~* 2014 *~

Happy 2014!

~ For last year's words belong to last year's language, and next year's words await another voice. ~

T.S. Eliot

'tis the season in NYC

December seems to bring NYC to life in a way that no other month can ~ garlands on brownstone railings, Christmas decorations in restaurant windows, parks overflowing with people or ice-skating rinks, and - of course - Rockefeller Center.

This past weekend, a few of us ventured into the city for a full-blown Christmas spectacular. Trees, ice-skating rinks, markets, ornaments, egg-nog, mulled wine, photography & extraordinary lights.

Driving so much in CT, it's a wonderful break to wander the city streets with a peppermint mocha in hand. Cold, perhaps, but Chicago weather has prepped me well for these wintery adventures. 

for lunch ~ fresh, sweet crêpes ~ as big as our faces

Bryant Park was our first stop, teeming with people shopping the small market or lining up to do a few rounds on the ice. There's a beautiful tree here as well, decorated in blue, red & white ornaments, 

lights & garlands. 

ornament reflections

Busy, exciting & full of energy, I think it's my favorite place to be in NYC during Christmastime!

...Well...

Besides Rolf's...so second favorite??

Rolf's, which is in Gramercy Park, is a German restaurant that undergoes a 

complete transformation for the holiday season.  

A complete Christmas wonderland for the 21+

Part of the bar. & the whole rest of the walls & ceilings look the same.

Their amazing, and very alcoholic, egg-nog

 I can't talk about it enough - you just have to go :)

After a couple hours surrounded by sparkling lights and holiday drinks and happy people, we left the beautiful, warm bar to dive headfirst into crowds and cold. 

All to see THE tree ~ which, this year, came from Connecticut!

On the way - GIANT lights

We ended a wonderful day in Manhattan with hundreds of other merry New Yorkers & tourists, admiring the exquisite tree & thinking of our own, soon to come, Christmases.

xo & bises

twentysomethings - just DO it

So I've been on a twentysomething kick recently. Books, thinking, talking with friends and family.

I decided this past spring that I wanted to look for jobs outside of the education world, which was a pretty big adjustment. Since then, I've gotten a lot of support...helpful & unhelpful.

Lots of "you have so many options" or "you can do anything you put your mind to", with the even more often "so what are you thinking of doing?" 

As I've discussed with numerous friends my age, the latter question is almost worse than that year everyone was asking about your college choice. It reminds me that I haven't made a choice, and that I need to. At first, I often joked that my back-up was teaching English somewhere far away, 

reflecting my uncertain direction.

As I grew accustomed to the question, and spent more time reflecting, that question has become an opportunity. A sounding board. A chance to make new connections and to talk with people in successful careers. The whole "limitless options" thing just isn't true. All of us twentysomethings have a great deal of choices behind us. Easier choices for the most part, but a life path all the same. We have strengths, weaknesses, passions, stories and experiences 

that will most certainly help direct us forwards. 

I'm currently reading "The Defining Decade" by Meg Jay, and I recently finished "Adulting" by Kelly Williams Brown. 

"Adulting" is hilarious, and if you are/know a twentysomething - buy it right now. Seriously. I have already referred back to this book when writing a thank you note, organizing my desk, doing laundry, and (though I'm slightly ashamed to admit it) cleaning the apartment...among other things. Brown is hilarious, smart, and it's clear she knows that some things just aren't obvious or easy to us in our twenties! I haven't had to *really do major apartment searches yet, but do I know what to look for now? Yes! This book made me feel motivated, excited to get better at this whole adulting thing.

*Well, I did in France...but that's a whole other story.

Then I read "Defining Decade". Damn, Meg Jay, talk about uncomfortably challenging (as my friend Asia described it). She's right, the whole thing is uncomfortable. 

As Jay states, "Eighty percent of life's most defining moments take place by age 35."  

Are you kidding?!?! Well that leaves me about 10 BIG years. Pressure's on people!!

We learn about "identity capital", and I reflect happily on my 2+ years out of college & what I've done. Maybe I'm not in the career I want to be in, but I've got some fantastic stories and 

experiences that have shaped who I am today. 

Those years helped bring me here, and they're going to continue to help me along the road. 

But it'll also resonate with twentysomethings because she really does know what this time is like for most of us. Sometimes it does feel like you're in the middle of the ocean, and you don't know which way to swim, or if you should wait and see if someone comes along to rescue you. 

What I'm learning is that you need to make the choice. You need to DO.

Being a twentysomething can be hard. We're told it's the best years of our lives, but reality is tough. The economy is in the dumps, the culture is very different than that of our parents, 

the world is at our fingertips..I mean this list goes on and on. 

I freaking love being 24. I loved being 23. And 22. These are major growing years and I can feel it,

 and to me - that's as exciting as it is stressful. 

Who knows where I'll be a year from now?!

That's what I would have said a month ago.

Now, no - I don't know what I'll be doing or where I'll be. 

But I have a direction & I know to keep moving forward. Make the choice, don't stop moving.

And really, buy the books!

xo bises

leaf-peeping in Peacham

What a wonderful long weekend in Vermont! One of my oldest & best friends, Katie, flew into Hartford, CT and together we made the stunning drive north to VT. Her grandparents live in Peacham, which is pretty close to the canadian boarder. Good thing my passport is safe in New Canaan, or else I'd have called in sick & headed over that line! Itching to get to Montreal & Quebec, speak & hear some French, and reminisce on my time in Europe. Sorry, anyways! New England! 

our lovely home for the weekend - can you believe it?! Built in 1802!

