Retail Therapy

My mom and I hit the Nordstrom anniversary sale last night and I walked away with two new pairs of shoes that I just love!

Nothing like some new footwear to cheer a girl up.

One Oreo Concrete with Triple Oreos, Please

Last night was awesome! Amanda and I crashed Anni's singles ward activity to take advantage of the late-night, all-you-can-eat custard party at Nielson's Frozen Custard. The party started at 11:00 p.m. so we had full reign of the place. I have loved Nielson's for as long as I can remember. An Oreo concrete with triple Oreos is my all-time favorite treat, the ultimate comfort food. So being able to scoop my own custard with free access to all the toppings I wanted was like being given the keys to the candy store. We were giddy!
The owners of Nielson's are such generous people. They kept saying, "Eat today, because tomorrow you pay!" I was fascinated with the history of their business (yes, I am a nerd). I told them I'm they're #1 fan. I shared stories about sluffing class at South Davis Junior High in order to eat concretes for lunch and told them I routinely drive in from Salt Lake because I think the Bountiful location is the very best. They sent us home with so much custard, easily enough to last a full week!
Yum. I can't think of a better way to spend a Thursday night (or any night, for that matter). Anni, thanks for staying up late so I could realize one of my lifelong dreams! Who knows, we just might have to make this a regular tradition.

Feeding My Passion

International travel has been on my mind a lot as of late. It all started when Tommy and I mapped out our dream 6-month round-the world adventure travel itinerary a few weeks ago. Then Amanda, Syd, and Anni invited me to join them this September for 12 days in Peru. I've never been to South America and I can't wait to experience this new corner of the globe.

I had dinner with my boss last week in Princeton. During the course of conversation, I shared with him some of my travel adventures and dream destinations. As the conversation concluded, he told me he observed a marked difference in my entire persona while I was talking about travel; my eyes lit up, my speech became more animated, and my body language came alive. He correctly derived that international travel is a passion for me.

Then last night I had dinner with Amanda, Syd, Mark and Lindsay at Cedars of Lebanon. Mark and Lindsay are a darling young couple Amanda met in Barnes and Noble several months ago while buying a travel book for our trip to Thailand. They had recently been to Thailand, started chatting, and ended up providing us with a wealth of Thai travel tips. We've since met for dinner every few months to share travel tips, stories, and adventures. We bring trip photos, talk about where we've been most recently, and where we'd like to go next. In addition to Peru, Amanda is on her way to China in a few weeks and Mark and Lindsay just returned from a 3-week trip to Turkey, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Spain.

Our 3-hour dinner flew by. I was alive, animated and excited while talking about places we've been and where we want to go next. There is no better way I'd choose to spend my time, energy, and money than on international travel. The greatest learning experiences of my life have occurred on these types of trips. I love to gain an appreciation of new and different places, people, cultures, languages, and experiences. I'm also amazed at how much I learn about myself.

Mark and Lindsay are such a great couple. I am so glad we've forged a friendship based on our shared love of travel. Last night was a great reminder of why international travel is so important to me. Nothing makes me happier. And I can't wait for Peru.

The Best Therapy There Is

I had dinner last night with three of my favorite SHPI co-workers . . . Lori, Janelle, and Bryan. They all stayed with the company that acquired us last month and still get to see each other every day. I miss my old job, the co-workers, and especially working with these three. Seeing them again is always fantastic, but last night was extra great.

We met for dinner at 5:30. Several hours later we were still at Settabello, talking about everything under the sun and then some. We shared our thoughts, feelings, and experiences with each other. I am so impressed with each of these individuals and what they represent. Lori is hilarious and always knows how to liven up the group. She is also determined and committed to what's important to her and is not afraid to be who she is. Bryan is one of the most truly "good" people I know. He is devoted to his family and his religion above all else and has higher integrity than most people I know. And Janelle is the sweetest person on the planet. She is kind and supportive and pretends not to mind when I insert my bossy opinion without being asked and dominate the conversation.

