4 Years, 3 Apartments Later...

... also 1 marriage, 1 graduation, 1 bedbug infestation, zero pets, zero muggings, countless books, too many jobs and lots of love, prayers and dreams.

Today is the 4-year anniversary of my move to New York City. My roommate and I packed everything into a Budget Truck named Betsy and drove from Texas to Missouri, from Missouri to New York. We arrived on a Saturday morning at 6 am, after having spent the night at Howard Johnson in Hoboken. I started grad school on Sunday and things haven't slowed down much since. Lots of ups and downs, highs and lows, and every cliché I could throw at you, but in all seriousness, moving here has changed my life for good.

Hudson Anniversary Weekend

This weekend was our first anniversary. To celebrate, Justin and I wanted a relaxing getaway and a chance to be in nature for a while. Lots of time to talk, to rest, to just be together and not feel the pressure to be doing all the time. We're going to Italy as our "big trip" so we wanted a simple, quiet weekend together.

We drove up from New York Friday night, slightly paranoid about driving on the spare tire and starving, since neither of us had eaten dinner. The Wendy’s in Kingston tasted like gourmet goodness at 9 pm. But we were welcomed into the Renwick Clifton by Eric, one of our hosts. He showed us around the house and made us feel immediately comfortable. Then, we walked into our room and I saw the most beautiful, lush bouquet of lilies and roses. Justin had managed to track down a local florist. They made the whole room smell heavenly!