Friday Date Night

Julie Brown Coat c/o (But this coat in “Neon Flame” is a great alternative! I’m wearing it in this post and this post, too.)  / Crystal Bracelet (Old, super similar here) / Tory Burch Logo Studs / Sole Society Pumps c/o / SheInside Sweater c/o / Gap Jeans c/o (I’m wearing the “short” version — No more cuffing! I’m around 5’4–or 5’5 on a good day–for reference.) / Rebecca Minkoff Bag c/o

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] love that Mitch and I reserve most Friday evenings for ourselves. It was pretty chilly last night, so we just walked around the corner to a couple of neighborhood bars and restaurants, but it was seriously one of the best Friday Date Nights we’ve ever had. We caught up with each other about our days as we always do–Mitch had a professional development day at another school, and I was working on a couple of upcoming projects–and we also talked extensively about just how lucky we are.

It sounds hokey. But every once in a while, I think it’s important to sit back and think and talk about everything you’ve been blessed with… and how far you’ve come.

It sounds hokey. But every once in a while, I think it’s important to sit back and think and talk about everything you’ve been blessed with… and how far you’ve come. While this past year was a wonderful one, it was also one that was rife with challenges for us. (More on this eventually.) Last night, though, we realized that everything has finally fallen into place, and we truly want for nothing. That’s a crazy feeling to experience for the first time.

In the past, there was always that “if only” that prefaced our thoughts about life. Of course, we loved our lives, and I certainly don’t want to imply that we had some sort of tumultuous 20s or something. They were fantastic! Really, really awesome. But you know: your 20s are a time of uncertainty, and uncertainty can be unsettling.

A somewhat silly example of this is our living situation, which, up until now, has always been a struggle and stressor. In New York, we bounced from apartment to apartment, as most New Yorkers do in an effort to not go broke from outrageous rent hikes. It was difficult, and it wore on us. We’d find ourselves staring at townhouses, and starting sentences with “if only…”

Today, though, we have a permanent home. Sure, it’s not an entire townhouse, haha, and it’s not located in New York like I’d always dreamed it would be. It’s also a catastrophe right now, and we’ve endured way too many disasters in our first year of homeownership, in my opinion. ;) But it’s permanent. And it’s ours. And it’s in a city we’ve come to adore. Honestly, we never thought we’d have that.

And there are far more meaningful examples of “how far we’ve come,” but I’ll just leave you with this thought: Think back to five years ago, and compare your life then to your life now. What do you look back on fondly, and what accomplishments and “progress” are you proud of yourself for? What are you grateful for?

Ugh. I hate ending sentences with prepositions. (For what are you grateful?! Heh.) But whatever. It’s Friday night and… you know. ;)