I already knew how fantastic all three of these people are professionally and have told them each that I would hire them again in a New York minute if given the opportunity. But last night I was reminded that they are so much more than just exceptional employees. I left dinner with a renewed sense of what's most important in life and a commitment to be a better person. It was the best therapy I could ask for. Thanks, guys, for your friendship and support. I am so lucky to have all three of you as my friends!

P.S. For those of you who know the Color Code, we had equal representation of all four colors at dinner last night . . . kinda cool!

Weekend in D.C.

Tommy and I spent the rest of our weekend checking out museums:Resting on the steps of the Library of Congress:
Learning how to ride Jenny's scooter (look out!):
Checking out more museums:
And shopping in Georgetown:

Happy 4th from our Nation's Capital

For the third year in a row, Tommy and I celebrated the 4th of July together in our nation's capital. I'll be honest, I am not really a fan of the 4th of July and fireworks aren't my favorite. I know it sounds very unpatriotic, but it's true. We started out the day with a breakfast barbecue in Maryland with a bunch of Tommy's friends. Fun, but I felt a bit like we'd stepped right out of the movie Singles Ward. Not really my scene.

We then met up with Jenny and her sister Amber in Georgetown, where we rented kayaks on the Potomac. Tommy did most of the rowing while I kicked back and enjoyed the scene. There were tons of party boats lining the river, music blasting and beers in hand, getting ready to celebrate later that evening. We decided that next year we most definitely need to view the fireworks from the river itself, rather than trying to fight the hoards of people for an unobstructed view of the show.

After kayaking, Tommy and I hit up the shops in Georgetown, including a trip to Diesel where we both walked away with some new kicks for a bargain price. We ate dinner at Martin's Tavern, where our server pointed out the booth where JFK proposed to Jackie O. Jenny and Amber joined us after dinner and we made our way down to the waterfront to view the fireworks. Nice but, in my opinion, not worth all the hassle.

Not a bad way to spend the holiday.

Back in My Groove

After a 3-week hiatus, I am gainfully employed once again. I spent this past week in Princeton, New Jersey, which is where my new company is based. I really like my new boss and had a great time getting to know the other employees and learning more about the company. I am excited for a new challenge and am very much looking forward to jumping in with both feet. I guess I really must be a workaholic, because I was surprised at just how nice it was to be working once again.

In addition to work, I spent my free time getting to know Princeton. My boss has a PhD in Philosophy and was a professor at Princeton many years ago. As such, he has a great feel for the town and the campus. I spent an enjoyable evening with my boss and his wife, where they walked me around campus and gave me a tour of the town. Princeton is charming - sidewalk cafes, little shops and restaurants, street musicians, town squares, and lots of people roaming the streets and enjoying what the town has to offer.

In addition, the campus is absolutely beautiful. I've always loved Ivy League schools and Princeton just might be my favorite. There are plenty of biking and running paths that run throughout and around the campus and the buildings are amazing. As always, I fantasized about what it would have been like to attend college at a school like Princeton. I'm still trying to figure out a way to justify going back to school for another degree.

It was a great first week and I was pleasantly surprised at just how much I loved the town of Princeton. I'll be back again next week and I'm hoping to explore in even more detail. I will be homeless in less than a month and need to decide quickly where I'll be living next. Salt Lake, Washington D.C. or Princeton . . .

Sold!

My condo sold over the weekend. Just like that! The whole event was somewhat random and a bit serendipitous, which helps me believe that it was meant to be. The timing must be right for me to move on. I have to be out of my place by the end of July, which is not a whole lot of time to figure out what's next. It's been a great home and I have so many wonderful memories here. It's a little strange to think that after 7+ years, I'll be moving on. Let's just hope it's to a new place of my own, because otherwise I'll be shacking up with one of my parents for the interim. And let's be honest . . . that's no fun for anybody!