The Good

One of my favorite past times in DC is to walk across the Francis Scott Key Bridge from Rosslyn, VA, to Georgetown, DC.  You can see the Monument, the Watergate, and Roosevelt Island.  You will also experience low-flying planes on their way to Reagan. Georgetown in all its snootiness didn't want a Metro stop within it's superior borders so the only way to get there by public transportation (besides by bus) is to take the Metro to Rosslyn or Foggy Bottom (in DC) and walk a bit to get to M Street (the Park Avenue/Newbury Street equivalent for DC). 

Much to my dismay, I have not inherited my mother's green thumb.  I kill most plants I bring into my apartment. However, these two - a basil plant and pretty succulent - are still around and doing pretty well. I guess I am growing up after all. Yeah, right.

I noticed sunsets here more than any other place I have lived. Maybe that's because I live on the tenth floor and have an incredible view of the sky. This also the land of roof decks. Most of my friends have them here and during these warm days, I have been lucky to have spent many an evening lazing about various roof patios and eating an insane amount of ridiculously delicious food.

One of the things I love most about him is how serious and intellectual he can be. From what the future holds to what type of hot sauce to choose. Seriously, he should be a professional taste tester just for the awesomely intense face he makes when he's trying a new type of food.

My future haunt. I visited here a few weeks ago and was thrilled to walk on these hallowed grounds. I still cannot quite believe that this is all happening. The mere thought of being here is like a warm, energizing elixir to my wandering spirit. More updates to follow in a few weeks!

Quite frankly, the best margaritas I have ever made. Well, that WE made on the Fourth. Although the headache I had the next morning was quite frankly the worst one I have ever had. Just not the girl I was at 22.

I like us.

A Horseback Riding Adventure!

My copper-colored steed Leon was a worthy mount (even if he occasionally tripped over rocks on the trail)

For some time now, I have longed to go horseback riding. Not just a trot around a track. I mean, real riding, on the trail, in the woods, through the mountains, over hill and dale...you get the picture.

That dream was realized this weekend when my friend Christina and I hit the road and drove to the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Hume, Virginia, and went on a 1.5-hour trail ride at the Marriott Ranch.

It was a glorious autumn day. The trees were in full color -- deep reds, fiery oranges, and rustic yellows -- against that bright blue sky that only a day in late fall can afford. The weather was perfect in the low 60s. Weather like that just feels like a gift.

The ride was just what I needed. The slow, soothing rhythm of the horse as he so graciously carried me on the trails - across streams, up and down hills, and through meadows. Manna to a soul overwrought by the cruel concrete and steel of city life. Being in the city has worn on me lately. All the noise, air pollution, and the angry, rude people. I needed some simplicity and some quiet.  I am a country girl by birth and will remain so at heart always.

My and Leon's shadow on the trail

Christina flashes a smile on the trail!

Heading toward an open field with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance

Heading back to the ranch

The end!

Putting It Together

I think about where I want to end up. I know, I know. It's about the journey. But I think about how to put together
all
the
right
steps
to end up in the place I want to be.

Right now, it's still a rural setting.  I really do not care for the city - so many people, noise, pollution, overpriced living. People don't seem to care of each other anymore.  It's feels like too much. Maybe, I just need a break. But deep down, I know I will always be a country girl.

Me, an old house, a kayak, and hopefully, a family who wants to live in the country too! I feel like I've written about this before but I am constantly going over in my head how it's all going to end up.

Of course, now I have to conjure a career that will enable me to move to the country.

I think the country means moving home to Maine at some point. But other days, my soul longs for the English countryside.

I lived in England for a year and it's my happy place (that and Prince Edward Island). It's been so long since I have been back (fingers crossed for next year). I read Artemis' gorgeous blog to live, vicariously, a rustic, charming British life.

So, as usual, no conclusions. Only ideas. If I had a nickel for every life idea of mine, I could finally afford a kayak and a car to transport said kayak.

Do you think about where you want to end up and how to put it all together to reach that point?

Image credits: Emily Bowen

In Time

I am impatient for things to happen. So sometimes I pretend that they have already happened. Like when I walk down the street, I sort of pretend I am someone else. I pretend that the one man I have always loved finally loves me back. That I am a diplomatic attaché currently living in Washington, D.C. between posts. That I am fluent in French, Spanish, and Arabic.  And that I finally published that novel ruminating in my mind since I was 14.  I feel the truth of all these things. And I feel better for a few brief moments despite their actual fallacy.

