View from my lunchtime park bench

I found out my hourly salary when I go part time with my company next week. Literally half of what I expected. I have until tomorrow to sign the papers and have no clue what I’m going to do.

Kiawah Island, South Carolina last weekend with some amazing girls

I leave Chicago next Mondayholyshit.

Homemade Sprinkles cupcakes and a glass of birthday wine with a great cousin and even better friend (Taken with instagram)

I’ve never been much of a meat person. I would eat it if it was there and don’t mind touching raw meat but rarely (meat joke?) think, “hmmm I could really use a big steak right now.” The past year or so I’ve had to consciously think to myself, “don’t think about what it is, don’t think about what it is” and could eat it. But the past few months something has changed. I’ll get halfway through a salad with chicken on it or be eating a stuffed pepper that has ground turkey and have to stop eating all together. 

I had dinner with my cousin tonight, and she’s been a vegetarian for almost 8 years. We chatted about, and she gave me some books to read (I want to be a “vegetarianism is healthy for you” person, not a “DON’T YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE EATING!” judge-y person). She also told me about some of her go-to meals and how she keeps a balanced diet. 

I’m starting to get really intrigued by the whole thing and am going to start phasing meat out of my diet to see what happens. I’m excited to see what happens and how I feel.

Does anyone have any advice?

Left my mark at Stanley’s Saturday night. “Thanks for everything Chicago. I’ll never forget you. Love, Steph”

…but tomorrow we’re going to feel like hell

I was just informed by IT that I have the second most full inbox in our office. Time to do some seriously cleaning.

Derby weekend!

The past few weeks (months, really) have been incredibly stressful. Moving all my things into storage, packing to live with friends for six weeks, resigning from my job of 3.5 years plus all the other life activities have combined into a perfect storm of stress. For me, stress means lots of strange dreams which means fitful sleep which means grumpy days and more stress and less sleep. You get it.

Monday night around 11:30 I finally finished cleaning my old place and went to my friend’s apartment where I’m staying for the week. I walked in the door, carrying the only possessions I have left, sweaty, exhausted and near tears. My friend asked if I needed a hug. I told her that a hug would make me cry. “I can tell,” she said. “That’s why I asked if you needed one.”

So she hugged me, and I cried.

And I’ve slept soundly the past few nights.

My Wednesday? Oh you know, the usual. Being driven around New Jersey by a man named Tom.

I just realized I didn’t check the inside of a cabinet that I left by the dumpster when I moved Saturday morning. An embroidery project I was working on was in there, and I am devastated that all my hard work is gone. It’s the first craft-y I’ve done in…ever, and I spent a lot of hours on it. I know it’s a dumb thing to get upset over but after everything else the past week, I just really didn’t need that too.

I’m probably the last person in the world to see this, but if you haven’t, definitely watch!