Sipped cocktails at Luna overlooking magical San Miguel. Ate breakfast overlooking the ocean after an outdoor yoga class in Riviera Maya. Celebrated Thanksgiving dinner in an old Sugar Mill in Jamaica. Ran my 25th (?) Peachtree. Saw Redwoods in Bug Sur and watched the waves crash along the PCH. Celebrated our third anniversary at Atlas and sipped coconut water by the pool at the St. Regis. Drank wine with an old friend in Duxbury to celebrate our birthdays. Re-discovered Winston Salem at our 15 year college reunion. Watched the sunset over the marsh on Pawleys Island (and survived the hurricane). Two words: Fancy Lunch. Went to my cousin’s garden wedding at his parent’s house in Rockport. Spent an evening at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens mesmerized by their holiday lights. Got in the patriotic spirit watching Blue Angels fly over South Beach on Memorial Day. Taught the next generation how to “Spring Break” in Pensacola.

Hello 2017!

Well, a bit has happened since that last post.  Namely, I fell head over heels for the boy I went to see in Europe and we spent the past three years navigating a long distance relationship (Hanover and Chicago for him, Atlanta for me), falling in love, and getting married. Oh!  And I sold the condo and moved to a ROUS-free apartment with amenities like a swanky gym and salt-water pool.  My father is thankful.

After a whirlwind of a year, I feel compelled to reflect on 2016 with love and gratitude (and because my friend Sarah started her “Year in Review” tradition a few years ago…she is brilliant, so I followed her lead on this front.)

So, 2016, in short:

Stood next to my sister-from-another-mother as she married the love of her life in Houston, Texas.  Met my new namesake, Owen Rigby Davis (i.e. Owen, i.e. “Lil’ Rig”), born to the parents I introduced in 2011. Went for a long run on the Mall in DC on a cold, cold, February morning.  Celebrated Cinco de Mayo in Chicago with old friends.  Celebrated the end of a school year watching the sunset with steaks at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC.  Spent a week back in Boston attending courses, drinking wine flights, and running along the Charles. Completed by first Whole 30 (?!).  Welcomed a new nephew to the world.  Attended lovely showers and said “I do” to my main squeeze.  Traveled through Greece: wandered through ancient ruins in Athens, ate the meals of a lifetime at Keke’s and Spilia in Mykonos, was charmed by the local lifestyle in Antiparos, and watched amazing sunsets while popping champagne on Santorini. Discovered the beauty of Costa Rica while celebrating my brother-in-law’s wedding. Drank mojitos on Riviera Maya with toes in the sand to celebrate the end of the first semester.  Ice skated on chilly day in Greensboro with my darling niece and nephews.

Cheers to the close of one year and the start of another!

Who would have thought the most efficient way to get from Budapest to Sarajevo was through Istanbul?

Hello, Turkey!

Hillary – I do wish you could have done something with those pesky anti-American protests occurring right now in the city center of Istanbul so that I could have done a *little* exploring on my five and a half hour layover here.

This was going to be a bit of a different Christmas, anyway.  After an extremely family-filled Thanksgiving, my  mom, dad, and I found ourselves to be the only ones holding down the fort this holiday season in Atlanta.

So what does one do when – ten days before the holiday – mom declared Christmas is officially cancelled (who wants to decorate a whole house?!) and says ‘You should go to Europe!’

Well, first you think how lucky you are to have such amazing parents (and I feel like I should convey that this is entirely out of the ordinary for our family).  Then, you book your ticket (via the help of a dear family friend who made this ridiculously last-minute trip possible…thank you Mrs.  Townsend!)

So, for the eight days I will be galavanting around Europe.  This little book of the internet will keep track of my travels (mostly for mom’s sake, who is worries today about my layover in Istanbul.  Apparently, there are some anti-American riots occurring.  Hillary, can you take care of this please-thank-you?)

After a quick layover in Paris (well, hello Paris!), it was off to Budapest for the first official stop.

The town squares were all decorated for Christmas:

And (though I fell asleep for part of it), the bus your proved to be the most efficient way to see the rest of the historic sites:

(Ugh – should be ‘Fishermen’s Bastion’ not ‘Fisherman’s Bastion.’ Clearly, there was more than one fisherman.)

And the Opera House, all dressed up for Christmas:

Stage 1: Complete. More of European Christmas Adventure 2K13 to come.

This resonates on so many levels.

Bojangles’ to hold job fair for new Charlotte location | CharlotteObserver.com.

Several observations from this article about Bojangles in-house version of the ARRA:

1.  Bojangles, why you gotta keep opening restaurants in Charlotte?  You have 32 in that city (and even have them in HONDURAS) but, for the love, could you please bring one to the A?

2.  Charlotte Observer, please turn off the comments feature of your newspaper.  That is all.  Thank you.

 

Apparently, today is National Siblings Day. Now, I was lucky enough to be blessed with one brother (who I constantly like to remind, despite the fact that he is a doctor, that I am older and, therefore, wiser than he is).

There are many reasons why having siblings is great, but I thought I would narrow it down into a top ten five list. Without further adieu:

5. They can get married and you can get great in-laws.*

*yes, we think it is a little creepy that people think we look alike sometimes in pictures.

4.  They can keep secrets from Mom and Dad…like when you get your nose pierced when living in NYC one summer.

3.  They can support you at key moments in your life…like graduation.

Wait a minute….

2.  They can become doctors which means they will be the bread winners for family and can do things like buy vacation homes and pay for my kid’s college (right, Michael, right?)

1.  They can have cute little munchkins to keep the family lineage going (which makes up for the fact that they miss graduation).

So, little brother, here’s to National Siblings Day and to our continued symbiotic relationship.  Hope there are many more (and many more munchkins…well, at least one) to come.

“So allow me to ask you again: what do you do when you reach the edge of heartbreak? Here’s my tiny answer: you create a reason to take you past the edge of heartbreak. And into big love, mighty grace, searing meaning, and limitless purpose. Hence, my question: what’s your reason?”
—

– Umair Haque How to Create Your Reason