Recent Travels Around the Mid-Atlantic

It's been such a long time since I've written, but for good reason - I continue to be slammed at work (meaning no lunch break to write blog posts) and I've been staying very busy on the weekends. Looking back at everything I've done the last couple of weeks makes me incredibly happy. Here's what I've been up to:

Busch Gardens/Virginia Beach - As I mentioned before, Fred surprised me with tickets to Busch Gardens a few weekends ago. He rented a car so we could drive down the two and half hours to the park and back in one day. It's been a while since he and I went on any sort of road trip, and the quality time spent laughing, talking, and singing along to the radio was great. Being Floridians, we absolutely devoured Busch Gardens in about 5 hours. The park wasn't that crowded, providing little opportunity for us to get bored or annoyed while waiting in line for the attractions. I loved the roller coasters at this park - while extremely similar to the Busch Gardens in Tampa, the theme and layout of the park is different enough to make it all feel brand new. However, I did miss my dancing elephants that I grew to love back in Tampa. After the park, we weren't ready to go home so we drove an extra hour to Virginia Beach. We thought we'd grab dinner, spend some time at the beach, and then head back later that night. WRONG! After a few coronas at this outdoor bar right on the ocean, we used my iPhone to find a cheap hotel down the street. The spontaneity of the whole weekend got me excited for fall and reminded me how much I enjoy living in D.C. so that I can be close to a variety of different places.

Boordy Vineyards - One Saturday, my roommate who is from Baltimore asked if I wanted to go to a wine tasting with her at Boordy Vineyards, just outside of Baltimore. I've gone with her a couple of times before and since Fred had never been to a vineyard, we thought this would be a fun day trip to get us out of our apartments. The drive to Boordy from D.C. is quiet and scenic once you get off 495. Pulling into the vineyard, you can watch the massive rows of grape vines seemingly disappear into the horizon. The tastings are conducted in the cellar of a large barn, with the staff going into deep detail about the history of the vineyard and winemaker. We complimented our bottle of the Vidal Blanc (deliciously refreshing white blend) with cheese, crackers, and good conversation. Capping off our little trip was dinner at a true Baltimorian crab house where I had the best crab cake I've ever tasted - I just wish I could remember the name of the restaurant!

Annapolis - Last weekend, the preppiest guy I know invited Fred, me, and my other roommate to Annapolis for the day. Having heard great things about this small town in Maryland, I jumped at the opportunity to check it out. The weather worked out in our favor so we had a nice day on the water, but I don't think it warrented a day trip - even on Navy vs. Air Force gameday. After a couple of hours, we were strapped for ideas on what to do next so we grabbed a bite to eat and headed home. I'm glad I got to see it, though!

Mount Vernon Trail and Mansion - Fred is spoiling me again this weekend. Yesterday, he surprised me with tickets to Mt. Vernon for this Sunday. We're going to rent bikes in Georgetown and bike the entire Mt. Vernon Trail to the former home of our first president. Naturally, I've been doing as much research as possible about the trail (36 miles round trip!) and Mt. Vernon itself. It looks like the trail is a scenic adventure that highlights Georgetown, the Potomac, Old Town, and the outskirts of the city that I rarely see. I'm very excited about this!

NYC! - Exploring New York in December is one of the most classic experiences I've ever had, and it's something I wanted to experience with Fred. Living in D.C., NYC is an inexpensive 4-hour bus ride away - very different from the $300 per person plane ticket we would spend flying here from somewhere else. Being so close, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit the Big Apple during the holidays. Fred hasn't been to NYC since he was 7 and it's been a while since I've been, which means we are ready to do all the tourist-y stuff: Times Square, Rockefeller Center to see the tree and ice skating rink, Central Park, walking tour of the window displays... you name it, we're going to do it. Can't wait!

