And the rest of it...

The theme of this post is brevity. I'm going to try and be brief. That may, or may not, happen. 'Cause let's be honest. When I start to write, sometimes the juices just start flowing and can not be stopped. So without further ado, here are but a few noteworthy moments (in reverse order from summer to winter):

1) CALI-STYLE:

Summer got kick started the right way. Staying loyal to my roots, I headed for home in true California fashion. I made sure to wear my sweat pants and hooded sweatshirts every day as to not offend the locals, and I enjoyed tacking on another year to my life by celebrating my birthday with the fam.

I couldn't have asked for a better time.

I even made my debut on BART (The Bay Area's attempt at a Metro System) with Jed, Marie, and gang to ring in the Fourth of July at the Oakland A's Fireworks game.

Where we sprawled out on the field and watched the night sky light up.

Getting some quality Marie time is always a must.

And a trip home just wouldn't be complete without Melissa. As always, we attempted to shake up the status-quo, and this time by returning to run our old high school cross-country course at Joaquin Miller park. Just to see if we still had it in us... Folks, let me just say that we were a sight for sore eyes and a force to be reckoned with. We may, or may not, have skipped out half way through running the course and headed for milkshakes and curly fries at Barney's. I'm just going to put that out there.

2) WOODSTOCK '09

And then there was Duck Beach-- AKA Mormon Woodstock 2009. Where hundreds of single LDS folk from across the East Coast gather for Memorial Day Weekend on North Carolina's Outer Banks. There is only one goal: to party it up.

My Duck Beach experience can best be described by the following picture.

Absolutely nuts. No boundaries, no privacy, no sleep, no space. You don't come to Duck to sit on the sidelines. You come to pretend you're in college again.

You come to drink it in and let it completely consume your very being.

At "Duck," you are never alone. People can be found sprawled out in every corner of any given house at any given time. And although I got to sleep in an actual bed, I did not sleep alone...It was a virtual love fest. An ode to being young and free. Complete with large-scale house parties and other wildly entertaining spectacles (Can you spot me below being totally college?).

Here is a view of our lovely beach house at night.

So go ahead and throw yourself into the mosh pit. Once you stop fighting it, you might actually enjoy yourself. Indeed, I quickly found my own self succumbing to the power of "Duck."

3) I FINALLY WENT TO NYC...

Oh yes I did. I cruised up on the infamous "Chinatown" bus with my two homies, Kelli and Julie. Our sole purpose: to attend a live recording of the "Colbert Report."

Julie scored us the tickets, but we still had to arrive early to stake out our territory. So we parked it in this alley next to the studio and entertained ourselves by eating Ben and Jerry's ice-cream and exploring the city-- in shifts of course.

The show was amazing. Afterwards, I walked Kelli and Julie back to the bus, via Times Square,

and had the time of my life when I saw the Naked Cowboy. Definitely a highlight. And then I headed out alone, into the night. I decided to crash at a friend and former classmate's pad in Brooklyn, which gave me the entire next day to cruise the city on my own...

I enjoyed eating lunch in Bryant Park and trying to look posh,

stopping to admire and pose by various landmarks,

taking a seat in Central Park,

and walking the streets until I could walk no more. I took in everything that I physically could in a relatively short period of time. The city was definitely in a class all of its own. Full of an indescribable buzz and energy. And let me tell you, there was never a happier time, than when I got back on that Chinatown bus bound for DC.

4) AMONGST THE DC CHERRY BLOSSOMS

Ahhhh.... the essence of Springtime in the air. When the cherry blossoms come out, so do the people--to celebrate the end of dark, dreary days and the beginning of something fresh, new, and alive. The Cherry Blossom parade and its accompanying festivities were not to be missed. And yes, the American spirit was unleashed in full force.

Even Alex Trabeck himself was kind enough to grace us with his presence at the parade. And I just happened to walk past him at a restaurant in Georgetown the preceeding day. Small world.

Vendors lined the down-town streets selling their food and crafts while I enjoyed meandering-- soaking up the Japanese music and dance performances in the warm sunshine, sans coat (Word- don't buy your pretzels from the streets of DC. Ours had the consistency of a rock).

I met up a few times with my bud, Susie B, to walk around, go paddle boating by the Jefferson Memorial, and be as touristy as we possibly could.

I enjoyed being artsy by "The Moon Gate" and illegally picking some cherry blossoms while I was at it.

5) PROFFESIONAL DAY CLUBBING FOR THE UNEMPLOYED

Winter's cold, drizzly days could often be spent exploring the sights and sounds of the city, including an array of museums and historical monuments. And let me be the first to say, I got my fill... REAL fast. I'm still recovering. In fact, the thought of stepping foot inside another museum or doing anything remotely "historical" or "educational," makes me want to crawl in my bed and hide. I kid you not.

Although I did enjoy seeing the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence for the second time.

And every tourist must pay their respects at the White House, or now, respectfully, the Black House. I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself.

I also had to pay my respects at the National Masonic Temple. And frankly, what's not to love about visiting the National Masonic Temple? Dan Brown's new book will surely have a few insights to share about this somewhat mysterious religion, of which many prominent American leaders have claimed as their own. After my self-guided tour of the Temple, I left more confused than when I arrived....

And then there was George Washington's Mount Vernon- in the blustery, winter chill of course. I froze my tail off, and that's about all I have to say for my experience. And yes, it was educational.

I even listened to Martha Washington, just so I could take a seat inside and shake off the cold.

A little closer to home, there are also plenty of sights and hidden treasures to experience.

And if you're not looking closely, you might miss them.... like this huge chair sitting on the grass in Georgetown.

Or my neighbor, the magnificent National Cathedral towering high above the city, where I also paid my repsects and enjoyed wandering about in the catacombs.

Friends, it has truly been a year of exploration and unique experiences. I have been a successful, class-A tourist--from New York to North Carolina to DC itself. But now I claim this territory as my own. And honestly, it truly is home.