The latest thoughts, deets and tails from this neck of the woods...

• I stopped by Target last week to gather cards for my first east coast game night.  Meandering through the gargantuan store, I came across the Home Decor section.  Danger.  I happen to adore wandering through that section of the store and imagining decorating a space all my own.  Thankfully I don't have a space to decorate because many a penny would be spent in that there store, in that there section.  It's happiness.

• Yesterday I treated myself to a pedicure.  I've had the old turquoise nail polish on my toenails that had been painted back in my home town...like two months ago.  Go ahead and judge me.  I am.  It's awkward. haha It was lovely to have someone scrub down my very roughed up post-africa feet.  They're soft and my toes are so cute now.  Odd that we decorate those itty bitty, strange appendages down there right?  

• I nanny for a little 4 month old baby named James.  I feel like I'm a full-time mom sometimes.  Now before all of the mothers out there mock me because I have no idea what they've experienced, they're right. I've never been pregnant, given birth, nor experienced the first (of many) sleepless nights during the beginning.  But on a small scale, I'm starting to relate.  I nanny Monday-Friday 8:00am-6:00pm.  It's crazy to me that the stud can strategically plan his pooping and pee time for right when I'm changing his diaper.  And yet somehow, I still adore him to bits.  How does that work?  I didn't even produce the fella.  How can I glaze over consistent digestive hate crimes?  haha I dunno.  But he's adorable.

• I'm still happily addicted to spinach smoothies.  I only get to eat during nap time but throwing healthy goods into a blender and having a cup of green deliciousness as the result is consistently pleasing.  Love.

• I've been on a few dates since I've been here.  My very favorite date that I've been on in the last few months would have to be....that one in Paris. :)  Yeah, I didn't tell a lot of people about it but it was wonderful.  We went to the Bastille, walked along the Seine, sat by the water and talked for a while, then went out for drinks...I ordered mango juice haha, and then...maybe we watched some Prison Break together.  haha Granted a lot of what made that date wonderful was the whimsical location but...it was so fun.  He's a really great guy and we had a lot of fun together.  Please bless there are more dates like zat in my future.  I don't know why I felt it appropriate to take a shoe shot on the Seine together...probably just because I'm irritatingly pleased with his good taste in clothes.  Seriously, you should have seen what the lad was wearing.  Ugh, french men and their effortless attractiveness.

• We had a game night last week.  Played Rummikub, listened to Chicago's greatest hits (that's real), and had a hilarious good time.  Group of fun friends on the east coast slowly in formation.

• Christmas music.  Look out.  It’s early.  I should not be listening to it.  But goodness, what is it about Christmas music that makes me want to walk bundled up holding hands with a rugged, thoughtful man down a twinkly light lined street?!   haha Unreal.  Maybe if there were a bunch of famous thanksgiving songs, the radio stations wouldn't start playing the Christmas goods in November.  I dunno.  But then again, who wants to sing about a turkey?  I wouldn't put it past Rihanna for some reason.

• LOVE talking to people from the various phases of my life.  Recently I’ve been able to speak to people from my days in Paris, mission in Italy, and summer in Uganda.  It’s amazing what a bond exists between these people because of what you learned and went through together.  I love having met them and being blessed with continued contact with them.  

• Still longing to live abroad.  What is my deal?  Constantly brainstorming what career could allow me to work out of Paris or Italy or...Africa.  What a spaz I am.  I adore traveling and every place I’ve lived has changed my life.  But I’ve left a little piece of my heart in all of those places and...can’t help but want to go back to feel that way again.  Maybe I sound crazy. I'm thankful for the time that I've had in all of those places.  I really am.  They were nothing short of life changing.  But I miss the people, the places, the language, the me that lived and learned there.  What a pathetic mess. haha We'll see.  I'm happy to be where I am and being having the experiences that I'm currently having.  I really am blessed.  I have another 4 1/2 months to work as a nanny then who knows, maybe the perfect career will magically pop up that allows me to move to Europe.  :)  If not, that's okay too.

Hope you're all healthy and happy wherever you may be.  Love,

Blonde, curly haired nanny with nerd glasses in the nations capital.  :)