If you like the new folklore album, here's what you should listen to next.

Me and Taylor Swift have kind of an interesting history. I didn’t really learn about her until 2008-2009, when I moved up to a college town and made friends with some girls who introduced me to the mainstream country scene. One of them burned me copies of her music (thanks, Cait!) and while I liked some of the songs, 19 year old me felt a little too old for the big hits like ‘Love Story’ and ‘You Belong With Me.’ I was also deep into the rich indie music scene on campus, seeing bands like Bright Eyes, First Aid Kit, The Hold Steady, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Drive By Truckers and Iron and Wine at the college venue for free (RIP CDU.) Honestly there were just so many great lesser-known artists that I could see live that I dove head-first into that world and didn’t look back. Even then I could see that Swift was a talented songwriter (Tim McGraw, the Best Day and Fearless are some of my favorite songs from that era) but it was definitely more of a side interest/guilty pleasure.

Fast forward to medical school, when I hit a pretty rough patch between struggling with coursework and a floundering long-distance relationship. As if on cue, Swift dropped Red and between the title track and ‘All Too Well’ I had found the soundtrack to the very rocky 2012 I had been having. I spent a lot of time driving winding backroads and singing along off-key to some of the best break up music I had heard since discovering Rumours after getting dumped in high school. It easily remains one of my favorite albums of all time and sealed me as a TS fan for the foreseeable future. Songs like Holy Ground, Treacherous, and State of Grace to this day are among my absolute favorites. I've since loved everything she's put out, with an admitted emotional bias/attachment (and dragged my husband along into the fandom; he excels at singing along the wrong lyrics, relishing in the very wrong 'boys only want love if it's Georgia' since he knows it makes me cringe and laugh at the same time. He's going to be a great Dad, haha.)

 So when she rocked up with folklore last week, between my love for pretty much anything she does at this point and long-time passion for artists like Bon Iver and the National, I felt like this was the Taylor Swift album that was made for me. After a few listens I can say folklore has stolen the crown from Red for me as her best work yet. I tear up every time I hear the lines to epiphany, and my tears ricochet and peace really hit me on a personal level. I’m so stoked she did something different for this album and after a few listens, really found myself going back to some of those independent artists I loved back in college. After reading this round table talk at Atwood Magazine, I realized a big part of why I loved the sound is that it brought me back to a sound I really loved back then, but had drifted away from in recent years.

 One of the writers made a folklore-inspired folk playlist on Spotify, and while I love and agree with 99% of his choices, I wanted to add some of the artists and bands I loved in my college days. So in full disclosure, this is a total copycat idea 😊 I’ve highlighted a couple of the artists below. Most are more true folk than Swift’s album is (I feel like calling her album folk is a bit of a misnomer), but some (like the Sundays, Bob Dylan, Arcade Fire, and Maggie Rogers) I included because I can hear elements of their sound in folklore. I linked the playlist below... Feel free to have a look if you’re a music nerd like me, or just enjoy the spotify playlist. :)

Bob Dylan- I think in an interview somewhere Jack Antonoff or another collaborator mentioned that Betty had been inspired by Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan/Bruce Springsteen style, but I can’t find the quote now. As a huge Dylan fan, my best guesses were Don’tthink twice, it’s alright or Tangled Up in Blue. Any other ideas?

Jason Isbell- another of my absolute favorite songwriters, Isbell really knows how to make you feel some kind of way with his narrative style. I’d highly recommend his albums Southeastern, Here We Rest and The Nashville Sound (latter two are with his band the 400 unit as well.)

The Postal Service- Give Up was one of the first pop albums I ever purchased (ok confession time: typed this out and then realized Celine Dion came first- I got her greatest hits in 5^th grade because that’s what my friends were listening to. Still love her. No regrets.) It’s definitely more upbeat that folklore, but melancholy songs like The District Sleeps Alone Tonight and This Place is a Prison make for equally good quarantine listening.

Phoebe Bridgers- I have to admit I just this week got around to downloading Punisher. But Stranger in the Alps is a great album, and Motion Sickness made me cry the first 20 times I listened. Honestly, I would love to see her and Taylor collaborate on something. I think it could be really great, if either of them are reading this…(note: they are most definitely not reading this.)

