Kicking off the Summer

Memorial day weekend is when America takes a moment to pause, reflect and give thanks for the sacrifices of those who gave their lives so that we can live in freedom. And after that moment of silence has passed, we do what we do best- party! It's been such a fun long weekend, and a perfect launch to my favorite season. Welcome, Summer!

Friday evening was warm and clear, with a shiny crescent moon and birds and bugs peeping away in the Georgetown air as Jason and I made our way into the French Embassy for the Georgetown Department of Medicine's end-of-year party. I love these kind of semi-formal events. It's so fun to put on a pretty dress, enjoy a lovely dinner, good company, free drinks and live band. But most of all, it's fun to see the residents celebrate making it through another year of sleepless nights and seemingly endless months on-call! I thought I was tired as a teacher, but I seriously don't know how these guys do it -- and keep a sense of humor to boot. Congrats to Jason and all his friends on an awesome year of saving lives!

He made it! Another year down.

Saturday, my friend Amanda and I debated a beach day, but decided against battling Memorial day traffic to the coast. Instead, we ventured out to a local "bucket list" staple- Great Falls National Park in Virginia. It was a hot, sticky day, but that didn't stop us from enjoying a nice picnic and laying out in the sun. I will confess, however, that my small-town childhood got the best of me, and I thought you could go swimming at Great Falls. Sadly, it's not Wahconah Falls, so there's no deep, cold pool at the bottom to jump into and cool off. But it's a beautiful park all the same. I'll be back!

Sunday Meredith and I had close to 30 people over to our back patio for a BBQ and "housecooling" party to say goodbye to our lovely home on Capitol Hill. In June, we're moving to our own studio apartments. We might not have a backyard in our future building, but we will have a rooftop- so no more grills for burgers and dogs, but plenty of space for picnics and beach chairs. I think we'll manage!

Finally, back to reality on Sunday. Laundry, car wash, cleaning... and tomorrow the week begins again. Peace and Love!