diana and dad visit

          The third weekend after classes started, my dad and Diana came to visit on Sunday--a much needed taste of home and family, and part of me wanted to return to Newburyport when they left later that night. It’s hard being in an unfamiliar place that is so urban and enormous without having loved ones nearby, though I’m endlessly grateful for the opportunities here in New York. 

While they were here, we had a great time wandering around Manhattan. We stopped into the Public Library (which currently has an excellent exhibit about the evolution of restaurants and fast food), had lunch and coffee, fit in a little bit of shopping, and returned to the Bronx for dinner on Arthur Avenue, the original Little Italy. 

Driving to New York and back in one day is exhausting, and I was really grateful to have my family visit. Seeing them made me feel a lot older and somehow very different; not seeing my sister everyday has been the strangest part of being away, and being able to function without my family and friends from home makes me really proud of myself. I love seeing my family and I make sure to phone home every few days, but I can’t deny that I’m enjoying having a life of my own.

sunday afternoon at the new york public library  

so long, newburyport high

          High School graduation was one of the most bittersweet days of my life. I was thrilled to be done with pre-calc and homework and waking up at 6:00 every morning, but realizing that I wouldn’t see my friends everyday at school the next year was a rude awakening. The weather on June 3, 2012 perfectly described my mixed feelings of delight and sadness. In the morning, it was raining, and continued on and off for the whole afternoon. When it was time to walk into the stadium, it seemed to clear up, though the sky was overcast and windy enough that I had to hold onto my cap. The skies opened up and the rain really began as soon as we sang the last line of our Alma Mater. 

          Receiving my diploma was definitely a high point in my life; I feel like I deserved it, and I am proud to be a graduate of Newburyport High. I’m endlessly grateful to my high school for being excellent enough to give me a choice of colleges, and for the wonderful teachers I had. Leading up to graduation, we had senior week, which consisted of various activities like Vespers (a somber ceremony), the black tie banquet and yearbook signing, Ivy Day, senior sing-out, promenade, and senior celebration. It was great to bond with everyone in my class during our final week together, and I made a lot of great memories with my friends.

senior prom 

senior celebration

klaudia and i, senior celebration

vespers with charter kids

sister+best friend

parents

spring ahead

          At last, summer has nearly arrived and the school year is winding down, so these past couple of weeks have been crazy. It seems like a lot of school related events have sprung up (no pun intended), and everyone has made their final decisions about college. I've decided to commit to Fordham University, and I could not be more excited at the opportunity to live and go to school in New York City. In the meantime, I plan to enjoy all of the activities planned for senior week, and to spend a lot of time with friends.
          I cannot believe that I'm finally done with high school and am graduating on Sunday, but I definitely feel ready for my next adventure.

diana and i with our favorite art teacher at the National Art Honor Society induction ceremony.

diana and i at the National Honor Society induction

klaudia, diana, and i at the ceremony for academic excellence

birthday festivities

          

           As of today, I am officially an adult! Since it is Tuesday, I celebrated my 18th birthday over the weekend with Diana and Klaudia. After arriving in Boston on Saturday afternoon, we had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and spent the rest of the day shopping (and eating). I was worried about the weather, but it was a perfect January day: warm enough for iced coffee, but cold enough to need a jacket. 

          After spending too much money on Newbury Street, we made our way to Cambridge to find dinner in Harvard Square. We decided on b. good, one of my favorite local chain restaurants for the cheap and delicious food. Although b. good is known for their burgers, made from local ingredients like the rest of their menu, I decided on a salad with some amazing roasted sweet potato fries. We walked around for a little bit longer before heading back to our hotel, exhausted.

          The next morning, we slept in late, grabbed lunch at Pizzeria Regina (the best pizza in the world. Period.), and trekked back to Newburyport. All in all, spending the weekend in Boston was a nice way to celebrate my passage into adulthood and, as always, I wished I didn't have to leave. It was fun to be in Harvard Square this time of the year, and being around college students/college life made me even more excited for my own experience this Fall. 

we run on dunkin's!

diana, me, and klaudia after enjoying sweet treats at Sweet Cupcakes

beautiful friends + lights in boston

boston black friday

christmas tree in the north end

diana and i

klaudia being a model, as usual.

       Last night, my parents took Diana, Klaudia, and I into Boston to see the tree lighting at Macy's and to do some shopping. The previous day, on Thanksgiving, after a morning football game (which Newburyport won!), a family walk in Maudslay State Park, and, of course, a turkey dinner, some friends came over to relax before we left at 11:30 to begin Black Friday shopping.
       My goal for the night/morning was to get a Kindle at Target, so we went there first and waited outside in 34 degree weather for two hours, and stood in line for another hour once we got inside. It was entertaining at first, when friendly employees in red shirts passed out energy bars and Klaudia and I listened to all of the crazed shoppers' conversations, but it got old pretty quickly and I was visibly upset by the time I made it to the check-out.
       After finishing our shopping, we drove home, slept for six hours, and then trekked into Boston. I was really tired, but I absolutely love Boston, especially during the holidays. The weather was surprisingly nice--all of us were freezing that morning, but the evening in the city was beautiful. We shopped for a few hours before having a lackluster dinner at a Mexican restaurant and strolling through the North End, festively lit with holiday lights, probably left over from a feast. Thanksgiving this year was a lot of fun, and aside from the stress of purchasing my Kindle, it was a welcome break from college applications and homework. And now the countdown to Christmas begins.

craft fair

some of my greeting cards

diana and klaudia

diana's earrings--the buttons are my favorite!

sparkle invitations

Last weekend, my sister's class at our school had a craft fair for one of their fundraisers. Klaudia, Diana, and I split the $25 table fee three ways, and had several frenzied crafting afternoons producing inventory. Klaudia and I always say that if everything we've planned about our lives fails, we are going to open a card and soap store, which she has already christened "Suds and Salutations." (My genius best friend also thought of the name for my blog!) In our business, I make the cards and she makes the soap, but in preparing for the fair, everything we did was a joint effort. I have been making cards for various occasions for friends and family for a long time, but neither of us had ever made soap before. For two people who had no idea what we were doing, the soap turned out pretty good, and we are going to continue improving our recipe. Diana was selling beautiful earrings, infinity scarves, and handbags, all of which she made. Although we weren't as profitable as we had hoped, it was a good first selling experience and a fun way to spend the afternoon with friends.

back to school

       Well, this summer flew by even faster than the last one, and I've already begun to make plans for Summer 2012. In the meantime, though, it's back to high school for my final year. I am really excited to be a senior, but I'm not looking forward to the grueling college admissions process and all of the hard work during first semester. I'm hoping the boring parts will fly by, and I will be able to enjoy my last year at Newburyport High.
       I'm really hoping that I'll have enough time to take little adventures so I can continue writing--I'm eagerly awaiting both the Fryeburg and Topsfield Fairs, in October, and I would love to get in some hiking as the weather gets cooler. In the meantime, I'm going to try to finish my summer reading books, and when classes start in four days, I'm going to try to pay attention.

I wish I could find school supplies this pretty! photo c/o pinterest.com