Life changes + Italian Bread
Here it is folks, me taking the first step towards more regular programming on here. I have an iced coffee, that will inevitably erode my stomach over the next twenty minutes, in a mug so adorably labeled ‘off the market’ sitting next to me, with blue light glasses propped on the bridge of my nose and the John Mayer Pandora station playing from my TV.
The past week was honestly one of the most grounding weeks I’ve had in a while. We received some news that we were not anticipating (I’m sorry that’s all I can share for now - everything is okay I promise :) ) that threw me for a loop. You should know this about me, I am not a planner. I used to think I was, but then as I got older I realized my version of planning is much more by the seat of my pants. I’m an Enneagram 9, which means I avoid conflict (aka decisions) like it’s the plague. So if you’re asking me where I see myself in 5 years, I genuinely have no clue. I might be living in the city working for a corporate office or maybe I’ll have 3 kids and live on the beach. I really just don’t know. What I do know is that I have a deep faith that I will be where I am meant to be. It’s not a cop-out for making decisions, it’s just a feeling in my soul that I will be okay, life will lead me where I am meant to be lead. All this to say, when we received some unexpected news last week, I panicked. Suddenly I felt helpless and confused. But, it was during this time that I leaned, and I mean leaned hard, on those around me. Gosh, did that feel good. It’s rare that I let people in to that side of me, but it’s amazing what happens when you do. I had friends sending me the kindest messages, funny postcards and even a cup of coffee from afar. It’s amazing the people that God puts in your life.
Wow that got pretty deep for a Tuesday morning. Maybe it’s the coffee making me extra wordy. Now onto the other fun stuff from the week because there were some pretty awesome moments from the week that I don’t want to forget. I apologize in advance, I feel like this is going to be a long post, but hey, you’re already here so you might as well stick around, eh?
Let’s start with drinks on Wednesday night. I have this tendency to meet up with local creatives that I meet on Instagram, both to meet new people and also to explore cool areas of the city because if anyone knows the best spots for an iced latte, it’s the creatives. I love doing it. I love taking the metro across town, plugging in music and spending time with people who make this city feel a little smaller. This time, I met with Amy at Mercy Me, which is arguably the coolest outdoor/indoor cafe, for happy hour (which in this city, still ends up being $15 - madness, my friend). We laughed, we drank our cocktails and we enjoyed the 70° weather, which I’m praying stays longer. I ended the night by dropping my $15 metro card somewhere on the train, which I didn’t realize until I tried to leave the station, but all in all, it was a good night.
Fast forward to Friday morning and Peter surprised me the perfect Halloween plans for Saturday: starting with a tour of Ford’s Theater at 10 AM followed by coffee at my cafe of choice (I have an extensive list), then metro-ing to Arlington Cemetery to walk around and see RBG’s burial spot, ending the night with reservations at an Italian restaurant I had been eye-ing for weeks. Nothing says spooky szn like some risotto.
Before getting too far ahead, I should say that our Friday night was also very fun. Although homemade hamburgers sounded oh so delicious (please tell me you can smell the sarcasm here), Peter suggested we go to a local gyro spot in Georgetown for dinner and Levain Bakery for dessert. He really had to twist my arm. Turns out this sandwich shop is really a hotspot for locals. I went for a Philly cheesesteak & Pete went for a chicken kabob sandwich, which was all in all 8/10. The next part was what I was most excited about…cookies. We waited for 30 minutes in the dark to get our hands on 2 of their chocolate chip cookies. Warm + delish.
I woke up Saturday morning excited about the day, so much so that I threw on some jeans and swiped mascara on my lashes. That means business, people. We headed out to Ford’s Theater to tour the infamous scene of Lincoln’s assassination. I’m not sure what it is, but my mind has a hard time comprehending history. It all feels so distant and impossible. Like seeing the pistol that John Wilkes Booth used that day displayed in a case. So strange. Regardless, it was an interesting experience. We wandered from the theater towards a few coffee shops I had on my list to try, ultimately stopping by Dua Coffee for some Indonesian drinks. The workers were extremely kindhearted, delicately crafting our lattes and serving us with smiles. We sat outside and sipped our coffees, even sampling their hibiscus tea that one of the workers brought us to try. I love supporting kind people like that.
From there, we hopped on the metro and made our way to Arlington Cemetery. A quick ride over the Potomac brought us to the cemetery where we took a trolley throughout the property (which is massive in case you’ve never been). We saw the burials of Presidents and war officials that you read about in school, so crazy. We spent about an hour in the cemetery before heading home to defrost from the chilly temps.
We headed to dinner that night in Old Town Alexandria, one of my favorite places in the DMV. Our reservations at il Porto seemed unnecessary this Saturday night, as tables were empty and streets were full of Halloween-goers. I’ve never really been a Halloween person, other than the obvious thrill of collecting free Reese’s cups and M&M’s, it’s just never been my jam. We sat at a table by the window, watching adults and kids alike, wandering about in their costumes while we ate warm Italian bread topped with sweet buttery goodness. Ravioli warmed my soul as we sat together on this brisk Halloween night, people watching and reminiscing on our childhood Halloweens.
Man, this is so therapeutic to write about life. You should try it if you never have before. It’s super calming. Anyways, I hope you have a fabulous week. I’ll check back soon!
Cheers!
xoxo - Katie