First Week Recap! & Polar Vortex: Round 2

I haven't been to work yet this week (MLK day, then working from home yesterday and today) so I figured I'd give you all a recap of how my first week of orientation went at my new job! My 2 week orientation may very well turn out to be a 1 week orientation anyway due to this crazy weather.

First Week Recap

When I started my first day last Monday, I was still struggling with a  tinge of self doubt. How could I be sure I had made the right decision? (Still working on my word of the year!) What if I was in over my head and they thought they had hired someone more experienced than I actually am? Well, all fears were put pretty instantly at ease.

First, context of exactly what it is that I do. The nonprofit that I work for aims to get underserved and first generation students to college and through college. I was a first generation student myself. My dad has a high school degree and my mom obtained her Associate's, so (being the oldest) I was the first child in my immediate family to get a Bachelor's degree. I had a lot of help from a college access counselor in my high school who was incidentally also sponsored by a local nonprofit and whom the Executive Director at my new job actually knows. Guidance counselors were overrun with behavioral issues and just getting students to graduate high school so my college access counselor provided support that I wasn't getting anywhere else.

I remember her having numerous conversations with my dad about the FAFSA (which he was hesitant to provide tax information for) and helping me with the application process. I was fortunate to get into William and Mary Early Decision. I also applied to JMU Early Action which was not binding. The process, though, was SO MUCH easier for me than what high school students go through today. Our students apply to an average of 7 schools and have much less familial, school, and financial support. So we try to make up for that gap in support on both the high school and the college side. I'll be working with college students to help them be successful in their undergraduate education. I'll probably be posting more on this later, so just wanted to provide some background:) Back to orientation...

Week One Highlights:

• Day 1: Receiving a free wifi hub for when I travel and need internet, ordered new business cards, and jumping right in and working with students on my first day!
• Day 2: I got to review the Scholars that are coming onto my caseload and get some information on their goals and challenges from the other coaches. Eating Thai out with my new coworkers and having some excellent shrimp fried rice.
• Day 3: Filmed an intro video to share with my students on the organization's Facebook account and drafted my first email to my new students!
• Day 4: Working with more high school students and set up my new office space!
• Day 5: Got a background check and explored downtown Bethesda, MD a little.

Everyone was so welcoming and sweet to me during my first week! I tend to be a little quiet and shy when first meeting new people, but I think that really lasted only about 3 days and I'm already starting to feel like a contributing member of the team. 

My BIGGEST take-away from the first week was how energized, motivated, and excited everyone is to do their job. And THAT feeling is, as it turns out, contagious:)

Polar Vortex: Round 2

This time, I did a few things differently.

• Went to gym Tues. morning BEFORE storm hit to combat the inevitable cabin fever.
• Stocked up on groceries the night before and filled my car tank with gas.
• Made sure the pipes were insulated to keep them from freezing over again. (Well, made sure that Mike took care of this:)..)
• I also took my Little (sorority little sister) Jenny up on an invitation to get lunch downtown during the beginning of the snowstorm because I knew I wouldn't be able to get out of the house later on. I bussed there and back and we ate at District Taco which where I had some amazing fish tacos! She is recently engaged and, at lunch, asked me to be a bridesmaid for her July wedding! I can't wait to be a part of her special day, which is looking to be kind of a big event. Is it bad that I'm already nervous about walking in and standing in front of people? That last time I was in a wedding was as a flower girl when I was 7 or 8. In any case, I'm so excited!

Other goings on...

• Mike's friend David Husband and his girlfriend, Shannan, who we have hung out with many times also just got engaged! We are hoping to see them this upcoming weekend to celebrate!
• My family came in from out of town last weekend and brought my nephew. All I want to do is hold him! We went to Tortilla Coast, a regular in the dining out rotation of Mike and me. 
• Last weekend, Mike and I also helped celebrate the 25th birthday of one of our favorite 1L friends from Cabaret, Sarah. It was at a bar and the atmosphere made us feel INCREDIBLY old (Seriously, as soon as we got there MJ and I gave each other a look that said "People actually do this for fun?"), BUT as soon as Sarah and her friends got there it was actually really fun and great to reunite with her. 

