Anna Jane Leland, B.S.!

Janie graduated, woo!

It was a fantastic five days in Austin. Some highlights:

traveling with Mimi!

obligatory succulent pic

Day 1: Satisfied

Scene from my run on Day 2 

running on the boardwalk

It was my first time to Austin in springtime, and I was obsessed with the flowers. 

!!

our graduate princess

the whole crew

<3

they don't teach parallel parking at UT's School of Education apparently

Getting ready for THE BATS

We love our Papa

I like reading 

My favorite person

UT graduation was all out

at Alban's favorite bakery

I loved getting tons of QT with Alban, eating lots and lots of really great food (somehow I failed on the food-photo front this trip), and hanging out with the fam. On one of the nights, Janie invited a bunch of her friends to our VRBO for a graduation party, and it was really fun meeting people whose names we'd been hearing for years. Several of them asked about my new job, which I was impressed by.

My other favorite parts were watching THE BATS in the complete dark, dying laughing at Janie's parallel parking failure, seeing the adorable studio where Janie works, and tubing on the river. Can't wait til next time!

Saying Goodbye to New York

Before I left New York, I checked a few restaurants off my NYC bucket list, and I met up with several friends to say goodbye. Actually, I mostly did both of those things simultaneously.

patatas bravas from El Quinto Pino, the sister restaurant to Txikito

fancy Spanish take on a deviled egg

goodbye brunch w/ the only Tinder match I ever stayed friends with

Housing Works Bookstore

I bought myself this wonderfully tacky hat as a souvenir.

Started my time in NYC with Jeff at a party at Ben's, ended my time in NYC with Jeff at a party at Ben's.

Robertsons plus one significant other, and one rando!

goodbye lunch with Zaki

I don't have other photos of this, but just before I left I had the opportunity to moderate a panel about sustainability!

Goodbye dinner with Ajeet and Kate - at La Vara!

pulpo (octopus)

paella!

Leaving New York was bittersweet. I was excited for the change (for the new job, being closer to family, living somewhere different) but sad that my time in the City was cut short. I was there for only four months, after all. But it was long enough to make me a lot less angsty about never having lived there before (aside from the 10 weeks I spent there for my final college summer). If you include that summer, I've lived in New York for a total of six months, which is really more time than I ever spent in Austin. I think it counts. I still hope I'll return someday, but for now I'm checking this one off my ever-growing "cities to live in" list.

Life Update: new state, new apartment, new job!

So I live in North Carolina now. Carrboro, to be specific. I am happy here. It feels like home.

I'd post photos of my apartment, but it's currently a disaster since I don't have enough hangers for the professional clothes my dear friend Kemper donated to the cause. And because I don't have any side tables or shelves. So anything that's not in a kitchen cabinet, in my closet, or under my bed is simply on the floor.

About two weeks ago I started a new job at the Morehead-Cain Foundation on UNC's campus. My title is content specialist, which means I am working directly under the director of communications to put out top-quality, engaging, and informative content for all our audiences (e.g. email campaigns for alumni, mailers for prospective students, social media for current scholars, etc).

I'm excited about the job because it has lots of room for creativity. Everyone on staff seems highly competent and is super nice, and they all seem to enjoy their work and each other. It's a very positive atmosphere.

Below are some photos from my time in NC over the last two weeks. The main reason why it's taken me so long to update my blog is because I spent five days in Acadia, flew back to NYC on a Friday evening, picked up a rental car that night, packed up the car early Saturday morning, and drove straight to Tarboro that day. I wanted to be back in time for the biannual Blount-Bridgers Gala, a black-tie arts fundraiser for Tarboro's historical society. I moved into my (unfurnished one-bedroom) apartment on the following Sunday afternoon, and started my job Tuesday morning. Needless to say, a day and a half was not sufficient to furnish my apartment, so I was sleeping on the floor for a couple of days before I even found an air mattress, and every morning before work I was frantically digging through cardboard boxes for something to wear.

Now I have a bed, a couch, a dresser, and a couple of chairs. Life feels a lot more under control, though I still haven't quite found a routine yet.

Sarah, MM, and me at the gala

with my twinsies

Farmer Bill packing me some of his home-grown spinach

My office!

my lovely office window!

home for Dylan's 19th 

dinner with my favorites <3

how would I ever be able to choose a paint color for my kitchen table without her

Acadia

I saw three sunrises in four days, I summited several mountains, I hiked about 10-12 miles each day, and I slept peacefully in a tent with the ocean as my sound machine. 10/10 would recommend, even on the rainy days.

happy Caro