Backpacking with the Boy

I went home for the week to recuperate before the semester begins. Sam & I had been planning this little backpacking adventure for a few weeks. It was a four mile hike out and back on the Appalachian Trail, right outside of Harrisburg. Beautiful vistas of the surrounding rivers.

It was my first experience with backpacking so I didn't completely know what to expect. My pack was about 40 pounds and the hiking was definitely more challenging with that weight on my back. I ate some weird freeze dried Chicken & Rice meal for dinner which was surprisingly not gross. We enjoyed quality conversation by the fire and slept with a full moon peaking through the 'windows.' 

Other than that, we caught up with family and did errands. We parted ways on Saturday morning to start a new semester of being apart. It's sad because I don't when we'll see each other again, but I'm never worried that it won't be worth the wait.

Smiles, Morgen.

Wrapping it up

Welp, looking at the end of the summer quickly approaching. At this time next week, I'll be coming back from my 'vacation' to home and prepping to start a new semester. I'm trying to fit in the fun stuff before it's time to bunker down - which is actually equally fun in my mind.

 Made eggplant-zucchini white pizza & a mushroom-caramelized onion pizza with my lovely fellow Cancer, Melody. Finished the meal off with a s'mores stuffed chocolate chip cookie.

 This beautiful boy came to visit for his birthday - we did some urban trekking, relaxed in Franklin Square, stopped by the batting cages & made a dinner with friends - all in one day! One more visit, and then it's back to weeks apart and long distances.

I refurbished these stools for our breakfast bar for less than three bucks by using found stools, old paint from my parents' house and a little bit of acrylic paint. Pretty happy with how they turned out!

Be back after my staycation! 

Smiles, Morgen.

Two years.

We've made it to another one of those landmarks - two years of togetherness.

I'm about three weeks late with this post, but I also didn't see the boy until a few weeks after our anniversary. We celebrated by going back to a hot dog shop that we discovered on a trip to Philadelphia last summer - before we were apart, before I moved away, before a lot of other challenges and complications. And there's a picture of Sam in underdogs where he's refusing to just look at the camera.

But here we are. Still holding on to what we have. Still making each other smile. Still cherishing sad goodbyes and excited hellos. When people ask me if the distance is hard, I honestly have to answer not really. I'm still just in love all the same and there's no one I'd rather have by my side (but hundreds of miles away) than this guy. We have so much history, so much shared understanding that it'd be hard to not do this.

I'm happy to be able to look back on these two years and be proud of what we have created.

DIY Dining Room Bunting

I made this cute little decoration to take up some space on the big empty wall about our "dining room" table (We don't have a dining room but this is the closest thing and it does the trick.) I had so many little scraps of fabric from cutting skirts and things that this worked out perfect.

These beautiful pictures were taken by my lovely roommate, once again. I feel very positive about being more creatively involved - it does wonders for the inner vibes.

Smiles, Morgen.

Confessions of a 19-year-old Feminist Housewife

I have to admit that I am pretty darn domestic. I love cooking and decorating and entertaining - which is why we like to have people over at the new house so much. Before school starts I will post about the wonderful family meals I've been sharing as well as some recipes I hope to try during the semester. For now, here is a peak at our 4th of July adventure & Paige's birthday party. Note: my themed outfits for both occasions, something I'm quite proud of.

 (Photo credit: Paige)

We had a cookout in our little concrete backyard (where I played grill master) & then headed down to the parkway to check out the fireworks and to sit too far from the concert to actually hear any of it. I made one of those patriotic stripe cakes but there's only a before picture.

Paige had a kid-themed birthday party - so everyone wore party hats, played pin the tail on the donkey & I made cupcakes in ice cream cones. I was so glad that she enjoyed her party because she deserves so many fun polka dots and smiling friends.

The summer is going pretty well thus far, if I d say so myself.

Smiles, Morgen.

Summer Speed Dates with Moms and Boyfriends

Last week, my mom came to the city and we got to see She & Him in concert at the Mann Center. We did some walking around and ate a delicious dinner before the show. The concert was absolutely fabulous - She & Him's music has been the soundtrack to my romantic development thus far, so each song has a memory attached to it. 

Having three days off work meant I went home for a much needed "vacation" in York. I had a sleepover, ate grilled muffins, got milkshakes, played board games, did a little shopping, got coffee and saw lots of loved ones - all in two days. It was so wonderful.

I had the rare exciting opportunity to see Sam two weekends in a row. The other weekend Sam drove down after I got off and we got ice cream with my roommate & her boyfriend. It was a very short visit. We drove down to Towson as soon as Sam got off this past weekend to meet up with his brother & go to a baseball game. Sam's favorite team is the Toronto Blue Jays who obviously aren't always easy to see play. This was a great treat for him. I tolerated sports in the name of a cute afternoon. This summer has been rough on the two of us because it's just more of the same constant missing each other that school was. I'm proud of us for doing this well, but I wish it was more fun. It feels like a dream when we see each other for these tiny stints. Now it's back to reality with working and grocery shopping. Summer is going by fast, huh?

Smiles, Morgen.

So I moved in to my first apartment....

Lots of stuff happened since I last blogged, holy cow! I moved out and in to a new home, got a new job, and went and turned 19 years old. It's been a lot of new experiences, but nothing particularly exciting since I'm "growing up" AKA working all the time and trying to keep the house in order. 

Here's me and Sam in coordinating tie-dye after loading up my U-Haul on moving day. He is working at a summer camp this summer, so we won't be seeing much of each other as usual. But we had a nice two weeks of time together before summer started.

 I live in a neighborhood north of the Art Museum district  so that's where I work and hang out sometimes. I do most of my travelling on my new bike (isn't it cute?) so I like close things. I'm waiting tables at a from-scratch barbecue fine dining restaurant called Jack's Firehouse, across the street from the Easter State Penitentiary.

This is me and Frank Turner, who I saw twice in one week and definitely recommend next time you are feeling angsty yet optimistic  I did a good bit of volunteering. I started at WXPN which is a local public radio station. I answered phones during the fund drive and I'll be volunteering at their festival at the end of the month. I also worked at Ladyfest which was this awesome festival for feminist workshops and sweet bands. I met so many rad ladies who were equally interested in the things that get me excited. Being able to volunteer is a great benefit of being here over the summer.

 I had a John Hughes themed birthday party at the end of June. My roommate, Paige, dressed up as Bender and I attempted to channel Molly Ringwald from Pretty In Pink. It was the first gathering in the new house and people seemed to have a good time. I like all the freedom and responsibilities of tending to the house. Check back in during the school year & that may be different.

Most of the time, I come home from work and eat snacks with Paige while watching Netflix. On occasion we go exploring and out for dinner or attempt to go for bike rides. It's not quite the same as summers past since there is more "real life" things to do but I'm making the most of it. 

But anyway, there's a loose catch up on what I've been up to. I promise that I will be getting better at updating/taking pictures so I have something to post about.

Smiles, Morgen.