Auntie Kelsey and Baby Ashton. A little fuzzy, but I like that you can see more of his shirt "Apple of mom's eye" :)

Mike and Baby Ashton. Look at those blue eyes!

So glad I got to see him:)

27 So Far

Polar Vortex

I've had a good streak of going to the gym this week. That, unfortunately, has more to do with the fact that pipes freezing/bursting (and my gym has showers) than any increase in workout motivation. I also worked out, but only because I would have felt weird JUST to use their shower. Yes, the DC area has survived the coldest freeze in 20 years and I realized I have no idea how to deal with the cold and there is a lot more to learn about adulthood at 27 than I originally thought.

For instance,

• Clean snow off car COMPLETELY before driving. Don't want anything falling in your line of vision while driving.
• Related: Need something more than ice scraper to remove said snow.
• Gloves, ear-warmers, scarves, neck-warmers. fleece-lined jackets/tights are invaluable. I'm lucky I got some cold weather gear for Christmas that came in so handy this week! (Thanks mom!)
• Leave water running overnight for especially cold freezes (can sometimes help) and use space heaters for pipes. It helps if walls were insulated well beforehand.
• Know who to call to report homeless people and animals in need of shelter.
• Give yourself much more time to get to work in the morning. Cars don't like the cold.

In other less educational news, though, I had a birthday since my last post! I cannot believe I'm 27 years old, mostly because I feel like I would have felt so much more officially 'adult' by now. I think a lot of that has to do with factors outside of my control and a lot of it has to do with learning a little something each day. It's actually pretty re-assuring to know that there are so many things left to learn and explore. Many adventures left to be had.

Graffiato

I hadn't wanted to do anything special for my birthday mostly because I was all celebrated out after the holidays. Mike got me a salon/spa gift card so I enjoyed some relaxation and then (at the very last minute) realized that I didn't want to make dinner or stay in the night of my birthday. We were able to get a reservation for Graffiato and see American Hustle in theaters.

Graffiato surprisingly really won me over. I chose the place because my friend Kelly recommended it and it's known for having Prosecco on tap. I got there early and had some Prosecco and another mixed drink at the bar while waiting. The mixed drink was recommended and was called "Comfortably Numb" (vodka, galliano, aperol, blood orange, ginger beer). It was one of the best mixed drinks I've ever had and I don't think because I got it for free after I told the bartender it was my birthday (although free things always taste better). I think it was the ginger beer! I was so surprised by how much I liked the mixed drink and was equally impressed with the food. Here is a link to Graffiato's menu. They have family-style tapas (small dishes). I didn't get any pictures because everything was inhaled, but standouts were brussel sprouts with pancetta, burrata with caviar, and the pork ragu gnocchi. The chocolate budino was a standout dessert. Graffiato is definitely a new favorite fancier restaurant in DC. It's hard for me to get full and feel satisfied during a tapas style meal without ordering a ton of plates, but the food was so well-prepared and balanced that I felt completely satisfied. The dessert was rich and flavorful (strong bittersweet dark chocolate flavor) that I actually couldn't finish it alone! Well done, Graffiato.

American Hustle

American Hustle (the movie) was not as impressive. The theater was extremely warm for some reason (over compensating for the chill?) and I actually fell asleep (this happens easily when I'm in a very warm space...I know, I'm a child) during what I assume was a crucial part of the plot. When I came to a little bit later, everyone around me found the jokes funnier than I did and I just couldn't get into it. I did find Jennifer Lawrence adorable, as always, but that's about it. 

I kind of almost wish I had seen Frozen again (because I've had the soundtrack stuck in my head since seeing it), but at least I got a birthday picture with Olaf before leaving the theater!

Olaf really steals the show in this picture.

