Brotherly Love Weekend

I just spent this past weekend in Philadelphia with my boyfriend, Derek.  I wish I knew more adjectives so I could better describe my time spent with him.  Let's just say I have never felt more taken care of in my life.  I also have not been this happy in a VERY long time. 

We both got out of work early on Friday afternoon so we could beat rush hour traffic and make it up to Philly in time to go to the 76ers vs. Grizzlies game.  THAT was fun.  I had never been to an NBA game before, and we had good seats, so all-in-all it was a great experience, especially for Derek who is actually a fan of the Sixers.
Well, before I make it sound all sweet and dandy, let me explain that it took us forever and three days to find the correct Metro line so we could get to the stadium.  Derek and I felt like such tourists (Well, we were.. but still..) and awful because we kept asking everyone around us for help.  In our defense, their "system" is not much of one at all. Sorry to all you Philly fans out there, but I'm fairly certain I will not be returning to your city.  How about you come down to DC and I'll show you how it's done :)

We left the game at the end of 3rd quarter so we could beat traffic, which worked perfectly, and then headed to this Mexican restaurant called, El Vez.  I had researched it online before our trip, because I had heard how amazing their margaritas and guacamole were.  Well, I can definitely attest to the margarita portion of my previous sentence ;)  I love guac, but I was just not in the mood for some reason; However, I am ALWAYS in the mood for a margarita! And let me tell you, this was a very strong and yummy one.  Actually, we ended up getting a pitcher for me and Derek to share and it was PLENTY enough to get us "twisted".  That was a good night :)

Saturday morning we found ourselves on the 31st floor for a fabulous and FREE breakfast!  We originally went to the concierge desk to ask where a local diner would be to have breakfast, when he lead us straight to the elevator, swiped his "magic key" and pushed the button for the 31st floor (club level).  It was a nice little treat, especially because it was so high that the views were just incredible.  After breakfast we ended up walking around Philly for a little sight-seeing (and cheese steak eating) which was fun, yet exhausting, and I'm not just referring to the walking.  It was very hard to walk so much and everywhere we go see people who are clearly drugged up, homeless, and begging for change.  I hate seeing it while I'm in DC, so I especially don't like seeing it while on a mini-vaca.  I know that sounds ignorant... since even though I don't see them they clearly DO still exist, but I always like to think I can "save the world", and it's really simply depressing when I realize I can't.

About 9pm was our bedtime on Saturday night, and I wouldn't have had it any other way :)  We woke up this morning, lounged a little bit.. checked out around 11am, and headed over to Philly's version of a "Farmer's Market" (I think that is what it's called? Derek knows more about it than I do) and we both chowed down on some fabulous burgers before heading to Annapolis for some Menchies. Yes, I said MENCHIES!!!  Menchies is a frozen yogurt place I discovered while in LA two years ago, and have been obsessed with ever since (Just ask Caroline).  Well, I knew there was one in Annapolis and brought the idea up to Derek to take a detour into the city so we could indulge in the best treat on this planet (fact). To my surprise, (since no ex-bf of mine would have ever said yes) he said OK.  This would be a good time to mention that I am the luckiest girl in the world.

So, here I am, Sunday night... just about ready to crash after a fabulous weekend.  I'm definitely not ready for the upcoming work week, the only thing that really helps me get through it lately is knowing that the closer I get to the end of the week, the closer I get to seeing my boyfriend.

Oh yeah, did I mention how happy I am? :)

The Reason

Well... Maybe you're wondering why I created a blog, or maybe you don't care... either way, here is my brief reasoning:

Last Summer my best friend, Caroline, created a blog to keep all of us up-to-date on her travels cross country as she made her big move to Los Angeles, California.  I absolutely loved logging on and reading about the adventures of her trip, plus, it was a great way to somewhat keep in touch in her life as she was traveling further and further away from me (Still hate her for that by the way ;) However, in hindsight, while it was a great tool to keep us all in the loop... it was also a fabulous way for Caroline to go back and read about her amazing time.  She can now go back to those Summer days traveling through Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, etc. and remember what it was like (and maybe even remember her feelings) as she made one of the biggest decisions of her life.  Well, that is exactly why I am creating my blog now.

No, I am not going on a cross-country trip (yet), nor am I making life altering decisions at this point in my life (so I think)... But maybe in a year or two.. or six, or ten.. looking back on this blog I will be able to reminisce on my life as a 23 year old girl living in Northern Virginia and be able to associate these times now with my current life in the future.  Maybe I am thinking too in-depth about this? Or maybe not.

 So.. read this if you would like.. or not... doesn't really matter to me.  Because I'm doing this for ME, and I'm proud of myself for it :)