"For those I love, I will sacrifice"

Trip to DC

So last weekend, I went to visit Ben and we took a trip to DC for the weekend. I must admit, our expected itinerary was pretty busy, but it's been almost 8 years since I was there, and as an 8th grader, one can not honestly experience and appreciate DC for everything it is. It is such a powerful city and there is so much respect in the city that you can't even imagine as a 14 year old.

First, I would like to say how safe I really felt the entire weekend. It was very clean, the traffic was NOT as bad as I expected it to be, it was a lot bigger then I remember it being, but I really loved it. The homeless people were not begging you for money. They had what they had, and they slept on the park benches with everything they had and just left everyone alone.

So the plan was the following:

Get in Friday at 2, get to the academy about 3, get in to DC around 5 and rent bikes and ride around to all the monuments and around that National Mall Friday afternoon, then get a pizza and hang out. Well this didn't happen. I got in to Annapolis (the academy) at 3, but Ben didn't get out of class and back to his dorm until almost four, so I saw by a fountain and read and actually saw a few of the guys in his company which was nice. We ended up not renting bikes because we didn't get to DC until almost 7:30/8ish (before we left the yard, Ben had to pack, go to the library and get a book for the SMT guys, and then get his bike and get to jeep). We did however get pizza and hang out. We walked around downtown and just enjoyed the really nice evening.

Just messing around while waiting for Ben

Just messing around while waiting for Ben

Saturday, we planned on going to the Smithsonian, the Newseum, and the Spy Museum. Instead we woke up, went and worked out (and I purposefully wore the same colors as he did, haha) went to the Holocaust Museum and the Smithsonian of American History and then around and saw the monuments and the White House. It rained a little bit, but we didn't let that put a damper on the day. We ate breakfast at a "Cosi" that I like to compare to a Starbucks and Panera combined and for lunch, we had hotdogs from the little food stands that are all over the city and for dinner, we went to Fogo de Chao (where on the way, I got cat-called by a homeless man who told Ben "you've got yourself a good one!").

All of the shoes at the Holocaust Museum

Us before working out and going for a run around DC

While walking around, we saw the White House, the new World War II Monument, the Washington Monument and the Capitol building.

Washington Monument 

WWII Memorial

Us in front of the White House

Ben with our tower we built in the Smithsonian of American History

Date night Saturday night! <3

WWII Memorial

On Sunday, we had originally planned to go to the Holocaust Museum, Arlington, the Navy/Marine's Monument, and the Pentagon 9/11 memorial. But all we ended up having time for was the Spy Museum and the 9/11 Memorial before heading back to Annapolis. The 9/11 Memorial was a little confusing because we missed the sheet that explained it, so as we were walking through it, we were trying to figure it out, but it ended up making us think about it more since we didn't know anything about it, and after we found out we were right about most assumptions about it. Sunday night when we got back to Annapolis, I checked in to my hotel while Ben went back for their 6 pm reformation and I got Chipotle for him, me and his roommate Ryan. We spent the rest of the night working on homework before I fell asleep on his lap while attempting to read.

Place we ate breakfast Sunday morning

My secret identity during the Spy Museum! lol

9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon

9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon

Whoops! Guess it's time for a new suitcase!

Monday morning, bright and early, I headed back to the Academy to take Jeep back to Ben and we had just enough time to park on Hospital Point and walk Ben to class where we had to say a quick goodbye since he's not allowed to do anything "ungentlemenly" in his uniform, and then I went to my shuttle and headed to the airport, and this is when the fun started! As I'm walking across the yard, I'm dragging my suitcase behind me and the handle ended up bending so bad that it wouldn't go back in to my suitcase, so after getting through security and finding my gate, two nice gentlemen tried to help me literally kick the handle back in and it still wouldn't go, so after 15 minutes of struggling with my suitcase, I decided I would just break the handle because if I didn't, it was not going to fit on the airplane.


Needless to say, the weekend was pretty amazing! I miss Ben so much when we're not together, but when we finally get to see each other, everything is perfect and I fall for him more and more. I cannot wait to see him next, unfortunately, I do not know what that will be :( but I know that the next time I do, it will be just as great as this trip was.

Retail Therapy, with a purpose!

So this coming weekend, I'm headed to Washington D.C. to go visit Ben and I decided I wanted to go shopping and get some new clothes for the occasion and also, why not go shopping now? It's getting to the end of summer and so stores are getting their new fall stuff in so EVERYTHING's on sale! Check out some of the deals that I got today while shopping at the Dayton Mall.