 Bright Eyes- Conor Oberst was the original emo musician prodigy, starting to play professionally when he was only 13 or 14 years old. I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning was the sound of my high school years, and Cassadaga deserves so much more attention than it got (Four Winds is one of my favorite songs of all time.) When it comes to songwriting he’s right up there with Swift for me.  Also I have to thank him for introducing me to First Aid Kit, who I was lucky enough to meet when they opened for one of his shows in Tallahassee :)

Neil Young- forever a favorite of mine, and someone I have always admired for speaking his mind and writing politically-minded protest songs (see Southern Man and Ohio.) I love his heavier stuff too, but songs like Old Man, This Old Guitar, Heart of Gold, and Unknown Legend will always be among his best work in my opinion.

Maggie Rogers- this girl’s EP is unlike anything I have ever heard before, in the best way possible. The mix ofelectronics and nature yields such a unique and beautiful sound, it almost feels transcendental, and it’s a sound that is definitely all her own, which is such a rarity in the pop world these days.

Band of Horses- most of their music is decidedly more rock than anything Swift has done, but Infinite Arms was one of those albums that changed my life and that I’ll always anchor to a certain memory, one of with my family through rural Ireland playing these songs on repeat. Easily one of my favorite albums of all time.

Fleetwood Mac- considering they are one of my favorite bands of all time, it was surprisingly easy to pick ‘Storms’ for this playlist. I have a lot of love for both Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie; their words (and Lindsay’s) brought me through my first break up back in high school (as stated above, Rumours changed my life,) at the age when you feel those kinds of emotions at 10 times the magnitude compared to when you’re older.

Iron & Wine and Calexico- the In the Reins EP is one of my favorite albums of all time and I’ll forever be grateful that these two artists have continued their working relationship over 10 years later with a new full-length album. Be careful though- 16, Maybe Less will tear you apart.

Post-shift: Mood

I had a particularly difficult shift tonight. Got home 2 hours late, laid down to close my eyes and found my mind racing. Got back up to try and work through this twisted, anxious, sad feeling in my gut. This is what came out.

One thing I have learned after 6 odd months on this job is that I hate seeing children in pain. Young, older, boy, girl- it doesn’t make a difference. When you enter an exam room, IV cart and syringes in hand, ready to get a line or inject an antibiotic or check a glucose- that look of fear and worry on their faces- it breaks me. I don’t have children, but my heart breaks all the same for the mothers, as they stoically hold their children down, tears rolling silently from their eyes, as they willingly subject their own flesh and blood to needles, to IVs, to pain, in order to get answers. It breaks all the same as the shy little toddler attempts to be “brave for mommy” and hold still as he’s approached by an alarmingly long needle that she knows will hurt her. 9 times out of 10 I leave the room holding back tears from my own eyes. It’s not fair, is it? They’re sick, and they came here for help, and we hurt them more. Of course it is so that we can help them. I know this. The logical part of my brain knows that a venous blood gas could forewarn of serious instability requiring intensive care treatment, and that a line of IV fluids can keep a child from dying of dehydration. I know that that little finger stick won’t hurt long, and will help us prevent a little boy’s blood sugar from dropping so low he has a seizure or going so high that it destroys his organs. But you can’t tell these things to a small child. I mean, you can, but they’re still frightened- wouldn’t you be? Wouldn’t you shriek and attempt to writhe away if strange people in strange clothing came towards you with strange, frightening things like masks and syringes? I stumbled upon this world of pediatric medicine because I wanted to reduce human suffering, at least as much as one sad little person can. I suppose I always knew in some capacity that my jo would entail hurting kids for a living to ultimately help them.
But you know what?

I hate it.

I hate it all the same.

I watched a lot of sweet, precious little ones cry tonight because of a line I was starting, or an order I placed. And I know that my actions helped them, in the long run. But those scared little faces, those little voices frantically telling Mom “ok, ok!” as they're told to brave and hold still - they break your heart anyways.

And Just Like That, I'm a Doctor

G.C. M.D. It's wild. Surreal. Kind of thrilling, kind of terrifying. It took me 8 years, loads of love, support and cheer-leading from a village of friends and family, quite a few tears, and one silly Hogwarts-like costume that shouts "ONE HUNDRED POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR," But somehow, I made it. I'm going to be a doctor I am a doctor. I'm going to be a pediatrician!

To Mom and Dad, Peter, my siblings and the countless friends and family who showed me support, patience, love and grace throughout this journey, thank you. I will try my best to make you proud of the physician I become. 

