Thoughts on Being a Post-Grad Twenty-Something

ahh, simpler times

I'm going through an interesting transition period in my life. I'm not sure what to call it exactly; Quarter-Life Crisis is a bit dramatic, I'm Not a Student, Not Yet an Adult is very B. Spears. Hmm, the post-Grad Funk? Oh well, call it what you will, the long and the short of it is that being in your post-grad, early twenties is a very strange place to be.

Why, you ask? Because it feels like from the time you were 5 years-old (or even before), you've been able to identify yourself by where you've gone to school. That simple fact has determined what activities you did and who your friends were. Every part of your day, week, and year could be related back to the rhythm of the school year - hanging out after school, going with friends on Spring break, everything was just neat little increments of time that you had to fit together. From one year to the next, the steps were always obvious - 9th grade followed 8th; school, summer, repeat; it all made sense. Then graduation comes, you leave school, and everything you've grown accustomed to is gone. Suddenly the next step isn't so obvious, and your life could go any number of ways. And you know what, it's a little bit scary!

You see, now when you talk to people new and old, they ask what you do. But for those of us who took the first job that came along, being defined by that seems less than ideal. Unless you're one of the very few people who get their dream job right out of school (lucky bastards), it can feel like you're just treading water, waiting for real life to start. The problem is, you don't know what that even means anymore. As a senior people would always say, "So, are you ready for the real world?" But now that I'm here, I'm wondering Is this it? Am I here in the real world now? And what the heck does that even mean??

I wish I could end this post with some awesome advice for everyone out there in the same spot as me, but the point is that I have no idea what I'm doing either! I guess one thing I know I have going for me is a strong support system. It's good to know that if I make mistakes, change my mind, or just have no idea what I want to be when I grow up, I still have amazing people surrounding me and rooting for me.

So to all the twenty-something's out there in a similar spot, I feel for ya. And to anyone who's been-there, done-that, and came out on the other side, any and all advice is certainly welcome :)

The Vendy Awards 2013 - Philadelphia

Last weekend Jackie, Chrissy, and I made our way to Penn Treaty Park in Philly to enjoy the 3rd annual Philadelphia Vendy Awards. Basically, we had an all-access pass to veg out on the best food trucks from around Philly, and we took full advantage of it :)

There was a lot of variety at the Vendy's with everything from fried gourmet cheese curds, to the classic falafel; from macaroons, to chicken and waffles! Our strategy was to divide and conquer, share the goods, and then go back for more at the best stops. At the end we got to vote on our favorite, so that a grand champion of the Vendy's could be chosen (The King of Falafel ended up taking home the title and bragging rights!). It was really hard for me to pick a favorite considering they were all so different, but my top picks would be the Korean pork cheese steak form Kami, chicken and waffles from Chewy's, the spicy tequila and citrus macaroon from Sugar Philly, and the lime-mint popsicle from Lil' Pops (is anyone surprised the lowest I could narrow them down to was four?).

It was a beautiful day with amazing food and great company. Definitely an event I will mark on my calender for next year, and since they have them in a couple different cities, I suggest you find one near you and check out street food heaven! 

And I'm back!

Apologies once again for my temporary hiatus this past week. I missed this dear blog, but the small break was definitely helpful to keeping my sanity during the moving/settling process (plus, we just got internet back up and running). The many hours spent carrying boxes and driving back and forth was worth it though, because our new place is wonderful! It's a big upgrade from our last place and I'm so excited to start making it ours. Now that we're almost done unpacking, the real fun can begin. I already have so many ideas for how to improve this space, and I can't wait to share them! Here are a few sneak peeks at our new place (consider these the before photos), as well as some snaps from my weekend.

The entryway and living room (with some lazy girls). I'm already planning a coat/key stand DIY :)

Large kitchen (!!) and a big empty wall that won't stop staring at me! Plus, that light's days are numbered.

 The garden was yesterday's project, and it's ready for plants. The back porch is in need of serious love!

Reading Terminal Market

The rooftop bar at Revolution House for happy hour

Fozzie and Babette, there was a lot of chicken chasing going on

A man and his fork, ready to take on the day

Life Lately

Let me just say that I am sorry for the lack of activity round these parts recently, I'm don't mean to neglect you and I promise it's only temporary! You see, as I mentioned before, we got a new apartment, which means the dreaded "M word" - moving, shudder. Now I know there are probably many people out there who love moving, unfortunately I am not one of them. Actually let me clarify - I love the idea of moving, of having a new space to fill and decorate, but the physical act of packing/unpacking is just not on my list of interests. It's a necessary evil, however, and one that has been taking my focus away from my dear blog. Combine that with the fact that I've been doing a lot of scheming/collaborating behind the scenes for a new project (more on that soon!), and my time has been stretched even further!

BUT, all this should be over quite soon, and once the dust settles I'll have that much more time, pictures, and awesome content to share with you! So, please forgive my absence this past and upcoming week, I promise I will make up for it soon! In the meantime, enjoy some lovely photos of what my life has been looking like lately:

The Manayunk Bike Race last weekend

 Food trucks at the 2013 Vendy Awards, and the resulting food coma

The mess of moving, and a well deserved break with pizza, beer, and Boy Meets World!