I suppose it's easy for one to dream and yearn about such things. I have so much luck and now I want to stretch that luck further towards the above items. But then I wonder if any of these dreams are right or selfish? I do not wish to be a creature of discontent. I have been that creature and I hated myself for it.

So, here I am, hoping for a richer experience and knowing that such an experience can only be found through my own invention. And so off I go to invent!

Clear and Bright

I took this shot at a tiny point near my parents' house in Maine. I have also shot this place here on a moody October day. During the summer, I would often ride my bike over to this place to read or to just sit in the silence of the quiet ocean inlet.

Today the expanse is frozen, white, so incredibly bright. It almost burns your eyes. The sun is brilliantly reflected. In some ways, I think this is what heaven must feel like. Brilliant. Pure. An alabaster haven.

Not that this winter is my heaven. It's been so bitterly cold and snow-filled. My heaven would only have snow from December until mid-January.

During the past few days, I have been furiously packing and tying up loose ends in Maine. In the midst of all this chaos, I realize how much I will miss Maine. I love this place so much. This is the place where I have lived the longest. But I have such yearnings for new experiences, new people, and a varied life. I so crave a varied life.

So I'll leave for now with the promise to someday return. To return, when my life once more requires the calm, clean tempo of a Maine lifestyle.

Miss Bowen Goes to Washington!

This gold briefcase was part of the magic ensemble that finally procured me that Washington, DC job! My blog silence over the past week has been a result of flying to DC for interviews, looking for an apartment, finishing a freelance project, and finally, contracting a head cold!

I am thrilled beyond belief that all this is happening! For so long, I had been contemplating so many different paths and now it seems that one has opened up for me to proceed towards one of my dreams: living and working in DC.

This dream could not have been possible without the unfailing support of my family and friends! I am so thankful for the people I have known in my life (including many of the kindred spirits I have gained from blogging!)!

Get ready for many DC-inspired posts as I explore my new neighborhood!

A Capitol Life

Pounding the pavement in Washington, DC meant a lot of knocking on doors, meetings and greetings with friends of friends, and toting my life around a sultry city for nine days. I have never been so glad for free wireless and an glass of iced tea. I rode all the lines of the Metro, spreading my wings and experiencing the city from all points (and by city, I also mean Maryland and Virginia as well). I end this journey with a few possible leads and the chance that I could be returning in about a week to live permanently.

Living in this city has been on my mind for the past three years, and now it could actually happen. A surreal thought. When a dream crosses over to a probable reality, you almost don't know what to do. And I think about missing my family and so many of my Boston friends, but I also have many friends in DC and the chance to pursue a career that I have always wanted. And so I jump. And hope that I can finally catch that brass ring.

In the midst of this job business, I found some lovely aspects to the city, which made me want to move all the more.

The first lady of song's dress at the Smithsonian

Children from all over the world playing under immortal words

One of many stately homes in Capitol Hill (near Eastern Market)

A "tree" in the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Art

Our bill at Firefly, a delightful brunch place in the heart of bustling Dupont Circle

All images taken by my iPhone camera and processed through the application, ShakeItPhoto.

Imagined Possibility

My dear friend Susie suggested that I watch Actress Meryl Streep's commencement address to Barnard College's Class of 2010. I am so glad that I did.

Streep's smart, empathetic words meant so much to me. What a light that shines through that woman.

Here are some highlights that meant the most:

"Pretending is imagined possibility."

"Your calm focus can pull people in."

"Empathy is at the heart of an actor's art."

Streep talks about changing her appearance, her "giggle", her mannerism to please men when she was younger. During this portion, I kept nodding my head. Oh, yes. That was me. I think that was all of us.

And finally,

"Pay attention to the cracks because that is where the light gets in." A quote Streep used by Leonard Cohen.

A Silver Lining

This has been a week of silver linings.

First, check out the lovely and talented Amanda's Silver Lining Necklace in her Etsy shop (picture above)! I just love the gentle colors and textures of this piece. Such a cute accessory for summer. Amanda also has a fantastic blog, Bird for Bread Studio, so check it out if you haven't already!

The second silver lining is that I am feeling more free and full of joy than I have felt in a long time.

