7月--July
Full on summering continued through July, with the garden taking center stage. Our backyard plot produced a crazy amount of zucchinis; so many in fact that Christina and I started naming them in the same vein as tropical storms. We got all the way to "P," and that only includes the ones we picked and ate. We also ignored the advice of more experienced gardeners and let our zucchinis get really big! Working from home most of the summer, there were a lot of breaks taken out by the garden and the change in zucchini size from morning to afternoon was quite noticeable.
On the 4th, Christina and I hiked up to Monticello for the first time. There is a really nice trail only about five minutes from where we live, and we have since hiked it several more times. On the 4th, Monticello hosts a US citizenship ceremony, so when we arrived at the top, there were a ton of people milling about, all dressed in red, white and blue. After our hike, we threw together an impromptu "BBQ" with another friend. We were all ready to cook the kabobs and hot dogs outside when it started to thunder and drizzle. We cooked inside instead, and when we were done, it had cleared up and we were able to eat outside.
After our early dinner, it was back up to Monticello, this time by car for fireworks viewing from Montalto, the higher hill behind Jefferson's home. Christina, and our other housemate, Michelle, both work for the Monticello archaeology department, and I was lucky enough to tag along on this employee event. From Montalto we could see all of the fireworks in Charlottesville and beyond; being up above them was a totally different experience.
8月--August
August included traveling, the start of my second year of grad school and a visit from President Obama! At the end of July, I went home to Arizona for a week, and then headed to Hawaii to be a bridesmaid in my college roommate's wedding. I spent a wonderful week in the tropical sunshine, helping Kim and her family prepare for the big event. I also got to catch up with friends from college and have dinner with the always oshare Jamie-chan. I am so lucky to have met such wonderful people in my early adult life; I am truly thankful for our friendships and wish it was easier to get together more often.
Post-vacation, things quickly returned to semi-normalcy in Charlottesville. I gave my final presentation on a proposed corridor overlay zoning ordinance to the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors, and decided to continue my internship with the bicycle and pedestrian planner in Charlottesville as an independent study. A few days after the beginning of classes, President Obama made an appearance Downtown, encouraging everyone to get out the vote. I went with a classmate and endured the blazing sun and large crowd to get that fantastic photo at the top right, where most of the President's face is obscured by the teleprompter. It was fun to be a (very small) part of what turned into an impressive grassroots campaign.
After an entire summer of nary a tomato turning red on the vine, Christina and I decided to try a recipe for green tomatoes. We made an incredible fried green tomato + pimento cheese tart and I also discovered that extra fried green tomatoes are a delicious salad topper. But those things aside, it would have been nice to get some red tomatoes; maybe in 2013?
9月--September
I kicked off the month of September running in the Charlottesville Women's Four-Miler with four of my classmates and hundreds of other women. This was the first event I ever ran, and I am very proud to say I came in under my goal time of 40 minutes with a time of 38:07. I was about in the middle for my age group and just made it into the top 20% of participants overall. I have been trying to run regularly since, and hope to do another event in 2013.
In September I also attended my first polo match at King Family Vineyards, which was a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon. The weather was gorgeous (as were a some of the players!) we had lawn chairs, snacks and shared a bottle of wine. After the match, we played frisbee on the field.
Other notable September events included spending many hours on the flashy UVA bus pictured above to get to and from Appalachia, Virginia as part of my Economic Development class and turning 27. For our joint birthday party, I made Christina these totally insane cupcakes from Joy the Baker. Not only was each cupcake like three desserts in one (chocolate cake, peanut butter cookie and meringue) but the recipe makes two dozen of them!
10月--October
Looking back, October is kind of a blur. I know I was completely unprepared for Halloween and ended up not celebrating. I didn't have a costume nor the energy for a party, and thought I would compensate by carving a spectacular jack-o-lantern but waited too long and couldn't find a pumpkin. At least I found some pumpkin beer to get me through.
October was also a fantastic month for fall foliage. I learned about the Japanese practice of 森林浴 shinrinyoku, or "forest bathing" as a way to alleviate stress and set out on a long hike along part of the Appalachian Trail with Christina. The leaves in the neighborhood were just as good, and biking to and from school was a treat. I also went to the largest corn maze in Virginia (thank goodness they give you a map upon entering) and got my fall on at the Graves Mountain Harvest Festival for the second year.
11月--November
Another busy month at school, but broken up by a visit from Linda + Sergio, two friends from college. They came all the way from California for a weekend, which we spent hiking, beer tasting and eating lots of delicious food. Together we tried three new restaurants and explored a new hiking area.
November also meant time once again for the planning department's annual 100-mile Thanksgiving, followed by Thanksgiving with extended family in Northern Virginia a week later. My cousin, her future sister-in-law, and I decided to join the crowds at Target for some Black Thursday (yes, Thursday) shopping. My rookie status was quickly confirmed when I carelessly left an outdoor fire pit in the cart at the end of the steam mop aisle. It was gone when we went back to get it just a few minutes later. The three of us left the store empty handed, and I don't think I will ever feel the need to go shopping mere hours after Thanksgiving dinner ever again.
12月--December
There are really only about 10 days of school left after Thanksgiving break, and they seem to be simultaneously never ending, and yet not nearly long enough to get all the work done. Through some small miracle, I turned in my last final a few hours before getting on the plane back to Arizona. I left my apartment in shambles, but figured all the dirt that didn't get cleaned up would still be waiting for me when I get back, whereas the window for passing my classes would not. I think I made the right choice, but have been enjoying the total separation from school so much that I haven't checked my grades. They should still be there later as well.
I really enjoyed my time in Arizona, putting finishing touches on some homemade gifts, hiking, spending a mother-daughter day in Prescott, and catching up with friends. My family went to see the movie Lincoln and made sushi on Christmas Eve, enjoyed our traditional Christmas bread for breakfast and had a Thanksgiving worthy feast on Christmas before walking around the neighborhood to look at lights. It was quiet, but really nice just to spend time together, since it doesn't happen very often these days. Then as soon as Christmas was over, my mom went off birding and I packed up to go to Japan for New Year's.
There were many, many times during 2012 when my life felt like schoolwork day in and day out, but looking back over the year in these posts reveals a lot more than that. I am proud of myself for trying new things and grateful for the all the time I spent with friends and family. With graduation in May, 2013 promises to be a year of changes, many of which I hope to chronicle here.
Thank you to my loyal readers for your patience + all of the best in 2013!
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