September Update

Dangit... I've done it again my friends. I wish I could come up with a funny, compelling, or entertaining excuse as to why I've been too busy to blog in 6 weeks... but at the moment I can't think of anything I've done. Have I been in a coma?

But really, I can't believe it's mid September! I'm so excited for Fall and more importantly the holiday season!!! Summer truly isn't the same when you're a post-grad human... so I'm really not too bummed it's over -- except one thing -- I'm not looking forward to wearing tights again at work. :/

But for realsie, here's what I've been up to since my last post:

• Went on a mini-vacation to Virginia Beach w/ the family & a friend
• Joined a Kickball League and started the season (so fun!)
• Started physical therapy for a foot & knee issue
• Traveled to Knoxville to do MOH planning with my bride-to-be bestie
• Reunited with a best friend in Baltimore for a night
• Had my one year work anniversary!
• Ran a half-marathon (woo!)
• Started & completed entire season of New Girl (ob-sessed)

Oh, and I made a very important potentially life-altering decision to move-out of my parentals house!! My good friend (who was my little in my sorority at school) and I have started the search. After our original look, we got very depressed because Arlington is SO expensive. But, we're going to do more research and hopefully find a place under $1,000 (each)!

I'd definitely say the highlight from my end of summer craziness was completing my second half marathon, a MUCH hillier one that I was super nervous about because of some injuries, but it was awesome and actually easier than my first one! I definitely have the itch... and hope to consider a marathon in the very near future. :)

Second highlight is WAKA kickball. I joined a free agent team and everyone is so nice and welcoming, and the league is surprisingly a lot more competitive than I was expecting... also a lot more intense at the bar after the games than I was expecting... both of those are a win in my book. :) I'll post separately about the half and about kickball in the near future.

Some of my kickball team at our sponsor bar

*Fun Squad*

My co-worker and I after the half marathon

To answer your question, YES, it is possible to run in boas and tiaras

Engagement party in TN for my bride-to-be bestie

~27 dresses~

Reunited with our best friend Hannah (left) in Baltimore!

Drunk munchies after a night out in Va beach (standard)

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert

I love my parents times a million and don't typically make the insensitive comment of wishing a different couple would adopt me....but when you go to a Blake Shelton concert and Miranda Lambert concert one week after each other it's a LITTE HARD not to.

Seriously, could they get more perfect? (Answer: no).

I 100% understand why Blake Shelton got Performer of the Year last year at the CMAs. The fact that people were so surprised by his win (including himself) is beyond me... because his concert was amazing.

He sang all of his hit songs - old ones and new, his vocals were superb, his commentary was hilarious, his band / whole ensemble was just so much fun. He lost a bet to Usher during The Voice so he had to attempt to perform "Yeah" on stage. He stopped half way through because it was such a (funny) disaster. For "Some Beach" he put on a cowboy hat that had a wig attached with hair to his shoulders (just like the music video). He also flipped the switch so quickly to sing more emotional songs like "God Gave Me You" and "Austin" with such heart & soul! He was just so great.

My girl, Ran. How do I even begin? She has been my idol / girl-crush / obsession for two years now. I've seen her three times and I'm never disappointed. She comes out on stage to Beyonce's "Who Run the World? Girls Do." which is so appropriate and perfect for her girl-power flavor. She also plays tons of her hit songs, from her first single Me and Charlie Talking to Gunpowder & Lead and White Liar to Baggage Claim and Over You. One of my favorites that she does live is Mama's Broken Heart. So catchy and so fun to see her perform with so much attitude.

Blake's concert was definitely more on the lighter / fun-loving side. "Sillier" if you will. And definitely a lot more "rednecks" attended his (and a lot more people were wastey-cakes). He does a lot more banter and chatting with the audience. And if you watch the Voice, you know that's more his personality. Ran is a little on the shier side. But her concert was still amazing, seeing her perform all my favorite songs is all I could ask for in life. Also, Blake's concert was on a Saturday and Ran's was on a Sunday -- so people were a little more reserved for hers anyway. (no complaints here!) :)

When they have a baby my heart will literally burst! I love them so much!!!

Some pictures from their respective concerts:

#cowboybootproblems

victory! 

  

Before Blakey...

During Blakey....

After Blakey...

Miranda!

Definitely on the more low-key side. 

Miranda with just the girls... so appropriate! =)

A postgrad summer

Despite icicles possibly hanging from my office air vents, and the fact I'm only one shade tanner than I was in, say, December, and the small notion that I haven't seen a beach in over a year, it is apparently summer. If you're in the postgrad world like myself, this word has no meaning. It died the day you graduated from college and it might not ever be resurrected. #GlassHalfFull

Even though I worked full-time every summer between college, it still felt like I was living the care-free sun-kissed lifestyle filled with friends, drinking, and vacations. As a cashier sales associate I was off by 4 and still went out all the time. As an intern, I was also home by dinner time, or at happy hour with co-workers slurping mojitos like it was my job. Not to mention, I went on multiple 3-5 day mini vacations all the time.

But now, I legitimately only know if it's a nice balmy day versus a dessert heat-stroke worthy nightmare based on other people's statuses and posts. (thanks guys).

The only difference summer makes on my morning is that I don't start my car early to warm it up. The only difference it makes after work is creating a temperature similar to that of the surface of the sun at my gym. During the day, I wear a cardigan constantly because my office believes in keeping you miserable alert.

