Let me start by offering my sincere apologies to those who were waiting for my weekly post last week. I failed at blogging last week. I had a big test for my class and therefore I didn't find the time to write, my apologies. We have definitely had a lot going on the last couple of weeks.
Yesterday we had the second "wheels up" party for Brian's class. It's funny how hearing people talk about "what they'll do to get their ice cream fix in Nigeria next week" and "their new home in Moldova" makes it so much more real. It is a bigger group of people leaving this time, so it kind of stopped me dead in my tracks and made me realize how tangible this is becoming. It's a bit frightening, and exciting all at the same time.
The going away party yesterday was hosted at our apartment building, so we were busy. We had a great time and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Brian and I do love entertaining, and the FS is a great outlet for that. Here's a sampling of what we've been up to the past couple of weeks:
Trip to Baltimore-Last weekend we went up to Baltimore to meet up with some really close friends of ours that still live out here. We had an absolute blast, and the aquarium was much more fun than I anticipated. I recommend it to anyone who is in the area. They have tons of sea life there including a huge turtle and lots of sharks. It was fun!
Welcome 146th- The 146th A-100 class has started at FSI and Brian and his colleagues are the welcoming committee for them. Last week we attended a happy hour to welcome them and get to know them. It was really interesting to talk to some of them and to reflect on how much our perspective has changed since March. I remember putting together our bid list and I remember all the emotions, research, thoughts, and discussions that we went through. I listen to all of them doing the same now, and I realized how different my perspective is now faced with our reality in contrast to "what might be." It's not something you can tell someone. It's a very personal journey that each person has to go through. Facing the challenges and the personal questions for your family is the only way to really feel confident about your bids. It was fun to hear about all the possibilities for the new officers.
H Street Country Club- A new hot spot in DC. This is the first indoor mini golf course in Washington, DC. It contains tons of local references, such as "the Awakening", which is transformed with the face of Marion Barry. It is one of the new trendy spots in town in a very transitional neighborhood in NE DC. We played a round of mini golf and then headed downstairs to see if we could reserve a shuffleboard table. We had so much fun I've even mentioned purchasing a shuffleboard table for Venezuela to Brian. We'll see where that goes...
4th of July in DC- Another 4th in DC. I always love celebrating the 4th in the nation's capital. There's something about seeing the spectacular fireworks over the capitol and the monuments that is absolutely magical. We spent the evening having a picnic with some good friends of ours on the Iwo Jima hill and watched the fireworks from there.
Brunch at Founding Farmers- Today we had brunch, again with some friends at a restaurant called Founding Farmers. It's a LEED certified building and the theme is organic and local. It sits right next to the International monetary fund, near where Brian and I went to grad. school. I have to say, I was less than impressed. The food was ok, but it wasn't outstanding and the service was less than
Trips booked- The final thing we did this week was make our plans to come home in October. The date is finalized for our arrival in Caracas and everything is really starting to fall into place. Given that we have unlocked our blog for public viewing, I am not going to post the dates here, but please do reach out to us individually if you'd like to know the dates. We'll be in touch as we get closer to find time to connect with friends/family. I think our families are going to help us out with a going away party so we can have a chance to see lots of extended family and lots of friends all in one place before we go. More details to come.
