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.

I Believe in Faeries and Family.

I went home for a pre-finals weekend of good food and child-style dress up.

I made my costume out of old fabric scraps and a recycled dress that I decided to bleach dye using bathroom cleaner. Then I borrowed a head piece and wings from my lovely faerie festival friend.

I've been going to the festival for the past three years. I absolutely love this atmosphere - it is so welcoming and accepting to people of all sorts, the ultimate be yourself dreamland. When people ask what it is, I describe it as super similar to a renaissance fair but with hippies dressed up as faeries and other fantasy characters. So there's food vendors, accessories, and performers among other things. I got a pretty nasty sun burn on my chest and shoulders, but it was worth it for such great vibes.

I went to a lovely brunch in downtown York with my parents on Sunday morning at the White Rose. Of course I took advantage of it being Cinco de Mayo to wear a festive outfit and make festive food for the family. Below, you can see my dad eating a gigantic fish taco.

I'll be home in just one more week. This is very exciting. However, it will be a raw week of pushing through lengthy paper writing and packing up my little life. Needless to say, I'm excited to leave dorm living and eat homecooking for a few weeks. My anxiety about starting out on my own this summer is definitely increasing, but it's healthy anxiety.

Good luck to anyone else who is doing finals!

Smiles, Morgen.