Resolutions

I'm less into making resolutions for the new year than I used to be. I keep pretty up-to-date with my ongoing lists of personal, professional, financial goals and thus like to use the new year and my birthday as an opportunity to reflect on broader themes in my life and re-adjusting my ongoing goals. I also find it easier to avoid my extreme perfectionistic tendencies when I switch my perspectives of goals to themes and patterns of habits rather than specific measurements or outcomes. Therefore, I decided to choose a word for 2014. I think it's a very silly word and was hesitant to share, but once I thought of the word, I couldn't let it go. The word is SURE-FOOTED and it probably came to mind because one of my favorite books when I was little was "Fritz and the Beautiful Horses" where Fritz is often referred to as a sure-footed pony. The moral of the story is a timeless one and reminds me of staying true to yourself. The word sure-footed makes me think of all the possibilities of the upcoming year and how I want to stay true to myself and self-assured through whatever comes my way. To me, it means taking ownership over your decisions and your life and consistently pursuing your passions. It means remaining steady and dependable and faithful even when you don't always know the outcome, and it makes me smile.

Besides my #oneword, I'm also trying to cross many of the things off of this list I saw in a blog...just to, you know, get a head start: http://www.20-nothings.com/2014/01/30-resolutions-for-30-somethings.html

#LeanIn2014

I'm back home from the annual NYE cabin trip and refusing to travel for a while. I need to be a hermit for a couple of days. I can't believe the past month went by so fast. Here are some quick updates on things I've been meaning to update everyone on.

• December traveling
• Richmond and Williamsburg



Submarine subs from a Richmond restaurant we ate at. They weren't joking around.



Candy shop in Williamsburg. I really wanted a gingerbread, but restrained myself.

• Mike and I journeyed with Kelly and Alex to Williamsburg and got to enjoy Williamsburg things like the the candy shop, cheese shop, Blue Talon, Aroma's, Yule log, and Paul's pizza. First we stopped in Richmond to visit Mike's friend Tyler from Woodberry and his wife Bitsy (we went to their wedding this summer). Our friend's Kylie and Cohen also journeyed up from Virginia Beach to hang out.
• Pre-Christmas at Home



Mike spending some quality time with Ashton. Ashton is trying to figure out Mike.



The closest I caught to a smile. My cute boy.

• Mike and I went to my house to exchange Christmas presents and I got to spend more time with Ashton. He had already changed so much from the last time I saw him! He was making 'gah' sounds and sorta kinda smiling and he liked to play a kick-y game with Mike and I. Mike also mesmerized Ashton by introducing him to Mr. Snaps, a game where Mike snaps his fingers nonstop for like 5 min.
• North Carolina for Christmas



Selfie during the Doctor Who Christmas Special.

• The similarities between last Christmas and this one were comforting to me. I had to work the day before Christmas Eve and the day after the day after Christmas so it was the same pressed schedule as last year. We watched Love Actually again on Christmas Eve and ate Moroccan Tagine. We went ate saltine cracker toffee and went to Nanny Mary Anne's house where I was, once again, welcomed by everyone in the house. We watched Muppet Christmas carol and feasted on Southern food. And Rachel and I had a Christmas pajama photo shoot. 
• New Years Eve at Smith Mountain Lake



#LeanIn2014 Our unofficial girls' motto for the weekend.



My Person & I






All of us after midnight.

• It was really hard to leave Mike behind for NYE, but I completely support his decision to wedge is foot in the door. I would have done the same thing and I'm so proud of his determination in the face of a really difficult situation. At NYE, we watched a lot of The Walking Dead, held our annual Secret Santa gift exchange, slept a lot, played pool and darts, played Boom and Munchkin and Settlers of Catan and the girls bonded and the boys bonded and we all watched the ball drop together. These are people I can completely be myself around and I always take that for granted until I see them again and realize.....I don't need to be anyone. I don't have to be entertaining or a great hostess or pretend that I'm completely grown-up or pretend that I'm perfect. Even when I was pacing around worrying myself like crazy because I didn't know Mike's surgery was delayed and hadn't heard from him, they didn't care that I needed time alone. They know all of the parts of me and love me for that. I'm so lucky to have this group of friends. 
• Mike's surgery
• His blog says most of it (http://walkingintoabuzzsaw.blogspot.com/2014/01/my-ear-is-still-attached.html). Even though I think it's an understatement that Mike doesn't like being taken care of, I still wish I was there. I'm glad I wasn't, though, because I probably would have stressed him out more.
• New job



