New Digs

Me trying to remember if there was one linen closet or two

I am quickly discovering that I am the worst at making decisions. When it's deciding where to eat or what to put on my sandwich, my indecision usually isn't a super big deal because the effects are relatively minimal but now that I'm out in the world making adult decisions, it is ROUGH.

J and I put a deposit down on a place we're renting in June. It has backyard access which is perfect for the dogs and it's in a super convenient place for his school and my work. Sounds great, right? Except the minute I put my deposit down, I started having all of these thoughts like: Was it really big enough? Can we fit everything in it? Will we have enough furniture to fill it? What if it's secretly the worst? What if we end up wishing we had gone for the bigger place? What if the layout is too funky or the kitchen is too light and GAH. I am simultaneously so excited and nervous and second-guessing and looking forward.

Is this a normal thing? I feel like I need a name for this but I've been racking my over-worked brain and I'm just coming up short.

Logically, I know that I picked it for a reason and if it doesn't suit us for whatever reason, we can start the hunt over again in a year. It's not really the biggest decision to make but this is my first post-grad, gainfully-employed person apartment and for some reason, it feels like a really big deal. 

Despite my tendency to overworry about everything, I am still excited. It's going to be nice to not have to drive an hour and a half to work! My car and my sanity are going to be so grateful. In the mean time, I'd love to hear any tips ya'll have for becoming better at decision-making! Because I'm getting the feeling this is going to be one of many.

(A)Part

I've been lucky enough to find great groups of friends in every stage of life. High school, college, and law school have blessed me with friendships that have proved to grow stronger with time. This past week, I got to spend a few days with my high school, college, and law school friends and it was absolutely wonderful. It was the perfect antidote to months of holed-up studying and a perfect distraction for my tendency to stress. But each time we said goodbye, we were faced with the reality that we didn't know when or where we'd see each other again. And here's another pro and con. Pro: we don't know where we'll meet again. We could meet anywhere. Maybe another wedding. Maybe a city we've always wanted to visit. Con: We don't know when we'll meet again. Maybe in a few weeks or maybe in a few years. It's difficult to tell.

I found this quote that perfectly sums up the experience that I'm sure is not unique to me.

One of the greatest blessings of being young is that everyone you loved tended to live in a pretty small, geographical radius. Friends were either at school every day or 10 minutes away. Hanging out was a natural consequence of receiving an education. In college, it was a little harder. Some people went out of state but for me, most of my friends stayed close. They were either on my campus or an hour away which, when you're in college, feels like nothing when you're itching for an excuse to road trip.

Each step of my schooling has gone similarly until now, when the schooling is (mercifully) over. While my bar exam-taking, job-searching self has plenty of things to do, living close to old friends is not one of them. Hanging out now takes time. Requesting time off work or driving a few hours. Prepping pups or children for roadtrips or finding alternate care. It's definitely possible but it's not as easy.

And in the grand scheme of thing, this uncertainty is a small price to pay for the privilege of knowing these amazing women. Still, it'd be nice if for a few weeks at least, everyone could live in the same small town again, sharing gossip over caramel macchiatos and occasionally skipping class.

The Wait Begins

A little less than 4 months, this detour started. For four months, I worked. I stressed and read until it was finally time to take the test. Like last time, there was lots of stress, lots of reading, lots of neglecting TV shows I wanted to watch. Now it's the waiting part. Sitting. Looking for a job and trying not to replay the exam over and over and dwell on what went right and what went wrong.

That's the problem with a lot of time. It can either be a good time or a bad time, depending on your mood and what you make of it. This morning, I read this on Humans of New York:

"Time off is a space where you allow things to happen other than the known.”

I think that's the perfect way to look at the next few days, weeks, or however long this time off lasts.

Happy New Year!

I know it's a few days late but I wanted to pop in and say- Happy New Year! The past few months have been hectic and there's still 2 more until the February Bar rolls around. The only good part is that I know what the next two months will hold: sitting, studying, occasional trips to the dog park, and more studying. Not exactly the most glamorous life but this needs to be the last time I take it so it's all systems go!

Luckily though, the past few months have been plenty exciting enough to keep me sated for a while.

My family and I went to go see my sister's school play in the Peach Bowl (in an RV):

I did some recurring background work for American Crime (catch it January 6, 9 pm CST on ABC!):

I saw a disturbingly large chicken fried steak:

We celebrated Christmas:

And of course, the new Star Wars:

I'm thankful for the unexpected break that the past few months have been. Sometimes you don't get what you want so that you can get what you need. For me, it's Study Central until February and I hope I'll have good news to report to you all! I hope everyone's had a good 2016 so far!

