come with us.

I am thankful for the time these "things" have spent in my life. Even though you are unable, or unwilling, to come with me, I will carry you in my heart and in my memory forever... and maybe, just maybe, you will be there when I get back.

Until then, Boston.