and three years later...

I submitted my thesis today. On the bus ride home tonight I couldn't help but think of all the ups and downs over the past three years -- everything from taking the GRE 3.5 times to calling my mom and sister in tears because I thought maybe I made a mistake...especially because I couldn't find a good Tex-Mex restaurant in DC. I kept saying that I couldn't wait to be on the other side of all of this and see how it all turned out. Well I'm not completely on the other side -- mainly, because I'm not sure we ever are -- But what a great feeling.

Before I left my old job, a person I worked with in Japan gave me a daruma doll as a good luck present. They're little Japanese wish dolls with big white eyes -- you fill in one eye when you start a goal (or wish) and fill in the other when it comes true. When I moved to DC, I made sure it had a special spot in the U-haul (with my makeup and jewelry, of course). And when I was settled into my new place and about to start at Georgetown I filled in one of the eyes.

Tonight, I'm going to fill in the other eye.

And I'm also going to have a nice glass of wine with Laura -- quite appropriate since she came to visit DC with me almost three years ago when I decided to come.

So cheers to a daruma doll with two eyes.

Some holiday fun

I've been working away to wrap things up with school, but have enjoyed a little bit of holiday fun. I stayed in DC for Thanksgiving because I had a thesis deadline, but Jason and I celebrated. We checked out the National Zoo (one of my favorites) and then cooked a great dinner. We had the oddest turkey -- did you know they come without turkey legs? I'm hoping that our little guy had them originally, but that someone (like Rocco) got to enjoy the legs at a state fair...And while I had hoped to make it to the National Tree lighting, turns out you have to get tickets November 1st (noted for next year). So we made it down to see the National Tree on Friday, the day after the tree lighting ceremony. Here are some pics...