Please and Thank You

Please and thank you. Foreign concepts? Overused cliches? Not at all - it's common courtesy - although I've found it's not all that common these days. I was reminded of it yesterday, when I went to Duane Reede to pick up a prescription. I was a good week late picking it up, due to procrastination/laziness. When I tried to pick it up I was told it had expired, thus the prescription would have to be resubmitted. Okay, I said, I understand. Made a joke about my laziness. The pharmacist was dumbfounded. He said if I could wait 15 minutes, he could submit it now. Sure, I said, but don't rush it (after all, it was my fault). Again, he was dumbfounded. He said wait just one minute - and it was all it took - he returned with my prescription. He said that 9 out of 10 people would have chewed him out and blamed him for the delay, and he was reciprocating my kindness by rushing the order as fast as he could. I said thank you - I really didn't expect it. But then I realized how infrequently this person was thanked in their day to day job. How often he was blamed by people for their own errors - after all, prescription refills expire because the prescriptions themselves can expire - it's for our own protection. What would be the purpose of getting angry? What's the benefit in making demands, instead of saying please?

I was flooded with memories of weddings, favors, and other things I've done without receiving a thank you - or requests made of me without saying please. They're small words that say so much. I'm less responsive to people who don't say these words because it speaks volumes about how you treat people. When you make a demand or request and don't say please, you sound entitled. If someone goes out of their way for you and you don't say thank you, it comes across as inconsiderate. I am always, always, always happy to help others. But what I (and others) want in return isn't a dramatic gesture or a favor in return. People want to be thanked because they put time and effort into helping you and you should acknowledge that.

When I feel at times like the entire world is against me, or I've had a bad day, it's very easy to turn inward and look at what everyone is doing to hurt/hinder/humble you. But what is important to realize is that most people are just trying to get through their day, same as you. And if they take the time to help you - give you recommendations for travel, or assistance for an event (such as a wedding), or a favor to a friend - just remember to say thank you. And if you're asking for help, remember to say please. Small words speak volumes, and their absence says just as much. I'm making a concerted effort to do better at saying please and thank you, be it to my parents, my sweetheart, or my friends! We can all do better :)

Easter Weekend in DC!

 We had an amazing Easter weekend a few weeks ago in Washington D.C.! We've had this trip planned for months and of course, before we knew it, it was here! We stayed with one of my best friends Rachel and her husband Allin and had 3 great days in the city! Our first night we dressed up and met up with friends for happy hour in the city. I got to see some of my friends from FSU and Duke! Next we walked to the White House for a special tour of the West Wing thanks to my amazing friends James and Lacey. It was so cool to see the Oval Office, Roosevelt Room, Rose Garden, Mess Hall, and to hear stories behind every room, painting, and artifact (thanks to our tour guide James!). It was one of the highlights of the trip, especially for Nate! After the tour, we walked down the street for a jazz concert featuring our good friend Etienne - as always, his show was fantastic!

Our second day in the city, Nate and I set out to do some sightseeing! Our first stop was the U.S. Capitol Building - we didn't have time for a tour (next time!) but we got amazing pictures outside! After that we walked to one of the museums for a lunch outside, which was perfect. We saw the Smithsonian's American History Museum, although the most famous exhibit was closed (the one with Kermit, Dorothy's red slippers, etc.) That was a bummer, but all the more reason to return one day! Next we walked the basin and saw about half of the major monuments - including the Jefferson Memorial, the FDR Memorial, and the new MLK Monument. We also stumbled upon some cherry blossom trees and we got a perfect picture thanks to Nate hanging (yes, hanging) my DSLR camera from a tree branch and setting the self-timer. I still can't believe this picture turned out but it did and it's absolutely amazing. My friends will not be surprised to hear it is already framed in our living room (seriously, anyone surprised? I think not). Finally, we ended our day back at Rachel and Allin's house for a delicious home cooked meal - the perfect way to relax after a hectic day sightseeing!

Our last day in the city we did more sightseeing - and I still can't believe everything we fit in! We started at the Iwo Jima monument - one of my favorites - and then walked to Arlington National Cemetery. It's powerful to see all the graves - and there are over 400,000 in the park. We also saw the graves of JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. From there we walked the bridge across to the DC monuments, where we walked through the Korean Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, and finally the World War II Memorial, my personal favorite. It always reminds my of Daddy Quint, my grandfather who I was very close to. He landed on the beaches of Normandy for the battle of D-Day when he was only 14 years old. Those memories stayed with him all of his life - and even though he never got to see the WWII Memorial built, he donated to it while he was alive. The memorial recognizes all the states that fought in the Atlantic and Pacific, and commemorate the lives lost (over 400,000) with 4,000 stars, each star representing the loss of 100,000 lives. 

Finally, we ended the day in Georgetown, where we met our friends Allyson and Brian for an Easter dinner at a great Italian restaurant. It was the perfect end to the trip!

Congratulations, Brad & Angelina!

Credit: Rex-USA

Hooray!!! For those of you who don't already know I'm a huge Angelina fan - now you do! I've followed her work in my field for years, and she truly talks the talk and walks the walk. She is finally engaged to longtime partner Brad Pitt, after 7 years and 6 children together! I think the story is really sweet - their children wanted them to be married like Shrek and Fiona. I also admire that they didn't give into pressure from the media early, and they are doing it on their own time. And it'll be something their kids will always remember. I think it's so important in life not to be judgmental, and I really admire how Angelina carved her own path, grew up in the spotlight, but found herself in an important cause and travelled the world, building a family and advocating on important issues. People in my field always describe her as being extremely well-educated on issues, which is very telling. She's defied the norms, managing to be both a credible advocate, a nurturing mother, and an action star all at the same time. So congratulations to you both, especially Brad, he is the lucky one! Haha! ;)

My First Race!

 I did it! I ran my first race! It was really exciting (hence all the exclamation points!). I ran a 4 mile race in Central Park - I had been training the last few weeks, running a few times a week, sometimes short runs (2 miles) and then longer runs, 3.5-4 miles. I thought realistically I would finish in 50 minutes because I have been running a consistent 12 minute mile. My goal was just to finish - I didn't want any pressure my first race. My first mile I ran a 12 minute mile, pacing myself, but my adrenaline was going strong. My second mile I was down to 11 minutes, same for the third! But the last mile I got a second wind in me and I ran it in 10 minutes, with a total time of 45!!! I was so proud of that, last mile and my time in general, it was way better than I could have hoped for. Nate was there cheering me on too at the finish line (and taking pictures of course!). It was rewarding doing the first race and realizing that I can keep setting goals and meeting them - it's so much more fun than going to the gym and running on a treadmill or doing the elliptical (although I'm still glad I have my gym, especially in the winter!). But I am really glad that the weather is getting nicer and I can run outside in the park - a huge benefit to living only two blocks away from it! I'm running another 4 mile race at the end of April, my goal for this one is to run it in 40, we'll see if I can do it! That would be 4 10-minute miles, so we'll see how training goes! After that, my first 10K is in May. Stay tuned for more running adventures!