Adventure Tour 2010: The Master Plan

Brian and I have been lucky enough to do a lot of traveling in the time we've been together. We are at a point in our lives where we don't have a lot of expenses, don't have many obligations outside of school, and can be a little bit selfish, so taking fun trips together has been a priority over the past year or so (because obviously this won't always be the case!)

We decided a while ago that we would forgo a Spring Break vacation to save money for a longer Summer trip during Brian's graduation leave. We had thrown around a couple of ideas, but this past weekend before I left New York, we sat in Panera surfing the Internet and started getting a better idea of what our Summer vacation might look like. Planning vacations is one of my favorite things, and, in my opinion, almost as fun as the actual traveling (and I know Brian would agree)! I totally don't think I would mind being a travel agent. When I left on Sunday, we had a general idea of what kind of vacation we were looking at; Brian started calling it "Adventure Tour 2010" or, alternatively, "The Great Escape." A week of outdoor fun in Lake Tahoe...

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and then a week of relaxing in San Diego!

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I'm so excited! I think I love this idea so much because it has a little something for both of us.

Brian and I both approach problem solving and decision making in a very similar way, which is one of the reasons I think we get along so well. We're deliberate in our planning and like to look at every angle before committing to a solution or decision. That's why I wasn't surprised to find an Excel document from Brian in my e-mail inbox on Monday morning (that he had stayed up half the night working on instead of homework). And not just any Excel document: a color-coded spreadsheet with calendars, travel and flight information, activity details, and prices (that were automatically calculated and added together to determine a final cost). It makes me laugh because that's exactly how I'd go about it (if I had amazing Excel knowledge), too. It might drive other people crazy, but Brian is definitely a good vacation-planning (and overall) partner for me. :)

We've spent the past couple of days researching our destinations, looking at hotels, and figuring out what to do once we're there. I love that every time Brian calls me with a great deal on something we've been looking at, it's like a little victory!

Have any of you ever been to Lake Tahoe or San Diego? Any suggestions?? :)

100th Night!

This past weekend, I went up to New York for 100th Night, a banquet celebrating the (only) 100 days left of Brian's time at WP!

I got up to WP when Brian got out of class, and we headed over to the hotel in Middletown (about 45 minutes away) to check in. Our date night on Friday started with dinner at Tony Boffa's. Brian had asked his barber at school (who is from that area) where the best place to get Italian food is. When we pulled up to the restaurant, we weren't totally convinced...but after a homemade dinner of salads, crusty bread, garlic knots, and delicious pasta, we definitely understood why it had been so highly recommended! (I thought we had had the best Italian food ever in NYC, but this was even better than the meal we had in Little Italy!)

Saturday was the day of the 100th Night banquet and show! For my 4th formal event at WP with Brian, I finally wised up and decided to eliminate the majority of the stress of the day...and I went to a salon to get my hair done. Brian, the amazingly patient boyfriend that he is, didn't mind sitting and chatting with me and the hairdresser for the hour it took, and $65 ensured that the day ran smoothly, I got ready quickly, and my hair looked fabulous. :)

 

After I finished getting ready at the hotel, we drove back so Brian could pretty himself up, too. Unlike weekends past, I wasn't allowed in his room while he got ready; I waited in the day room of his barracks and chatted with some of the other girlfriends and dates (and wondered together how it could possibly take them longer to get ready than us). Also unlike other formal events at WP, Brian got to wear a suit instead of his uniform. He looked so handsome! 

 

When the boys were finally dressed, we headed over to the mess hall for the banquet! The first part was a cocktail hour, so we sipped on our drinks and mingled with Brian's classmates. I had been unsure about my dress when I found it (but it fit me so well that I just felt like I had to buy it), but once I got it on with my hair and makeup, I absolutely LOVED it. Brian's tie matched it perfectly. :)

We got to our seats, and after a couple of toasts, dinner was served! Chicken Marsala, mashed potatoes, and vegetables...but my favorite part was, by far, the cheesecake! We listened to a couple of speakers before heading off to the 100th Night show.

