Birthday Festivities, part two

As our move draws closer, things are really picking up -- yesterday I went practically non-stop from the time I woke up to the time I hit the pillow at 11:30 p.m. With movers coming by to give quotes, countless "last minute" errands, my last few days at work and all the packing that has to be done around the apartment, I feel like my body is just getting more and more exhausted by the day. Thank goodness I'll have a little over a week to unwind before kicking it into high gear again once Analytics starts on the 13th.

But for now, let's continue to focus on the remainder of my fabulous 24th birthday extravaganza!

On Saturday morning my best friend from high school Aynsley (see her blog, linked at left for more on her life) came into town from Gainesville and we got our nails and toes done at a cute, chic salon called Magic Nails, complete with a smoothie and the endless girly gab that I miss so much when she's not around. Later that afternoon my closest friend from college Melissa came in from Tampa and the three of us, along with my closest friend from work Betsy, met up for a four-course feature dinner at none other than The Melting Pot.

I swear, this has to be one of my favorite restaurants, especially for a group setting. It took us nearly 2 1/2 hours to dine, which makes for plenty of conversation -- something you don't always have time to do say, at Chilis, where they rush you out faster than you can finish your appetizer. The four of us shared the Wisconsin cheese and the Smores chocolate fondue (heavenly, especially when paired with the brownie chunks and the chocolate covered marshmallows). We each got a side salad and then paired off for the entrees. Melissa and I shared a portion of chicken, shrimp, salmon, beef tenderloin and teriyaki marinated steak, and Ayns and Betsy shared a portion of shrimp, duck, teriyaki steak, dumplings and something I'm forgetting. No matter we were all busting out of our clothing by the time we left, which just so happened to be the time everyone wanted to take pictures (seriously girls, couldn't we have posed before we ate so I didn't look like a whale in my when-I-put-it-on-it-was-loose but now-I'm-busting-out-of-it Michael Kors number?). Overall though, it was great to spend time with my closest friends since moving to Boston means I probably won't get to see them as often as I'd like.

My weekend concluded with a day of snacking and shopping with Melissa at the Milenia Mall. We literally walked the entire mall (and for those of you not in Orlando it is a HUGE mall with more than 300 stores), a feat I don't think I've done before in one shopathon. We didn't wind up buying too much, but I was blown away by the sales at The Limited. A case in point: Last fall I bought a gorgeous, warm, turtleneck sweater in burgundy for ~$40. I wound up wearing it to the Admitted Students Weekend in Boston in Feb. and was so warm in it that I regretted not buying it in every color they had. Well, lo and behold, somehow these fabulous sweaters didn't get eaten up in the tropical Florida climate and now they had them on sale for $4.98. I'm not kidding! You should have seen how quickly I snatched up a sweater in brown, black and off-white. Adding to my purchases I snagged a cute pair of dark-wash jeans for $13.99 (down from $70!) and a pair of white cargo bermuda shorts also for $13.99 (down from $50). My grand total came to $45 -- perhaps the most bang I've ever gotten for my buck at the mall.

And so my weekend came to a close and I actually felt really sad when Melissa left and I was again alone at home with the pups. I think some chord finally struck in me as I realized how imminent this life-changing event is. And as much as I want this, and know it's right, it gets so hard sometimes to push yourself out of your comfort zone to enter the unknown. In the end, whether or not I'm ready, my flight to Boston is booked for Aug. 10 and there's no backing out now!