Her grandparents live in a charming old house right in town, slanted floors & 19th century door latches included! They moved here about 12 years ago, so they know all the shortcuts & secret views & places to eat. And of course, all the town gossip! Peacham was settled in 1776 (!!), and the town church bells ring every hour. It's such a  charming town, and the perfect introduction to Vermont. 

the town hall - yes, it's got a mailbox & everything

those. red. barns.

We arrived Friday night just in time for dinner, and for dessert ~ vanilla ice cream with Vermont maple syrup! After a brief walk up to the old cemetery on Saturday morning, we all jumped in the car to make a pit stop for lunch in New Hampshire. The drive was long, beautiful, and I've now added two states to the books! (only five left to conquer!) Saturday night we had a big 'ole farm party to attend, friends of the fam in East Hardwick. They own & run a big dairy farm, and of course my favorite part was the calf barn. There are about 900 cows, and 700 are milking. Some of their milk goes to Chobani, yum!

how adorable.

turkeys!

this lil nugget was born that day!

the teens saying hi

Sunday was yet another gorgeous day - blue skies, yellow leaves, green fields, and crisp fall air. While her grandparents were at church, Katie and I drove back to the farm to join the family on a walk around their new property. We all piled in a couple cars, and I took my Jetta semi-off-roading before we abandoned her on the edge of a cornfield! 

that's her in the corner

check out this VIEW! beyond are the green mountains of vermont

We walked through a few cornfields, stepping over the chopped stalks. Then weaved through christmas trees, which smelled fantastic, before hitting the top of the "hill". The view was incredible! We could see their farm from the top, as well as the Green Mountains in one direction and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. 

We came back to Peacham for lunch, and then went on a lovely walk through the old cemetery later in the eve for some more pictures & views out of a postcard. Oh! And we took a little drive over to a covered bridge! There used to be a settlement around the bridge, the grist mill and saw mill kept 'em all busy.

katie & her gparents :) 

We finished out Sunday with another lovely dinner, and the Pats game (what a finish!). This morning was the perfect finish to a weekend. We joined Katie's grandfather on his morning walk up the big hill, and were rewarded with more incredible views as well as a few stolen apples, cold and crisp. 

fall perfection

a sugaring shack

the charming town of peacham

birch!

New phrases: 

"a dying duck in a thunderstorm" (for when you're not lookin' too hot) 

"the men all dried out there" (sober yourself up sir)

"hotter than the hammers of hell" (take a guess - it's really, really hot)

Quel week-end! Can't wait to get back up into the depths of New England, perhaps in the spring. Maine is next!

bises xo

5th grade trip to the berkshires

canoeing!

 i survived my first chaperone trip! 

the whole fifth grade went up to an outdoor camp in the berkshires for two days and one night

disclaimer: you may as well accept that you will not sleep when you're in charge of 8 girls in a cabin with no electricity

here are some of my girls, post-rock climbing. a few got to the top of the rock wall, which was really cool! we got to the camp in the morning, had lunch, and then split into groups for various activities. we went canoeing first, then rock climbing, and finished off the afternoon with a long hike.

an incredible sunset over the lake - we were able to watch the sky turn bright pink while we ate dinner

the boys liked running ahead

we saw a beaver!!

the cabins were freezing at night, but we all had such a good time it was completely worth it!

bises

september in snapshots

it's been awhile...as i tend to say often once school begins...

so let's catch you up in pictures! 

i walked the brooklyn bridge for the first time

little windy, but a stunning view

i drove up to who-knows-where-connecticut...

...to sneak in a brunch with one of my best friends!

one day i had some extra time before my train left the station

go red bulls!! (that's the NYC soccer team fyi)

went on a short hike in devil's den

and slowly, but surely, it turned into fall

the idyllic fall day ~ blue skies and fiery leaves

This September was like others ~ busy, beautiful, new, and bursting with energy! I've met and gotten to know my 5th graders, teaching them about the Romans and sentence structure. Explored Brooklyn and more of New York. Started my French class in Greenwich. Quickly started drinking multiple cups of coffee every day. Watched the leaves start to turn and finally caved & bought a winter coat. Started dreaming of spring break. Had a few pumpkin spice lattes. & filled up October with friends and family!

bises

'tis the season...for fall foliage!

with one particular tree in my driveway dropping yellow leaves like it was already october, i can't help but start planning a few fall trips in new england! because i was still settling in last fall, i was hardly able to scratch the surface of fall activities, walks & drives i want to do. 

new england in the fall is absolutely exquisite ~ my favorite time of year to be here

so i'm starting a list! each of these is an easy sunday activity, not too far of a drive, 

& could make for a perfect fall weekend

mt tom state park, litchfield ct ~ one of the closer state parks 

gilette castle, inspired by a medieval german fortress, is right on the connecticut river

long beach in stratford, for when i need a relaxing beach stroll

b.f. clyde's cider mill , the oldest steam powered cider mill in the u.s.a! it's in old mystic, another town i've had on my list for the past year, and near to old saybrook and essex

the east coast greenway is basically a network of trails in the northeast corner of the state...it's the most rural pocket of land between boston and d.c.! 

now going into new york state...i found this pedestrian walkway that spans the hudson river last fall, but we never made the trip up as it's a bit far out. 

a little closer is bear mountain state park, also across the hudson

this is the map i'll be going by this fall, to help me plan ahead the trips i really want to take during peak foliage.

now all i'll need is a pumpkin spice latte, riding boots, a cozy sweater & camera :)

bises xo