The show is produced, directed by, and starred in by cadets and is a humorous look at their lives at WP. While I didn't get all of the jokes, it was neat to see that there is such a solidarity among their graduating class and how similar their experiences over the past four years have been. I was sad to see the night end and another Sunday goodbye come so soon. (Did I mention that I loved my dress?)

All in all, it was an amazing weekend spent celebrating another milestone at WP and together!

Love Weekend :)

It's already Thursday and I'm just now getting around to writing about this past weekend. That's just a small indication of how freakin' busy this week has been! With 100th Night this Saturday, a million errands to run, classes to go to, a bunch of work that I had to catch up on (that I neglected to do over the snow "break"), it was just plain crazy!

Because Brian and I did our V-Day celebrating a week early in New York, we decided to have a low-key night in on the actual Day of Love. I made dinner (while Brian watched NASCAR...I'll never understand...), and then we had fondue!

I also made Brian stuffed cupcakes (the icing went down into the middle!) from a kit my mom got me for V-Day (along with an adorable cupcake apron, which will necessitate much more time in the kitchen!)

This was Brian's first trip home since the BIG snow, and he was shocked at the mountains that have taken over our parking lots! It was fun for a while, but now it's just icky and totally inconvenient! Someone told me there's a rumor we're getting 20 more inches on Monday. I think we have quite enough snow already, thank you very much.

This weekend, I am headed back to New York to get dressed up and celebrate 100 days until Brian's graduation! (He would tell you that it's actually closer to 92, but who's counting?!)

Blizzard(s) of 2010

So it's Friday, and I could not be happier...there is no snow in the weekend forecast! (A chance of snow for Monday, but hey...at least it's a break.) I came home from New York on Monday to snow on the ground from the first blizzard, and then settled in for the quickly approaching second blizzard!

It snowed through the night Tuesday and all day Wednesday. Riley and I actually braved the storm on Wednesday just to get out of the house for a minute!

I took a couple of videos, and a lot of pictures...I don't think I've ever seen this much snow in my life! (Just between you and me, I kind of hope I never do again.)

My classes were canceled all week, so I spent a lot of time sitting on my butt doing a lot of nothing. I don't really mind being snowed in...it gives you an excuse to not have to do anything! It's also nice to look outside and see the pretty snow, while sipping on a cup of tea and being toasty warm inside. And dreaming of the beach. :) This little break consisted of a lot less schoolwork than it should have, but that is fine by me.

The sun finally came out yesterday, and the snow seems to be quickly melting.

Although, with over three feet on the ground, I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see grass until April...

Hope you all have a lovely Valentine's Day weekend! I don't have any big plans, but I know that I'm going to be sure to remind the people I love how much they mean to me. :)

Early V-Day in NYC: Part II

After spending the day galavanting around New York City, Brian and I headed back to our hotel to get dolled up to see Wicked! I had never seen a Broadway show before, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect or, more importantly, how you're supposed to dress. After getting some advice from my theater-going friends, Brian and I decided to use the occasion as an excuse to get dressed up together. First of all, it's fun...and second of all, I love getting a chance to break out my lovely pink peacoat!

We grabbed a taxi from our hotel (which is an art in and of itself) and took the short ride into the theater district. Wicked plays at the Gershwin Theatre, and I was so excited to see all of the posters and decorations inside. We found our seats, and it wasn't long before the show started!

I had read Wicked a couple of years ago, but I really wasn't sure what to expect when seeing it on stage. All I can say is that it totally surpassed my expectations, and I loved it! The costumes and sets were amazing, the actors and actresses were all incredibly talented, and the woman who played Galinda/Glinda was hilarious!

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Brian enjoyed it as well, and now I can't wait to buy the soundtrack. And after seeing the show, I definitely want to go back and re-read the book! :)

 

On Sunday, Brian and I checked out of our hotel and ate an amazing breakfast at The Corner Cafe. Easily the best breakfast sandwich I've ever had! We rode the Subway to the World Trade Center site, which was one of the things I really wanted to see in New York before the memorial is complete. 

