yay!

What a glorious, glorious week it has been. With the start of last Friday, each day has brought me something more to delight in, only to be fittingly rounded up yesterday on the wonderful holiday of Thanksgiving.

For starters, last Friday, Raina and I finally secured an apartment. Joy! Raina is absolutely thrilled with it and since I trust her judgment, I am thrilled as well. It is a block away from campus, four blocks from the subway, is basically within our budget price, is clean and well maintained, and is the perfect little spot to both relax and to have friends over for dinner.

Now that we have secured this perfect little gem of an apartment, the fact that I am moving to the big apple finally feels REAL. I can now visualize myself in the city (and this might be thanks to google maps and satellites!) and I am so so so excited.

Friday night, I drove down to San Bruno to spend the night with Megan, something I haven't been able to do yet since I've moved home. We spent the night at her brother's house where he, his wife, and a few friends all joined us for dinner, drinking, and shenanigans. It was a simple night but it was so nice to not only be with Megan, but to feel so at home with her family and her friends. The O'Friels (and Davises for that matter...) will always be family.

Saturday, my mom picked me up at Megan's and we drove south to Monterrey to spend the night at a beach house and be part of a surprise 50th birthday party for a close family friend. The birthday man was actually the younger brother of my dad's best friend Jaime since 7th grade. I kid you not, between Jaime's siblings, and his kids, and my dad and Jaime's frat brothers from college, I was surrounded by too many people who have known me since before I was born. Since moving to Vermont five years ago, it is people like these who I have not seen in awhile but yet, was so comfortable to be around even after so much time had passed. Ashley (Jaime's daughter) and I had a blast catching up that night and realizing that even though we became friends as infants, then toddlers, then tweens, then teens, we are still such strong friends as twenty-somethings and always will be friends.

Monday night, after work, my mother and I went to go see New Moon. Thank god for Sylvia who will be my friend through bad movies when nobody else will be. By the way, it was amazing. So amazing that...

Wednesday, I saw it again with Vicky! Yes, I am that 14-year-old wannabe who will go see bad movies twice in less than a week. But. It was Vicky's second time too. So deal with it.

After the movie, we met up with Risa and some of Risa's roommates and friends and took her out for a birthday dinner at a sushi restaurant. We went out afterward and while I was tired and the place was crowded, I know Risa had a great and successful birthday celebration, so all was well.

Also, I should mention that Taylor surprised the parents and just showed up on the doorstep when we all thought we weren't going to see him until Christmas. Brownie points for little brother.

Yesterday, Thanksgiving, was so lovely. We had a 3 o'clock dinner with some of our favorite people, the Valentinos. It was small and quiet and delightful and the food was delicious. After that we went to John's mom's house where I spent a lot of time with a lot of people who I never get see. It was such a delightful night of connecting and reconnecting with people who I have known forever and who are in a way, considered family.

So, with all these ridiculous reunions and celebrations I've had all week, I can't believe it's only Friday and I still have three more days of hanging out with friends and family. I am full of pride and gratefulness for the people who surround me in this life.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE.