#literally had pizza buffet lunch with my coworkers

[votives]

2016 in Review

Last year I wrote a month-by-month summary of 2015 for my own benefit. I found it last week and it was really fun to see what happened in my own personal life. This is that, but for 2016. A lot happened in the world, but this really is just about my own personal life for me. If for whatever reason you care, feel free to read on. Cheers to 2017!

January: I rung in the new year with my friend Edel and two of her long-time friends, which was casual and fun and a great way to kick-off a year that I wanted to base on self-improvement and self-love. Nearly as soon as I got back to school, I got a job at my favorite coffee shop (which I’ve been working at for almost a year!) Not even a week later I was on my way home from d-hall dinner with my gal pal WXJM friends I made in fall ‘15 when my former roommate called me and told me that there was a package waiting for me when I came home. When I got home and opened my bedroom door, I was sprayed with confetti and a group of strangers (who just spent time in my horribly decorated room complete with a Rupert Grint cardboard cutout) sang the JMU fight song to me — I got into Student Ambassadors! Winter Storm Jonas barricaded me in my apartment allowing me to catch up on all my favorite movies, but also made me shovel several feet of snow out from around my car so I could drive to my first day at work. 

February: I started having friend-dates to find a mentor in SA and knew within 10 minutes of my coffee date with my friend Taylor that I needed her as my mentor. Emma came to visit one weekend, which was significantly less messy than the time she visited the semester before. A little later, at the mentor/mentee reveal, Taylor and I found out we got each other and pretty much became friend soulmates. (Things have continued as such). We started going to weekly yoga together. I had my first tour and became polo official. This month was heavy in that organization. It was also during this month that I absolutely crushed hard on this guy in one of my writing classes. We had the same political views, he was incredibly well spoken and funny, and he was literally a surfer from Hawaii. We went to a house show together, got lunch once or twice and hung out at the library on several occasions, but at the end of the day it didn’t go anywhere. 

March: Meredith, my parents & I went on a cruise for spring break. The first cruise Mer or I had ever been on. Was less then great, as one of our stops got cancelled (we were supposed to go to the Ernest Hemingway house) but it was still absolutely amazing to spend a week exploring with my best friend. Highlight: cave-diving in Mexico with Mer & my parents. I had my one year mark with The Breeze. I think everyone was a little shell-shocked when I didn’t apply for editor the month before, but I had just gotten the job and the organization and didn’t want to be overwhelmed. I was getting over Hawaiian boy when my friend suggested I go for this really outgoing boy I met a house show. He was a ball of energy and made me look quiet. With her help, he and a few of his friends became a part of our growing friend group and I tried to spend more time with him. Macrock happened which was 1. amazing 2. horrifying. I missed more of it than I would have liked to, but it was because I was having so much fun with my friends. I volunteered to help at the door of a random show, and ended up working the heavy metal show, also.

April: Either mid-March or early April I got really close to a handful of seniors in SA, which was the most devastating thing I could’ve done. I spent a lot of this month at the library or d-hall with them, and I spent a lot of weekends at their houses. It was around this time that I also developed a crush on a senior in WXJM who was planning to stay another year, which was good timing because I realized that my friend had slept with the boy she was helping to set me up with. I was named top writer in my section for The Breeze, and spent a growing time with my SA friends as I got disenchanted with WXJM for a little. We found out that our fourth-roommate, who we thought was living with us this current year, never signed the lease. I don’t think I ever actually said goodbye to her in person. 

May: I went to the beach for a week with a bunch of friends which was partly horrible and partly amazing. There was a ton of unavoidable drama, but I also learned that sharing a pullout couch with two other people makes you really close. I adopted a Jimmy Buffet mentality for the week and spent the entire week trying to be as happy and carefree as possible, and it worked. My parents, during this time, were moving from our 2015 residence to a house we’re currently renting closer to my dads work. When I got back, I interviewed for and got an internship for the summer. I’m a sneaky ass, so when I hung out with a bunch of friends the day before my birthday I decided to not mention my birthday to any of them. One of my closest friends, Lizzet, knew though and had secretly brought a gift. I got a bunch of angry texts at like 1 in the morning from friends mad that I didn’t remind them. The morning of my 20th birthday my mom informed me that the night before, my little cousin had been diagnosed with Leukemia. I cannot explain how devastated I was and still am about that. Later in the day, Meredith & Josh drove up to visit and spend several days with me. We went to DC, Great Falls, and watched a ton of Gossip Girl & Parks and Rec. 

June: I started my internship. I got surprisingly into Gossip Girl. Edel and I started to get lunches fairly often to discuss the weirdness of being a 20 year old but also having a business-casual job. My godson, Ben was born!  We sold and moved out of our lakehouse of eight years, which was weird to say the least. I went to visit Emma,  Autumn & Emily in Richmond. A lot of it didn’t go according to plan, but some highlights: I spent a TON of time with Daniel, Junaid, Ian & Dan (the senior friends and their roommates from April) and Autumn & I met fuckin Josh Radnor (aka Ted Mosby) when we were out to brunch. Had a mUCH needed catching-up session with Lizzet when I got back. 

July: We moved into our new lakehouse! The goal is to move out of the rental next year and my parents will move full-time to the lake. I went to my school apartment for a weekend to move-out and got to spend much needed time with Taylor and a friend Maddie who left my organization. Moving out of my apartment was weird, because I hated it but it had a lot of memories. Edel and I started a food instagram. Autumn came to visit me at the lake, which included trips to get icecream, kayaking ventures, tubing and trying to watch the stars. I went to NC for a weekend to see my much-missed high school friends. It was overwhelming and amazing and I could’ve spent another week easily. 

August: Met up with a friend from high school who happened to be interning in DC and went to my first ever Nats game. Meredith and Josh came to the lake for a weekend, the third time I got to see her this year which is honestly a miracle. Autumn and I moved in to our apartment on the same day, after only being assigned it like three days before after a summer of roommate assignments that fell through. We spent a lot of the night cleaning, then the rest of it unpacking and trying to get ready for orientation (We were FROGS: First Year Orientation Guides). My FROG group was amazing: my partner was a perfect contrast to me, and we ended up having a ton of mutual friends. My entire group of FROGs got really close together, and I particularly bonded with a friend named Taryn who is honestly just me. We’re pretty much twins. We also were both trying to start being some form of vegetarian at the same time, which is how we initially bonded. My first years kind of hated me at times and I didn’t have the same experience as most of my FROG friends, but I’m still really grateful for it. 

September: First few weeks of school were super fun because none of my responsibilities had really kicked in yet, so I could do whatever. I went to my first JMU tailgate which was incredibly fun, and I got to go to several games in the beginning of the season when I missed all of last season. Bikash and I started our third season at WXJM, Bear Necessities. I had dinner at the university presidents house. Emma and I became friends again, after a little bit of a hiatus. 

October: Realized that I have a crush on a good friend, which always sucks. Didn’t do anything about it. Taylor and I saw Chance the Rapper live, which was super weird and super amazing and the most fun. Taylor took me to the lavender farm because she just gets me. We went with the boy who ghosted me, which was weird, but it’s ok. Autumn turned 21! We had a bunch of people over to our apartment. It was so fun. I got a little in WXJM and she’s perfect. She’s my year, she’s cooler than me, and she’s incredibly vocal about the phenomenal things that she is passionate about. I went to Minnesota one weekend for my cousins wedding and got to see my moms side of the family, which I always miss. I impulse bought a razor scooter, which I once rode to work to make fun of my coworkers. Meredith and Josh came to visit JMU for Hallow-homecoming! A bunch of my alumni friends were also visiting that weekend. I didn’t get to see a lot of alumni, but I had a ton of fun with Mer and Josh: highlights include briefly going to a tailgate, going to Rocky Horror and going to Benny’s. 

November: Lizzet turns 21! I went to see Beach House in Charlottesvile, which was an amazing show and an interesting night. I got enough confidence to ask my lingering crush from last semester out to get pizza, but I’m pretty positive it was just as friends because that was the last time we talked even though it couldn’t have possibly gone better. The election happened, which was depressing. I participated in a live discussion on feminism for The Breeze, which was great. There was an armed man barricaded in my apartment building one morning and my roommates and I were told by a police officer (one of many surrounding my building) to evacuate and run to the clubhouse, where I stayed for several hours (not forced) to get updates. It ended peacefully. Mer turned 21 and I missed it, which sucked. For Thanksgiving we went to NC for like 4 hours, which was nice but brief. 