Verizon Center

• Mike and I had the opportunity to go to the Wizards game on December 30th to hang out with some of my coworkers and meet some of my students. We got free chipotle and to stay in a suite box!
• I start my new job on January 13th and have a week left to transition students from my old job. I still have so much to do in preparation. I have to shop for new health care policies. I need to do a lot of paperwork and am also going to try to plan a goodbye happy hour with my coworkers.
• My new job is working for a nonprofit doing advising for first generation college students and I feel really good about the work environment so I'm really excited to start in a couple of weeks.
• New Year



Poster my mom got me for Christmas.

• While watching the Doctor Who Christmas special, this quote stood out to me: "We all change. When you think about it, we're all different people all through our lives. And that's OK, that's good, as long as you keep moving, as long as you remember all the people that you used to be." I know the new year is just another day, but because it's been advent and because the new year is followed shortly by my birthday and our anniversary, I get really reflective this time of year. I'm also starting a new job this time. I feel on the brink of regeneration and don't know quite what that means yet, but I'm excited for all of the possibilities that lie ahead. I'm excited that I think I'm on the cusp of some really big changes in my life. I'm excited for all that 2014 has in store. 
• Birthday
• Mike got me a spa/salon gift card for my birthday which is probably half because I asked for something like that and half because I always make him rub my shoulders. On Saturday, my sister, her boyfriend, my nephew, and my mom are coming into the city and we're going to get brunch. I'm so excited to spend time with my nephew. Then I have a massage schedule and I have no idea what else I'll do right now. I'm going to be 27 and what I'm craving more than anything is just some time to rest and relax.

Countdown to 2014

I owe you all a Christmas recap. I'm sure I'll get around to that once I catch my breath...maybe Wednesday. Right now i have more pressing thoughts and not a lot of time to reflect on December. Is it really almost January? How did that happen? I'm currently at the gym, blogging on my phone, and in a few hours I'll be leaving for a few days in the mountains of Va reuniting with college friends (as is traditions every New Years Eve). You may remember (if you know the story) that Mike and I met December 30, 2011 while I was on one of the annual reunion trips in DC. Last year was his first official year coming on the annual trip and the time turned into an unofficial anniversary celebration of sorts. It hard not to reminisce about our story because it is a great one and involved a lot of wingmanning. (I shared the story with Mike's mom and sister this weekend and I'm glad they think it is as hilarious as I do.)

This year Mike cannot make it. He will fill you all in on his blog whenever he gets a chance which may take a while. Basically, more roadblocks were hit in the medical clearance process with Jag and  as sort of a last option, he is getting surgery on his ear on Dec. 31st. He was very fortunate his doctor (and very experienced  surgeon) ended up having an opening. The next available date was late January and these things are very time-sensitive given that he will have to wait a pre-determined amount of time post-surgery before reconsideration and the likelihood of other job offers arising during that time. It was a very very complicated an difficult decision to continue to pursue something that has been such a trying process for us both, but especially him. Anyway, he has a friend to drive him back from surgery and I will return on the 1st.