Sincerely,

G.C., Medical Doctor.

Match Madness

So somehow, over a week has gone by and I still haven't written out how Match Day went- whoops! I'm guessing since most people don't go through this process, there might be some scratching of heads going on- isn't this just that thing they do when they sign athletes to professional or college teams (no really, isn't that a thing?) While that's probably also true, for thousands of medical students Match Day is actually the day we learn where we will train for the next three years. During the fourth year of medical school you apply and interview at hospitals with programs for your specialty of choice (mine was pediatrics.) But instead of receiving job offers during this time, you rank your programs from favorite to least favorite, they rank you, and an insanely complicated computer algorithm spits out your "match-" which is revealed with due pomp and publicity on Match Day. 

Every school does Match Day a bit differently, but generally you are allowed to open your envelope in private (Thank God!) before taking your turn reading it in front of your classmates. Everyone's rank list is different, too- mine was not only based on my wants and needs for a program (a strong mid-sized program in a stand-alone hospital for kids, ideally with some Global Health opportunities and some nice perks) and Peter's job opportunities (a larger city is more ideal for him.) For this reason, my top 5 were ALL over the place- Salt Lake City, New York City, Norfolk, Richmond and Charleston were all up there, as were Gainesville and Burlington. Most people in pediatrics get their top 3, but since I had some weaknesses I'd been told there was a good chance I'd drop farther on my rank order list. I was incredibly nervous so I was really thankful that Peter, my whole family and even my sweet Goddaughter showed up to provide moral (and comedic) support :)

We got to the auditorium mid-morning. Our deans had decked it out with superhero masks and other cute themed decor to ease the anxiety of the day. Our dean even dressed up as Thor, which was both dorky and endearing. Once we found our seats I put off even picking up my envelope (which can't be opened until the dean gives the signal) by chatting nervously with some of my closest friends, C and N. It worked well until my faculty adviser danced up to us mischieviously and informed us in a sing-song, teasing voice that she knew where we were going. My heart fluttered into my throat and I think we all kind of realized there was no more putting it off, so we grabbed our envelopes and rushed to our seats. 

From that point everything was sort of a blur. Our school produced these presumably hilarious films about our deans and faculty producing a superhero film with disastrous results. I'm sure it was funny but seeing as I was having a massive surge of cortisol I didn't really pick up on that. Our dean then showed up on the stage in all his nerdy glory, said a few words that I again, can't remember. The funny thing is he whispered "open your envelopes" so softly/I was such a wreck that I had a two second delay before realizing the suddenly hushed rustling going on around me was my classmates finding out where they were going (!) 

With trembling hands I opened the envelope. It's funny; first off, although I had been telling myself I wouldn't get my top choice, I was still praying hopelessly that I would get it. Secondly, I had simultaneously been preparing to get my last choice, rather than something in the middle. So when I read my envelope I sort of lost it and shed some really happy tears. I had gotten my second choice. 

The rest of the ceremony was again, a blur. I awkwardly read my envelope on stage with Peter (in true Georgia fashion I almost ran into him, and he then proceeded to walk in between my and my regional dean as he tried to give me a hug on stage,) then spent the rest of the afternoon hugging friends, congratulating classmates and eventually wandering back to my sister's apartment to regroup. Thank God, all of my closest friends matched in great programs, and we had an incredible evening celebrating together. 

My Mom's smile here- precious.

So that's the story of Match Day. Peter and I will be able to live together next year. I will become a pediatrician. And we are both beyond grateful that we'll be able to spend the first years of our marriage together, not apart. 

Thanks for following along! Hope you are all having a wonderful week (:

We're Moving...

From sunny Florida to NEW YORK!

We are currently off Thanking God and planning our next move, but I promise to post about the day of when I get the chance (: 

Much Love,

The End and the Beginning

somewhere in New Mexico, 2011 

It's hard to explain how I feel right now. There's so many changes happening at once that I can't really process them all, which is sort of a good thing. If I really had all my faculties intact, I'd be panicking about where we're going to be moving after the Match on Friday. But Peter moves to Florida tomorrow, and after a 4 year cross-continent/cross country relationship, all I can feel is happiness, anticipation and contentment about this change in our life. Change for the better. Our favorite song used to be The Waiting, by Tom Petty. It always felt like we were waiting around for our life together to really get started. Well now it's happening and I find myself part thrilled, part in shock and part too distracted by the match and our upcoming wedding to notice!

