My Beach Day

Fall has officially moved in. Although I didn't sink my toes in the sand once this summer, I can't even complain. The tourists are gone, the water in warm, the air is crisp and there is no other time I'd rather be at the beach than right. now. Dave and I spent our day off by the water this past Monday and I couldn't have asked for a better beach day. This, by far, is my favorite time of year...

Last Friday Night

Sorry I have fallen off the blog radar for the past few weeks. I've been caught up with work, summer nights, and Firefly Lane. I'm finally able to add another post (in between blowing my nose and drying my tears) because I can now step away from the book that has had me in another world this past week. Firefly Lane has been the perfect escape but I have to say I'm glad it's over. I've been so caught up in it, I would race home to read more. I don't remember the last time I read a book, never mind one that effected me as much as this one.

Last week, Friday Night finally made a comeback... I guess all the stars were aligned. It was the perfect day, mid 80s, and at the last minute two of my bests from Bryant came to visit. We had dinner at Kabuki, caught up over edemame and I successfully introduced them to the eel avocado roll which is my favorite!

When we got home, we got ready all together just like we were back at school- music blasting, playing relay with the flat iron, and 4 girls to one mirror. Gessen joined us when she got out of work and after trying on a dozen outfits, snapping a bunch of pictures, we were ready to go. The rest of the night was spent at The Coast Guard House where you could find us holding our Narragansetts in the air on the dance floor. Nothing could stop us- except for the view outside that we admired multiple times that night. On the ride home we hit the highest notes our vocal cords would allow and recapped in the morning via pictures, videos and the disaster in the kitchen. Now that's the Friday night I've been looking for.

View from the Coast Guard deck

Present Occupation: Beach Bum

FINALLY THE SUN IS OUT! And things are looking up.

Khiara's Informational Interview went better than imagined, let's just say a situation 2. My older sister Kendra, who just graduated from Providence College with a Masters in Special Education, had her first interview for a teaching position last Friday (and I thought the job market was tough for my Field - try and be a teacher in the state of the Rhode Island) and ironically, her best friend Lindsay who has lived up the street from us our entire lives, had an interview the same day ( She also studied PR at URI.) It was only fitting that both of them got confirmation that they got their first "big girl jobs" yesterday within hours of each other. Weird huh? I can't tell you how happy I am for both of them. Seeing my sister jump up and down , a 25 year -old, tears in her eyes of just pure happiness. I Know what she was thinking, " it was all worth it." Every decision and step she made, substituting for almost two years, busting her butt to get into grad school, from being dead broke, living with her parents all through college, taking all those summer classes and not making it to the beach... all lead her to where she is today.

And Lindsay. She's something special. The type of person that just draws you in with her humor, charm and good looks. Always was that "in" girl, promoted for a liquor company, lived the fabulous young life, bar hoping, trips to Vegas, a total beach bum in the summer, and her worst worries were if it was raining or too cold out- she wasn't going out. But as she got older, 25 now, the panic started setting in, of when this real job was going to happen. She told me how interviews started going sour, when they were asking what has she been up to for the past three years and why she hadn't already been hired. Now, in two weeks she will be doing marketing and events for a medical company, which requires her to travel and be on the go and starting at an impressive salary. As linds puts it, "a cubicle was never for her."

After getting the good news, us three and a few other friends went down to the beach yesterday, taking advantage of the beautiful weather. And me and Linds got to talking. She was expressing her excitement and fears about finally starting her professional career. I told her mine. We talked about how our mind sets were different after graduating college. When she graduated college in 2009, she wasn't on careerbuilder looking for a job frantically yet, she wanted time to enjoy herself, and that the people she knows that did do that, weren't so happy. I thought about this. It's not the first time. I know I'm young, 21 - years -old. I have my whole life to work. And I'm sure that first job I get most certainly won't be my favorite. But I am ok with that. I am ready for something new. I want to be somewhere different. Not to discount Lindsay's path for a second, everything worked out for her. Because in the scheme of everything, our lives are not resumes that we need to continuously build to impress others. It's an experience. And how you spend your time and find fulfillment is only up to you.

So things worked out. Everyone has their own path. Things happen. Good and Bad. But Everyone gets there. Where ever "there" is. I'm sure my journey to my Scenario 1 Life isn't going to happen over night, but I'll get there. In the mean time, all you can do is soak up the sun for what it's worth.