This brings me to a list of things I am looking forward to in 2014:

• Healthy ossicles! (the small misplaced bones in Mike's ear that will be fixed through his surgery)
• Starting a new job! (Oh, right, I haven't had time to mention anywhere that I am starting a new position with an organization whose mission I'm passionate about and I believe the work will be fulfilling as well as help support me in my professional goals. I start on January 13th. It's so difficult to process right now in the midst of traveling 24/7, but hope to have another post on that soon. But, I'm incredibly excited!)
• Disney! (Seeing Frozen in theaters got me even more excited to take this trip with Mike, Absi, Zan, Brian, and Kay; and I got the trip cleared with my new job!)
• Seeing Book of Mormon in February with Mike and his mom! (I've been playing the soundtrack on repeat already.)
• I'm turning 27 on January 4th!
• Mike's done with law school! (And takes the bar and hopefully becomes a legit lawyer!)
• 10-mile race!
• Reading tons of books that I've bought recently:)
• Allie (the kitten) hopefully growing out of her kitten phase where she eats everything (including toilet paper.)
• Seeing Ashton turn 1!

There's so much to look forward to and I'm so excited for 2014 to get here. I have a feeling it's going to be a great year.

Quote of the Day

“I naively believe that self-love is 80 percent of the solution, that it helps beyond words to take yourself through the day as you would with your most beloved mental-patient relative, with great humor and lots of small treats.”

― Anne Lamott

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/577984-i-naively-believe-that-self-love-is-80-percent-of-the

Hope you find a way to fit some humor, treats, and self-love into this week!

Loving Lately

• Coconut Oil
• Mike makes fun of all of the uses I find for coconut oil and the fact that I bought some in an almost-gallon-sized tub for costco, but I just ran out of eye makeup remover and started using coconut oil (because Pinterest says it can do that too) and it works just as well! I also stirfry veggies in coconut oil with parmesan cheese and pepper to give them a sweeter flavor and it's really good to use instead of non-stick spray for pancakes!
• Molasses
• Another thing Mike makes fun of me for. I like to mix some molasses in with my conditioner because it makes my hair super soft. And I also love it in baking! I once sent Mike to a store to pick up some molasses for me and he was trying to explain what it was to the attendant helping him. He said "it can be used as a conditioner for your hair..." and so was sent to the shampoo aisle haha.
• Cinnamon
• I put it in coffee, on oatmeal, in hot chocolate, and in my tea. I can't get enough of it this time of year.
• Scandal
• I'd heard a good amount about this show from coworkers and in blogs and have been meaning to give it a try ever since it appeared on Netflix. Mike and I started it this past weekend and are already 6 shows away from being done with Season 2! SO addictive! I (obviously) am obsessed with Olivia Pope's (Kerry Washington) wardrobe, the DC setting, and the blend of emotional vulnerability and terrifying strength that Kerry Washington is able to portray in her character. The women in this show are really good! The male characters have a lot of flaws, but you still like them. A lot of complicated, addictive characters.
• Google Maps for iPhone
• I feel like every other day I learn something incredible that I can do with technology that makes my life so much easier. I've recently learned how to get my Google Maps GPS on my iphone to talk to me and also to choose the easiest route for me to get somewhere. This seems simple, but up until recently, my iMaps software was the default on my iPhone. After Google Maps saved us hours of sitting on 66 on the way home for Thanksgiving, I've been using it ever since and I'm never going back!
• Wunderlist
• After Teuxdeux (my old to-do list app) tried to start charging me for services because my 'free trial' was over, I switched to Wunderlist. I like it so much more! I can't function without my lists, but this helps me to keep things organized, at least a little.
• WalMart
• There is a lot of controversy in the city over DC's two new WalMarts, specifically concerning minimum wage for its workers. One is a few blocks from Mike's law school and I didn't know what a WalMart would be like in the city (how it would function with traffic, etc.) so I decided to go exploring one day when I needed to buy a few items quickly. When I went, it was the first day of their Grand Opening and everyone was super nice. I almost could not actually believe the prices I was seeing. (They are comparable to my WalMart at home and that is the cheapest place to buy things at home.) I felt the sudden urge to buy everything, but then felt silly. I know there is a lot of debate about the store and whether it is in the best interest of the city and people who work there, but in a city where it's so expensive to live, it was nice to see affordable prices on food, clothes, etc.