Peter and I have traveled through two continents, four countries and seventeen U.S. states. I wouldn't trade any of our adventures together for the world. But I am beyond thrilled that this long time apart is coming to an end. Love you, babe. Can't wait for this new adventure with you. 

F-L-O-R-I-D-A, S-T-A-T-E

I just wanted to share a few family photos from the game last weekend, if you guys don't mind. It really was a weekend for the books. You see, when you've got 6 people in the family {now closing in on 7 thanks to Peter,} the chances of everyone being in a good mood at the exact same time is pretty rare. This was one of those rare, special times that not one of us was grumpy, distracted or simply not there- we were all just happy to relax and enjoy eachother's company together. It was so refreshing- definitely good for the soul!

My younger brother and I. He's a football genius- without him, the clueless folk such as myself would have had no clue what was going on in the stadium

My sister and her roommates. I'm so glad she found such a kind, driven, supportive group of women to surround herself with. They really are all exceptional people.

Truth be told, the tailgate wasn't much to look at. We don't have loads of Seminole Paraphernalia, it was really overcast, and we avoided the more exciting hardcore tailgates that go down on campus. But our little get together worked fine for me! Plus, my Dad makes a wicked good steak ;-)

And now for Doak!

It really is the prettiest sports complex I've seen. We actually called in the 'Church of Bobby' back in undergrad, and while we weren't winning games at Doak, we had at least one the title of Largest Non-Religious Stain Glass Window in North America. So there's that.  Being someone who hates/knows nothing about sports, these things are important to me.

Peter took this one. It's a great shot of my Dad. 

 Another venue FSU has always excelled in is the marching band. the FSU Marching Chiefs have consistently been one of the best bands in the country. And they really do put on an amazing show- they actually did a Back to the Future theme that night and formed a Delorean, with Fire extinguishers blowing out of the fake exhaust and everything {yea, they go all out.}

 Can you guess who cares the most about football in this family?

 My older brother went to our rival school, but we still love him :)

Another shot exemplifying just how much shorter than Peter I really am.

Lessons learned on an acting internship

So my Sub-Internship in pediatrics is officially over. I can't say it was the easiest time in my life, but I definitely wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. The way it was described to me- the long hours, being at the bottom of the totem pole, dealing with all different personalities- didn't make it sound like it would be a time in my life that I actually enjoyed. And don't get me wrong- it was hard. But guys, here's the crazy part- I actually enjoyed myself. I think overall,the key was remembering that my work- even the scut work- was making a child feel better- getting them stable and out of the hospital and on with their lives. And that's why I went into this field in the first place, as cheesy as that sounds.

So without further ado, I figured I'd share some tips on how to make a day or night on internship (or any crazy busy time in your life) a little less stressful.

1. Kindness gets you a lot farther than a bad attitude. This really goes for any situation in life. Even when people treat you horribly (and sometimes this happens, even in the so-called real world,) and you don't feel like putting on a friendly face. Digging your heels in or showing some sass, especially when you're at the bottom of the food chain, is not going to get you far, at all. I found that I got along with every single personality in the group I was with, not because I am easy going or the most likeable person, but because I tried to be kind regardless of my mood, the time of day, or if I felt like it. The truth is, most people aren't being cruel, rude or nasty for no good reason. And once you realize that, it's a lot easier to show them a little patience and good will- after all, they probably need it.

2. Get a good night's sleep. and also some coffee. This one might be a little specific to me. Anyone else out there useless without some good rest? If some decent sleep with naps in between is what it takes for someone to give 100% at their job, then so be it. I also hadn't been drinking coffee or tea in a couple of months, but I found I really needed it on this rotation. And you know what? that's ok. Do whatever you've got to do to perform your best on this rotation.

3. You don't have to be the smartest person there. And quite frankly, you shouldn't be. I was really nervous going in that I wouldn't be "smart enough," but I quickly learned that the so-called "genius" is definitely not what the residents and faculty are looking for. The interns especially don't want you to be jumping in to answer every question- that makes them look bad. Doing well on this rotation was way more about showing up on time and showing enthusiasm than chiming in to answer each question correctly. Remember, they're looking to hire someone they'd be willing to put up with every day- that usually isn't the know it all that makes them look bad

4. Offer to help. I felt myself repeating the same question over and over again on this rotation- 'do you need any help? can I do anything to help out?' By the first week I was definitely questioning my questioning, haha! Was I being annoying? Too eager? When my night intern surprised me with a small thank you gift at the end of the rotation, I breathed a sigh of relief. It probably is a teensy bit obnoxious, and I doubt my time spent entering lab values and hunting down records was all that helpful, but the act of showing you want to help and be part of the team means a lot to them.

