Vacation, all I ever wanted

I'm leaving Thursday for a trip to FL with relatives to celebrate my cousin, Andrea's, Sweet 16!!

I'll have one full day once we return from FL to do laundry, unpack, and then repack for FFFCUP trip to the West Coast!

FL: 2 days

AZ/CA: 9 days

I'll be free June 14.

A dream is a wish your heart makes

(what an appropriate title, in more ways than one)

Last night I had a vivid dream where Jeremy proposed to me. It seemed so real that when I woke up I had the instant urge to call up my best friends and tell them the good news. Good thing my reflexes are sluggish when I first awake & I realized it was just a dream before reacting, otherwise I would have 3 disappointed and confused best friends. I've never had a dream about the proposal...the wedding, yes, sometimes...the married life w/ kids, yes, often...but never the proposal. And it felt so real, and the ring was beautiful, and I was so surprised in it, but shaking with nervousness and so happy as I said, "yes".

Of course, sometimes our dreams are a way for our mind to communicate with us, and can sometimes be misinterpreted when taken literally...so my dream could have many meanings, other than the obvious.

Interestingly, the part that sticks out the most in my mind & that I remember so clearly was not the ring itself, or what was said, nor was it the setting, but instead it was Jeremy's face as I said yes. To me, it looked like the face of someone that was beyond happiness...like a poor man winning the lottery, or a toddler finding the last piece of a puzzle, or a castaway finding the shore, it seemed like I had completed his life.

Just bend the pieces 'til they fit

Brooklyn/NYC this past weekend was wonderful, as every weekend with the best friend(s) are. Some things that I learned from this weekend's festivities:

1) Do NOT order Caipirinha as drink #1 of the evening, on an empty stomach

2) 30+ year olds can appear 22 and 23 year olds can appear 28.

3) I wish I had a beautiful Brooklyn Heights rooftop to impress people with/enjoy GORGEOUS views of Manhattan

4) Cupcakes can be eaten for breakfast

5) 24 hour convenience/random item stores can be useful when attempting to do facials & mani/pedis with best friends at 4am.

Mother's day was a success! My mom LOVED the gifts I got for her and said her favorite part was the sweet card I wrote. I am so blessed to have such great women (aunts, cousins, etc) to be role models for me.

Jeremy had his thesis proposal presentation earlier today, and it went VERY well! I'm so proud of him!

I have to go get my student ID & parking pass at RU (haha, not Rutgers, Rider) sometime soon...was going to today, but didn't feel like dealing with the rush hour traffic.

I'm still enjoying update emails from old friends, and am still excited to spend a weekend in AC with a handful of lovely ladies this weekend!! Only 4 more days! :)

Loves and Dislikes

LOVE: My friends. There's never a dull moment when we come together and celebrate. Fundue in celebration of Diane was yummy and fun! It was so great seeing friends I haven't seen in months.

DISLIKE: Hectic schedules. Everyone is busy these days, but it's no fun when schedules are so busy that individuals get extremely limited time to enjoy life outside of work and school.

LOVE: Jeremy hugs, Jeremy kisses, Jeremy cuddles - basically, Jeremy. I'm still amazed and grateful that our love is still going strong after 5.5 years and that I'm still learning new things about him and enjoying the time we get to spend with one another.

DISLIKE: The fact that I fall asleep better when Jeremy is around to cuddle with, simply because we're always so far apart/never get to fall asleep together.

LOVE: Parties & get-togethers. I think the combination of good food shared with good company and good conversation is always a happiness booster.

DISLIKE: My uncontrollable eating habits at these parties I love so much. Food has a way of coercing you to continuously eat it while it sits in pretty displays on the table in front of you. VERY dangerous, yet so so good.

LOVE: Jeremy's family. They've always made me feel like a part of the clan and I love spending time with them and hearing stories and seeing pictures of their memories and little Jeremy. They're also always so supportive of each other and their exuberance is refreshing. Jeremy's grandmother is also one of the kindest people I've ever met and has always made me feel like her own granddaughter, and how I would have guessed my own grandmothers would have treated me...

DISLIKE: Relatives living so far apart from one another. I realized that this time last year, I was on my way to the Philippines to visit my relatives there. Though Skype has been a great way to stay connected with my cousins, somehow video and voice chats aren't as fun as actually spending time together.

LOVE: Trips with FFFCUP. Crazy, exciting, and hilarious things always happen on FFFCUP trips. I am sure this summer's AZ/CA trip will be no exception.

DISLIKE: How expensive international airline tickets are.

I was asleep for about 2 hours and had a dream that I was updating this blog, so when I just woke up a few minutes ago and couldn't fall asleep again, I decided to really update this. Just a few likes and dislikes, mainly reflective of my GREAT weekend so far. On another note, I am SUPER excited about my orientation for Grad School this tuesday evening! When I asked, I was told that it would take about 2 hours, so I'm very eager to learn more about the program, the university, meet more of the faculty, as well as my new classmates.

Many parts of my life are falling into place and I'm really enjoying it.

Girls' night in AC in a couple weeks is another thing I am looking forward to :)