December 5th - 9th

I know, I know - I'm behind. I was in Sarasota for the weekend and then celebrated my first week without grad school by doing absolutely nothing (aside from working every day). Excuses aside, here are my responses.

December 5 - Best Night Out:

I actually thought long and hard about this one because, really, there have been so many. My first thought was Halloween night. I had an amazing time, surrounded by friends and strangers on the crowded streets downtown. Then I thought maybe a peaceful night, one of those that just make me content to be here - like nights at Borders with my girls. Or what about Meg's wedding - when I danced with my eyes closed. But here's my answer:

Samir and I had friends over for a house warming party. Almost everyone showed up - and we had a blast! From sneaking away with Michelle to gossip, to dancing with Brandon in the living room; cracking jokes with Ben in the kitchen, to trying to open the champagne bottle. I was so happy there, in the middle of my new fabulous apartment, with my fabulous friends from every stage of my life.

(Close second: Last night Samir and I watched the newest episode of Gossip Girl (I have a very patient boyfriend) as well as the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall all while drinking a bottle of wine. It was relaxing and absolutely wonderful.)

December 6 - Best Workshop or Conference

I didn't attend either, so I'll mention my favorite (and only) book festival from this year. In November Samir and I drove down to Miami to go to the Miami Book Festival with our friends Farzad and Kathy. We listened to Meg Cabot tell cute stories and answer adorable questions (ex: "What does it feel like to be so popular?"), the creators of Archie not tell us who Archie is marrying, and John Hodgeman and Larry Willmore just be...funny. At the end of the evening, Hodgeman recognized Samir from a radio show they both listen and call in to. Samir felt pretty cool and I was the proud girlfriend on the side taking pictures.

December 7 - Blog Find of the Year

Believe it or not, HDS wasn't a book blog until this year. Shocking, I know. Some of you may remember the days before, when I typed out long rambling posts about memories and puppies. That said, some book blogs I discovered this year are truly fantastic. The Book Bench from The New Yorker is great, with informative and entertaining stories. And for a fun one, I love author Melissa Walker's blog that discusses the stories behind YA book covers.

December 8 - Best Moment of Peace

I was driving home after seeing a bunch of high school friends at Starbucks. Katie and I had just ran by Borders to see if her crush was there, to no avail. Driving home with the windows down, I thought about the night and those who I'm close with. We had plans for the rest of the week - every night was occupied with events big and small. I smiled to myself. I wasn't just existing, I was living.

December 9 - Biggest Challenge

Grad school. After I finished college back in 2005 I went right into graduate school, getting my master's in english education. I lasted one whole semester before dropping out. I hated the program and just wasn't ready for it. So this year, going back to grad school (granted in a different subject) left me incredibly nervous that I'd drop out again. Yes, I'm fickle, but I don't like being a quitter. Two months in I started to worry. I was enjoying it, but would I always? Even when the papers got harder, the books not as enjoyable? I'm pleased to say that now, one semester in, I'm definitely excited to keep going. Yes, it is hard, and there definitely are a lot of papers, but I love my program. It's what I want to do - and I think knowing that, realizing that, is what made all the difference.