5. When all else fails, laugh about it. Guys, being a resident is hard. It's hard on your body, on your brain and on your spirit. Kids are awesome, and it makes it so much harder when things do not go well for them. Being up at 4 in the morning working on your 10th admission may seem like a weird time to start quoting Clueless, watching The Wedding Planner in the background or belting out Sam Smith (yes, all of these things happened!), but if that's what it takes to keep from burning out- do it.

That's it from me for now. How did you rock your internship? Feel free to share your life pro tips here :)

G

How to Get Married in New York City

First off, it's imperative to pick the perfect partner- one who laughs at your weirdness, accepts your ragged edges, keeps your on the straight and narrow, and overall thinks you are the bee's knees.

Have you got them?

Next, you must apply to get married! you can start online, before heading to the City Clerk's office to complete the process.

At this point you'll have a bit of waiting to do. So you'll peruse the gift shop, and the selection of bouquets...

you'll creepily watch other couples pop out of the chapel one by one, each dressed beautifully and beaming

Then it's your turn- you nervously laugh with the city clerk employee at the fact that you and your spouse are decidedly not hispanic as it says on your application, wring hands in anticipation, then breath a sigh of relief when she tells you that you can head over the courthouse anytime after 24 hours and get hitched!

So back you come the next day, fully equipped with a suit, a white dress, and a bouquet of flowers generously provided by your gracious friends for this very occasion.

The mood must be appropriately serious, of course...

 Make sure to have a few proper witnesses around; perhaps a brother...

 Or a few old friends

By the way, do NOT expect a wait at this point- at least not on a week day! You will not, in fact, have time to do more than throw a touch of mascara on, let alone trim and polish those bare nails before you're called up to get your license printed!

What Happens in New York

Hey folks,

so I realize several weeks have gone by and I still haven't posted a word on New York. Bad, bad blogger! I know. I'm sorry. But I had good reason! I was debating putting this in such a public forum, but the truth is...

It's because we got married!

yep. you read that right.

Peter and I got hitched in New York. 

I know this is confusing. we actually haven't told a ton of people for that very reason. For one, we're both Orthodox Christians, who believe in marriage beginning before God, in the church. And we can't wait to get married in the church next summer on Crete! (yea, that's completely still happening, by the way.) 

But the truth is, Peter's visa process could take a year or more. and until he's got that sorted, he can't just leave his job and find a new one in the U.S. on the J-1 he currently has. We could be apart for another year after our church wedding, and neither of us wanted to put off starting our life together that long. We're happy to wait for our Orthodox Marriage, but spending our first year of wedded bliss miles apart just sounded totally lame. So consider this year one of our marriage. I think this quote from When Harry Met Sally nailed it: 

source

How to get Married in New York {part 2}

As you wait in the bare gray courtroom, stop to read the ledger of couples who were married in this very office years before.

 

The butcher and the homemaker, the soldier and the telephone operator, the doorman and the divorced secretary, who stood here and said their vows in 1944.

Next comes the ceremony- a friendly  balding fellow with a husky New York accent will officiate. Don't blink or you'll miss it- all 60 seconds of it!

Be sure to take photos by the fake lit up back drop before hitting the Brooklyn Bridge for a few photos and your celebratory brunch!

don't forget to thank your friends for fixing your hair/being awesome.

We're on Each Other's Team

Today I take The Big Test, and I could not go into this exam confidently without having a handful of wonderful people in my corner.

Thank you to my Father, who shelled out a hefty chunk so I could afford the study videos I've been using the past three weeks

Thank you to my friends and cousins- the ones who have texted and called me and cheered me on, the roommate who sent me this framed A.A. Milne quote that I've had on my desk day in and day out

Birthday Weekend: Islands of Adventures!