I gave two weeks notice at my job this week. I've been pretty quiet about how the job has been going over the past few months. Though I am sure some of the angst has filtered through the fibers of this blog, I never really wanted to use this space to vent vitriolic commentary on my daily experience. In essence, my time in this job reached the point where I could no longer bear it. I couldn't make it work anymore. I remember writing this post and thinking how excited I was to take a foray into writing. But the experience turned out to be contrary to my initial vision.

I turned hollow. A fragmented version of the person I thought I was on my way to being. I was more sidetracked in my life than I realized. The mind can be just as much an enemy as an ally. When you come to a place, so deep and dark, it can scare you into action.

So, I took the leap. The risk that I have been wanting to take for so long and never did. Hopefully, this risk is the first of many and my life will have the chance to unfold into all that I want it to be. With this decision, I am revived and ready to make my move, supported by my incredible friends and family. It is truth to say that I am one part newly-found courage and two parts the incredible fortune of having such kind and loving people to give me strength and love.

Where the Weird Happens

I love pauses - moments where the normal current of your life ceases and you enter a whole new pattern of things. To remove yourself from your familiar surroundings and enter a new place is one of life's greatest perks. It's a reminder that you are still alive and at liberty to embrace your free will.

For four days, I was relaxed. With a smattering of weird.

Austin, Texas was quite an experience and it did my soul some good. Austin's been on my mind as a place to visit and maybe, one day, to live. My friend Jenna and I have always talked about visiting and this year we made it happen.

There's an ease of life and a kindness to the Austin people. It's contagious, filling me such warmth and inspiration to be more genuine. And there's some kind of heat in Austin, but it's a dry heat in which I found easy to exist by the end of my time there (it was a transition).

We walked around the University of Texas campus - a stately tribute to its intellectual halls and southern architecture. We may or may not have spied on the men's swim team as they practiced in the gorgeous outdoor pool area at UT. We caught some live music downtown. The rock music hit you like a concrete wall of indie awesomeness. Covered in sweat and beer, the musician played, his taut fingers and arms flying effortlessly across the strings. Guitar played behind the back and then to the front. To the back and then to the front. And then...played with his tongue? Oh yes, my friends, the man played some sweet tunes using that particular part of his body. And it was incredible to watch and listen.

We drove out on the open road for some local color and tubing down the Guadalupe River. For three hours, my only purpose was to float down a cool river in the Texas heat. Perfect and lazy. Never before have I seen so many Stetsons on water. And let me just add one more visual: thirty tubes tied together, floating down river with almost as many Texas twenty-somethings and their waterproof stereo and woofer. Yes.

We also swam in Barton Springs - a spring-fed pool that maintains the same temperature all year round - and walked through the Zilker Park Botanical Gardens. We grabbed some grub at the Whole Foods flagship store - 80,000 feet of organic food glory. The food chain started in this Texas city. After freshening up, we hit SoCo or South Congress Avenue - the haven for all "weird" Austinites and hipster traffic. SoCo offers a collection of eclectic clothing, antique, and food spots. I was excited by the cupcake truck, which was closed when we went but their menu sure looked tasty! We went for BBQ at The County Line in Hill Country and it was delish! I had some good, ol' baby back ribs and the best garlic mashed potatoes you ever did eat!

It was a great trip. The only downside was the room at our inn lost AC on the second night and we had no choice but to sleep in the inn lobby - can anyone say adventure (and a compensated night)? I highly recommend Austin to anyone looking for a long weekend getaway where you can experience a diverse, relaxed environment. Make sure you rent a car so you can really experience all the area has to offer!

{UT Bell tower}

{One of the many stunning statues and fountains on UT's campus}

{Wandering around the UT campus}

{Chilis growing in a UT garden}

{Peeking at the men's swim team...hehe}

{Some live music on Sixth Street}

{The Farm-to-Market Road on the way to tubing}

{I have a now not-so-secret obsession with palm trees}

{A lovely shot of Jenna at the Zilker Park Botanical Gardens}

{SoCo strip}

{The cupcake mobile!}

{Vintage aprons at a thrift shop on SoCo}

{BBQ at The County Line}

{Sunset on the flight home}

The "Why" of Your Ideas

TED is such an incredible thing. This conference on Technology, Entertainment, and Design is a teeny, tiny non-profit that pulls in the best minds our society has to offer. If TED was a man, I'd marry him in an instant. I like to feature videos here that resonate with me and today's video is one with Simon Sinek, ethnographer and leadership strategist, who talks about developing leadership. He holds that the first thing leaders should ask is "why?"