Other news - Fred found a place to live. He'll be living in a house with 3 other guys down the street from my office building. Ideally, we'd both like to find a place together but I do not want to break my lease and abandon my roommates. This will be a good situation for the next 9 months, and I'm looking forward to spending the night at his place and having a 5 minute commute to work. I recently watched the movie Away We Go and loved it. I don't usually enjoy the critically-acclaimed indie flicks (I know, I'm a freak), but I thoroughly enjoyed this one's script and character development. If you're bored this weekend, check it out!

Getting to Know D.C. A Little Bit Better

I'm determined to stay away from the airport until at least Thanksgiving. I had a great summer full of travel and friends' visits, but now it's time to get to know the D.C. area a bit more intimately. Having lived here for a year and a half, I shouldn't consider this part of the country a stranger. But, I do. When friends come to town and ask for recommendations on places to go or eat, I always draw a blank. My family back home always says, "You're so close to ____. Have you been there?" and I'm constantly answering with a simple, "No..."

There's so much surrounding D.C. that I hope to explore in the next few weekends. Here are some of my ideas:

D.C. Restaurants - I recently ate at the Chinatown hotspot, Matchbox, and fell in love with dining out in the city. Sometimes it's hard to force myself out of the NoVa suberbs and into the District, but when I do, I always have an amazing time. Before I leave D.C., I want to eat at all the classics: Zaytinya, Restaurant Eve, Sticky Rice, Ray's, and Firefly.

Shenandoah National Forest - Hiking here during the fall when the leaves are changing seems idyllic to me. Having grown up in Florida, fall foliage is foreign concept to me. I'd like to change this, and I've heard many wonderful things about Shenandoah's park, quaint towns, and numerous vineyards. Fred and I are thinking about doing a quick trip here one day in October or November. We might even do a day trip since it's only 90 minutes away.

Annapolis - An easy day trip from D.C., this historical seaport located on the Chesapeake Bay seems like a great way to bid adieu to Summer. A group of friends and I are heading to Annapolis in late September, and I can't wait to see this part of Maryland. I wish I could wear a super chic sailor outfit... but that might be going a bit overboard.

NYC - New York City at Christmastime ranks on my list as one of the most enjoyable and exciting things to do. I now live closer to the Big Apple than I ever have before, yet I've only ventured to NYC once and it was no where near the holidays. Fred hasn't been to the city since he was a kid, which means I have to take him at some point during December. I'm trying to decide if taking the bus, train, or flying will be easier and get us more bang for our buck. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Williamsburg/Busch Gardens - Hello, theme parks kind of run in my blood (it's part of every Floridian's DNA) and I've been itching to go to Busch Gardens Williamsburg since I moved here last year. After this hellish week at work, I was getting stressed, exhausted and antsy. Fred, being the sweetheart he is, surprised me with tickets to Busch Gardens this weekend! We're leaving D.C. early on Saturday morning to drive to Williamsburg, a colonial town in Virginia about 2 and a half hours away.

The Beaches - You'd think that with my beach obsession, one of my first trips as a D.C. resident would be to Rehoboth or Dewey. I'm sad to say that in my two summers here, I've yet to see either beach. This is definitely on my list for next summer!

Do you have any other fun places to explore near D.C.? Share in the comments!

My Adventures As A Jet-Setter

I've been a busy little bee these last few weeks, and that means I've been neglected my little slice of cyber space. My adventures lately have been pretty fun, which is why I wanted to drop in and share what I've been up to since the last time I posted.

• Texas - Fred and I had a great time visiting our friends in Texas. We explored 6th Street in Austin, witnessed a protest at the Texas Capitol, got sunburned on North Padre Island, jumped off 15' foot docks into canals on the island, wondered around the River Walk in San Antonio, and realized The Alamo is kind of small. It was great to actually travel with Fred. After doing the whole long distance thing for 6 months where we were jumping on planes to see or leave each other, it was nice to share the traveling experience from start to finish this time.