Vanity

 

Original Price: $29.80

Paid: $3.98

 

Original Price: $29.80

Paid: $3.98

 

Original Price: $24.80

Paid: $3.98

Original Price: $26.80

Paid: $3.98

Original total: $111.20

Total spent: $17.03

Total savings: $94.17

Wet Seal

Original Price: $18.99

Paid: $11.28

Original Price: $12.99

Paid: $7.72

Original Price: $6.50

Paid: $4.00

Original Price: $6.50

Paid: $4.00

Original Price: $6.50

Paid: $4.00

Original Price: $6.50

Paid: $4.00

Original Price: $6.50

Paid: $4.00

Original total: $67.21

Total spent: $41.73

Total savings: $25.48

Forever 21

Original Price: $22.80

Paid: $22.80

Original total: $24.40

Total spent: $24.40

Total savings: $0.00

Plato's Closet

Original Price: $16.00

Paid: $8.00

Original total: $16.56

Total spent: $8.56

Total savings: $8.00

Glitter

Original Price: $1.00

Paid: $1.00

Original Price: $5.00

Paid: $5.00

Original total: $6.42

Total spent: $6.42

Total savings: $0.00

First week of senior year

So this week, I had my last "first day of school." It was pretty bitter sweet. I'm ready to be done with UD. I'm ready to start the next chapter of my life. I'm over being here. I really don't want to be coming back here for classes. I only have a few friends here, so that's really no incentive to want to stay either, and it's even worse when my best friend is 10 hours away :( I think the thing that I'm most not looking forward to is the fact that I am over the whole "party scene" and that's all there is here on the weekends. It's a Friday night, and as I sit in my bedroom that looks over the "ghetto" (what our student neighborhood is called), everybody is out drinking and partying and I have no urge to be out there at all. I worked until almost midnight and I have to work again in the morning, so I don't want to go out, but I can't really go to sleep either because it's so loud. Our house is also bitter sweet. It's in a great location and rather close to classes, however, when it's late and I want to go to bed, it's loud outside which makes this difficult.

Also, I don't have a job for this semester :/ I had to quit J. Alexander's because they require us to be able to work 4 shifts and I could only work three. Between my 18 credit hours and trying to play softball and maybe getting to visit Ben once in a while, I wasn't going to be able to work four shifts. It really sucks because it's pretty decent money, but at the same time, it really sucks. One thing I have learned from this job is that people are just assholes. I believe that every person needs to be a server at one point in their lives, because they realize how shitty serving really is. I've become a bit more lenient with servers because I know how hard it can be, but at the same time, I also have a shorter patience level with them because I know how good service should be handled.

My classes seem pretty cool so far. I believe all of them will relate well to my real life. Here's my schedule:

Monday
11-11:50 Propaganda Analysis
12-12:50 Conditioning
1-1:50 Water Aerobics
2-2:50 Public Affairs Reporting
4:30-5:45 The Holocaust

Tuesday
3-4:15 Family Communication
4:30-5:45 Marriage and Families

Wednesday
the same as Monday except add Beginner Guitar from 3-3:50

Thursday
the same as Tuesday

Friday
11-11:50 Propaganda Analysis
2-2:50 Public Affairs Reporting

Softball is going to be interesting as well. We got our schedule today and it's not too bad...however, it is five weekends in a row (last weekend in September until the first weekend in November). I was hoping/planning on trying to visit Ben the first weekend of October for the Navy/Air Force football game, but we are playing Ohio State. I've been trying to get a game against them scheduled since freshmen year, but it has never worked out, so I really don't want to miss these games, but I also would love to go see Ben that weekend! I really don't know what to do :(

Update!

So it's been like a week and a half since I wrote anything, but a lot has happened in that last week and a half!

For starters, Ben made it back to civilization! So after 25 days, I finally got to talk to him :D :D :D it was so good to hear his voice again. He tried to tell me that he broke his arm and I actually believed him at first, and then he told me he was kidding (what a butt head!) lol He left  NOLS and headed to Philmont (Cimarron, New Mexico) where he will be a scout ranger. Lee also moved Ben's jeep to the academy for me so I thought my plan was a complete go...until I found out that reform was going to be on August 17...uh oh. So I had to tell Ben about my surprise and when I did, he said he would try to get on a plane on the 16, so we'll see if this might work out after all. But Ben also informed me that he was getting emails about cars needing to be moved, so I went on a huge adventure trying to get ahold of someone in parking services to find out if his jeep would be ok or not. After a week of emailing and calling different people, I found out that his jeep will be fine where it is (thank goodness!).

I went with Renee one Saturday and we picked out the possible bridesmaid's dresses for her and Danny's  wedding for next May. I'm so excited because they're actually pretty cute! I also found a dress that I think I might buy just for the hell of it to have so I can wear to different balls and stuff! ;)

It's a little blurry but this is the dress! They're going to be a light pink/blush color and they've got a small belt that is attached to the flower around the waist. I was so excited because they're short, strapless and the best part?? THEY HAVE POCKETS!!!! :D I'm so excited to get to be a part of their special day! :D

I've been working a ton! The last week in July (7/24-8/1) I worked a total of 62 hours in 9 days. I was so exhausted and couldn't wait for my day off! During that week though, our front door at work got shattered! Nobody really knows what happened, but it looks pretty bad and is going to take 3 weeks to get the glass to replace it!

 Oh, and I also got a puppy! :D I didn't tell mom I was getting him...I figure it's easier to ask for forgiveness then to ask for permission ;) He's awesome! His name is Kugel and he's a Chihuahua/Terrier mutt (his mom was a chihuahua/terrier but they're not sure what his dad is). He's 12 weeks old and adorable!

For a closing note, I found this quote that I really liked :)