His main thesis is that, "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." For instance, Apple Computers is the leader of the technology pack because they market their products with the message that they want to challenge the status quo by selling sleek, simple, easy-to-use products. This is their "why" and it obviously works.

Coinciding with this talk, I have been thinking a lot lately about my "purpose," as I am sure many do. I ask myself: why do I want to do what I do? Knowing this answer makes me feel more fulfilled and more competent in my work, especially when prompted by others to account for my career choices.

What you do is the proof of what you believe. I don't know if lately I've had an epiphany, but perhaps just a gradual enlightenment/acceptance of the fact that I: a) love to write, b) am fairly good at writing when I apply myself, and c) believe that, despite all the naysayers and current lack of a business model, journalism serves a critical role in our society. Journalism is a public service and I want to be a part of reporting news that can educate the general public on what's happening in our world. This is my why.

I would like to foster an active journalism (action journalism? not sure about the name yet), one that inspires people to actions that makes the world a better place. When people are educated, and hopefully, inspired, they are more likely to act and be effective in those actions. This is crucial and we have to sustain our balanced news sources in any way we can.

Thinking about this type of journalism, I am full of energy, passion, and a sense of purpose. It feels so right to me. There's a lot of risk in pursuing this career, but when you feel something like this - especially after years of a living in a purposeless void - you can't ignore it.

If you have a feeling like this for something that you do/believe, own it and spread the belief. As Sinek says, there is no greater way to effect change then to sell the why of your beliefs.

Burleigh Love

If there was ever a set of dishes that I would love to possess, Burleigh's Asiatic Pheasant would be the one. I adore dishes, especially antique china ones with beautiful hand-painted floral designs. I'm always scouring antique shops or local flea markers for unique pieces and not just for serving food! For instance, I use an antique butter dish on my dresser to place my rings and bracelets.

Anyways, to the point! My love of Burleigh began during my time in England. I said that before I went back to the States I would find myself a proper English tea set. Then the last week of my year-long study abroad arrived a set was yet to be found. One drizzling May afternoon, I popped into a Bath curiosity shop ( adjacent to the Royal Crescent) and discovered the Asiatic Pheasant pattern, a delicate blue color in an exquisitely drawn designs of pheasants and florals. I purchased a small teapot and two cups and saucers, which I carried wrapped in as much packaging as would fit into my carry-on suitcase! My friend Jenn also fell in love with the pattern and purchased a pitcher, which she currently uses as a flower vase!

In the past few years, I have grown my collection to a cow creamer, a sugar pot, and a small pitcher from Burleigh's Felicity collection. I hope to someday have an entire dining service because I am lately loving the Asiatic Pheasant dinner plates. So very elegant and British!


Images found here.

The Expanse

{photo taken with the tiltshift iphone app}

I walked across the bridge last night and saw the frozen expanse of the river creep towards the bright lights of the city. The barren 'scape held a quiet one often sees this January time. Despite the stillness, I felt an incredible openness - the vast winter sky and river mirrored the great expectation I felt in my heart about the coming weeks. I am starting something new, inching forward towards greater change. I feel this change echoing through my body as cogs and gears, unused for so long, take motion once more. I feel more life flowing through me than I have felt in a long time. I am excited and also at peace with the current of things.

The British Accent

{The Dashwood sisters - all with enviable British accents
in the 1994 film Sense and Sensibility}

Do you ever hear a voice or accent and think, "I wish my voice sounded that way?" Or hear a voice and feel like you are home. My home and comfort lies with the British accent. Oh, how I wish that I one! I can do a fairly good one but I always feel like a poser. While I was studying abroad in England, my poetry tutor told me that I seemed more British that himself - as I would always arrive to class with my "wellies," a pale blue trench, a copy of The Guardian, and a piping hot thermos of tea! I've been thinking a lot about England lately - how much I miss it. How I long to be back there, hearing that gorgeous accent (we'll leaved the Cockney and Northern English accents off that list) once more. I know that I will live there again - now it's just a matter of figuring out how to accomplish that dream! Below is an NPR recording of British author Neil Gaiman - hearing his voice inspired me to write this post! Also, the segment on reading for audio books is worth a listen!

Image found here.