• Los Angeles - Two days after I got back from Texas, I flew out to California on a business trip. One of my biggest clients was hosting a huge event just south of LA, and I went out there to help manage all their social media initiatives. The actual event was really exciting - I wish I could share what I saw because it was that cool, but I have to stay hush hush. After the events were over each day, my co-workers and I explored the area. Here are some of my favorite pictures that show where I went:

Shutters Restaurant in Santa Monica

Santa Monica Pier

Sunset in Venice Beach

Sunset in Venice Beach

SLS Hotel in Los Angeles

Delicious little shooter. Don't you love the napkins?

I was genuinely surprised with how much I loved Los Angeles, especially the beach areas. Few of my friends have ventured out to the area and those who did told me I would hate it. They couldn't have been more wrong - if there wasn't a 3 hour time difference between there and where my family lives, I'd move to that part of California in a heartbeat. My favorite part was the contrast between the ocean and the mountains, a geographical landscape we don't really get here on the East Coast.

The trip back from LA was not my best travel experience, though. My company booked us on a red-eye flight that left LAX at midnight and I didn't arrive back to D.C. until 7:40 EST. Here's the real kick-in-the-ass: I am physically incapable of sleeping on airplanes and I had to go into the office the next day. I thought it made more sense to go in on my way home from the airport, catch up on everything I missed while I was traveling, send out a few deliverables to clients, and head home early for the day, around 1 or 2. I didn't leave the office until 5:30. By that point, I knew I shouldn't go to sleep because I would wake up around 2 in the morning. When I finally fell asleep, I had been awake for almost 40 hours! I still don't think I have recovered.

I will say this, though. Fred kept me from going insane. When I got to my apartment after the red-eye flight, he had already left for work. He had also cleaned our entire room, made the bed, bought my a beautiful flower arrangement, written me the nicest card, made me a fruit salad for breakfast, and left me a Starbucks giftcard. Yeah, I know - I have landed a winner.

So, dear readers, what have YOU been up to lately??

Offering Even More Wine Is the Ultra Safest

Today is a crazy day at work and I still have to pack for Texas which means I need to leave the office at a reasonable hour, so instead of writing a blog post on my 10-minute lunch break, I'm going to work.

But, I had to share this little gem that I found on LiLu's blog with all of you:

To see it in all it's glory, go here: http://twitpic.com/g71bv/full

Please share the wealth. And, by that, I mean - forward it to every man you know.

I'll be back with an update on Austin next week! I hope you all have a fabulous holiday weekend!

When the Stars Align in the Form of a Glorious E-mail from GWU

I've still been struggling with my quarter-life crisis, and based on the comments and e-mails I've received, I'm not the only one. It's nice to know I'm not alone, but I wish there was an easy way to resolve the feelings of hesitation and uncertainty that have been floating around my head lately.

My problem is that there is too much I want to do and so many things I'm passionate about that I can't figure out how to incorporate them all into one, big, fantastically awesome career path. In the past month, I've started making lists of all the things I want to do when I grow up and everything involves the following skills:

• event planning
• design
• writing
• basic PR skills
• organization
• consulting
• creative thinking

Looking at that, it seems like I'm on the write path with moving from a traditional public relations/publicity background into an event planning and coordination one.

Right when I figured this out, I received an invitation to an information session hosted by George Washington University's business school for an online accelerated graduate program focusing on Travel and Tourism Administration. At first, I almost ignored the e-mail because I've been moving away from the travel/tourism idea toward event planning - but then I saw that one of the available concentrations is... (drumroll)... Event & Meeting Management.

I swear, when I saw that, I felt a huge wave of relief. I guess I've been thinking that the two things I really enjoy - traveling and event planning - were two very separate industries with difficult barriers to entry. I always figured there's no way these could translate into a sustainable career, right??

However, if there is a grad program that can help me explore these two areas more in depth, make connections in the fields, and provide me with more experience - it can't be as impossible as I once thought.

And, that is a good feeling that's helped somewhat calm my crazy crisis-oriented brain.

What about all of you - have you tried to overcome your "quarter-life crises" lately?

Falling in Love with Fall and September Goals

September - you come too soon. Actually, I take that back. I've been enjoying the 65 degree weather and rocking light scarves and adding Fall colors back into my wardrobe the past couple of days.

