Just me? Oh.
#nowplaying Washington Nationals At Bat Music
Also, I think I need this:
via mlb.com
Thursday, April 11, 2013
My DC Bucket List
The countdown to the move has begun. Our official date has been set, the moving company has us on the calender, and we're making plans.
I've been bumming a little lately about leaving, because now is absolutely the best time to be in DC. Mother Nature has finally flipped the switch to spring (or rather, summer, seeing as how it topped 90 degrees yesterday), Nationals baseball season is in full swing, and it is peak bloom for the cherry blossoms.
I've done a lot of amazing things during my nearly three years living here, but the other day my friend Molly asked me what else I had left that I wanted to do. So here it is- with t-minus five weeks to go:
1. Visit the Korean day spa in Centreville, VA (www.spaworldusa.com)
This is no ordinary day spa. The gender-segregated public bath house, (by the way, nudity is required when utilizing the pools) or jimjibang as it is called in Korea, features hot tubs, saunas, massages, body scrubs, basically anything you can think of to relax your mind and body. For a $35 entrance fee, you can stay as long as you like- utilize the gym or savor some delicious Bibimbap in the cafe... you can even stay the night. On a mat. On the floor.
Molly, (who lived in Korea) says that we HAVE to sleep there. I don't think I'm quite ready for that.
2. Have Afternoon Tea at the famous Willard InterConitnental Hotel
#fancytime- I wanted to organize a group to go around Christmas time, but this place gets so packed around holidays and big events, we couldn't get a reservation time that worked. Right now, they've got a special Cherry Blossom Tea (see pictures here) with live Japanese Koto music and beautifully scented blossom decor.
3. Take a dome tour of the US Capitol building
They're tough to get, but this is actually happening! My Cousin works at the Capitol and organized a tour for D and I. Gonna take the tour and meet my other Cousin at the Congressional Office building that he works at for lunch on the Hill.
4. See a show at Ford's Theater (fords.org)
This landmark is a must see for tourists of DC, and so I've been many times. What a lot of people don't know, is that it is still very much a working theater. They hold shows there year-round. I feel like I'd get to take a step back in time watching a live production there- I think Hello Dolly! is running from now till the time we leave.
5. Brunch at the Tabard Inn (1739 N St. NW, Washington, DC)
c'est parfait, non?
(image via ispythingsDC)
6. Take in an Orioles game at Camden Yards
D used to live in Baltimore when he first moved to the East Coast. I am dubbing him my personal tour guide for a quick day/night trip.
7. Visit Gettysburg
History, history, history. Can't get enough of it. It's a quick 1-1/2 hour drive to our Nation's most famous battleground.
8. Check out Passport DC- Open Houses of Washington, DC Embassies
In 3 years, I have never been in town for this! It happens once a year in May, and is such a fantastic opportunity to step inside those seemingly secretive Embassy Row homes and take a mini-tour of the world by sampling local foods, and enjoying each countries culture, art and music.
Honestly, I just like the idea of being free to snoop around. :P
I've been bumming a little lately about leaving, because now is absolutely the best time to be in DC. Mother Nature has finally flipped the switch to spring (or rather, summer, seeing as how it topped 90 degrees yesterday), Nationals baseball season is in full swing, and it is peak bloom for the cherry blossoms.
I've done a lot of amazing things during my nearly three years living here, but the other day my friend Molly asked me what else I had left that I wanted to do. So here it is- with t-minus five weeks to go:
1. Visit the Korean day spa in Centreville, VA (www.spaworldusa.com)
This is no ordinary day spa. The gender-segregated public bath house, (by the way, nudity is required when utilizing the pools) or jimjibang as it is called in Korea, features hot tubs, saunas, massages, body scrubs, basically anything you can think of to relax your mind and body. For a $35 entrance fee, you can stay as long as you like- utilize the gym or savor some delicious Bibimbap in the cafe... you can even stay the night. On a mat. On the floor.
