From celebrating my Birthday via the kick off of the month in the gorgeous little of town of Edenton, North Carolina to SOOOOO many fun celebratory dinner/brunch and social outings across Washington, DC and Northern Virginia to SOOO many exciting professional development opportunities, May 2023 has been nothing but filled with excitement and surprises. As with any month, there are many highs but of course a few lows, too. May 2023 has been nothing short of a blessing to me. It has historically been a celebratory month for me as May 1 is my Birthday and college/high school graduations along with others Birthday’s are to be, too. I feel beyond blessed to have a GREAT month of May this 2023 year and am looking towards the future for an exciting *and* ultra-busy June-August 2023 (which I have been in the process of planning!!!).
Gratitude has been the BIG word for May 2023. I am beyond blessed to have such incredible friends and family members that I get to spend time with, celebrate with, and go through both the highs and lows with. My friends and family truly are my rocks. I am truly grateful for them, their love, and their support through it all. Thank you all <3
Highs:
- I got invited to a private VIP Coronation Party at the Scout Bags Flagship store in Washington, DC’s neighborhood of Georgetown. This was my first time-ever attending an event as an influencer like this. I got to shop for my Mom for Mother’s Day and pick out some cute summer staples for myself for my upcoming travels and adventures, too. At the same time, I met some of the incredible and ultra-sweet staff at Scout Bags, including their social media manager Sarah and the fashion brand’s iconic founder Deb! At the same time, this event gave me *another* opportunity to wear my fascinator which I wore when touring Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky back in March. This event was such a BLAST!!! I brought my best friend Laura with me as my plus one and the store was literal heaven on Earth for her as it is for me, too. Laura and I also got a swag bag and to decorate a custom flower bouquet from Washington, DC’s premier pop-up flower truck – Lily’s Flower Truck! Laura and I went to Clyde’s on M Street in Georgetown nearby afterwards and it was such a great morning/early afternoon out.
- Birthday and celebratory dinners/brunches with friends and family. So so so so many memories were made, too. Restaurants include La Chaumiere, Farmers Fishers Bakers, Hometown Grill and Bar, Urban Roast, and Coastal Flats. Over Memorial Day Weekend, I also went to my cousin Benjamin’s college graduation and goodbye party as he moves to Michigan in the next few weeks for his new job. I am beyond proud of Benjamin and all of his accomplishments and REALLY enjoyed getting to catch up with him along with many of my fellow family members there too. Be on the lookout for a DC Dining – May 2023 blog post *very very very* soon!!
- Enjoying the magic of Washington, DC in the summer months. Although it is technically still Spring here in the Washington, DC area and according to the calendar, it definitely feels like summer here in the Washington, DC area given the huge increase in humidity here and people out and about including the influx of tourists. Needless to say, I LOVE the magic of Washington, DC coming alive!!!! One of my favorite outings was taking my best friends Haley and Laura to the Glossier storefront in the neighborhood of Georgetown. In the Winter months, I find myself and I know others feel the same the sheer need to hibernate and just stay indoors. BUT, when the weather gets nice out, I want to be in the city and enjoy it, too. That energy from myself and others truly radiates throughout the entire city.
- Professional development events, which includes my first-ever two conferences: the Leadership Summit via The Leadership Center for Excellence in Ballston, Arlington, Virginia and Med Tech via The Academy for Radiological & Biomedical Imaging Research in Washington, DC’s Capitol Hill, which I showcase some fun behind it all here. Both conferences taught me SOOOO much and and inspired me on many levels. I felt so much hope for the future and inspiration for where my career can take me. I feel *extremely* grateful to have an incredible employer that supports me in my endeavors, too.
- At the end of May, I went into the office for a work Happy Hour that one of my teammates helped put together. The Happy Hour featured a guest that’s one of our company clients and it was SO inspiring to hear from this client of ours. Afterwards, I met my best friend and college “Big Sis” Stephanie for dinner at the nearby Tyson’s Corner Center (mall). We tried the brand-new Persian restaurant MamanJoon (will share more in my May 2023 DC Dining blog post coming soon!!) and the staff were SO sweet and the food was amazing. The Tyson’s Corner Center has a super fun exhibit of artworks done by artists at the Lorton Workhouse Arts Center along with LOTS of fun graffiti demos, modern art displays, and murals both in and outside of the mall. Needless to say, the atmosphere was super great to close out the month of May.
