tonight on skype.

talking to Kristi on skype tonight. as you can see, she figured out what I was doing.

about the author

About the trajectory of my life I was asked once, "Is there a dream?" I am not sure how to articulate it, but there is one.

Current city: Washington DC metro area
Former city: London
Former city: Orlando

I have never-ending hope, and I don't stay up too late.

in progress.

You may have noticed (hopefully) that my blog title and look has changed. I am working on carving out this new identity, as well as merging my other subsequent blog into one, concise super-blog.

about

I am wondering if there is a unifying theme. Tell me if you see one.

on what I'm doing... at the moment.

... so happy to be here in London right now

... making lots of lattes and cappuccinos. Hardly a day goes by without my consuming some manner of coffee, or tea, now that I'm in England

... meeting lots of people where I work

... trying really hard (and usually failing) to enjoy just the moment

... spending more time messing with photo software and thinking about blogging more. To what this all turns, I know not.

... thinking a lot about what I will do come August. See item no. 4

this cold.

Being from Florida, I gave no small consideration to how cold it would be in London. I prepared as best I could; I only brought one swimsuit, I limited my sandals to three pairs. I bought a pair of boots.

I am surviving and actually enjoying the challenge of the cold, especially when I can trust on my warm duvet and blankets at night.

do you know this painting?

It is Rembrandt's work, "Belshazzar's Feast". I really like Rembrandt. When I visited the National Gallery on Saturday, I was delighted to see that they have some of his works. This picture was amazing!

(Photo credit here)

still waiting.

Hi there, ideal self.

I am still waiting for you to arrive. I thought maybe when I arrived in London. But somewhere across the Atlantic, you must have fallen behind.

As the new year approached, the beginning of a new term of work, I thought how it would be really sweet of you to appear. Nothing.

I am ever hopeful, though. I am sure you are coming, a fools hope. But humans are so illogically and irrepressibly hopeful, me not excluded. I am sure you will come, if I work a little harder. I know it's possible.

Do you think, you will be able to come, in this life?

2010 in review

Usually, I review my year in February (my birth month). I used to write letters to myself annually, to review my past year and muse about the future. If I did this last year, it is probably sitting next to my bath towels and cds in a box in my parents' basement. So the New Year will have to suffice.

The year has had about as much circumstantial change as I have experienced yet to date. But check it out for yourself.

January
I was living in Florida, finishing my senior year of university. Had already applied to the gap year program here in London and was waiting to hear about an interview. I was also looking into an au pair job in Italy.

February
I turned twenty-two. I was working for an organization which I grew to really respect, and I loved my job and co-workers.

March
I had midterms and thought little about school. I grieved that my days as a student-athlete tutor would soon end. I got accepted to my gap year program and had to decide between that and the au pair position in Italy.

April
I did a lot of work for getting ready to graduate. My car started having mechanical problems. Sometime in here, I arranged where I would live for the summer.

May
Marking the end of four years of undergraduate studies, I graduated with my bachelor's degree . I acutely felt that it was the end of an era and I was already off the precipice to the great unfamiliar.

It was one of the saddest things I've done, leaving my de facto home and roommates. After three long years, I turned in my keys to 1720.
I left the coziness, sold my bed, lost my Bethany room-sharer and lost some of my favorite things to the abyss of storage boxes.

So I kissed my four roommates farewell, and drove my hobbling little car down to my summer home in the country with the best benefactress I could ask for, MB.

June
A very hot month, emphasized by having no air conditioning in my car. I spent the entire summer running around in a continuous cycle of cotton tank tops, shorts and skirts. Seriously. I only wore jeans once in a three month span.

My Saudi friend, her husband, and four children left America to return to Saudi

July
The one where my car broke down. I got it fixed, triumphantly chirped the news to my friends just before I drove it and the engine quit on me. I was friends with security at work and they saved me from my stranded state. I willed the car to back into working again.

August
I spent the first half the month going slowly crazy with the stress of a breaking down car, finishing up working for my organization (so sad to leave!), packing, and trying to make sure I could get my visa. I hit the one year mark of my job, and left my job.

September
I arrived in London on September 7th and began my gap year with trepidation and gusto. I now lived a scant ten minutes from the Tower Bridge.

October
I started to settle into the rhythm of life and work in London, but was still mostly dazed and confused in how to best adapt to my new surroundings.

November
On the 5th, I got to genuinely observe Guy Fawkes Day. I started going to a biblestudy with a friend and started making new friends in the city. Hoorah!

December
I spent the first half in London, working at the cafe, then went to Maryland for Christmas and back to England to spend New Years in Sheffield. I couldn't wait to get back to London.

what did you do over new years?

So, what did you do over Christmas
and New Years?

I spent Christmas with my family in Maryland. Then New Years in the north of England with a friend.

Two of my friends got engaged, not to each other- two separate engagements.

My colleague and her husband announced they are expecting their first child!