Do You Remember What's Been Going On in September?

September is just zipping on by, day after day. I really can't complain though, because it's been really damn fun so far! I've been keeping busy for the past couple of weeks, with a variety of activities and trips with family and friends alike. I thought it was high time for another personal post to tell you guys all about what I've been up to (and to serve as a chronicle of sorts so I can easily remember what's been going down in my own life). 

At the very start of the month, I indulged in a binge read of Queen of Shadows. It took me, more or less, around five hours to read this entire novel from cover to cover, and it was happily one of the best reading experiences of my life! September 1 was its official date of release, and I spent a good portion of that day discussing and gushing about the book with various friends. Rachel & I grabbed lunch at Petite Abeille, and ice cream at 10Below, before we moseyed on over to the 92Y for Sarah's launch event later that night (where we were joined by my friend Danica!). It was great fun to see her chat with Sasha, and to be able to congratulate her on such a fabulous novel when we caught her at her signing! If you haven't yet read the Throne of Glass series, well, you know where to find me if you need further encouragement ;)

My in-laws came into town on the 3rd of September, but our adventure really started when we went to Cape Cod for Labor Day weekend. We had a fun time just hanging out in Falmouth, eating at our favorite brunch place (The Pickle Jar), visiting the little shops and even taking the ferry out to Martha's Vineyard. I, for sure, enjoyed the time spent relaxing with everyone, and relished the fun road trip home too. (We took a plane going out, so it was a totally different experience!)

During the work week, Rachel & I met up to grab some ice cream at Sundaes and Cones. I got mango and corn in a waffle cone, mostly because I was missing the ice cream flavors I used to eat all the damn time in the Philippines. (Anyone a fan of cheese ice cream too?) We sat in front of the shop, just taking our time to enjoy our ice cream and chatting about anything and everything as we always do. I've visited so many ice cream places with Rachel and there are plenty more to go!

The weekend following that week of work involved a trip to IKEA, and a Sunday dinner at Olive Garden with the in-laws. At some point, Macky picked up a copy of Assassin's Creed (which neither of us have ever played, but plan to start!) and I got an awesome dino hoodie. All in all, quite the successful shopping trip (apart from the IKEA essentials we also bought)!

I had two days off from work because of the Jewish holidays. On one day, I spent a considerable amount of time exploring the Met with Danica! It's my second visit this year, and I seriously just love that place. It's definitely something to see all the preserved artifacts and artwork from various eras! I can't help but feel challenged and inspired by everything that I see, and I know I'll never tire of visiting to see some of my favorites (mostly Monet, with a touch of affection for Degas and the Egyptian and Greek wings).

The next day, I took my in-laws to Central Park. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and we walked down one of my favorite paths together. To make up for all the heat outside, we stopped for some ice cream afterwards, before we hopped a train and visited the Barnes and Noble in Union Square. My mother-in-law and I spent a full hour exploring, and she came away with some pretty awesome stuff. (I'm on a book buying ban of sorts, so I bought nothing. I wanted to though, trust me!)

My in-laws left for home on Friday, so Macky and I got up early to accompany them to the airport. We both decided to head straight to the office after, even though that was really early for me. But it was easy to be stoked, because later that night, we met up with our friends Pat & Ian to make the drive up to Cape Cod! It was a pretty quick drive, since we were distracted by karaoke sing-alongs and some fun chatting. It certainly set the mood for the rest of the weekend, which involved casual meals and lots of desserts and copious amounts of coffee, bike rides and BBQ nights and long-winded conversations and planning for the future. It was, by far, probably my favorite visit to Cape Cod, and I certainly felt good vibes all the way to the time I got home.

As you can see, it's been pretty busy for me! And there's more adventure yet to come in the next month or so; I simply cannot wait to embrace it all. In the meantime, why don't you tell me what you've been up to? I'd love to hear about what's been going on in your lives too!