Things I Love About Fall

Fall is my favorite season, and every time I step outside and feel the crisp cool air, I can't help but smile.  I just love this time of year!  Even though the New England weather has been cooling off for a few weeks now, tomorrow marks the first official day of fall with the Autumnal Equinox at 4:44 pm.  Bring it on!! 

Some of my autumn favorites that I am loving right now:

1. Pumpkin spice coffee from Dunkin Donuts

The only way to start the day!

My ABC's

Time for a fun post today!  I am borrowing this idea from a blog I love to read, The Pavement Princess.  Thanks for the great idea!

A. Attached or single?  Single at the moment!

B. Best friend?  I consider myself to be lucky to have so many wonderful friends all over the US.  I treasure my friendships with so many special people, and love that even though I don't get to spend time together every day, when we do get to see each other, it's like we've never been apart!

C. Cake or pie?  Definitely pie!  I love different pies at different seasons - right now I am obsessed with Whole Foods' raspberry peach pie, but in the fall I love pumpkin pie, and in the winter, mince pie is my favorite!

One of my many weaknesses...

D. Day of the week? Definitely Sunday... I look forward to a long run, stop at the bagel shop, then laying by the pool and reading a good book!

E. Essential item? My Blackberry - I would be lost without it!

F. Favorite color?  Green, since I was in junior high!  I love lime green, kelly green, and my latest favorite, mint green.

G. Gummy bears or gummy worms?  Not a big candy person... neither?

H. Hometown? Born on Long Island, NY and lived there until junior high.

I've lost my accent, but I cannot shake my New Yorker personality!

I. Favorite indulgence? Definitely cheese - cheese pizza, fried cheese sticks, cheese and crackers... I could go on!

J. January or July? July for sure - I love summertime.

K. Kids? Hopefully in the future, but right now I am enjoying life on my own.

L. Life isn't complete without? My friends.  I feel so lucky to be surrounded by so many wonderful, supportive and fun people in my life.

M. Marriage date? Not yet...

N. Number of siblings? Just me - an only child!

O. Oranges or apples? Fruit is not my friend - it tends to send my Crohn's off the deep end...

P. Phobias? I absolutely HATE bugs.  I still freak out when I have to kill a spider or any other creepy-crawly in my house.

Q. Favorite quote? "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."  It is so true, and something that I need to keep reminding myself.

My laptop wallpaper at the moment.

 R. Reason to smile? I feel so blessed to have my dream job, amazing friends, and a really awesome life.  

S. Season of choice? Fall is definitely my favorite.  I love watching the leaves change color, and running in the crisp autumn air.

T. Tag 5 people.  I haven't quite figured out how to do that yet... oops!

U. Unknown fact about me? I was on the fencing team in high school... go figure!

I was not quite this intense.  Actually I was pretty awful at it.

  
V. Favorite vegetable? Tomatoes - especially cherry tomatoes. 

W. Worst habit? I am SO fidgety in meetings... I really struggle with just sitting still!

X. X-ray or ultrasound? X-ray means running injury and ultrasound means Crohn's flare-up, so neither have particularly good connotations for me!

Y. Your favorite food? Definitely sushi - I could eat it for every meal!

Z. Zodiac sign? Pisces - although I have to admit, I've never really followed the whole astronomy thing.


Take a moment to let me know what we have in common! 

Walk, Eat, Repeat: Newport, RI Adventures

Much to share after an incredible 3-day weekend with my amazing friend Hannah who visited from Maine.  I have been going non-stop at work for a few months now, so having Friday off was a welcome relief.  Judging from the disbelief of a coworker ("they let you take a day off??!  With everything going on?!" this long weekend was both a stroke of luck, and a desperately needed breather.

For a few wonderful days, I felt like I was living life in slow motion - able to truly enjoy each moment, to appreciate the beauty of my surroundings, and to treasure my time with a special friend.  But at the same time, I was SO excited to have a few days away, that I was living in high-speed - trying to experience as many things as possible, and to pack every second of my time off with pure FUN.  When we weren't walking outside, soaking up sunshine and beautiful views, we were eating six meals a day, every day!  It was my kind of vacation!  Here are some highlights from my time away:

 Sunset from the Blue Hills Observation Tower after a fabulous sushi dinner on Hannah's first night in Massachusetts

Walking the Boardwalk - literally a series of planks leading through Ponkapoag Pond in the Blue Hills, for an early morning walk.  After the rain we have had recently, a few planks were completely submerged, which made for a wet, muddy balancing act!

 Lunch on the beach in Newport, Rhode Island - it was a beautiful day, and we walked along the coast after lunch.  Although the first of multiple nature disasters happened to Hannah at the beach when a seagull ate her sandwich (and then two days later, a seagull used her sweater to relieve itself... can you believe her luck??) 

 

We drove along Bellevue and Ocean Ave to see the Newport mansions, and then walked along the Cliffwalk, between the rolling lawns of the mansions and Newport Harbor.  Navigating over the rocks in our flip flops made for an even more exciting adventure!

Just as we were driving along Ocean Ave to head downtown, we passed a huge sailboat regatta along Brenton Point, so we took a quick detour to watch the boats!  I later discovered that we were watching the start of the Newport-Bermuda race - a 635-mile ocean race from (you guessed it!) Newport to Bermuda.

Sunset over downtown Newport after appetizers and drinks at the Black Pearl, then dinner, then ice cream while we watched the sunset.  A day full of walking, but lots of eating to compensate!

We started Day 2 by watching the sun rise over Castle Island in Dorchester.  We were the first ones there at 4:30 am, although as it got closer to sunrise, the viewing spot got busier.  Right after sunrise and a walk along the beach, we were the first in line at my favorite local bagel shop in East Milton.

We spent a wonderful day exploring Providence together, getting lost a few times, and then wandering through Roger Williams Park.  Since neither of us are big cash-carriers (I absolutely NEVER carry cash, which can make life interesting at times!) we only had $11 to spent on a $15 pedal-boat ride.  Luckily, the boat vendor felt bad for the two pathetic girls, and offered to just take what money we had!  I couldn't believe our luck.  It was a beautiful boat ride together, and so much fun!

We finished our day with an Italian dinner on Federal Hill, the Italian section of Providence.  After dinner, the live music started in the courtyard, so we sat along the fountain's edge, listening and people-watching.  The day ended with nutella-strawberry crepes for me, and a chocolate-dipped cannoli for Hannah.  Another 5-meal day for us both!

Day 3 update to follow, once I finish downloading pictures from our trip!  First, I am off to bed, to rest up after my vacation!