December: Taylor’s birthday! I got her a stuffed goat from You’ve Goat Mail for Christmas and I’m still absurdly proud about it. Lizzet took me to the Smallpools Concert for free, but we accidentally missed the meet & greets. I went to a Christmas Cocktail where I only knew a few people and walked away with a bunch of new friends: namely, a house-dog. I either got food poisoning or the stomach bug, who’s to tell. Operation Santa Claus happened and was super fun. After months of stress, I was accepted into a study abroad program in Italy, which my friend Emily is going on too. I had a really stressful academic end of the semester, but left for break feeling really good about the next semester. I have every intention to apply to be a section editor for The Breeze. I still have a crush on my friend that I realized in September and still haven’t acted on it. I’m torn between going for it or letting it go. Time will tell. A bunch of my family got sick over Christmas, and somehow I didn’t. So I’m either a huge successful germaphobe or I already had the bug. We binge watched The OA, and wow. My brother gave me a ton of records and my mom made some new pillows for me, so I decided to transform my room since we’re staying in our apartment. 

for 2017:

Looking forward to applying for editor

Looking forward to hitting one year @ black sheep

Looking forward to getting my own mentee in SA

Looking forward to studying abroad

Looking forward to turning 21 

Hoping my cousin becomes cancer free

Hoping we get to go on last year’s planned NYC trip, which we delayed

Hoping I either make a move or give up on that boy 

Hoping I get back into yoga & stay relatively healthy  

[hellojessicabrown]

My Solo Days in Ireland

What would you do with four days being solo in Ireland? I thought that I would wuss out and stay in the hotel room but I didn't want to miss out. On Tuesday, Jeremy and I got up early and headed to Trinity Hotel. We took the Luas and then walked the rest of the way. It was completely unplanned and totally coincidence but my boss Travis, happened to be in Ireland at the same time as us. He however was doing more traveling than us so we wanted to fit in breakfast or a pint while we could. Trinity Hotel had an amazing buffet style breakfast. By the last day of the trip Jeremy and I wanted to go back. We had endless coffee, sausages, eggs, chocolate croissants and so many more options. 

Jeremy and I split a croissant and ended up splitting another one because it was so good. Jeremy had to run to work once he finished but I got to stay and visit with Travis, his wife and mom. By the end of breakfast Travis handed me tickets for the Hop on Hop off. They were 24 hour tickets that were good until 1pm. Unfortunately, I stood at the stop for about 15 minutes before I realized the bus wasn't running yet.

I decided I would head over to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. More importantly, to see the library. Hello Harry Potter fans, I see you! What makes you brave on a solo trip? Harry Potter facts in Ireland got me. Jeremy and I also saw where a Horcrux was hidden, that comes later though. [gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="2583,2582,2580,2581,2579,2578,2577"] After walking around the Book of Kells and breathing in the feeling the library gave me, I decided to try the Hop on Hop off again. I walked back down to the stop across from Trinity Hotel and waited. I got excited when I saw a bus come around the corner, only to be disappointed that it was out of service. Just when I started to talk myself out of it and walk back to the Luas I saw another stop. I waited and this time hopped on a giant green bus. We drove by Crackbird which was the restaurant we ate at the first night. I had to snap a picture for the scrapbook.

Each stop was taking about ten minutes each, taking me further and further away from the Luas. I realized at about 11:30 that there were over 30 stops and I only had a ticket until 1pm. After stopping at St. Patrick's Cathedral and Teeling Whiskey I hopped off at Guinness. I was worried that Jeremy would be trying to get a hold of me for lunch (no wifi at the time), I would end up on the other side of Dublin with no way to get back and again, no wifi for help.

