We Were Made For Each Other / You Can Breathe (Vacation Recap)

A friend accepts us as we are yet helps us to be what we should.
- Anonymous

I would have never guessed how much my life would change when I made friends with this seemingly shy girl from Baltimore ten years ago. But after getting to spend 5 days together sharing laughs, memories, and new adventures as if we'd never skipped a beat, I consider myself one of the luckiest people on the planet. She has, in a pretty major way, helped me become the person I am today. She shoots straight with me and isn't afraid to speak the truth in love to me while still being my biggest fan (next to my parents). She isn't afraid to be silly and she has an attitude just as fiesty as mine! Being around her was a breath of fresh air as she encouraged me so much and just reminded me what it means to have a best friend.

The hardest part about the vacation was saying goodbye. The best part was deciding to make my trip back to the east coast for the 4th of July weekend an annual event! I've been blessed enough to weather the toughest storms and soar above them with a soul sister always at my beck and phone call/text message/email and I look forward to more worthwhile adventures with my bestie!

Here are some pics to conclude the trip journal:

Anytime I'm given anything with whip cream or frosting,
it's pretty much just gonna end up on my face.
Sarah's dad knows this, hence his "oh this is normal" pose.

Other things that are pretty normal:
Sarah joining in the fun!

When we were in NYC, Sarah bought us best friend keychains
(the Big Apple & the License Plate)
We're equal parts cheesy and awesome! ;)

I bought us best friend "Fun Socks!"

A best friend never lets their friends forget to eat Chick-Fil-A

While we were there, Adam and Stacey White
(I was on staff at MCA when Stacey was a student)
joined us for lunch at CFA and it was SO great
to catch up and share some laughs.

Bonus Plus!
I got Sarah's dad to let me take a pic of him
modeling a bra in the middle of Wal-Mart!
Who could refuse me such an honor? ;)

When I left for the trip initially, I started reading this book,
SUMMER AT TIFFANY, about two best friends who spend a summer together living in NYC and working at Tiffany's. It was great to continue the story after having just spent some refreshing quality time with my best friend ever on the planet!

VIDEO BLOG: Send In The Clowns (Vacation Recap)

Sarah, Honest Abe, & Me

Once upon a time, I wore a pair of snowflake pajama pants for 24 hours. True Story.

Saturday, July 3rd was my best friend Sarah's birthday. It was ALSO the day of the Dundalk Heritage Parade. I woke up at 4:30 that morning to help prepare breakfast for Sarah's family so that Ms. Shelley (her mom) could get some rest and recover from the hectic day before. I was MORE than happy to do it . . . my body on the other hand, demanded rest after breakfast was over.

I knew we were going to be watching the parade later that morning, so I went upstairs to download my photos from the day before. The funny thing is I don't even remember falling asleep. Sarah's friend Liz came to wake me up just 5 minutes before the parade, and as I was wiping the sleepies from my eyes, she asked me if I would do her a HUGE favor and put on the outfit she was holding and help her with curbside commentary to entertain Sarah's dad during the parade. I was MORE than happy to oblige—I was barely awake, but still happy to oblige. I was under the assumption that I was going to be sitting by her dad making funny remarks. What ended up happening was that someone handed me a megaphone and told me to go out into the street and get the neighborhood excited about the parade and give some commentary.

I tried to get each commentator break on film, but was only able to get some. I'd like to think of that as an act of God. ;)

I can't even begin to describe what supernatural force of energy overtook me, but it was POWERFUL. You guys, I HADN'T EVEN HAD COFFEE! I don't even remember half of what I said, I was just going off the cuff the whole time. Neighbors asked if I would go on a comedy tour (no, I won't), others asked if I was related to the Warners (only in heart & soul), others invited me back next year (for sure!). It was overwhelming and fun all at the same time. I think the best part was leading the entire neighborhood in singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my best friend!

