Beginnings

The very first day of college; can you remember the feeling? Excitement was HIGH, nervousness abounded, but you couldn’t let it show because you were the epitome of cool; a college student.

Thankfully, on my first day of college in August 1998, I had made two friends by the first day of classes and didn’t have to sit in Arch 101 alone; Lane and Chris, my “first friends.” We sat near the middle, eyeing up everyone else in the room. Little did we know they would fast become our family, sharing triumphs and coffee breaks and late night shenanigans.

I recall Dean Marlene Davis’ welcoming speech telling us to “look around at the other students in the room. Some of you will become business partners, some won’t make it to graduation, some of you will become husband/wife...” At the mention of that last bit I remember looking around at the boys in the room...these boys? Really? Weird, I don’t even know them...and one of them might be my soul mate?

How funny it is to me that Dean Davis’ words came true exactly 10 years later. How funny it is to me that my future husband was in front of me all that time...in all of my classes, asking me for spelling help when we were writing papers, living on the same college campus, yet we were on different paths during those years. How happy I am that our paths finally converged right before graduation and we fell for each other!

Sometimes I still walk in to the living room or past the kitchen and glimpse Ethan...and think “hey, that’s Ethan from architecture school, what’s he doing in my kitchen?”

Happy one year anniversary to my best friend and the person I admire most! I am thankful for you every day.

Norway

I am enclosing a link to the truncated version of the pictures we snapped in Norway. We took so many architecture pictures that it's almost embarrassing...so I will spare you all.


but here is one...the new Oslo Opera House by Snohetta

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The week was spent with Wendy and Ron, and Martha and David touring the Southern part of the country. Flying in was really cool because of the vast expanses of green hills and forests, and fjords and lakes as far as the eye could see! I couldn't believe how seemingly untouched the countryside was.

We traveled by trains and mostly boats on the Fjords. Being on the fjord was like stepping back in time...sometimes it felt prehistoric since the Sognefjord is the longest Fjord in Norway and reaches depths of 4,300 feet! We saw breathtaking beauty, seals, "whales" (really a type of porpoise), and sea eagles. Oh, and tiny adorable fishing villages dotted the landscape here and there. We ate amazing sea food and slept in quaint, sleepy villages along the way. Traveling by boat was such a unique and relaxing way to experience the landscape and culture.


Wendy on the Train to Flam


Stacey and Martha (a.k.a. Hilda) on the Fjord boat

Then we were back in Oslo for the wedding weekend. We had so much fun helping put the wedding together with Katie and family, hanging out with our family, and being in such a cool Scandinavian city. I can't wait to go back!

Karma, or “A short story about material goods and blisters”

Been longing for a certain pair of lovely overly-expensive shoes. Lovely shoes go on sale...super sale, I might add. They are entirely work-appropriate...and on sale! Hello! Thus, I can justify purchasing the shoes.

Riding to work on a Monday morning smiling at the world, wearing my fabulous new shoes...life is good. Moped begins to slow down...I give it more gas...still slower...and then it dies. In rush hour traffic. Not okay. Now I have to push my moped down the mucky road, stepping in puddles in my new shoes, cars flying by.

My new shoes make the rest of the journey to work on the Bus, and then by walking 4 blocks uphill in the rain drizzle, but I'm not complainin'! I may now have new-shoe blisters and unhappy feet... But they sure do look cute. :)

Happy Monday! I hope you are wearing your happy shoes today!


Here they are! Haha, I think I am the only girl in America to long for FLATS! But oh the buckle...and the rubber bumper heels that unfortunately you cannot see in this pic.