#@&%!!!!!!!
Sixteen months after I began my graduate school journey (and almost fifty papers later), it has come to a close. It wasn’t always easy (hello, class four nights a week in the summer!), but studying social work has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my twenty-six years. It still blows my mind that it’s over! I do have to take a licensing exam at the end of the summer, my graduation ceremony isn’t until the middle of June, and I still haven’t gotten my grades, but I will soon be an MSW. I joke a lot that it took me four careers to get here, as I’ve tried quite a few things since graduating from college. I don’t see that as a bad thing, though, because it ultimately led me here. I am endlessly appreciative of my family and friends, who still loved and supported me when I basically turned into a recluse. It takes a village!
So… now that I have all this free time… what do I do with it? I’m most looking forward to:
- Reading! Although, if I’m being honest, I’m always reading… in fact, I read more books for pleasure during Finals than I did on Spring Break! It’s my Self-Care.
- Catching up on The New Yorker! Sounds silly, but “NYer-guilt” is a real thing.
- Helping my dad celebrate his birthday this weekend! 66 years wise.
- Outdoor extravaganzas with friends! Picnics, beer gardens, movie screenings… I want it all.
- Wedding cake tasting. Because it’s obviously the best part of wedding planning.
- Going swimming! It’s been a really, really long time.
- Travel! We have a few small trips coming up, and I am so looking forward to seeing the country without worrying about group projects.
- Finding a job! Slightly overwhelming, but I’m really excited to get to the next step in my career.
Brien and I started tackling this list by spending Memorial Day weekend in Southampton! My parents’ house became free at the last minute, and it couldn’t have been better timing.
On our first morning, we met my friend Caitlin and her mom at Duckwalk Vineyard. I’ve driven past countless times (it’s located right off Montauk Highway) but had never actually been to a single Long Island winery! Ever since we went to California last year, we always try to visit a vineyard when we travel. We even went to one in Houston!
The wine was delicious, and it was so nice to see Caitlin. This is the summer of friends, I say!
Mostly, though, Brien and I just lounged around and read. It is an amazing feeling not to have school work in the back of my mind all the time! I’ll have a summer book list up soon, too.
We also made one pretty amazing meal, if I do say so myself: paella!
We used this recipe (omitting the tomatoes, which I can’t eat for the time being), and it was so easy. We saved both time and money by bringing some ingredients, like spices and arborio rice, from home, and picked up a bunch of fresh seafood from our local market. We got 6 servings out of the recipe, and the seafood only cost us $23!
One of many movie dinners… we watched five over the weekend!
In the mornings, we slept in before making simple breakfasts and heading into town. We usually grind and brew our own coffee at home, but it was a nice change to go out and get it each day.
Sant Ambroeus gelato 4 eva. Hazelnut + pear = winning combination.
On the way home, we stopped at Paumonok Vineyards for another tasting.
It was the perfect end to a relaxing, 3-day weekend… and by end, I mean second-to-last-stop, as we got hot fudge sundaes after we left!
We also took engagement photos with the fabulous Corey Torpie. Initially, we weren’t sure we were going to take them- I didn’t even know “engagement photos” were a thing until a couple years ago! But we decided they would be a good trial run for our actual wedding, so when that day comes (in four months!) we won’t be camera shy.
I think this one is my favorite:
I also love this. Doesn’t Brien have the best eye crinklies?
And this one was taken riiiiight after I licked his ear. Mark my words, we will be silly together when we’re 80.