Molly, (who lived in Korea) says that we HAVE to sleep there. I don't think I'm quite ready for that.
2. Have Afternoon Tea at the famous Willard InterConitnental Hotel
#fancytime- I wanted to organize a group to go around Christmas time, but this place gets so packed around holidays and big events, we couldn't get a reservation time that worked. Right now, they've got a special Cherry Blossom Tea (see pictures here) with live Japanese Koto music and beautifully scented blossom decor.
3. Take a dome tour of the US Capitol building
They're tough to get, but this is actually happening! My Cousin works at the Capitol and organized a tour for D and I. Gonna take the tour and meet my other Cousin at the Congressional Office building that he works at for lunch on the Hill.
4. See a show at Ford's Theater (fords.org)
This landmark is a must see for tourists of DC, and so I've been many times. What a lot of people don't know, is that it is still very much a working theater. They hold shows there year-round. I feel like I'd get to take a step back in time watching a live production there- I think Hello Dolly! is running from now till the time we leave.
5. Brunch at the Tabard Inn (1739 N St. NW, Washington, DC)
c'est parfait, non?
6. Take in an Orioles game at Camden Yards
D used to live in Baltimore when he first moved to the East Coast. I am dubbing him my personal tour guide for a quick day/night trip.
7. Visit Gettysburg
History, history, history. Can't get enough of it. It's a quick 1-1/2 hour drive to our Nation's most famous battleground.
8. Check out Passport DC- Open Houses of Washington, DC Embassies
In 3 years, I have never been in town for this! It happens once a year in May, and is such a fantastic opportunity to step inside those seemingly secretive Embassy Row homes and take a mini-tour of the world by sampling local foods, and enjoying each countries culture, art and music.
Honestly, I just like the idea of being free to snoop around. :P
I came across an article on Twitter a couple of weeks ago-- it seems that Tulsa, Oklahoma was ranked as the #6 worst dressed city in America according to a study from Movoto.com, a real estate blog.
Via my Twitter handle, I made joke about having my work cut out for me after I make the move... now I'm starting to think that I really could. The fashion and lifestyle bloggers of other cities that I have lived in are so inspiring and so entertaining... why shouldn't I join in on the party? Maybe it's time to bring a little pop and sparkle to The Oil Capital of the World. (Yes, that is the nickname for Tulsa.) (I know.)
Via my Twitter handle, I made joke about having my work cut out for me after I make the move... now I'm starting to think that I really could. The fashion and lifestyle bloggers of other cities that I have lived in are so inspiring and so entertaining... why shouldn't I join in on the party? Maybe it's time to bring a little pop and sparkle to The Oil Capital of the World. (Yes, that is the nickname for Tulsa.) (I know.)
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The San Francisco Apartment
my old apartment on Filbert St. in North Beach. I can still smell the garlic...
In August of 2011, I moved cross country from D.C. to San Francisco for a six month stint with the company that I was working for at the time.
I was fortunate enough to have a good friend (and fellow Pi Phi) living near SF at the time, who also happened to be looking for a place in the city. After a few weeks on the hunt for the perfect apartment, our humble abode was found in the North Beach neighborhood (also known as San Francisco's Little Italy)-- a classic three story turn-of-the-century building with its sun drenched bay windows and narrow, decoratively plastered hallways.
Looking back on it, we could not have landed in a more perfect location. The area, known as the Barbary Coast, connects some the city's most famous historic sites. Chinatown, where we'd often go to get lost in search of fresh (and cheap) produce and interesting, foreign trinkets, Fisherman's Wharf, where the sea lions lay basking in the sun and barking at the tourists, and The Financial District, where my office was located. Every morning I took in the crisp air and walked past the Transamerica Building, with epic views of the Bay Bridge. Up the block was the beautiful Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral, where Marilyn Monroe married Joe DiMaggio in 1954.