Believe

This is what my mom always says to me. Believe. Believe that your life will work out. That You will find your career. That you will meet and marry a good man. That you will have some beautiful children. That you will make the world a better place. Sometimes this believing business is hard to do. But I am trying. In the spirit of this mantra and the holiday season, here are some pretty examples of believing:

{A copper tag from windshine}

{A silver ring from ArtandSol}

{This charming print from PenelopeandPip}

{Some sweet silver earrings from tickeledfancy}

24 Hours (or so)

A weekend, more of a maelstrom - events, people, places, emotions. Life felt fast and full. It was a good weekend, to be sure, but a harder one than I expected. Throughout the weekend, I had to deal with a very bad chest cough. A loud cough that would rear its loquacious head whenever I would sit for long periods of time in dry air (aka, any sort of theater venue... basically the two highlights of the weekend). However, I mustered all of the open-mindedness that my personality could buy to prevent this minor issue from affecting my enjoyment.

The magic commenced on Friday evening. I ended work around five o'clock and quickly ran into the bathroom to change into my "premiere outfit:" skinny jeans, a blush pink chiffon ruffle top (I just love the blush) with sparkles, a black military blazer, and my red satin flats. My hair was still straight and pretty from my recent hair cut and I felt glamorous for the screening of Brief Interviews With Hideous Men. Everyone deserves this feeling, at least once in a while.

I dashed out of work and met up with Ingrid and her coworker friends (one of whom is a Brown University alum like John Krasinski and procured us these tickets). We had a delectable dinner at The Friendly Toast in Kendall Square and then walked over to the Kendall Square Theater, which was aflutter with people waiting to see the movie (and the man of the moment). As we entered the theater, I thought I saw John Krasinski waiting in line for refreshments. The man before me looked like him - tall and cute. However, it turned out to be one of his brothers as the actor's clan had turned out for the event.

The girls and I headed into the theater, which was almost full (we arrived fashionably late as anyone of importance might). We found some seats on the side, three rows up from the front. This location turned out to be perfect for almost as soon as we sat down, a theater employee walked to front of the room and introduced John (yes, I call him John - this is not The New York Times with its Mr. Krasinski nonsense), who came running down the aisle to introduce the film. Basically from that point on I did nothing but grin. I mean, John Krasinski was like TEN FEET AWAY (maybe a little more, but not much)!! He looked just like Jim with a white button-up shirt, a black tie, khaki pants, and that adorable hair and goofy, knee-buckling grin.

He was just as nice and funny and smart in person as he is on the screen, which made me admire him all the more. He introduced the film with a quick speech about how David Foster Wallace's book had influenced him when he first read it in college and then he ran towards the back of the theater to watch the film with his family. During this first part, I wanted to take a picture but didn't want to be THAT girl at the same time, so this photo was taken without flash (the quality is a bit surreal, which is how it felt to be there at the screening):

The film is short (around an hour and half), but it is thought-provoking and at times, so engrossing and poignant that I forgot myself in the plot's current. The vignette style of the story was handled seamlessly and the casting was superb. In particular, the last scene and monologue wrenches the viewers in the quiet horror of its content. And it was performed by John, who stepped in when the actor who had been cast dropped out. A moving performance by an actor most commonly cast in comedic roles.

After the credits rolled, the lights went up and John once again bounded down the aisle to the front of theater to take questions. I would have asked a question but I could barely speak without coughing and my voice had taken on a very masculine tone from said cough. So, I just sat there and marveled over the fact that I was here, listening to him.

People asked John how he liked directing over acting, how David Foster Wallace felt about the film (a tad awkward since the author committed suicide in 2008, but apparently, before his death, blessed the making of the film via a phone conversation with John), and what were his favorite scenes on The Office. John was intelligent and kind in his answers. I knew I wanted a better picture with a flash, so I waited until the Q&A ended and people were applauding (to be less distracting), which resulted in this one just before he exited the theater:

How cute is he?!?! Swoon...

We exited the theater and I saw him walk through the parking lot with his family, looking so dashing in a blazer and scarf. Though I didn't meet him, the whole thing was really thrilling. I mean, I can say that I saw a movie with John Krasinski...and about two hundred other people (minor detail). So...

...on to the next adventure!

Saturday was an early day (I awoke at 5 AM). My Bolt Bus to New York City left at 7 AM (ouch)! I slept most of the way and awoke to a brilliantly sunny day that charged my spirit. We arrived in the city in no time at all. I scrambled off the bus, so enthused to be back in THE CITY (not that lame MTV show). I have grown to deeply admire NYC over the years - a city that is so many things and so wholeheartedly itself. Boston is a town-city, good if you crave the best of both worlds. But with New York, you come here because you want a CITY in the full meaning of the word.