A Brief Weekly Recap

Sorry for the radio silence the past week! I took some time off to spend with family and friends and to regroup. Sometimes, a brain break is just what the doctor ordered. I do want to say thank you for all of the words of encouragement you guys sent last week! I feel about a million times better this week which is just as well since things are about to get busy. With interviews, studying, a return to consistent posting and the holidays coming up,  I need to bring my A game. 

I haven't really focused on taking pictures past week, but I got some good ones to recap the week. I got to spend some time with my pups and J. Here's Keller in his new orthopedic bed: 

I got to go to a tailgate with my family and stuff my face with way too much food. (Side note- they won! My team, not so much)

celebrated a belated birthday lunch

Spent even more time eating outdoors

And generally, just tried to focus on the beauty of fall since it's my favorite season and I feel like it's already halfway over.  How is Thanksgiving already next week?? I hope everyone had a great weekend! 

The Other Side of Failure

As you can probably guess from the title, I didn't pass. Even typing it out now, it doesn't fully feel real. There's a whirlwind of emotions going through my head but a stand out among them is the heady realization that I don't know what comes next.

My whole life, I've been a planner. I've always gone from Point A to Point B knowing exactly how I'm going to get there and exactly what I'm going to do there. Up until now, my plans have never suffered a major setback. Up until now, I've been lucky enough to never have been derailed so completely. I'm no longer qualified for my job, the one I had the interview for. I can't do many law-related things but clerk and volunteer until the second bite at the apple comes in February.

I've never not had a plan. I've never started from scratch. There is so much freedom, it's a bit overwhelming. This is a brand new experience and in a very strange, very tiny way, I'm kind of thankful. I haven't stopped going since the 10th grade. Not for a single season. It's been school, study, work, volunteer every day leading up until now. And now, I'm (and I know it sounds strange to say) blessed with plan-free time. Everything from this point on is unknowable and I am excited and frightened at the thought.

The only things I know for sure are:

• This is surviveable and
• I will have to be ready come February

Beyond that, everything is a blank page. And I'm not completely sure that's the worst thing.

"The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won."

A Rainy Weekend Recap

This weekend managed to be a success despite the fact that it started raining Friday night and literally did not stop until Sunday morning. Some of my best friends (and sister) came in from out of town and we hit up the Panic Room (again by popular demand) and it was just as fun as it was the last time. We did the "Bomb Room" this time which meant we had one hour to find the "bomb" and escape the room. Somehow, we managed to do it in 47 minutes. I genuinely have no idea how we got out so fast but it made us feel brainy and successful all at once! 

Plus, finishing a bit early wasn't a problem since we had dinner reservations to get to. Given all of our new free time, we decided to walk the few blocks and rehash our greatest moments. Does anyone else ever do that? Start talking about an experience almost as soon as it's over? I've always been a big "Instant Replay" kind of person and luckily, so were most of us. 

For dinner, we were trying a new (to us) place called Arro. It's on West 6th Street which meant that the white, non-descript building was surrounded by bumping, music-filled places. The energy seemed to transfer inside and it was wonderful. The whole place was filled with great music and conversation, cheeses and tons of wine. 

Arro, which bills itself as a French restaurant, definitely follows the French method of dining. There was a healthy amount of time between the drinks, the cheeses, the entrees, and the dessert and that was just fine by me. It as nice having time to catch up with people I hadn't seen for a while and nibble on different cheeses and a ton of bread. (I have a thing for carbs). Plus, it took us a super long time to decide what we wanted to order. Once we did decide though, it seemed like we all ordered the same thing.

I guess I don't really wonder why. The steak (and fries!) were delicious. It didn't dawn on us until the plates were cleaned that we probably should have ordered different entrees so that we could try more of the menu, but I don't think we had any regrets. 

Finally, we wrapped it up with a tiny profiterole filled with the best (and only) hazelnut ice cream I have ever had.

J and I slept in the next morning then eventually ventured out to see The Martian. It was so good! Even though I'm starting to think more and more that space movies stress me out. 

Have any of you guys see it? Any thoughts? I've been meaning to read the book so hopefully I'll get back to you guys about that soon! How were your weekends? Hopefully the weather was a little more cooperative!

Linking up with Her Heartland Soul for the weekend roundup!

The Weekly Happy Hour: Parkside

I just wanted to thank you guys for your supportive comments on the 'What's the Point of Blogging?' post. Like a lot of you guys, I resist the idea of blogging being 'dead' because I resist the idea of losing this space where I can talk about important things and also, fun but probably less important things (in the grand scheme of the world). Even though, I'm not sure that spending time with friends is ever unimportant. Goodness knows I would go crazy without midweek socialization.