Despite the challenging topography, difficulty catching cabs, and obnoxiously high cost of living, I really did enjoy my time there. It is a beautifully cultured city with a never-ending list of things to do on any given day. The weather, though fickle, was always enjoyable. And the proximity to Napa Valley was... well, rather dangerous for my addiction to red wine.
I adore this post from one of my favorite blogs- A CUP OF JO. In it, she gives a photographic tour of her blogger friend's perfectly petite San Francisco apartment. The light, the lack of storage space, the hallway... totally brings me right back.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Falling into Place.
When my fiance first told me that we would be moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma, I was sad.
I mean I was really, really sad. Like... stay in bed with the blinds drawn watching Sex and the City marathons kind of sad.
I'd spent so much time building the early stages of my life in Washington- it is here in DC that I always felt like I belonged. I have a group of wonderful friends, a budding career, a sense of purpose... a place in this world.
I decided to move out here on my own back in the summer of 2010. I never could quite explain it, but I longed to be here- I wanted to get lost in the lovely chaos of politics and cherry blossoms and history. A relatively recent graduate, I didn't have a job, and I didn't know anyone save a cousin who worked on the Hill. I took a job at a small PR firm that only paid a couple of bucks an hour, and rode the metro close to an hour each way to get there. I took a part-time job manning the front desk at an upscale salon to help with costs of living. In my very first Craigslist experience, I found a room for rent in the most perfect Woodley Park house, with three fun-loving, 20-something single girls. I wasn't scared to make that move, because DC was the place that I wanted to be. My life was completely different in a matter of weeks.
And I loved it.
Now, a big change is about to happen again. I'm quitting my job and searching for a new one. I'm leaving my quaint one-bedroom apartment and we're buying a house. And, I'm planning a wedding for October. Some mornings when I lay awake in bed, I start to think about all of the things that are happening, and all of the things that I have to do... I close my eyes and envision myself free falling into empty space.
Some time has passed since I first found out, and I have been able to better process my thoughts and organize some plans. I am still sad to leave, and a little bit nervous.. I don't yet know what to expect from a city like Tulsa.
But, if my past life experiences have taught me anything, it is that the fear of the unknown quickly dissolves away once plans start to be made, and gradually, things begin to fall into place.
I mean I was really, really sad. Like... stay in bed with the blinds drawn watching Sex and the City marathons kind of sad.
I'd spent so much time building the early stages of my life in Washington- it is here in DC that I always felt like I belonged. I have a group of wonderful friends, a budding career, a sense of purpose... a place in this world.
I decided to move out here on my own back in the summer of 2010. I never could quite explain it, but I longed to be here- I wanted to get lost in the lovely chaos of politics and cherry blossoms and history. A relatively recent graduate, I didn't have a job, and I didn't know anyone save a cousin who worked on the Hill. I took a job at a small PR firm that only paid a couple of bucks an hour, and rode the metro close to an hour each way to get there. I took a part-time job manning the front desk at an upscale salon to help with costs of living. In my very first Craigslist experience, I found a room for rent in the most perfect Woodley Park house, with three fun-loving, 20-something single girls. I wasn't scared to make that move, because DC was the place that I wanted to be. My life was completely different in a matter of weeks.
And I loved it.
Now, a big change is about to happen again. I'm quitting my job and searching for a new one. I'm leaving my quaint one-bedroom apartment and we're buying a house. And, I'm planning a wedding for October. Some mornings when I lay awake in bed, I start to think about all of the things that are happening, and all of the things that I have to do... I close my eyes and envision myself free falling into empty space.
Some time has passed since I first found out, and I have been able to better process my thoughts and organize some plans. I am still sad to leave, and a little bit nervous.. I don't yet know what to expect from a city like Tulsa.
But, if my past life experiences have taught me anything, it is that the fear of the unknown quickly dissolves away once plans start to be made, and gradually, things begin to fall into place.
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