At least we had walked back to the Luas from Teeling Whiskey on our second day. I knew where I was headed and it was more settling when I saw familiar sights. It took me until about 12:30pm to get back but when I did the Luas was waiting. Perfect timing! Once I was in the hotel room I messaged Jeremy. He couldn't grab lunch with me and I didn't want to go all the way back to St. Stephen's Green. I pulled up places close to the hotel and found The Art of Coffee. After I had lunch here, this place became a staple for coffee with Jeremy and I. I ordered a flat white and some kind of chicken sandwich. Sorry, I don't remember. It was over a month ago! But I do remember that it was delicious and I ate the whole thing. For the rest of the afternoon, I stayed in the hotel room watching my new favorite show, Dinner Date and waiting for Jeremy to get back from training. [gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="2587,2590,2589,2591"] For dinner we didn't want to travel far. We found a place on googlemaps close to our stop on the Luas and decided to go for it. I am so glad we did. I am naming this the best meal of the trip. Brickyard Gastropub was located at the Ballaly Luas stop and stole our hearts with the Charcuterie and Cheese board. For drinks Jeremy has a pint of Guinness and I had the Tempranillo Spanish red wine. My stomach still wasn't handling heavy beer but the wine went down just fine. We also split the chicken skewers. My favorite was the Irish cheese and the homemade red pepper chutney was so full of flavor. [gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="2592,2593,2594,2595,2596,2597,2598,2600,2601,2602"] When Wednesday rolled around Jeremy and I walked down to the Art of Coffee before he headed in to training. I got my coffee to go and headed to St. Stephen's Green for an outfit to go to dinner in. Jeremy's coworker and his wife were taking us to Johnny Fox's and I had sent all of my clothes to the cleaners. Oops! My first stop was the mall where I found the cutest little cross body bag. I didn't want my giant bag for going to the Cliffs of Moher on the weekend so this was a perfect grab.

Then I stopped in a H&M and was actually able to put together a whole outfit for a small amount of money. After all of the wandering I headed back to the hotel room and then to grab lunch. We were having a bigger dinner so I wanted something light. I had a container of grapes and a small chicken salad.

I spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for dinner. I learned pretty quickly that you cannot run your hair dryer on a normal setting in Ireland. Hello blown breaker. I had to call the maintenance guy to come up and fix it. I did not take any pictures of dinner that night because we were with company and I just wanted to enjoy that. Also, meeting someone for the first time I didn't want to be obnoxiously taking pictures. Jeremy did take this picture before dinner though and said I seemed to be acclimating well.

I was checking on Ke$ha on the Watering Bowl's Facebook page. The next morning Jeremy and I had coffee at the Art of Coffee again. I got mine to sip on and a granola bar to go with it. I stayed there and people watched for a bit.

While at dinner the night before, Jeremy's coworker suggested I go to the museum. After my coffee I jumped on the Luas and headed to St. Stephen's Green. From there I walked to the museum and enjoyed some sights as I went. [gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="2608,2609,2610,2611,2612,2613"] One of my favorite parts of walking around was always seeing the flower markets. They were so beautiful and smelled so pretty. Visiting Ireland makes you want to plant all the beautiful things. Later in the afternoon I headed back to the hotel. I made a quick stop at Cafe Mima for a flat white.

Honestly, I thought I might be able to grab lunch here but when I walked in I got intimidated when I only saw a coffee menu. I decided to grab my coffee to go and get soup at Freshii when I got back to Central Park.

Freshii totally blew me away with their soup. I thought I was going to walk away with a cup of soup like you would get at Panera but I was so wrong. I got a tub. Yes, see, a tub of soup.

It was even better than I thought it was going to be too.

That night Jeremy and I wanted pizza for dinner so that's what we sought out. Turns out, there was a place close to the hotel called La Dolce Vita. We did the Prosecco & Pizza deal which was two pizzas and a bottle of prosecco. We also added in some fried mushrooms. [gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="2616,2618,2622,2617,2619,2620,2621"] I was so exited for Friday to roll around. It was Jeremy's last day of training and that meant a weekend together exploring again. We also planned on going out to some pubs and I was ready. Our first stop was the tiniest pub in Dublin. You literally walk in and go down stairs. You have to find a wall to stand at quick because you are so close together you're going to be making friends. We chatted with a nice Irishman and his girlfriend while we had our first pint of Guinness.

In Ireland you don't just hang around and drink, you hop from one pub to the next and that's what we were going to do. We went to Mary's next which was a pub designed to look like the oldest pub in Cork. [gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="2627,2624,2626,2625"] It was starting to get late and we had not eaten yet so we decided to walk around until something caught our eye for dinner. We ended up at Gourmet Burger Kitchen for chicken wings and burgers. [gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="2628,2629,2631,2630"] We had to be up early for our tour to Cliffs of Moher so we decided to end on a sweet note and head back to the hotel. Number one favorite Ice Cream had to be Murphey's and I'm still missing it now that we are back. We split a cone of Irish coffee (with whiskey) and called it a night.