This summer has gotten off to a rough start for me. Following my 10-year reunion at UVA – more on that below! — I ended up getting sick on a work trip in Miami and was down and out for the count for several days. It’s always terrible being sick, but it was especially rough being away from my own bed + medicine cabinet.

Because I was sick, I ended up missing my friend’s wedding, which I was so bummed about. After resting and recovering, I was feeling much better. But then, late last week, I developed a terrible head cold and fatigue. Despite getting more than enough sleep every night, I felt exhausted and did not have the energy to keep up with my usual routines. I am not very good at being sick as I have a hard time pressing pause on productivity. But, my body literally forced me to  s l o w  down.

I feel a lot better now, so I am hoping the worst of it is behind me so I can get on with all the summer fun that lies ahead!

THE ERAS TOUR —

Last month, I was lucky enough to see Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour at MetLife over Memorial Day Weekend! My sisters, my cousins, and I were there for night two on Saturday, and it was an incredible experience. We were able to get tickets back in November as part of the presale — we paid $140 per ticket, and ahead of the concert, we could have sold them for close to $1K each.

We took the train up to New Jersey on Friday afternoon — and started our happy hour on board, which was so fun. We stayed near the stadium, but took an Uber down to Hoboken for dinner and drinks on Friday night and had the best time. Though I have spent a lot of time in New York City, I haven’t spent much time on the New Jersey side. Hoboken is right on the water and has a beautiful waterfront park that offers stunning views of the NYC skyline. We enjoyed golden hour by the water, and then grabbed a table al fresco at Union Hall Kitchen. After, we went over to House of ‘Que for drinks and ended up entering ourselves in a beer pong tournament. It was my first time playing since college, and though my skills are rusty, we had the best time.

On Saturday, we had a late lunch at Chili’s and then got ready and headed over to MetLife for the concert. Taylor Swift is an incredible performer. She put on an amazing three-hour long set — I don’t know how she does that multiple nights in a row because I was tired from just standing and signing along the whole time. Every concert attendee also receives a light-up bracelet upon entry and throughout the concert they use them to create designs and a light show of sorts — it’s so cool to see, and definitely a part of her shows that adds to the overall experience. My favorite set was Reputation, and my favorite song she performed was Vigilante Shit — her and her dancers do this amazing dance with chairs, and it was so not what I expected from Taylor Swift!

The other thing I loved about the Taylor Swift concert was the overall vibe — everyone was just so thrilled to be there and there was so much positive energy. There really is nothing like seeing and hearing 75K+ fans sing along to a three-hour performance. I’ve never been to any other concert that provides that type of communal experience.

This was my third time seeing Taylor Swift — I saw her in 2009 during my senior year of high school at Merriweather Post Pavilion, in 2018 on the Reputation tour, and then, of course, in 2023 at The Eras Tour. She definitely is a generational talent!

TEN YEAR UVA REUNION —

In early June, I headed back to Charlottesville for my UVA reunion — I can’t believe it’s been ten years since I graduated. Y’all, I had the absolute best time. It was so much fun seeing so many of my friends in one of my favorite places. I left the weekend feeling so full of joy — and so happy that I made the decision to go to UVA all those years ago. It truly is one of the best decisions that I ever made, and I am so lucky our alumni association does such a wonderful job of hosting these reunions. I’m already excited for our fifteenth reunion in 2028, hah!

The official programming for the reunion began on Friday, but I headed down to Charlottesville on Thursday afternoon to spend an extra night with my college bestie, Molly. We treated ourselves to a happy hour at Keswick Hall, and then headed over to Marigold, the Jean-Georges restaurant at the resort, which has quickly become one of our favorite restaurants in the area. We had a delicious dinner, and it was nice to spend some one-on-one time reflecting on all our favorite college memories before we dove head first into the weekend.

On Friday, Molly and I checked in at Alumni Hall and then headed out to King Family with some Take-It-Away sandwiches and bread ends in hand (if you know, you know!). Jackie met us out there for lunch and we enjoyed the views with a bottle of wine. After, we headed over to The Corner to check in our hotel and refresh before the ‘All Comers’ dinner on The Lawn. It was beautifully set up right in front of The Rotunda, and they had a delicious southern-style bbq spread.

At this Reunions, Molly had the fabulous idea to rent a Lawn Room for us to use as a “hospitality suite” and party pad throughout the weekend, which was so much fun! So after dinner and checking out the silent disco, Jackie and I enjoyed a nightcap at the Lawn Room. We loved having this space as a place for our friends to meet up throughout the weekend, and this is definitely something we’re going to do at our next reunion!

On Saturday, we kicked off the day with brunch at The Virginian, followed by some shopping on The Corner. Class rings at UVA at a big thing — they are a classic signet ring — and when I ordered mine ten+ years ago, I had very different taste in jewelry than I do now. Back then, I selected a petite face in white gold, and while it still fits and is very special, I no longer wear it every day. For the past few years, I’d been thinking about purchasing another class ring that’s more in line with my preferences now, and decided to go for it while at my ten year reunion. I ordered a gold ring with a larger face size and am really excited for it to come in and become a part of my everyday jewelry.

I spent the afternoon catching up with friends outside our Lawn Room and eating Bodo’s bagels, and then got ready for the Class of 2013 dinner. We hosted a little pregame for friends at the Lawn Room prior to dinner, which was so much fun as I got to catch up with friends I haven’t seen in a while! We then made our way down to the dinner in front of the Homer statue on the Lawn, and after, over to the band party in the amphitheater. We capped off the night at The Virginian, followed by some late night pizza at Christians. Needless to say, we were very tired for the drive home on Sunday morning — but it was so, so worth it for an amazing weekend in Charlottesville!

4th of July in Charleston! —

On Friday morning, I am heading down to Charleston, South Carolina for a long weekend and to celebrate the 4th of July. My sister Lindsey is living in town for the summer as she does a travel rotation for work, and I am so excited for some sister time in my favorite place! (She also has a spare bedroom, which is an awesome perk for visitors like me!)

The last time I was in Charleston was at the start of 2022, so it’s been about a year and a half since I visited, and Lindsey and I have a fun itinerary planned. We are hoping to spend Saturday in the sun at Folly Beach, and eat at our family’s favorite beach restaurant, Rita’s. I also want to try a few new-to-me restaurants, including Fish Camp on Sullivan’s Island and Little Palm at the Ryder Hotel. And, of course, I want to do some shopping on King Street!

I have a personal goal to get to Charleston at least once a year, so I am glad I’ll be able check it off the list in 2023! This trip couldn’t come at a more perfect time as I am feeling back to 100% after being sick and ready for a change of scenery / break from all my Slack notifications.

The Great American Roadtrip —

A couple of weeks after Charleston, my friend Emma and I are embarking on another road trip together! We’re both on a mission to get to all 50 states, so we decided to do a roadtrip through some in the heartland that have been harder for us to cross off.

We’re going to fly into Omaha, Nebraska and spend some time there, before heading to Wichita, Kansas for the night. From there, we’ll make our way down to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and fly home from there. And, because Omaha is just over the river from Council Bluffs, Iowa, we’re planning to check Iowa off the list, too — meaning, we can check off four total new-to-us states. I did some research on activities, restaurants, museums, and historic sites in each of our destinations — and, where there are Sonics on our route — and I am really excited. There is nothing better than a classic American road trip in the summer!

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I hope your summer has gotten off to a great (+ healthy!) start — I’ll be sure to share recaps of all my travels here on A Touch of Teal, and, of course, you can always follow along in real time over on Instagram.