- I had a light week towards the end of May, so Papa and I took an evening outing to Nall’s Produce – a local garden and produce center in Alexandria, Virginia. We both bought some locally sourced produce and spent quality time together. One of my favorite parts was simply wondering the aisles and aisles and aisles of the garden center section at Nall’s Produce. Gardens centers are GORGEOUS, y’all!!! Needless to say, Papa and I had an amazing time together there and then went to Chili’s nearby for dinner and beers.
- To kick off Memorial Day weekend, Papa and I went out to lunch with his sister and her husband aka my Great Aunt Darlene and Uncle Mike. We checked out a restaurant on the waterfront along the Occoquan River in Occoquan, Virginia. We had a super nice time catching up with Aunt Darlene and Uncle Mike and learned more about their upcoming exciting summer adventures to Europe. I am super blessed to have incredible family members such as Aunt Darlene and Uncle Mike in my life. Afterwards, Papa and I took Rosie on a gorgeous walk at Mason Neck State Park in Virginia that led to a stunning marsh on an inlet of the Potomac River. I unplugged the entire walk with the exception of taking some photos at the marsh on Papa’s phone and it was SO needed!
Lunch with Great Aunt Darlene and Uncle Mike – Occoquan, Virginia
Walk with Papa along Mason Neck State Park – Lorton, Virginia
- Papa and I went for a long weekend to Edenton, North Carolina – an ultra-charming North Carolina town – for my 24th Birthday celebration. We brought Rosie our dog with us and had an amazing time. In Edenton, we took Rosie on several walks alongside the Edenton Waterfront Park, rode on the historic Trolley Tour to learn more about Edenton’s history, and dined at spots that local “Edentonians” frequent and love. Read more about my time with Papa and Rosie in Edenton here: https://pinkchickadee.com/2023/05/17/48-hours-in-edenton-north-carolina/
- Many evenings in the yard with a glass of wine and sunshine! Rosie hangs out in the front yard for HOURS on HOURS on end in the sunshine during these warm, summer-like months. When I am done with work, I LOVE getting to sit outside, enjoy some sunshine and a glass of wine, and hang out with Rosie and Papa too. Sometimes I’ll go for a walk and bring Rosie, too. There are so many bonding moments that are special for me and Papa and Rosie.
- Alongside attending the VIP Coronation party at the Scout Flagship Store, I also attended a Kentucky Derby Party at my Mom’s friend’s house. *Yes*, this Kentucky Derby Party gave me *yet another* opportunity to wear my fascinator which has been a blast (!!!) ever since I toured Churchill Downs. At the Kentucky Derby Party, I got to make my own Mint Julep which I LOVED trying when I was in Louisville, Kentucky and mingle with others in my Mom’s friend’s community. The Washington, DC area is very populated but also very small at the same time. Needless to say, it is always fun to get to know more people in my city while also seeing some familiar faces (and placing bets on which horse will win the 2023 Kentucky Derby!).
Lows:
- Burnout, burnout, burnout! The name of the game this May 2023 has been burnout and the physical affects of it. I attended a webinar through Women in Technology coincidentally this May 2023 and I learned how to best identify when burnout starts and how it affects us via the cycle of burnout. That all being said, I realized from that webinar that burnout is one thing that I struggle with and sometimes I simply need to take it easy. One weekend this May 2023, I literally just did nothing except take Rosie for walks and one dinner with a friend. It was super nice just to simply rest and recharge and just sleep. And, sometimes, that is what we truly need.
- Two words: awful allergies. My allergies have SUCKED throughout the month of May! Now that it is much nicer out and my dog Rosie wants to hang out outside for the majority of the now-sunny days, I find myself having *none other than* an allergic reaction all day everyday to the grass that Rosie sunbathes on. I have found myself dealing with fatigue and horrible allergy symptoms all month long. However, the memories that I have made with Rosie and will continue to make make it ALL that worth it.
- Grocery planning changes have been happening on my front. In the past, I would use Instacart to preorder groceries and simply pick them up curbside or have them be delivered. To many people’s surprise, using Instacart has been much cheaper for me than getting groceries in-store. However, I have realized in recent times that the grocery planning process has been taking a mental toll on me via obsession over the planning process with my cart. Needless to say, I am switching to in-person grocery shopping 1-2 times a week based on what I need rather than through Instacart for the time being.
Looking forward to the future, I have some very exciting plans for June and July 2023! Ranging from beach weekends to summer activities to graduation parties to everything in between, Summer is usually the time that is a BIG travel season for me and many others, too. I have a total of 5 weekends away in the next 8 weeks with opportunities to rest in between it all. I am very excited for what is to come but hoping to protect my soul and self from too much burnout as well. Here’s to an exciting and busy and *of course* fun next 2 months!!
XOXO – Katie <3