Hello...

Hello, Dear Blogosphere!

It has been so quiet on here, I know. A lot has happened since I last posted. For one, I turned 25! Quarter century!

My 25 before 25 list was not quite completed. Like so many other loose ends in my life. But here's a quick reminder of the things I was able to check of my list...

• Have a gluten-free beer tasting!
• Paint!
• Attend Midnight Mass!
• Sorta pick a pineapple in Hawaii (no one told me this would be dangerous and sorta impossible)!
• Take a trip along CA-1!
• Snowshoe!
• Make my own amazing CrockPot recipe!
• Camp in Yosemite!
• Take a wok around Chinatown in Vancouver (went and walked around Vancouver)!

And a few big things that happened while I was 24...

• Moved in with Sean!
• Celebrated my grandmother's 90th birthday!
• Celebrated my niece's 1st birthday!
• Celebrated FOUR weddings!
• Went on oodles of trips and adventures!

The past year has involved a lot of growth and change. And I know that I will probably same the same thing next year!

I will post more soon. In the meantime, please feel free to follow me at httpbombdotcom.tumblr.com -- you can find a bunch of fun photos there!

-Nat

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When it Gets Crisp

I'm taking a quick break from working to write a little post. Today was the first day that it actually felt like autumn here. Last night there was definitely some crisp in the air. That fresh, clean sensation that I just crave during the summer. It is here!

Autumn is the most romantic of all seasons. The adventuring of summer is through. The world truly is new with the changing colors, new school schedules, students, and projects. Life is about settling in. Getting cozy. Warm drinks and blankets. Baking cookies and other treats serves a dual purpose: to eat and to warm up the home. I simply can't wait for the temperatures to continue to cool. I long for the first day of long sleeves and sweaters. And all the celebrations: Halloween, birthdays (Sean's, my mom's, my brother's, and mine), and Thanksgiving are coming right up. The season of gift and thanks giving is here.

I have a good feeling about this quarter. I feel refreshed. I haven't felt this good since the spring before prelims. I'm starting to rediscover why I am in graduate school. It seems crazy... but I think maybe it did take a full year to recover from the exam. I feel balanced again.

So... I'm going back to work! Happy Autumn, everyone!

P.S. The above Great Gatsby quote was stolen from the lady script.

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This Week!

Howdy, everyone! We've had a great first weekend of autumn here, with temperatures almost reaching 100*F (don't worry, they will tomorrow)! We've done lots of window shopping and pumpkin patching. Sean snapped this great photo of us today at Bishop's Pumpkin Farm...

Other photos from our adventures can be found at the bomb.com!

This week, the quarter really begins. I'm teaching two lab sections. I am so excited to start teaching again. This is my favorite class to TA for. It has insane amounts of grading, but I get to know my students pretty well. Then on Saturday, Sean and I head down to Malibu for the big Nik and Katie wedding! It's going to be amazing, I am sure. I feel so honored to be invited to share in their wedding day! On Sunday, we'll be going to the Book of Mormon Musical in LA with Caitlin and Evan. I cannot wait. Just gotta get through this week!

Hooray for October!

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