Across the street from Ground Zero, there is a church that became the hub of the volunteer efforts after the events of September 11th. St. Paul's Chapel is now home to "Unwavering Spirit: Hope and Healing at Ground Zero," which is an exhibit and memorial to the victims of 9/11 and a tribute to those who gave their time and effort to the recovery.

I didn't expect to feel as upset and moved as I did by the displays inside the church, and I still don't really have the words to describe it except to say that it's amazing how much has changed since that day and how it continues to affect our country. I'm glad Bri and I got to see the WTC site as it is now together.

After seeing Ground Zero, Brian and I started the trek back to WP. We dawdled a bit, expecting that I would drive home that night. My classes for Monday were eventually canceled due to the crazy amounts of snow (of which, New York received none)! After some debate (okay, really not a whole lot at all), we found and booked me a hotel room for Sunday night, picked up a pizza, and Brian and I got to hang out in our pajamas and watch the Super Bowl! An unexpected extra night together, and probably the best Super Bowl party I've ever been to. :)

Brian had to go back to school Sunday night, so I hung out in the hotel and did a little bit of homework. Luckily, his classes on Monday are over at lunch time, so I got to rescue him when they were done (and see the funny hat he has to wear to class that I've never seen in person before)! It was fun to see Brian on a weekday when he's just going to class and doing normal school stuff.

Notice anything about the Hudson River behind us?

I'm sure the frozen Hudson is just a small indicator of how frigid it was in New York! Anyway, Brian and I got to have lunch together before I eventually did make it home on Monday evening.

We had such an amazing weekend. Everything was perfect, which makes for a really nasty "fun hangover" and a lot of missing each other when it's over. But I can't help but be thankful for all of the time we have together and I know there's no one else I'd rather share these experiences with.

Early V-Day in NYC: Part I

Brian and I spent this past weekend in New York City because I got Wicked tickets for my birthday, and we thought it would make a romantic early Valentine's Day trip! I left Maryland just in time to avoid the (first) blizzard, and we got into Manhattan and checked into our hotel in the early afternoon. It was right in the city with easy access to the Subway, so we got to do a lot in the couple of days we were there.

On Friday night, we shopped on Canal Street and ate dinner at an amazing restaurant in Little Italy before heading over to Rockefeller Center to go to all the way up to the top!

 

The views of New York from the Top of the Rock were absolutely breathtaking. The lights really do sparkle at night, and Times Square gives off so much light, it's ridiculous!

Because I have made it my personal goal to visit all of the notable cupcake bakeries in my vicinity (okay, and maybe the hole-in-the-wall ones, too), after Top of the Rock we headed over to Magnolia Bakery. I had heard a lot of good things about their cupcakes, and got a red velvet one. Brian got something weird with bananas and nuts (obviously, I was not a fan). They were okay, but Crumbs is definitely still the clear winner in my book! (I won't mention that we also ended up going to Crumbs later on in the weekend...twice. And I even maybe brought a couple or six cupcakes home. I wouldn't want to admit that, even if it is all in the name of research.)

On Saturday morning, we headed to Central Park, even though it was FREEZING outside! In my winter Earth Science class, I learned about the glacial striations you can see there. Basically, when glaciers moved down through New York during the last Ice Age, they left marks in the rocks in Central Park! I am fascinated by natural phenomena (I could watch Planet Earth for hours, and have on occasion!), so I just thought this was the coolest thing and had to see it for myself.

I was also feeling really nostalgic because almost exactly two years ago, Brian and I walked through Central Park during our first trip to NY together during Yearling Winter Weekend.

After Central Park, we were frozen to our bones and needed to find somewhere to warm up. We ended up stumbling on Dylan's Candy Bar (while looking for something totally different), which is a candy store owned by Ralph Lauren's daughter. I had seen the store on an episode of Cake Boss and knew we had to go inside!