This week, it was my turn to pick the happy hour and because I missed last week, I was eager to hit the ground running. The website for Parkside immediately drew me in. Fries? Cheeseburger? Mac and Cheese?? It seems like the perfect, warm place to take refuge on this dreary, almost rainy day.

Park side is on Dirty 6th, a place I'd been a thousand times before but I'd never noticed the little restaurant tucked away on the corner. At 5:30, the place was already popping and the atmosphere was fun and Friday-esque.

I got a drink that was part strawberry Stoli, part champagne and part sugar and it was so, so good. For most of my of-drinking-age life, I've tended to stick with the same things so it's a nice change of pace trying drinks I wouldn't have otherwise tried.

Having been put on notice that there would be cheeseburgers, I tried to eat healthy during the day which meant I was starving when I got there. I got the cheeseburger, Karlz got the fried egg sandwich and Ferj got the ceviche and it was all so tasty. The fries were those crispy, wonderfully salty kind and were served with a garlic aioli. It was the perfect offset to the sweetness of the drink. Like, I'll be honest, I wish I was eating it right now.

We were tucked in a corner booth and it was the perfect place to talk about our jobs, the holidays and the very real stress of waiting for Bar results. 

I'd definitely come back with friends, with J, or even with a good book. Such a delicious, well-priced and centrally located place! Plus happy hour, which runs till 6:30 is half price off of cocktails, beer and the bar menu! 

Like with all happy hours, I was sad to see it end but I did see this really strange thing outside of Roppollo's, a drunken night out institution on 6th. Not surprisingly, there was a massive line of people waiting to take a picture with it. Oh, Austin. 

Here's to hoping the rest of the week flies by! 

Overall rating: 4/5

What's the Point of Blogging?

Today is National Writing Day! A fact that was lost on me until I saw it trending on Twitter. I don't know what this says about me as an aspiring writer but I find it fortuitous that National Writing Day falls on the same day I read a post declaring that blogging was dead.

It came as kind of a blow to me. My first thought was, "But no! I'm just now starting to meet these super interesting people and I love reading about the things that are important to them." I'd be pretty bummed if all of the blogs I read just up and vanished. Where else do you see people talking so openly and passionately about the things that matter to them?

Then I thought, maybe some kinds of blogging are dead but community-based and community-minded blogging isn't. And hopefully it never will be. I have met so many people from all over the world I know I wouldn't have met otherwise through this blog. On a daily basis, I get to learn about how lives are across the oceans. I see coats and shoes I might have missed in my own online shopping. I learn crafts. I pick up recipes. Having access to blogs is like having access to a repository of people who know things and who like sharing what they know. And that's awesome.

I know blogging is sometimes likened to shouting, "Hey look at me! Look at what I have to say!" to which I respond, what's wrong with that? What piece of literature out there exists for a purpose other than "Hey look at me! Look at what I have to say!" Even the seminal works like Frankenstein, 1984, and Great Expectations exist because someone had something to say.* Writing is writing. Ideas are ideas. And yeah, maybe some blogs are up to their metaphorical eyeballs in RStyle links or are so carefully curated, they give the Louvre a run for its money, but again, so what? Issues of non-disclosure, tax, etc. aside, it's just a more prettily packaged Amazon and I, for one, really like Amazon.

And this whole train of thought got me thinking: why do I blog? Why put in the effort day in and day out for what essentially amounts to an Internet window display? Part of it is because I like to write. I like sitting down at the end of the day and verbalizing how things went. I like to put down on (virtual) paper the things that do and don't make me happy at this very moment in time. It helps me make sense of myself and the world around me. The other part of it is that I like a ton of things. I like TV shows, movies, books, shoes, makeup and recipes and I love meeting other people who love those things, too.

On that note, I know I follow a lot of you already, but if I don't, I'd love it if you'd drop me a link so that I can see what you have to say. And I want to thank you guys for taking the time out of your day for reading what I have to say. Writing can be a very solitary thing and blogging makes it just a little less so.


*Totally not comparing blogs to 1984, just trying to make the point that writing is writing, no matter the form. 

Life Lessons from the Courtroom

As part of my job, I get to go to hearings a few times a week. The first few times, I was mostly just overwhelmed at the sheer amount of things I'm going to be expected to remember. Then, once it started to feel more familiar, I started paying attention to the behavior of the attorneys and witnesses. What started off as a list of 'What To Do/What Not To Do' became a list of more generally applicable Dos and Don'ts. Who knew life and courtrooms had that much in common?