My dear friend Stefanie picked me up on 34th street and after many hugs, we strode over to the West Side to walk along the High Line Park, a gorgeous landscaped walkway that is constructed on an old 1930s freight train track 30 feet in the air (elevated to protect the public from the dangerous freight trains). In lieu of demolishing the tracks, the Friends of the High Line and the City of New York sponsored the creation of the park. On this glorious day, it was just lovely to explore.

{Several New Yorkers enjoy the High Line}

{A quick shot of some kindred spirits!}

{Some snazzy High Line landscaping}

{Purple clouds}

{A view of the trendy Meatpacking District}

{Fire escapes - I couldn't help myself}

We strolled through the Meatpacking District and into Greenwich Village where we had a late brunch of divine Oeufs Benedict at the charming Cafe Jacqueline. A long meal, full of good conversation (my favorite). We walked through Washington Square Park, where I spotted the cutest white Scottie dog, who was making an unreal amount of noise (he gave me a dirty look after I snapped his photo...hehe).

{A very boisterous white Scottie at Washington Square Park}

We took the subway back to Stef's apartment, where we dressed for our evening out on the town. Our other college friend, Jen, who lives in Brooklyn, joined us to dine on a delectable meal of chicken, oven-roasted vegetables, fresh salad as well as a mozzarella and tomato salad (all lovingly prepared by Stef who is in a master's program for nutrition at NYU). Stef is such a gracious hostess who always shows me the best parts of the city whenever I visit - I am truly blessed to have her friendship!

{Chef Stef cooking up a storm}

After a delicious meal, we prettied ourselves a bit more and headed for Times Square and the blazing marquees of Broadway (couldn't help but hum a few bars of "Give My Regards To Broadway") to see the revival of West Side Story.

{My first Broadway show!}

We met up with another friend, Susie, at the Palace Theater, which was fairly bursting with theater-goers (buffs and dilettantes galore). We had balcony seats that were quite good but I remembered to bring some small binoculars to see all the action up close (okay, to see the very handsome Matt Cavenaugh up close). The show was simply stunning!

Without getting too schmaltzy, the story, music, and movement of West Side Story resonates with a deep part of my creative and dramatic spirit. To see it live on Broadway was humbling, checking off a line on my List. The singing was as gorgeous as the soundtrack recording (although Matt did not hit the high B flat in "Maria," which I missed), but it was the dancing that made this show a true spectacle to behold. I was so happy to be sitting there (despite desperately trying not to cough) experiencing something I had loved for so long. A true gift, this feeling. The show is over three hours in length, an opus of emotions that leaves you trying to catch your breath and your heart. Such fervency of love and then in a matter of hours, all is snuffed by some knife stabs and a gunshot.

As we exited the theater, I saw Matt Cavenaugh selling show memorabilia for charity. He was still covered in the faux dirt and blood from the performance, his blue shirt torn from his toil with the Sharks. So handsome and perfectly in character. I thought of going over to tell him how much I enjoyed his performance, but again, I didn't want to be THAT girl. So, I walked by him, ever the cool pretend New Yorker leaving for a post-theater drink in the Village.

However, walking down Broadway with my friends, I felt a weight of a sudden sadness befall me. Strange, I know, because this was an incredible weekend. But I like to attribute meaning to my story. I constantly try to explain why things happen. The whole of this beautiful weekend overwhelmed me - seeing two men whom I idealize in person in the matter of 24 hours. It sort of felt like a sign but also a big slap in the face by the universe.

To be blunt, it's been a long time since I've had a meaningful relationship and to temper the sting of my singleness sometimes, I daydream about fictional characters like Jim Halpert or Tony. I see qualities in them that embody the type of man with whom I hope to one day be. Seeing these two men in person somehow made that type of man seem unreachable and I felt lonelier with this loss of mystery. A sharp pang of reality. Maybe all this makes me a sad person or maybe it's something that everyone experiences. I'm not sure because I have never really talked about it openly before. But this weekend really brought everything to a head and now I feel a little bit lighter somehow. Better, maybe. I suppose it's all in the perspective you choose.

Alas, this post is quite epic but these 24 hours were epic in activities, travel, the people, and the meaning attributed to the entirety of my pastimes. Thanks for reading (if I didn't lose you a few paragraphs ago!)!