When I was younger and living in Florida, summer was always my favorite season. I loved spending days at the beach and eating outdoors. Now, I think fall is the best time of the year with the cooler temperatures, gorgeous foliage, and fun activities like apple picking and hiking without melting your face off.

I've been eagerly anticipating fall this year, especially October - my second favorite month of the year (after April, of course). September is going to go by quickly since I'm heading to Texas with Fred this weekend, traveling to California (LA/Anaheim) for work next week, and celebrating numerous birthdays the two weekends I'm here in D.C.

Since 09/09 is going to be a short month for me, I better get cracking on some goals faster than I did for August:

Here's how I did in August:

• Do not eat out this month except when my two friends are visiting D.C. Major fail... again. Fred and I ate out A LOT.
  
• Run for a full hour without walking. Done and done!
  
• Call one friend each week to say hi and catch up. Ugh... I am horrible with the phone.
  
• Write a letter to someone. I did this and want to keep it up!
  
• Run through Old Town. The blue line being messed up on weekends has prevented this goal from being completed.
  
• Clean and organize the bedroom - keep it that way for more than 2 days. Done!
  
• Check out and read 2 books from the library. How did I not complete this? I've always been an avid reader, but my shorter commute time has seriously cut into my metro reading. I hope to do better this month since I have so many trips scheduled.
  
• Do something - anything - artistic. Sad. I didn't.
  
• Research the GRE and GMAT. Decide if I want to take one of them. I think I'm going to take the GMAT, and I signed up for an informational session at GWU. More to come on this!
  
• Make 3 new recipes. Yes! I tried a new eggplant parmesean recipe, Fred and I made a really good steak/pasta combination, and I made really delicious blue cheese/spinach turkey burgers.
  
• Learn more about the 2010 Avon Breast Cancer Walks. I sent out for more information on the D.C. and Denver walks and am really thinking about doing it!
  
• Volunteer somewhere or donate money to a cause or do both. I happily donated to the ChicRunner's Avon Breast Cancer Walk. You should, too - and stop what you're doing and read this post right now. You will be inspired.
  

Meh. I did okay, but I definitely need to hold myself more accountable for September. Here's what I'm going to accomplish:

• Plan a trip to Shenandoah Valley
• Read 1984
• Run in Old Town
• Have a roommates' dinner
• Write a letter to a friend back home
  
• Sign up for a 5K
• **Update - Make a doctor appointment
• **Update - Make a dentist appointment
  

Do you write down your goals to hold yourself more accountable? If you've blogged about them, leave me a link in the comments!

Kristen Stewart: Get Your Hands Out Of Your Hair! (Please?)

I don't understand the appeal of Kristen Stewart as an actress. There are many actresses I don't like, but I can at least understand why directors and casting agents might choose them. Kristen Stewart, though? What does she bring to film besides her ability to nod and speak in monotone?

This weekend, I watched her play the same role in two different films - Into the Wild and Adventureland. Emily, the role she played in the latter, was a young woman struggling with her mother's death, an irrational stepmother, a clueless father, love, and being the "other woman." How did Kristen convey this pain? By being herself, of course.

The same person we see at Comic-Con or at the Teen Choice Awards.

What depth did she bring to this role? Well, let's evaluate: She nodded. She pulled at her hair. She ran her fingers through her hair. She rolled her eyes. She grabbed her hair. She bit her bottom lip.


Even when Kristen's character "blew up" at her stepmother, I was left asking "that's all? That's all you got?" There was a lot of passion to be felt in that scene, but Kristen (and her director) clearly forgot to include it.

Based on the roles I've seen her play, I don't understand how she can be described (by the amazing Emile Hirsch, no less!) as "so perfect" and a "great conversationalist."

I don't know. I feel bad ragging on her because obviously she's "good" if she's making as much money as she is in top-tier pictures.

What do you think? Is Kristen as talented of an actress as everyone in Hollywood seems to think? Am I being too hard on her?