So without further ado....

1. Be still and listen.
2. People try to help you more often than you think. If you're not careful, you might miss it.
3. Being the loudest doesn't make you the most powerful (or the most effective).
4. Be the river, not the stone.
5. Know before you speak. If you don't, at least think before you speak. If you can't, don't speak.
6. Don't get ruffled by the whispers.
7. Pick your battles. Not everything is a war.

The Weekly Happy Hour: Italic

This week found us all a collectively cranky, tired mess. You guys already know how I feel about Wednesdays in general but today was especially bad. After a 3 1/2 hearing that got out late, a terrible headache and backache, and the knowledge that I have a ton of packing to do tonight, I was worn down. Weirdly enough, Nat, Karls, and Ferj all felt the same way. So "Happy Hour" became the Complaining Hour and you know what? It was just what the doctor ordered.

This week, we went to a relatively new haunt called Italic. Due to said tiredness, I didn't get too many good pictures but they had a giant, suspended glass case of wine so that was pretty cool.

They had $4 glasses of wine and happy hour cocktails (I got the wine if you couldn't tell) as well as a few starters including a giant ball of cheese for $8. Yes please!

They also give some free sandwiches with the purchase of a drink so that's definitely a selling point! Overall, it was a decent happy hour. I particularly loved the part about the wine and cheese. Like most places downtown though, parking was terrible. Foodwise, they had some olives and prosciutto (pictured above), for $8ish and $10 respectively. Besides that, they had some $17 pizza which is just a little bit more than I was prepared to pay for pizza so I filled up on bread.

If you're really into Italian food or you're looking for a glass of cheap wine, I'd suggest it! Otherwise, you might want to have a quick peek at the surrounding blocks that are filled to the brim with restaurants.

Overall rating: 3/5

Fan of Fridays

It's Friday! We've conquered another week! Work wise, it was a pretty steady week with my hours filled from the moment I walked in to when I left in the evenings. Socially, it was kind of hectic, but in a good way- full of friends, delicious food, and tiny but tasty drinks. We are one month out from the bar results and I think we're all growing cognizant of that fact. I had my first freak out yesterday which does not bode well for the rest of the month!

But overall, October is hands down my favorite month. It's the first month it starts feeling fall-ish in Texas. There's football, pumpkin spice, and riding boots all over the place and it's my birthday month!

Here are some things I'm a fan of this Friday:

1. They found water on Mars! It's crazy to think about how long we've been exploring the planet (comparatively) and we're just now noticing this. Makes me wonder what else might be hiding up there....

2. This month, Sephora has an Origin sample box as their 500-point gift and included was the Checks and Balances face wash. HOLY COW YOU GUYS, I highly recommend hustling on over to Sephora and getting your hands on this. It smells like a peppermint and feels like silk. Not to mention, my face has felt so smooth and clean since I've started using it.

3.  The weather is finally starting to cool down in Texas which means boots are back in my life! I'll be doing a post about my favorites soon, but just having them sitting in the closet instead of packed away brightens my day!

4. The HONY series on Syrian refugees. For those of us not directly impacted by what's happening abroad, it's hard to fathom what these people are going through and exactly what is happening overseas. Brandon from HONY is interviewing refugees as they arrive in Greece as well as Grecians who are offering their help. The result is the most emotional, powerful series I've seen on HONY. Definitely worth a look if you haven't seen it yet.

Hoping everyone has a great weekend!

The Weekly Happy Hour: Malaga

Like every Wednesday before it, I was really looking forward to tasty drinks and snacks by the time I got off work. This time, we tried a place downtown called Malaga. It's a tapas place and I'm not typically a big fan of tapas, so I was a bit wary. First, like most places downtown, parking is awful. I was lucky enough to get a close spot but it was only after 15 minutes of driving in big circles. Make sure to stock up on your patience before heading out to this locale.

Snapped this on my 5th go round past this light 

The restaurant itself was nice though. There were tons of people sitting out on the patio and it's on twinkle light-lit 2nd St. so why not? They have $5 sangria (4 different flavors!) and $6 white and red white. There were beer specials too, but I'll be honest, I was too distracted by the sangrias to check their price!

Malaga also has certain tapas on happy hour so we got the cheese plate to split with the table, some calamari and bread with some kind of tomato spread on top. Everything was good but the real standouts are: the free, warm, continuously reappearing bread and the sauce that came with the calamari. Still thinking about it.

