ground control to major tom

We are alive and well and have thoroughly enjoyed our [almost] first week in Philadelphia!

It was a little crazy and overwhelming driving into the city on Monday afternoon, especially going down sketchy Washington Ave for the first time. Luckily, Aaron's mom flew in to close on our house, and she helped us settle in. She was a lifesaver in taking the edge off the initial shell shock of moving 2,100 miles across the country. I seriously don't know what we would've done without her. Probably sat on the bare (and very dirty) floor of the house and cried.

While she was here we got a bed for the guest room (our moving truck won't be here with all of our furniture until next week at the earliest), cleaned all the floors and bathrooms on our hands and freaking knees, stocked up on food, ate at the most amazing Mexican/fine dining restaurant called El Vez and had the best guacamole, got gelato at Capogiro (which I have been missing greatly since Maestro's closed back home), and went to Target like 8 times. We took care of business! (and ate great food.)

After Aaron's mom left, we went and saw U2 at the stadium where the Eagles play. It was packed! It was an awesome concert! It was almost as entertaining to watch all the older ladies rocking out (probably slightly drunk) in the audience as it was to watch Bono (who, at 51 is wayy cooler than I will ever be at 22). Unfortunately, the memory card in my camera got corrupted somehow, and I lost all my photos from the concert! All my pictures of the claw (really expensive and time consuming to set up stage)!!! All the pictures I made Aaron take of the two of us!!! All my pictures of cool Bono!!! Alas, maybe I'll figure out how to get them back sometime.

Aaron and I also went and saw Harry Potter the second day it was out. We got there 30 minutes early because we were nervous it might be sold out, but we were like the 5th and 6th people in the theatre. We're not in the land of Potter Enthusiasm anymore...Today we walked all over the place downtown, going to the bank, buying bus tokens, touring Independence Hall, and visiting Reading Terminal Market. It was most enjoyable! (and good exercise after sitting in a car 10 hours a day for four days straight)

Tomorrow we look forward to attending our branch for the first time and having dinner with my friend Jen from ballroom who lives in the city with her husband! And on Monday, we shall explore University City and their macaron cookie truck!!!!!!!! Blessed day!!!!

light at the end of the tunnel

We graduated!*

Well, Aaron did, officially. I just got to dress up in all of my graduation outfit glory and walk. Aaron spoke at graduation, and he did was awesome. I am just so proud of that guy! Seriously guys, I need to brag about him right now. He graduated with a B.S. in chemistry with a 4.0, in addition to TAing over 5 semesters and doing research in spectroscopy during the school year. He got accepted into 3 of the top 5 medical schools in the country. He got the organic chemistry student of the year sophomore year, physical chemistry student of the year junior year, inorganic chemistry student of the year and outstanding senior award senior year. He worked so hard for all of this! And he did it! And I'm so proud of him!

*end bragging*

It's weird, you know, being this close to done with my undergraduate education. It all went by so fast. Seems like last week I was living in the dorms in the flooding basement and watching "Scrubs" every Wednesday night with Amanda. I guess it's sort of good this way, because it doesn't feel like I'm done with university life yet. And I'm not. I've got another 5+ years ahead of researching, taking classes, TAing, doing homework, writing papers, etc. I like that idea.


But what campus is it that I'll be wandering around? I think we'll have a video announcement coming up on Monday?


*still have three classes left to knock out this semester: psychology, biochemistry 1, and French civ

This is everything I remember from 09.18.2010

It all started with a perfect bun.

Frisbee game. The Deprotonators won again. Natalie took pictures, Brooklyn wore that adorable flouncy aqua skirt.

Borrowing Amy's lipstick again. Amy borrowing my eyelash glue.

Dancing. Being okay.

My mom crying.

Lying on the floor during cool down for the matinee performance, being not okay.

Going to Zupas. Eating salad (when do I ever get salad?). No ring at Wilson Diamonds.

Falling apart while writing a thank you note to Lee and Linda. Aaron calling. Me putting myself back together.

"My family wants to take pictures at the temple."
                   "Like this?"

"Are you serious?"

One knee.
"One thing ends, another begins."
Dave taking pictures. Me wearing sunglasses and smashing my fake eyelashes in funny directions. Wearing my European outfit-Becky's flowered aqua shirt, tucked in, shorts with the skinny brown belt.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Everyone knew except me.

"Guess what?!" in the green room.

Whatever you're celebrating, stop for devotional.

"I'm engaged!!!!!"

Last show. As close to perfect as it was going to get. A tender mercy. No falls. Nothing shaky.
Shannon grabbing me from the dressing room. A good luck card from the team. Crying again. Ruined eyeliner for the 109234012834 time today.
Safety Dance Glee finale.
Sheer joy.

So many friends and family. Three bouquets. Me, Becky, and Mom. Crying all over again.
Matching Aaron's green polo.
Not knowing what to feel.

Putting away costumes. Good bye green Kaboom dress. Good bye lindy costume I never wore.

Dairy Queen (= glorified soft serve? Why did I never notice that as a 12 year-old?)
Blizzard. Freezing. Aaron's suitcoat.
Retelling "the story"
I told it different every time. Included the phone call, the Zupas lunch. Left them out.

Is it bad that I can't even remember the rest of that night? Calling Kim, Jody, Alyssa.
I opened the time capsule I made as a MIA maid. I wanted to name my children Madison and Tyler. I wanted my husband to have good sense of style so he could help me decorate our house.

I took out the bun. And fell asleep wearing a ring.

i own this decision

I feel good about quitting. It's been sad (and maybe I almost cry every time I tell someone I'm done), but I feel calm and okay about this. It's like for the first time in my life I decided on one thing I want to do. And I picked chemistry.

This is not to say that my semester will be any easier than usual. In fact, this will probably be the most difficult yet (can't believe I'm saying that after chem 391). I'm TAing (chem 391, of all classes), I'm working in the lab (trying to get enough data for a paper so that I can put that on my application for...), I'm applying to chemistry PhD programs, and I have other things going on that have yet to come to full fruition and so I'll hold off on announcing via blog just yet. 

Oh, and I'm sticking around for World of Dance this week (which means I'll be in the deJong every day from 5-10 this week), I'm taking four chemistry classes (2 lab classes = 13 hours/week, plus chem 521 and chem 514 = not easy), I have a 15 page paper in French on Occitan culture in southern France due in three weeks (that I have yet to actually start writing anything for), I'm (sort of?) the president of Y Chem and have an opening social to plan. 

Life centered around ballroom is over. Being a member of the team has been, without a doubt, the greatest part of my college experience. I am so grateful for the involvement that I have had with the company. Lee and Linda have been incredible to work with, and my teammates have been so wonderful.

I'm really glad that I have one more chance to dance this week during World of Dance.

And it would be really awesome if you guys could come, because this is it for me. This is the end of a ten-year long crazy involvement with ballroom. This is the last time I will be performing, possibly (and probably) forever.

So maybe if you're not doing anything, you could come and see my exit from the art that has held my attention and passion for so long. It would really, really, really mean a lot. 

Here's the website where you can buy tickets if you're interested.