My Dallas Weekend

This weekend has a long time comin'.

We drove right after work to Dallas, stopping at the Rib Crib for some delicious barbecue. We pulled up to our swanky hotel.

We went to bed feeling fancy in our room and ordered room service for breakfast. Well, not that fancy because we split one breakfast between us.

The next day, I had a knife skills class. Baller!

We had sushi for lunch. Don't murder me: I had shrimp tempura. And lots of edamame.

We shopped at a gigantic mall (four floors and an ice skating rink). Where I decided to chop off all my hair. So fun!

Then we went to our date night cooking class. And learned how to be fancy.

And not cook raw scallops. Even Gordon Ramsey would be impressed.

The next day, we woke up and went straight for IKEA, our favorite furniture store. We had fun playing house and thinking about redesigning kitchens and all the things we "need" but can't fit in our little car.

We hit the outlets, so we could shop for great deals on nice clothes. Bryan stocked up on professor shirts for the fall. I got Brooke some cute things from JCrew for her birthday. And of course, a few things for the baby. Most of the time, I was wishing I was back to my size 4 and could buy up everything. Le sigh.

The drive back was nice. We enjoyed talking about philosophy and recycling and prayer and the baby and the fall semester. I like road trips with Bryan. He really is an awesome companion.

We spent the remainder of the weekend sleeping for 11 hours at a time (we still got it!), chopping veggies with our new knives and new skills, napping, watching all the tv we missed, napping some more. And making some creme brulee.

We do our weekends right.

ONE WEEK TO CHINA!

I am so excited! I will be leaving for China in just seven days.

I'll be staying at this beautiful hotel in Beijing:

I'll be eating breakfast here:

I'll be recruiting students here with our partners from Canada and China:

I will take day trips to visit these:

I will try all kinds of delicious food:

I'm really excited. My trip to Vietnam was really awesome, and I think this one will be even better since I am travelling with partners and I will be in only one city: Beijing. Last time, I remember my favorite moments of the trip were kicking off my shoes after a long day of recruiting, schmoozing and getting an agreement drafted, laying on my bed, ordering fried rice (this time maybe lo mein since it's China!) and skyping Bryan about my day and looking out the window to a beautiful Asian landscape.

My passport is ready, I've got my visa, and my travel arrangments have all been made. I've got to get my students to prepare the promotional materials and pack it in my suitcase, and I'm ready to go!

Change comes fast.

I know I just posted this morning about change and how I didn't know what I'll be doing. Well, now I know.

This morning, I had a second interview for a position on campus. The interview went well, and by the time I had returned to the library, the director was calling my line to ask me to come to his office. He offered me the job and wanted an answer before the end of the day. Bryan went to lunch with me, and we talked about it. Weighed the pros and cons, thought about life as a grad student versus the life with this new job. And, after much deliberation and two burgers later, we decided to go for the new job.

Let me tell all my family and close friends, first. Then I will tell you ALL about my new sweet job. I submitted my three weeks notice at the library, and my last day is June 14. I begin my new job June 20. Somebody should just pour cherries on me. I am so excited about this new adventure!!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

As soon as Bryan's birthday comes around, it's that time. That wonderful, wonderful time of year. Holiday time! Fall vacation, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping, Christmas, New Years! I love decorating for each holiday, and I love all the treats and parties that come along with them.

This holiday time will be my first without the warm, Southern weather, without family in any sort of driving distance, without long time friends, without the comfort of familiar territory. But I am still really, really excited. This is our first year experiencing the holidays as a married couple. While it is sad to be away from family, we're very excited to be creating our own family traditions this year.



There are only 93 days until Christmas. I'm excited about a snowy Christmas. I'm excited about buying our first Christmas tree. I'm excited about decorating our home for Christmas. I'm excited about making Christmas cookies for all the ladies in my office. I'm excited about watching Christmas movies. I'm excited about using our fireplace for heat - and for hanging stockings! I'm excited about buying presents for all our family and friends. I'm excited about pies, mittens, fluffy socks, eggnog, hats, mistletoe, Christmas cards, Ursinus holiday parties, plane trips to visit family and most of all, I'm excited about Bryan's and my academic holiday vacation which is exactly the same.