![And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
This summer has me crisscrossing the country from DC to NYC, New Orleans, Chicago, and Seattle. From weddings to new friendships and old friendships rediscovered. Here’s to beaches, trails, new paths, new experiences, and glorious sunlight.
[Southern Honduras outside of Sabanagrande - alberto238]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4sq0qrxY81qz98uwo1_500.jpg)
And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
This summer has me crisscrossing the country from DC to NYC, New Orleans, Chicago, and Seattle. From weddings to new friendships and old friendships rediscovered. Here’s to beaches, trails, new paths, new experiences, and glorious sunlight.
[Southern Honduras outside of Sabanagrande - alberto238]
So how was Vegas?
The question is innocent enough, but how do you really express what you’re feeling? Goethe (or Biggie Smalls, I forget) once said—and I’m paraphrasing and translating (both Biggie and Goethe were fluent in German) here—if you don’t feel it, you’ll never get it.
So how was Vegas? In some respects it was a gamble. After all, I knew 4—admittedly, awesome—people going into it, but that meant that that there were 55 BiSC strangers I didn’t know. And then What Ifs invade like the seasonal locusts. But who are we talking about? This is me, after all. Locusts of doubt (bunnies of insecurity?) are sortof my thing.
But in most respects, it was a foregone conclusion. There was no real gamble or chance; indeed, it was the logical progression of guy who starts blog after a breakup to guy who tweets during law school to guy who becomes fast friends with other DC twitter folk. It was the inevitable transition from guy who felt like he didn’t belong to realizing that not only are there tons of other people similar to him, but that they were incredible and wonderfully distinct in their own ways. Not only were you not alone, but there were people with which you could laugh and drink and dance and, most importantly, grow and learn.
Two examples:
Our flight had Brad and me going from DC to Houston to Vegas. In Houston, at our gate going to Vegas, Terra and Stace came up to us and simply asked “BiSC-uits?” and that was that—We were friends.
On Saturday, we were all seated alphabetically and I was sitting next to Alana, who I knew from twitter but never had met prior to this weekend. We exchanged pleasantries, she gave me vodka to put in my orange juice, and next thing I know I had agreed to go spend the day with her, Dominique, Laura, and Kelly. One roller-coaster (yeah, it’s there, I checked), two ice drinks (from an amazing Narnia-esque ice bar, Minus 5), and several hours later and I felt like all of us were great friends.
And that’s how Vegas was. Except with 59 or so other stories like that. Moments in which you stay up talking until 5am, moments in which you bond over the fact that there’s a guy at a club dressed as a weird horse thing, moments in which you cheer your friend hoping she wins a booty-shaking contest at the pool (she did, and she did it with class and awesomeness), moments in which you bump into the group on Sunday and spend the evening watching the water/light show at the Bellagio. And during the entire time you can’t really help but think: This all makes sense. This all fits. This is as it should be.
And as we landed back in DC and were walking to our cabs to go back to our respective apartments and lives, I asked Brad if we’re doing this again next year. His answer was pretty on point: “I think I don’t have a choice.”
So how was Vegas? In a word? Wonderful.
[video]
GPOYW: Toby Ziegler Becomes My Spirit Animal Edition
(Source: gnomesweetgnome)
Lee to Abra in Steinbeck’s East of Eden.
Which is to say: Timshel.
(via sharlala)
Legos meet Mondrian! Two things I geek out about. If anyone wants to make this for my birthday, I wouldn’t say no.
sharlala | sweethomestyle | godwantsit
This weekend included brunch with good friends, lots of champagne, a tipsy trip to the zoo, learning fun facts about cheetahs and gazelles, a nap in my office, drinks while watching the derby, and then a sinful amount of prosecco and fantastic food. It also included the purchase of a stuffed red panda, my new favorite animal.
Animals in the News, by The Atlantic.
So, what do you do?
“I like you a lot and I want to make something with you. I think we have serious potential for something good.”
“I’ve learned to value failed conversations, missed connections, confusions. What remains is what’s unsaid, what’s underneath. Understanding on another level of being.” — Anna Kamienska, from A Nest of Quiet: A Notebook (translated by Clare Cavanagh)
(Source: awritersruminations, via crashinglybeautiful)