So basically,
My fiance is amazing.
When we were dress-shopping in Orlando, we stayed right next to Universal's Islands of Adventures.
I saw the Hulk in the horizon as we left our hotel room,
and it crossed my mind that Peter would probably love it.
Apart from Busch Gardens Tampa, it's probably the best Florida theme park for big kids;
It just has so many roller coasters and fun rides.
I called him up that weekend and mentioned it to him,
and his immediate reaction was, "Ok Georgia, I'll take you for your birthday"
See why I want to marry this guy??

Keeper, obvs 

So we did a little research, because Peter is always the man with the plan.
These are just some photos from our trip
And I'll try to intersperse it with some of the tips we got and found useful ourselves :)

1. Parking-

We reallyyyy wanted to be able to do everything before the afternoon rainstorms settled in, and especially before the massive throngs of people came and produced massive hour-long rides. For this reason, we left SUPER early, got there at 9, and paid the extra 20 bucks to park closer to City Walk. It was definitely worth it!

2. Game Plan

So the park is basically divided into seven "islands" arranged in a ring. Obviously, some areas are more popular than others, so rather than just go through the islands in order, we tried to do the rides and parts of the park that we thought would be most popular first. When I was a kid and the park had first opened, that was Marvel Superhero Island

Music Monday

Hello! I'm in Delaware!
I've been waiting  a long time to say that....
also, I am unbelievably happy to be reunited with my partner in crime
and studying like a crazy person, so expect the posts to be few and far between this month.

Music Monday

Sorry this space has been so dead-zone lately.
I've been super distracted by writing other things-
personal statements, reflection papers-
that kind of take a lot out of you.

So when I had a long drive back home after a meeting off of A1A, I decided to take the long way home.

And it felt so good.
I completed part of this drive.
Peter and I meant to do it the last weekend he was in Ormond
But we kind of got engaged (!)
so that kind of threw off our plans a bit.

Anyways,
there's nothing quite like driving down an old road with the windows down.
This is a soundtrack I put together when Peter and I were first together
We lived on Crete and spent our weekends exploring different corners of the island.
It's an incredible place,
and we have some incredible memories from it.
This music always brings me back to that place and time.
Hope you enjoy it :)

Songs to Drive to from ATLGeorgia on 8tracks Radio.

The Engagement

So Peter is the kind of guy who thinks he can fit 36 hours of events into a 24 hour day
Which is why that weekend was so incredible, exciting and exhausting.
Here goes:

I woke up on the morning of the fifteenth slightly exhausted and very confused.
First off, Peter's flight had been a bit delayed and we'd pulled into Ormond just in time to grab a Valentine's Day dinner from Grind before the kitchen closed
and pass out watching an episode of Sherlock at 11.
Secondly, it was 10 in the morning and Peter was already up, snooping around in the kitchen
and asking me for my car keys.
Bold moves for the guy who doesn't like to drive in Florida traffic
{can't say I blame him.}
So I lazily acquiesced and fell back asleep.

I came downstairs to a huge bouquet of the loveliest flowers,
and Peter cooking up the fluffiest banana oatmeal pancakes with strawberries, mascarpone cheese and honey.
A pretty great start to our third year anniversary,
especially seeing we had spent our first and second an entire ocean and eight time zones apart
but hey, who's counting?

He told me we were going on an adventure,
So naturally I threw on a cute skirt and my Frye boots,
and naturally he told me that, dear, I might not want to be wearing a skirt where we're going.
I begrudgingly changed into jeans.

In the car, he handed me  a note:

Dear Georgia, 

 It's so great to finally be together on our anniversary. I hope you enjoy the day. Here is your first envelope of the day. Let's see if you can guess where we're going.

Love, Peter

Inside the envelope was a tag from the boots  he'd gotten me for Christmas,
and a photo of the two of us holding a heart-shaped falafel. {???????}
You can see why I am marrying him, obviously (:
 Well, in spite of appearances, I am not hopelessly dumb and realized he was taking me horseback riding
and freaked out accordingly.

On the way to the stables, we stopped to pick up our race packets
{did I mention we were running  the Daytona Beach Half Marathon?
Because that also happened that weekend.
As I said, 36 hour days :)}

So then came the horseback riding!

Which was incredible.

There were only four of us, 

and the very weird trail guide let us trot a few times,

which was a nice change of pace from your typical trail ride.

So now we had to pause and help my roommate load his motorcycle onto a trailer,
Before heading out for the next adventure-
a picnic on the beach!
We stocked up on spanakopita from Theia's bakery,
prosciutto from Bon!

And obviously, wine...