Beginning of the End

Today is the first day of my last semester of grad school. I will be very happy to have my nights free again but there is a lot that I will miss. I will miss my fellow students, my amazing professors, the interesting course work, and the exciting and useful projects.

My master's thesis is going to be a "Professional Decision Report" otherwise known as a PDR. The project is one in which students are paired with an organization to produce a document of significant value. Right now I'm still in the process of fleshing out the details and getting access to the information I will need. I'm very excited to get started on my project and will post an update as soon as I get the green light.

In love life news - Dennis and I have broken up. Breaking up is never easy but it seems like we are at such different places in our lives. Dennis is still partying (going out getting drunk multiple times a week, day drinking every weekend, flirting with girls on twitter and at the bar, spending all of his money at bars) whereas I am past that stage in my life. I am ready for a real commitment that could lead to a possible long-term relationship (someone that could be potential husband material and wants to start a future with me) and he is not looking for something so serious. He started to resent me. I started to get down on myself. I was willing to compromise and adjust my life to accommodate having a boyfriend. He was not willing to make any changes to his life to accommodate having a girlfriend. It just didn't work.

I think the most important thing I've learned from my relationship with Dennis is that relationships aren't about finding the perfect missing puzzle piece that will fit into the rigid structure of your life. It's more like clay that you have to mold and adjust - it's a process that should never stop for as long as the relationship is going on.

I'm back out there in the dating scene once again. Get ready for the crazy stories that come with being single in the city.

Goodmorning Baltimore

This past weekend I headed down to Baltimore to visit Michele (one of my college roommates and closest friends). We kicked off the weekend by getting some amazing quesadillas at a cute restaurant in Canton. The restaurant also served heavenly hubcaps full of margarita (see above). After a delicious meal and bellies full of tequila, we headed back to Michele's house to watch some bad reality TV and drink water. It felt like college. It was wonderful.

Saturday we ate breakfast at a solid diner before putting on our Raven's gear and heading to one of Michele's friend's houses for a game watch party. We watched the intense game with tons of flag throwing and head butting and drowned our sorrows when the Raven's lost. To cheer ourselves up, we got dolled up and went out for a night of dancing at a swanky night club in the neighborhood. We got down at "The Get Down" and, after some serious booty shaking, called it a night.

Sunday I got to meet the new man in Michele's life which was very exciting. We got lunch and drinks before I took the bolt bus back to NYC.

My favorite part about visiting Michele is that it feels like no time has passed since we've seen each other last. We had not seen each other since December 2009 (at our dear friends Rachel and Adam's wedding). With so much going on in our lives - both of us being in school, working full-time, and having social lives of our own in different cities - we have not been diligent at making plans and following through. It was so easy to slip back into our friendship. It's like slipping back into an old favorite pair of pumps. Michele will be coming for a visit to NYC in March and I couldn't be happier about it.

A Very Merry Weekend

This past weekend, Dennis took me to a delicious dinner at a swanky restaurant called Ed's Chowder House by Lincoln Center before we headed to the New York Philharmonic Concert.



We each ordered a different chowder, a perfectly cooked simple piece of fish, and shared some sides and a bottle of wine. We ended the meal with an apple crisp topped with vanilla ice cream. This was probably one of the best meals I have eaten in New York.

After our dinner we headed across the street to Avery Fisher Hall. The concert was spectacular complete with Mozart, Mahler, and a world premiere piece that was accompanied with abstract visuals. I had never seen the New York Philharmonic live - it was amazing.

We ended the night at the Gallway Hooker (a bar in midtown) to celebrate Dennis's first cousin Jacob's 21st Birthday.





To top off the weekend, Nicole (my college roommate and one of my best friends) was in town with her family. I was lucky enough to meet up with Nicole and her mom. We spent Sunday breakfasting at an authentic New York bagel shop, shopping a ton at boutiques on the Upper East Side, lunching at a French bistro, and catching a fresh slice of New York pizza before Nicole's train back to Philly.




A fabulous start to the New Year!