A week in the life (3)...

Bittersweet - sweet = Just plain ol' bitter.

Last weekend was spent lavishly. It was lived to the fullest and mainly focused around one of my favorite people, Britta King. She and her husband, Dan, moved away this past Monday. And what do you do when someone is about to leave Chicago? Well, you live it up. This means shopping downtown, drinks at rooftop bars, late evenings on porches and going away parties. Also...lots and lots of packing. But many hands make light work. And even when packing, it was still great to spend some final moments with them.

As a result, this week has been difficult. I think the sadness of friends moving away combined with long work days lent itself to a few tears.

But though the days were long, the evenings were great. Monday was the Bachelorette. Tuesday was dinner with some Swedish friends, Hilda and Erik. Wednesday was a night well spent -- going to favorite cafes, dancing to some John Horton, and taking a late night bike ride to the beach.

And the fun has only just begun! On the agenda for this weekend:
Thursday: Helping another friend pack (insert sad face here).
Friday: Magic Mike (see trailer below). 
Saturday: Li'l Sis is in town for the evening.
Sunday: ? 
Then only two days of work before I fly out to Tulsa on the 4th!! 


I will just leave you with this little treat...

A week in the life (2)...

Seven days in a week - Three work days = Four days off!! = Amazingness

Seriously. The CIA is grueling. This week my emotions were more stable but my body was just worked to the bone. Fortunately, I now have an extra long weekend to recupe. And to heal some of the wounds I've acquired. Warning, watch out for the little ones...they bite.

Let me just paint the awesomeness of long weekends... Last weekend I read The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead (review here) and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (review to come). And it was some of the best reading I have had in a long time. That type where you can't stop for a moment other than to refill your coffee cup. Loved, loved, loved them both. Then I spent time with friends going to movies in the park and sharing good meals together. Relaxing mornings, productive afternoons, and casual evenings. All you need.

In other news...

That's right...Roommate Cousin and I are making the trip to the great up north. We will head to our home state in early August to visit our grandparents, hike some mountains, drink in clean mountain air, and prove that we are more than just city girls. 

(Big Sis and I while hiking a mountain)

The CIA has been kind enough to give me a temporary leave of absence so that I can make the trip. They have only asked that I attempt to squelch the rumors and ascertain once and for all if Sarah Palin can actually see Russia from her house.

More on that to come. (The Alaska trip, not Sarah Palin's house. I can already tell you. She cannot see Russia from her house.)

It was a good week. I cried...a lot. But not distraught, "woe-is-me" tears, more just tears for the beauty and fragility of life. I think it was nostalgia. I think it was my heart telling me it was time to start writing stories again.

Anyway, hope you've all enjoyed your weeks!