Highlights of 2020

2020 was a pretty rough year for us all. However, with all of the tough times in our lives, there always is a silver lining. Although 2020 was a year filled with wearing masks, keeping 6 feet apart from those we care about, and washing our hands, it has actually been one of my better years of life. It is, indeed, all what we make of the times and things that we are handed in life. That being said, I will be sharing some of my many highlights of 2020. Enjoy!

January 15 – Launching The Pink Chickadee & my launch party

January 23 – Cooking my Favorite Dutch Oven Ziti for the first time as a hit for my Grand Big

January 25 – Partaking in Meredith’s once every 4 Years Tradition of an Alice in Wonderland Production by faculty & staff

February 12 – Hosting my First-Ever Galentine’s “Fries Before Guys” Party

February 16 – Coordinating my 3rd Scholar’s Day Event at Meredith with two of my best friends Kaylee and Lexie

March 7-10 – Traveling to Annapolis, Maryland, Mount Vernon, Virginia, & Washington, DC with Lexie for Spring Break

March 10 – Celebrating Papa’s Birthday

March 11-15 – Visiting Tennessee (crossed a brand new state off my bucket list!) with my best friend Laurie for Spring Break

Easter – Baking my Grandma’s Bonnie Butter Cake Recipe & Turning it into a Bunny Cake

April 30 – Having a Colored Pancake Party with Papa

May 1 – I Turned 21!

Mother’s Day – Making my Mom & Old Bay-Themed Dinner & Going to a Local Nursery with her

June 20 – My First Legal Drink at a Restaurant!

June 21 – My First Vineyard Trip & Hike at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland

June 24 – Crossed Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Off My Bucket List!

June 30 – Recoding The Pink Chickadee!

July 1 – Vineyard Outing with my Big Sis Stephanie at The Winery at Bull Run in Centreville, Virginia

July 4 – Celebrating Independence Day at Bethany Beach, Delaware & having margaritas with my dog!

July 11-15 – Family trip with my Aunt April, Aunt Sherri, cousin Lainey, and cousin Ryan at Bethany Beach, Delaware

July 15 – Celebrating 6 months as a blogger!

August 5 – Moving back in at Meredith after 6 months at home!!!

August 7 – Being reunited with my roommate Sophie

August 8 – Having a belated 21st Birthday Celebration at Cloer Family Vineyards, Apex, North Carolina

August 17 – My Last First Day of Classes at Meredith!

September 9 – Announcing my First-Ever Newsletter for The Pink Chickadee!!!

September 19-20 – Fun weekend with my besties Alanna, Hannah, Julia, and Kaylee

September 30 – Making Butternut Squash soup and failing to cut a Butternut Squash for dinner with Alanna and Hannah

October 16 – Celebrating my friends at Meredith in the Class of 2022 as they got their class rings (Onyx)

October 17 – Celebrating my friend Caroline’s Birthday with a Trip to Divine Llama Vineyards, East Bend, North Carolina

October 23-25 – Papa came to visit me for the weekend!!!

October 31 – Dressing up as a flamingo and celebrating Halloween with Alanna and Hannah!

November 1 – Decorating for Christmas with the help of my good friend Kaylee

November 26 – Having a Non-traditional beach Thanksgiving with my Dad, Step Mom, and dog Butters

November 28 – Exploring the charming Christmas-Decorated town of Lewes, Delaware

December 5 – Celebrating my Completion of finals at The Restaurant at Lighthouse Sound, Ocean City, Maryland looking over the water and enjoying a bonfire!

December 15 – Crossing walking around the charming town of Occoquan, Virginia at Christmas

December 20 – Walking around Old Town Alexandria, Virginia with my Dad on a Father-Daughter Outing

Christmas – Cooking family recipes all day with my Mom

Life is what you make it! 2020 was pretty great, despite its many setbacks. Here’s to an even greater 2021!

XOXO – Katie <3

A North Carolina Vineyard and Llama Farm

What’s better than wine?! Wine AND llama’s!!! My good friend Caroline wanted to go to a vineyard to celebrate her 22nd Birthday, so when I found out about Divine Llama Vineyards located in East Bend, North Carolina, neither of us could pass up the opportunity to go. Our friend Cassie lives a lot closer to Divine Llama Vineyards than Caroline and I do as students in Raleigh, so it was a great place to truly meet up. The wine and llamas along with the breathtaking views of its location in the stunning Yadkin Valley made for an amazing experience.

Fall Foliage

On the way there, Caroline and I could not believe how stunning the views of the Fall foliage were! Unfortunately, the leaves have not changed that much on the trees in Raleigh as compared to its Western, North Carolina counterparts. As someone who lives in Northern Virginia, the leaves are in a Fall Foliage around this time of year and stay that way into November, so this was super nice and refreshing to see again. I missed it!!! When we got to the vineyard, the Fall leaves were in their glory this weekend as we could see them all across the vineyard and while looking at the mountainous views from afar. In fact, while I was texting a friend, she said that this weekend that we went to the vineyard was the peak of the Fall foliage. No wonder the leaves looked absolutely breathtaking!

The Wine

Upon arrival, we made our way to order some flights. If you do not know what a flight is, it is a tray with tiny samples of wine. We each got four wine samples in each flight, where I chose all of the sweet flavors. Although I have a savory tooth for food, I have a much greater sweet tooth when it comes to my wine! The flight was definitely enough wine for each of us to enjoy, and it didn’t break the bank for our college girl budgets ($10 each!). However, if I was willing to and had not bought another bottle the previous day, I definitely would have purchased a bottle of wine to take home. Personally, I thought that because I was going to a vineyard that attracts people for its llamas that the wine would not nearly be as good as anywhere else, but I was clearly mistaken!!!

The Best Part: The Llama’s

As you would have guessed, the llama’s are what attract several tourists to Divine Llama Vineyards. Once we had our wine, we had headed off to see the llama’s. The llama’s were kept down a hilly path away from where people purchase their wine. However, you can take your wine with you and sip it as you admire the llama’s. Along the way, we saw rows and rows of grapevines and took in the amazing views of the Yadkin Valley. Then, BOOM, llama’s EVERYWHERE you turn!!! The llama’s were definitely managing their own business for the most part or wanting food, but I really enjoyed getting photos with my friends and these gorgeous creatures.

Even though I was expecting suburb llama’s and not the best wine, I was truly in for a splendid surprise when the wine and llama’s were both extremely impressive!!! The experience at Divine Llama Vineyards was one for the books – it was super fun to interact with the llama’s, other visitors (social distanced of course), and enjoy their wine. Not to mention, the prices are hard to beat here, as you only have to pay for the wine and merchandise, which means you can enjoy the llama’s and only the llama’s for FREE if you so choose to. Divine Llama Vineyards is also owned by two families that are friends with one another, which makes it a sweet small business – something that we should all be support now more than ever before. I would definitely come back here with friends, family, or even on a date! The best part?! I got to celebrate an amazing friend like Caroline!!!

XOXO – Katie <3