Wal-Mart

You can kind of see the sign here. It looks so odd on a city block.

• Kittens
• "Alley" is Sara and Jeff's cat and a new addition to the house. I had forgotten how high maintenance kittens are, but she is delightful and keeps you on your toes. Today, she found a stash of toilet paper in the closet. When I found her, there were only shreds of paper left as evidence. That paper roll never stood a chance.

Alley and Mike bonding.

• Snow!
• Today was my first official snow day! I got to stay home from work, clean, bake, and catch up on some emails. (Recipe for insanely good cookies I baked are below.)

DC's first snow!

• Baking (where I act out my obsession with molasses and cinnamon)
• I haven't actually eaten these cookies yet because they are for our office potluck tomorrow, but I had some of the batter and I did consider keeping them for a second and telling people at work something had gone horribly wrong. But these cookies are actually so terribly right: http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/10/brown-butter-chewy-ginger-oatmeal-cookies/
• This cake is another staple for me during the holidays. I brought it home for Thanksgiving this year: http://ohsheglows.com/2010/10/02/pumpkin-gingerbread-with-spiced-buttercream/
• And this is what I ate for breakfast this morning: http://nakedveglunch.blogspot.com/2012/10/holy-pie-pumpkin-pie-oatmeal.html

Mike and I get to go to our second Shakespeare Theatre Company show tomorrow night. Then it's Williamsburg this weekend, seeing my family once more the following weekend, and then down to North Carolina for Christmas with Mike's family! So excited!

25 Days of Advent

I came across this blog post on Raptitude and really loved it. In many ways, it's a critique on traditional gift-giving, but I also see it as a challenge to give meaningful gifts. I never want to receive a gift that I won't use and I never want to give a gift that won't be used. Sometimes that's inevitable. But sustainable gift-giving is nice to think about and an ideal to aspire to.

http://www.raptitude.com/2013/12/what-to-get-everyone-for-christmas/

Thinking about gift-giving, I've really had it on my heart to do try to give back to my community this season. I don't go to church regularly (still searching for a congregation 'home' that I would feel comfortable in), but I still want to be intentional about using this season to reflect on how incredibly blessed I am and how, out of this blessing, I can give back to others.

I decided that I would try to do one thing a day that was reaching out to other people or giving back to the community. (I also asked Mike to participate with me so that we could try to remind each other to be mindful during the month.) I'm not going to share all that I've done so far because a lot of it is personal (reaching out to friends or family members who I haven't talked to in a while), but I will try to share the things that are community-based. 

Here are some things I want to do:

Donating food: My gym is doing a food drive so I'm going to get together some canned goods for that.
Donating clothing: ?
Donating books: ?
Donating coats: This weekend a cub scout group is doing an outerwear drive near Eastern Market so I'm going to take some clothes to that.
Donating time: Trying to fit some volunteer shifts for various organizations in my schedule.
Sponsor a child or family's Christmas gifts or Christmas dinner.

Here are some more general ideas for random acts of kindness:

• Give someone a nice compliment they wouldn’t normally expect.
• Buy lunch/coffee for someone.
• Go out of your way to “help” someone in need.
• Clean a mess that you didn’t make.
• Write a thank you note to someone who has helped you recently.
• Spend technology-free time with someone.
• Apologize to someone.
• Volunteer at an animal shelter or donate to an animal shelter.
• Do a chore around the house that no one has asked you to do, but that needs to be done!
• Call one of your grandparents on the phone.
• Tell someone you love one reason why you love them.
• Research a charity you can either donate money to or support through a future event (like a “fun run” or soup kitchen). Put it on the calendar and commit to it.
• Reach out to someone you haven't talked to in a while.

I like the C.S. Lewis quote below about giving. It reminds me that, even with all of the overwhelming Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing messages that tell us to BUYBUYBUY, giving and sharing are so much more fulfilling.

“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc, is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.”

― C.S. Lewis