Here is a video of the shenanigans:

And here are some photos from the day:

Liz and I -aka- Martha May and Connie Constantine

One of the Dundalk "Hons" marching in the parade
They're called "Hons" because they always call ya "Hon"

I got to enjoy the parade with Beethoven

After the parade was over, I got to give Sarah my birthday gift to her: 2 skeins of her favorite yarn! I had sneakily purchased them in New York at Seaport Yarn, which was this little yarn shop she fell in LOVE with! It was tricky hiding it from her, but I managed to get away with it and she was SO excited to get her yarn! And she loved the birthday card I gave her, which was from Plain Jane's Cards. And I got to sing the "Make New Friends But Keep The Old" song to her. It was the perfect day to celebrate my best friend!

Empire State Of Mind (Vacation Recap)

Sarah and I on the Brooklyn Bridge

You would think that by now I would own an I heart New York shirt, but I don't. However, that doesn't stop me from loving NYC! And if my love for the city wasn't big enough, I got to make another visit to the city with my best friend on dare I say (of course I dare!) the most perfect day! Just look at this beautiful sky:

I know that it's entirely stereotypical, but my all time favorite thing to see in the city is Times Square. It's fast-paced flashy personality draws me in every time! We had the amazing opportunity to be joined by Sarah's friend Liz on this embarkation, and Liz—being a native New Yorker from Manhattan—showed us all the local spots that aren't usually covered on a Ride The Ducks tour. Having done the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Broadway show thing before, it was a new adventure I could not pass up! We parked close to Times Square, which made the walk to the subway via the square a great welcome to the city for me!

Our first stop was for breakfast at The Doughnut Plant on Grand Street on the Lower East Side. They had so many unique doughnuts that I'd never even thought of before. They had a square one filled with peanut butter and jelly, a Tres Leches doughnut that was seriously the most delicious thing ever on the planet, and Creme Brulee doughnut so tasty it makes you feel like you're at a swanky uptown restaurant. We each bought 2 doughnuts and split them four ways—a piece for each of us: Me, Liz, Sarah, and Sarah's husband Randy. Even though we only had a little bit of each, it felt like a full meal deal. It's a good thing we spent the day walking through the city.

Another one of my favorite things to do in the city is ride the subway. I can't even begin to explain why I love it. Maybe it's the convenience; maybe it's the constant bustle of strange new personalities onboard; maybe it's the fact that we randomly had a mariachi band play for our subway car and no one onboard looked fazed at all! Sarah and I could not help but smile at each other the entire time and others either continued to read their books, the newspaper, and Liz even slept through most of it.

About mid-day the troops were fading and despite my desire to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, I settled for ascending the stairs to the bridge walkway with Sarah and taking pictures of the BEAUTIFUL view!

While we were in Brooklyn, we stopped in Dewey's Candy Shop, which Sarah Barkley had suggested to me. It was a wonderland! I wish they allowed pictures to be taken in the shop, but they didn't. I was quite literally a kid in a candy shop! I was so excited to see that they carried my favorite chocolate bar—the Aero bar—so delicious! I walked away with a jar of my favorite sugar-free candies and licorice bites, which now sit on a shelf at work for random snacking.

For lunch, we got some New York Style pizza at a local joint near Ground Zero. My heart was overwhelmed with love, awe, and gratitude as I watched the Ground Zero workers enjoy their hard-earned lunches and it was fun watching the old men in the plaza play chess and checkers on such a gorgeous day.

We also got to take the S shuttle which took us to the Q line that took us over the bridge where we could see Lady Liberty in the distance. But the true beauty was the stained glass art at the S shuttle station. It was just stunning!

After a long adventurous day of sightseeing, I walked away with an even greater love for the city. The fact that I got to enjoy it with my best friend ever on the planet was just the cherry on top! I just wish we could visit NYC together more often! I already confirmed with the Warners that this trip to the East Coast over the 4th of July weekend is going to be an annual thing for me, and I'm thinking the day trip to NYC should be as well! Next year . . . CONEY ISLAND!