Lately

Settling into married life has been pretty easy, believe it or not. Everything has felt pretty normal for the most part and Sean and I have transitioned into daily life again very well since the wedding. I don't have much to post about right now, so I just wanted to share some photos of some things that we've been up to these past two weeks.  

Of course I got sick immediately after the wedding, so Sean made us soup and grilled cheese for dinner one night. It was actually really yummy since he used different cheeses and made red pepper tomato soup. 

The evidence of fall is all around us here. I love the trees in our neighborhood! They're so colorful and happy; I've never seen such colorful leaves before! I point them out to Sean when I see them. He must get annoyed, but I can't help it.

I've taken a liking to Starbucks' Salted Caramel Mocha and since they're kind of expensive, I've started making my own thing. I even bought some pumpkin pie spice to sprinkle on top.

My disposable camera photos were developed yesterday. These are some a couple of my favorites.

Sean and I went with friends to the Renaissance Festival and it rained the entire time, as you can see from the mud. It was still fun though. Lots of food!

I got my new glasses today! I was kind of worried that no one would like them except for me, but everyone has been super positive about them. I think they make me look 'trendy'. Ha

My brother and I are great buds!

And here is Milo just chillin' on our new rug. He's such a babe.

Back-to-School, Fall, and Coffee Shops

Yesterday was the first day of classes and it went fairly well, aside from the disgusting heat and what felt like child on my back all day. (Never again will I bring my math and German textbooks on the same day.) I feel really good about my schedule and my classes this semester, and I don't think I could have asked for better after my year-long break from school. Despite this, I realize how big my workload will be for the next few months. My three anthropology courses are really heavy with reading and writing essays; I think I have maybe twelve to fifteen essays to write and eleven books (plus many scholarly articles) to read. Luckily, I do much better on essays than I do on tests, but I can imagine that after about the fourth essay, I will be sick of it.

Fortunately, right now I am pretty happy. I do wish that fall would come sooner. I miss everything about the season: the cool, crisp air; the layers of clothes and my favorite scarves and jackets; the smell of dead leaves burning in the distance and cinnamon candles and baked goods; the holidays; and hot tea in my favorite big mug. Fall is like the pregame to my favorite month December. It's the time that Sean and I remember our first meeting three years ago and the cold nights that we spent together, walking around our small college town, talking and exchanging the first of many kisses and falling in love. Fall is a magical time, and it's hard to remember and notice that when our lives are filled with the everyday stresses of school and work and maintaining a household and other responsibilities. My goal this fall is to stop when I can and breathe. I want to find joy and excitement in the little things fall offers and I want to spend more meaningful moments with Sean and the ones I love.

Although it is still very hot and will be for another few weeks, I have begun doing what I can to create meaningful experiences with Sean. A new coffee shop opened near our apartment and Sean loves coffee and anything bitter, so we decided to stop by today on our walk home. It is so exciting to have a one so close now as the nearest one is almost twenty-five blocks away. If you're in the Kansas City/UMKC area, you should definitely check it out! The shop is called, Crow's Coffee and it is located 51st and Brookside Blvd. We really liked it and the character it adds to the community! I love that the interior is so rustic and modest, and I can definitely see it becoming a neighborhood favorite for us and pretty much any UMKC student.

I am taking German and teaching Sean what I learn as I go along. It's really fun talking to him about the phonetics and structures of languages. He has a great interest in linguistics and etymology so having him to help and make funny jokes about it keeps me interested.
I really hope that I can become fluent in German and live in a German-speaking country at some point. I think Austria or Poland would be wonderful, but we would be happy with Germany as well. So, I am taking my German class very seriously.

Anyway, I hope everyone's week is going well. I know a lot of schools have already begun, so I hope everyone has a fun and productive semester, or season if you're not in school.

I took this on my walk home from my evening class yesterday. I love taking pictures during the Golden Hour. They always turn out beautiful.

This is the drink Sean chose to get from Crow's Coffee. It's called  a Gibraltar (or Cortado in the rest of the world) which, according to Wikipedia, it's an espresso cut with warm milk. Sean is always wanting to try new things at restaurants and cafes so that's what this was for him. He tells me it was a success.  

Crow's Coffee! I really love the brick wall, exposed ceiling, the counter-tops, the decorated lights, the concrete floors, and pretty much everything in this place! I can't wait to come in for some tea or hot chocolate this fall and winter! 

I got an iced coffee with caramel! It was super delicious and we were really surprised that our drinks together was only $6! Take that Starbucks!

I made this board of German words and phrases that Sean and I can use together. I like the idea of having something we can see in our apartment to help us remember, so hopefully it works!