friday photo | omedetou!

You see that goofy guy in the back left on the top photo? He's getting married next weekend. And a great number of the people in both these photos will be there. I'll be in Ecuador - I think en route to or in the Galapagos on the day of his wedding. And let me tell you, there's just about only one thing that could make me want to be anywhere else in the world while I'm laying my eyes on the Galapagos Islands for the first time, and that is Eric - or any of these friends - getting married. Okay, it doesn't even require a wedding. A reunion! A get-together! Any chance to see these friends, and I'd do just about anything to make it happen. But this time I'll settle for nervous, giddy excitement and anticipation for my girlfriends to send me pictures and live updates throughout the wedding. Omedetou (congratulations) to one of my very favorite people in the world and his about-to-be wife. She is one lovely, lucky woman, and I know him well enough to know that whomever he picked? He's a lucky guy, too.

the scenic route to old town alexandria | 2

Zander would wait for me a quarter mile ahead while I slowpoked my way, seeing the blaze of colors with my camera lens wide open. I caught up to him before we crossed the bridge, and he pointed and drew my attention to the west, where the sun, a fading spark of yellow, was hugged tight between a shifting canvas with shades of orange and pink and baby blue. Even with the occasional distance between us, cycling back from Old Town Alexandria to home was one of our most romantic dates yet.

the scenic route to old town alexandria | 1

I've been romanticizing Old Town Alexandria. There are all sorts of historical tours, Robert E. Lee's childhood home is there, and I envisioned it would be rustic, charming, and a veritable time machine to another era in the region's past. I was sorely disappointed when I realized it's a mirror image of Georgetown, complete with the same retail-therapy lined main streets and converted old buildings into restaurants and pubs (with a few vague ghost stories attached). Although it wasn't quite what I hoped for, I did still marvel at the stunning rowhouses and quaint tree-lined backstreets.

But the best part of Alexandria, by far, was the journey out there. Zan and I have been talking about cycling out there for a while. A few weekends ago, we pushed ourselves out of bed a little earlier than normal on a Saturday morning, grabbed some coffee (him) and tea (me) and started cycling. Round trip, it's about 26 miles, and every inch of it is beautiful. From Cleveland Park, we took trails in Rock Creek Park down to the edge of the mall by the Lincoln Memorial, After crossing over Arlington Bridge, we navigated onto the Mt. Vernon trail and rode that all the way into Alexandria. 

We saw the last remnants of glorious fall foliage, made a pit stop at Gravelly Point Park to watch planes take off from Washington-National airport, and crossed over a rickety wooden bridge that made me swoon. Wisps of cottontails greeted us. Drifting leaves lazily floated by us as we rode. A swampy area with reeds and woods and birds singing a final fall song called for me to pause to take it all in. 

And as hard of a time as I'm giving Alexandria, I loved spending time in the Spice and Tea Exchange, where I nearly bought them out of spices and teas. And we enjoyed hot apple cider from a local coffeeshop we found tucked away on a backstreet. We devoured lunch in a converted historic building, and we lit up walking down the sidewalks already ablaze with twinkling holiday lights and music. 

I used to be such a fast traveler - packing in as much as possible in the short time I had. These days, I savor slowness, reaching a new city on bike or foot, seeing every detail in high definition that's usually a blur by car.

friday photo | could-be christmas card edition

The mismatched furniture from when Matt and I said we wanted a global theme but went with what's cheap and free. Theo's crazy eyes because he hates being picked up but he sure loves being included. The vase of flowers in their sweet spot of a perfect bloom, a gift from Zander just because. The giant smiles brought on by hours of laughing until we cried playing Cards Against Humanity (and introducing my mom to Cards Against Humanity). Family.

Leave me your address because you might just see this photo again with a Merry or a Happy, uncropped, all perfect flaws included.

I'll be blogging less throughout the end of the year, as I attempt to cram a month's worth of freelance work, day job work, and finishing up my graduate school applications into the next week before Zan and I leave for Ecuador (a week!). I hope to pop in here and there to post a picture or share a story next week and/or while I'm in Ecuador, but in case life gets the better of me, I want to wish you all such a merry, happy, joyful holiday season that's absolutely filled with love and your hot beverage of choice.

thanksgiving

One thing that Zan's family and my family have in common: the men are the chefs. In Georgia, my cousin John fries the turkey for Thanksgiving every year. He injects a cajun seasoning into the old bird, and man oh man, it's crispy and juicy and has a kick to it, and I look forward to it all year. My brother makes the pies, a turducken, and last year a ham, too. In Zan's family, he and his brother can seriously cook. Zan grills better than anyone I've ever met, and Ben commands a kitchen. I've had little tastes here and there of Ben's cooking, but for Thanksgiving, I got the full treatment. He and Zan's sister-in-law hosted Thanksgiving at their newly purchased house in Petworth, and I couldn't stop swooning over Katie's eye for decorating and Ben's food.

My mom was up here this year, too, and she was so nervous about meeting Zan's family for the first time. I was nervous leading up to her visit, but the day of Thanksgiving, I wasn't at all. My mom has this gigantic personality and outrageous sense of humor. When she's at her best, she is a riot and at her worst, downright lovable. It's hard not to like my mom. Zan's family seemed to completely agree, and the mixing and mingling of families was a success.

I'm so grateful I got to bring my mom into the folds of my life, show her where I live, and introduce her to a family that feels like my second. It was a good one, this Thanksgiving.

a catholic & 2 baptists walk into the national cathedral

I asked my mom what she wanted to see and do while she was in DC, and she said, "I want to see you and spend time with you." I wrote up a rough itinerary for her visit anyway, to make sure we had time to see the White House and all the monuments on the National Mall, and eat at a favorite restaurant or two, meet friends, and I threw some shopping in, as well. But when Zan and I picked her up at midnight on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, and we stayed up catching up until 4 in the morning, I scratched that to-do list and made a new one: laugh with her, listen to her, share with her, enjoy her, love her.

And so by the time she boarded her plane - just minutes ago - the only tourist site we'd really seen was the National Cathedral. But we'd crossed off our entire to-do list 10 times over.

if you go...

The National Cathedral

Donation of $10/person recommended

Tip: It's built on the highest point in DC

Take the elevator to the top floor for spectacular views over the city