A New Season, An Anniversary, and a Bit of Wisdom

Happy Spring! I was prepared for an anticlimactic equinox since I'm so far north but yesterday and today have been warm and sunny in Massachusetts. I do love the snow-it was part of the reason I relocated to New England-but I cannot contain my excitement to shed the layers and feel less like the little brother in A Christmas Story every time I walk the dog.

I've missed being outside. Every chance I've had to be out on a warmer day, I've taken. Walking to the grocery store and hiking with friends have been great but when those days are followed by a week of single digit temperatures it's saddening to pull those layers back on. And not just because I can't put my arms down.

This weekend also marks my first full year in Massachusetts. (Insert comment about time flying here)

All my worldly possessions barely fit into the truck. P.S. Thanks Julie.

 It's been a great twelve months. I read a lot of books, ran three 5Ks and one 4 mile race, and had a year's worth of good times. Looking through the pictures on my phone though it looks like my dog slept a lot and I ate a massive amount of oatmeal. Seriously, why don't I ever take pictures of people?


Clearly, I find my dog and my breakfast to be respectively cute and delicious and therefore must document each of them as often as possible. My friends on snapchat can attest to this.






I'm sure many of them wonder if there's more to Monica's life than oats and a furry companion. Hopefully I never have to choose between the two.

Just kidding, I'd take my Cody any day, just look at that face, but I'd be sad at breakfast.

He does things like this all the time. Can you blame me for all the pics?







My grandmother use to say, you can't really know someone until you've known them through all four seasons. I thought this was not only to be taken literally since you will be familiar with a person after a year, but also because you need to know someone through their own seasons of emotional highs and lows. In a year, you're bound to experience bad news and tough times and we don't really know one another until we share the ups and the downs. Perhaps the same thing is true for places? If it is, then I suppose it's safe to say I'm here to stay.


Happy Friday!