I’m really trying to slow down and enjoy my last few days before I start work on Monday, and the past couple days have been great. Yesterday I slept in and spent the morning reading and working the blog. Then I met up with my grad school friends Brittany and Caroline for lunch at NANATACO

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I got the lunch special, which was two tacos, rice, and beans. I chose the rotisserie chicken and garlic beef as my taco meats. I was having so much fun catching up with Brittany and Caroline that I completely forgot to get a picture of the food.

It was delicious though, and I liked the laid back atmosphere. NANATACO is quite popular. Parking is tough, but we didn’t have to wait in line to order very long at all. After lunch, we went to another popular place in downtown Durham called The Parlour.

I’m an ice cream addict, so I was pumped to finally try out The Parlour. People always talk about it, and it lived up to the hype. Brittany and Caroline got Vietnamese coffee, and I got tiramisu. Yes, that’s right. Tiramisu ice cream!! My two favorite desserts together as one. *Swoon.* It was heavenly.

We had a great time swapping stories and talking about graduation and the future. All three of us tend to work with people who are sick and/or dying, and it’s nice to talk to people who understand why I love that kind of work.  We also decided that we will have enough crazy social work stories between us to write a book someday.

Brittany, who I sometimes refer to as the ghost Christmas future, is also married to a future doctor. Her husband just graduated, too, and they are heading to Milwaukee for his residency. I will miss her dearly, but I know we’ll keep sharing our crazy stories from afar. Plus, who knows where Derek and I will end up in two years for his residency? I’m glad to know that I’ll have a friend in the midwest

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Last night Derek and I watched the movie The Normal Heart on HBO. Have you heard about it yet? It’s based on Larry Kramer’s play of the same name, and it’s about the beginning of the AIDS crisis in New York City. It was a compelling movie, and the acting is excellent. As this NPR article states, The Normal Heart shows a piece of history that many people in my generation have never learned about. I highly recommend watching it if you have HBO or HBO GO.

Today I was really productive around the house. I put the laundry away, unloaded the dishwasher, cleaned the kitchen, etc. I love the feeling of getting all of those necessary chores done. The highlight of the day was finally using the Groupon for a 60 minute massage at Flawless Day Spa that Derek gave me for my birthday back in February. It was wonderful! I’ve never had a professional massage before, and I absolutely loved it. I feel so relaxed. If you’re in the Chapel Hill/Durham area, I would definitely recommend Flawless. They were nothing but professional and kind. In the afternoon, I was also able to fit in a run before going to dinner with some of my friends from college. Overall, it was another awesome day.

Last, but not least, our wedding pictures are FINALLY ready!! I’m so excited to see them tomorrow. Be on the lookout for a wedding recap soon!