Weekend Getaway: Princeton, NJ

I just got back from a quick weekend getaway with my boyfriend Chris (even though I am moving in less than a week and should probably be dedicating all my time and energy into making all that happen!). We drove up to Princeton (where his parents live), and attended his good friend's birthday party in Pennsylvania (just across the bridge). The reasoning that went into convincing myself to go went thusly: "Well, I've been working really hard and have been really stressed out, so I deserve a quick break. Chris wants me to go, so I should go. I need to blow off a little steam. Everyone needs to get outta dodge every once in awhile." And so, I went. And I'm glad I went. And those are my excuses. And I guess I don't really need excuses. Ok, so maybe I feel a little guilty for spending my weekend having fun instead of slaving away in my apartment.

Anyways, the party in PA was fun (full of a group of characters... sometimes NJ feels like another planet!), but mostly I enjoyed getting to spend time with Chris. He showed me around Princeton and we just had a good time. We got breakfast, checked out the Princeton campus, checked out some cool shops, went to the Record Exchange (Chris spent $40 in a heartbeat!), got drinks in a sports bar, and then headed to PA. It really is the simple things that make me happy. His parents have a piano, so he played it a good bit while we were there. I really love hearing him play, and was even moved to tears at once point (yes, I'm the crazy emotional girl who cries all the time!). Anyways, I guess I'm just bragging a little about my catch!

On the way home we got stuck in this insane, scary storm and I was just so glad to be with Chris during the whole thing. There is no one I trust more or feel safer with. I kept thinking that, had I been by myself, I most likely would have been panicked. There were a few amusing moments on the trip that I could have focused on for this post to get a laugh, but really my overall feeling after the trip is one of love and contentment. I couldn't be happier that this move will result in my getting to live with Chris, and I'm so excited we will be hitting our 5-year mark next month (with the exception of a bump or two along the way!). I'm really very lucky.

RYAN'S RECOMMENDATIONS:

Listening: Today's recs are the two albums Chris bought at the Princeton Record Exchange, which we listened to on our way back to VA. One is Antifogmatic by The Punch Brothers, and the other is Roadsongs by Derek Trucks Band. The Punch Brothers album is awesome, and Chris got the special edition that came with a bonus disk and a DVD. I think it's worth the extra money to get the DVD. What an amazing bit of footage! Check it out. The Derek Trucks album was great too. It's a two disk live album and features some great tunes.