Besides being probably the biggest candy store I have ever seen in my life and playing some amazing candy-related music (including selections from one of my favorite movies, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), Dylan's also had a small restaurant upstairs where Brian and I got delicious hot chocolates! I call them hot chocolates, but they were really decked out and a lot more like sundaes. And soooo yummy. :)

It may not have been the most balanced breakfast, but it definitely warmed us up! I'm also not going to mention that this might have been Brian's favorite meal we had in NY. After doing some more walking around the city, we ended up at S'MAC for a lunch of personalized macaroni and cheese, which was delicious. We spent the afternoon shopping and exploring Times' Square (notice the Wicked poster?)...

 ...including the M&M store!  (I promise that Brian and I did more on this trip than eat cupcakes and visit candy stores...kind of.)

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the hotel and get ready for the show! When we were walking back to the hotel from the Subway, we saw the most beautiful sunset against the backdrop of the New York skyline. It looked like it was out of a movie! The sky eventually turned a beautiful shade of purple. :)

I can't wait to tell you all about Wicked, so stay tuned for Part II!

Love & the Super Bowl

My classes for tomorrow are canceled due to the MASSIVE amounts of snow at home, so I ended up booking a hotel room in NY and staying an extra night here. Hopefully waiting an extra day makes the trek home during the day tomorrow quick and uneventful. Better safe than sorry!

Bri had to go back to school (boo), but at least we got to hang out for a couple of extra hours and watch the Super Bowl together. We had such an amazing weekend, but I don't have my camera cord here so the recap will have to wait.  I'm using tonight to catch up on homework, but I just had to share my favorite commercial from the game!



This Google commercial gave me the warm fuzzies in my heart. So good. :) What were your favorites?

AGAIN?!

Apparently, Pauxatauney Phil was right when he said we're in for another 6 weeks of winter...and I'm getting out of here just in time! I'm leaving first thing in the morning to head up to New York, and while I'm gone, it looks like Maryland is going to be graced with the presence of yet another snowstorm (Did I mention it just snowed the night before last?)...and the second blizzard this winter! I've lived in MD for my whole life and never remember having a winter quite like this one. I can't say I'm bummed to be leaving; while it'll still be absolutely frigid in NYC, at least I won't have to deal with the snow. All 18-24 inches of it.

My mom's flight back into Baltimore tomorrow evening is already canceled. Her and my Grandma are down in Florida though, so...I can't really say I feel too bad for them. I'm hoping I don't get stuck up North after the storm comes through. Well, only kind of. I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world if I had to stay up there a couple of extra days, miss a few classes, and spend some extra time with Brian. :)

Have a wonderful weekend! And stay warm!



P.S. I downloaded the Words with Friends app on my phone today. I can't say I'm any good at Scrabble and am still trying to figure it out, but I know a lot of you play! Leave a comment if you want my username. :)

Post Night 2010

Tonight, Brian made one of his last big decisions at WP: where he will live after graduation! Posts are picked the same way as branches, according to class rank. Brian was ranked 7th in his branch, and there were only 4 slots for the post he really wanted!

As much as we both wanted me to be there, I couldn't make it fit into my schedule with classes, finances, and going back up to New York on Friday. I was bummed, but I did what I could and wore my lucky shoes for him! Brian finds this ridiculously funny because 1) they are Chucks, which (let's face it) are funny looking and 2) according to him, they are "so dirty!" (I prefer "well-loved.)

I had class tonight, so I sat there not paying attention for almost three hours with my stomach absolutely tied in knots. I didn't expect to feel so nervous! As I was driving home, my phone finally rang and I heard the words I had been waiting to hear: "We're going to...

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...Georgia!"

His first choice! Brian graduates in May, has a couple of months of training, and then will move to his post just outside of Savannah in December!

I can't wait to see how the next chapter of our lives unfolds in the land of peaches, pecans, sunshine, and sweet tea! We certainly have a lot to celebrate in NYC this weekend. :)