For the first couple of weeks of July, I was on the road with my best buddy, Dan. This was a follow-up trip to our cross-country trip that we took the year prior. We scaled down the trip in all aspects but this did not take away from how much fun we had. In many ways, this trip was even better than the one we had done a year before. We decided that we wanted to explore the South a little bit.
At the end of June, we packed up my Toyota Camry and took off. Our main destination was Ashville, North Carolina, a mecca for craft breweries. We made many stops on the way and each one had its own adventures. Highlights included staying with his cousin and her long-term boyfriend in West Virginia, seeing natural wonders like the Monmouth Caves in Kentucky, and a two-day backpacking trip in the Smoky Mountains of Tennesee/North Carolina. I would need an entire blog post to go over the details of this trip but let me assure you, Dan and I had an amazing time. We plan on having more trips like these in the coming years.
When I got back from my road trip, it was the week of my birthday. I never get super excited about my birthday and it usually comes and goes without much fanfare. However, this year I was very pleasantly surprised. On the day of my birthday, I went out to dinner with my parents and Rebecca had said that she had made fancy dinner reservations for the next day. She said that she had gone shopping with one of my good friends and needed to be picked up from a brewery that they had stopped at. To my surprise, I walked into a room full of my closest friends. Rebecca had organized a party for me! I was at a loss for words. She even got a custom Apple logo cake made for the occasion (I am a huge Apple fan). Thanks to my girlfriend, I was able to catch up with all my closest friends and I got to see one of my favorite comedians, Jerry Seinfeld. In addition to the party, Rebecca and I ended up getting a fancy sushi dinner and playing some retro games at Barcade. It was a truly wonderful birthday experience and I am grateful to have such a thoughtful partner.
Rebecca has gotten quite familiar with city life and most of the Northeast since starting law school. However, she has not seen the most prominent and historic city in the area, Boston (and the witching city – Salem). So we had to change that…
We had an action-packed weekend of historic sites, brewery tours, and delicious food. Not to mention we got to see my former roomie’s new digs which included a gorgeous rooftop view of the Northend.
Before the end of this summer, I had been working at a small AV Distribution company in Massachusetts called ZeeVee. Working for my good friend Garth was great and I learned a ton. However, it was time for me to move on. Rebecca and I are planning on moving in together in the NY later on this year so it was the opportune time to start making the transition into the city.
I landed a Marketing Associate position at a small AI software startup in midtown Manhattan called Aquant. I was one of their first marketing hires, so I now have the opportunity to help shape the department. It has been a huge adjustment to go from working from home to commuting in on the subway but it has been a rewarding experience thus far. I love my coworkers and I am excited to see what this year brings.
When Fall rolls around, another yearly tradition emerges – camping in Acadia National Park with the boys. I spent Columbus Day weekend camping, hiking, and drinking beers with some of my best buddies and it was spectacular. However, this trip did not end as expected…
I was fast asleep in my tent on Columbus Day when I was awoken by a phone call. It was my Dad. I was quite startled by this because I knew that my mom was going into surgery for her hip that very day. Thankfully, the call was not about my mom but the news was quite grim nonetheless. He was calling to let me know that my car, which I had left in West Hartford at Vlad’s apartment parking lot, had been found abandoned and badly damaged in East Hartford. I was in shock and completely flabbergasted. So, after hanging up with my Dad, Vlad and I rushed (6-hour drive) back to Connecticut to fill out a police report. The whole experience was a complete nightmare, but it taught me a valuable lesson and I had family and friends to help me out. Long story short, the car was deemed a complete loss and I am now a proud owner of a 2016 Honda Civic EX.
Once November rolls around everyone seems to shift into holiday mode. Thanksgiving is full of traditions with family and friends. The boys come back into town the night before Thanksgiving and there’s usually a good amount of drinking involved. The Valley New Year tradition is starting to wind down because everyone is getting older but it was fun this year nonetheless. Rebecca joined my family and me again for the festivities and she always brings stellar baked goods. She outdid herself this year with a chocolate ganache tart!
The last couple of months of 2019 brought me a lot of stomach pains. I started noticing these pains in September and I was finally able to see a doctor in early December. The doctor said that I was experiencing indigestion and recommended a sort of restrictive diet. This diet is called the Low FODMAP diet. It calls for food without certain complex carbs, some sugars, and lactose. On top of the diet, I received my blood work back the week before Christmas and it indicated I had high levels of certain enzymes that can be associated with liver damage. This being said, I need to lay off alcohol until further notice from the doctor. This was quite hard during the holiday season but I have been persevering!
In conclusion, I can confidently say that 2019 was a year of transition. Looking back at this year has made me realize how much I have accomplished and makes me excited for the year ahead. This blog is simply the highlights from the year and there is so much I did not mention. 2020 will be an exciting year. I will be finishing up my MBA as well as making the big move from Connecticut to New York. Here’s to a fun and prosperous 2020 folks!