See the sauce hiding on the back of the calamari plate? Total game changer.

I'm not sure that I'd go here if it was full price but it's definitely a happy hour worth checking out, especially if you're in the area (and don't have to drive!). Specials are till 7, which is great if you're having to work late.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Dog Days

(To offset some of the more word-heavy posts, here's some pictures of dogs!)

As awesome as summer is, I've always been more of a 'fall' person. That could be because a Texas 'fall' is the same as everyone else's summer. If that's the case then you guys are lucky folks, because we're going on the end of September here and it is still outrageously hot. While I may not be the biggest fan of this season, Windy definitely is so we're trying to squeeze the most out of what's left of summer by hitting up parks as much as we can.

This past weekend, we were in Houston so my sister invited us to a dog park that recently opened. Apparently, it's the most expensive dog park in the city, but let me tell you, that money did not go towards pet clean up stations. Beyond the serious need for more bags and trashcans, the park itself was pretty nice!

I guess they had just installed new grass or something, because orange fences EVERYWHERE. 

There was a water feature with fountains so dogs could cool off and plenty of grass for them to run around in. Water + dirt/grass = mud though, so don't be the fool I was and wear sandals. Tennis shoes all the way.

In typical Winnie fashion, she wanted to play fetch the entire time and ignore all the other dogs at the park. I can throw a ball from underneath a tree though, so I don't mind.

There were also plenty of little dogs soaking up the shade who seemed to be having the time of their lives, so little dog owners, don't be discouraged! This place is great for everyone.

In the interest of full disclosure, I haven't been to another dog park in Houston so I can't compare, but this was a pretty decent park. There are benches for the humans and nice spaces for the dogs.

This may easily be Winnie's favorite part of summer, but I'm still anxiously awaiting the next season, which is today!

Measuring Autumns

I measure my life in autumns. There's something about the first crisp breeze that brings nostalgia with it, pulling out the memories from the year before and dusting them off. Maybe it's because fall is reliably the same every year. It knocks down the leaves. It signals the start of football, of cooler days, and of sweeter drinks. It's the sameness of the season that allows me to measure the differences in everything else.

It was my senior year of high school when I realized that the first hint of autumn reminded me of something, or more specifically, of all of the autumns before it. Day by day, changes are hard to notice, but autumn by autumn, they become more clear. I could remember the person I was four seasons ago, and I knew that, one year from that moment, I would remember the person I was then. So I memorized the moment and it has stayed with me.

The cool air. Just the tiniest oasis in thick, muggy air. The promise of a new school year and all the adventures it could bring paired with an acute feeling of loss for the year that had passed. I was standing in a parking lot lit by stadium lights. I was gross. Sweaty. Holding a flute and a water jug and realizing that I could not picture my life 365 days from that moment. Day by day, I knew what my future held but viewed in giant leaps, my lack of permanency because acutely noticeable.

365 days from that moment, I would be at some unknown college with unknown friends. I would be taking unknown classes, filling my time with unknown hobbies. The only thing that was certain was that I wouldn't be there. I would never be there again.

That was the first autumn I measured.

Each autumn since has been the same crossroads of what's past and what's to come. Each fall is bittersweet and promising and comfortingly, the same. Now, like back then, I cannot imagine what my life will be like 365 days from this moment. I will be working some unknown job. I will have unknown friends. I will be helping unknown clients, living in an unknown place. The only thing that is certain is that I won't be here. I will never be here again.

Maybe that (along with a healthy dose of pumpkin spice) is what makes the moment so sweet.

Hello There, Blog

I have this bad habit of inspiration with no follow through. That's why this blog was registered about a month ago and this is the first post. There's still something about commitment, after all these years, that still gives me pause. But I'm learning, I promise.

This is going to be Hustle and Whoa. A sort of chronicle/to do/not to do/how to guide of these first cautious steps into real life adulthood.

Here's the sitch: I just graduated law school a few months ago. I get my bar results back (Lord, help me) in a few more months. I'm at an internship that lasts until then and afterwards, it's the big bad world at large. In the mean time, I've got a boyfriend in Houston (and he's taking care of our two cats, Charlie and Rufus), I've got two dogs here (Keller and Windy), I've got siblings, parents, friends, bills, student loans, and a cautionary, positive outlook on the future. So I guess this blog is about all of those things: the #hustle (you already know) and the whoa! (for the happy surprises along the way). Plus it's a pretty good movie. (Taraji + Terrence for life).

I appreciate all of the luck you have to spare and in return, I promise to make the risky moves (for educational purposes, of course).


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