Now on to vacation days... I get one day a month, and I'm saving 5 for a December vaca. Yep! You did the math right, that means I can't even consider taking a day off for 5 months... not to mention that fact I've used a couple spare ones for three-day weekends, and need to keep a couple silver bullets for hangovers things that come up that I haven't thought of.

There actually is one silver lining, though. Traffic is much much much better now that schools are out for summer. We're talking 20-30 minutes better, which is huge. And for that alone, I'm semi-possibly-maybe-kinda OK with this new version summer. (See! I can have a good attitude!)

The other good thang is that I'm still making more money than I ever have in my lyfe (don't be fooled by that statement though #StillBroke).

My other postgrad non-summer-getting professional friend and I figured we should buy some "summer" clothes to fit in with the rest of the crowd.

Some pics from our extravaganza:

We were being silly and were asked if we were sisters twice!

the casual look

the summer business-dress look!

obsessed

we had a slight disagreement about the color... #purple or #blue?

such a cute V cut in the front

my favorite! can't go wrong with a color block

new wedges - have been wanting clogs for a while!

can't stay away from colored or skinny jeans...

who wears short shorts? 

flowy dress for work (longer than it looks in the pic)

peplum 'till death

High School Reunion....Kind Of. #MilitaryBratProblems

So it's a little difficult to have a high school reunion when you attended three different high schools, in two different states and another country. *Thanks Navy* But this past weekend came pretty close!

Freshman & sophomore year I attended high school in Millington, Tennessee; junior year in Naples, Italy; and senior year in Annapolis, Maryland. Italy was by far the most superior in terms of, well, everything.

Other non-military brats might think it's even more scary and stressful to move to another country, but it's actually the shizzz because everyone is in the same boat as you (no Navy pun intended). Everyone is either new like you, or moved there a couple years ago, or even in the weird circumstance they've been there a long time, they're so welcoming and used to friends coming and going. Moving to a place where friends have known each other since Kindergarten, on the other hand, makes it a lot harder to fit in.

The biggest suckfest about being a military brat is that you don't "go home" to your high school friends, because they're all over the place! I've even moved away from Maryland, the last high school I attended, so I literally don't know anyone where my parents (and I....) currently live.

Ok my bitching harping is almost over -- the moral of the story is that my 5 best friends and I from our American high school in Italy were all reunited this weekend for the first time in six years! We all currently live in TN, SC, FL, OH, NY, and VA, so that's why it's so hard to get us all in one place.

It was seriously like no time had passed at all! I guess when you travel to different countries *35 hour bus rides* on a regular basis, you form a bond that will never be broken. Not to mention when you're perpetually in a place where you don't understand a word anyone else is saying around you... you tend to stick together for good. #TypicalAmericans.

Luckily, two of the girls in the group are actually engaged!!! (yea... talk about a mental breakdown or two on the bus ride home #HaventHadASoberConversationWithABoyInAges)

So, we'll be back together for a wedding in November and then again next June, in which I'll be a bridesmaid!!! This was a great preview of the future shitshows weddings that are to come!

High School

"Wildcats" at homecoming

Wacky Tacky Day

Mission trip in Slovakia

Ambers grad... sad day!

Can't keep cheerleaders off their feet! In a street in Heidelberg, Germany

Cheerleaders

Such mature Future Business Leaders of America... (In Italy)

NOW

Finally at 11:30 pm, the last two of us arrived!

Giddiness ensued instantly.

Our weirdness factor has not gone away.

Unknowingly Patriotic

reunited and it feels so so good

This game was abnormally fun & hilarious

Having too much fun in Central Park

before the *best night ever* in NYC.

My military brat pack for life!

The Preakness Stakes

What do you get when you add a music festival + day drinking + horses + Baltimore + total and complete debauchery? The Preakness Stakes, my friend.

I've now been to Preakness 3 times, and it has never disappointed. In fact, after every time I go, I think to myself, I'm doing this every year for the rest of my life. *High standards.* I've been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and this event is honestly second on the list for complete and utter craziness.

The Preakness is a big horse race in Baltimore which is one of three races in the Triple Crown. (The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes, and The Belmont Stakes). If the same horse wins all 3, it wins the triple crown, which hasn't happened in more than 30 years.

The secret to Preakness is being in the InField. Which is, obvy, the huge field inside the race tracks. The classy people are in the stands and in boxes. But the InField resembles a large frat/college/springbreak party. Years ago it was BYOB, but things literally got too out of control. So now, you can buy a wristband to get alcohol all day or buy it there - only 2 dollars a beer!

Since the event managers knew people would freak out with it not being BYOB anymore, they began to add music venues to keep people coming. So starting at 10 am and all throughout the day, bands play on different stands.

This year Florida Georgia Line, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, and Pitbull were the big ones. Last year it was Zac Brown Band, Maroon Five, and Wiz Kalifa. Not too shabby... And from *what I remember* they were all amazing.

At Preakness you see people literally passed out all over the grass, and it's so accepted, no one even notices - you just step over them. The other thing I love is seeing random people you know, because everyone who lives in MD, VA, or DC goes. Everyone knows drunk run-ins are the best thing ever. I wish I had more stories from this year's Preakness, but I blacked out I can't think of them right now.

Here are pictures from the last three I've attended:

2010:

2012:

2013:

Preakness in a Nut Shell: