Since it’s been a while since I shared a glimpse into my offline life, I thought I’d take a page out of Victoria’s book and share what’s been going on in my life lately.

WORK. Last week, I easily worked 60+ hours on a big project that was due Thursday. It was honestly kind of nice being thrown into this right after a week-long vacation because I was refreshed  and ready to put in the time. It also made the normal work day seem so short in comparison to the 2 am closing time I quickly adjusted to. And even though it sounds rough on paper, it was actually a great experience as I was able to get to know some of my colleagues better. Not to mention, the cookies my good friend M dropped off one night reminded me what great friends I have—and how good sweets are as a currency for inter-office bribery.

All of the new associates are starting at work soon, which means lots of cultural and educational events. I’m leading a team training on media relations, and excited to put some of what I’ve learned at school to use. I’m equally as excited to try out some new restaurants in DC with my coworkers while we tour our area projects (I work in real estate!).

GRAD SCHOOL. I wrapped up my second out of six semesters at the Georgetown PR + Corporate Comms Master’s program. I have a three week break, and am struggling a little bit with how to spend my extra free time—though that is definitely a good problem to have! Next semester I’m taking Digital Marketing and Personal Branding and super excited about the subject material for both. Yet, I’m probably most excited about the fact my Thursdays are free once again—the FOMO during fun happy hours my friends were at was so real!

OCEAN ISLE BEACH. Two weeks ago, I spent the week on the Carolina coast with my family. I forgot how much I enjoyed the beach, and even managed to get noticeably tan, which shocked me and everyone I know ;]. I also was able to catch up with my college friend Katie and her fiancé on a rooftop tiki bar, which was a great way to wrap up the week. On top of that, I was able to sea baby sea turtles hatch and make their crawl to the sea—probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen!

MY NEW KINDLE. My boss recently returned from her honeymoon, and was talking about what a God-send her Kindle was while she was traveling for three weeks. I definitely considered myself a book-purist, but after lugging seven paperbacks to the beach, I decided maybe it was time to make the switch. I opted for the Kindle Paperwhite and am loving it. The functionality is more like a physical book than I thought, and I love that you can read in the dark before bed. Speaking of books—a new what’s on my nightstand coming soon!

CHARLOTTESVILLE. My sister, Jennifer, just moved to Charlottesville to start grad school at UVA. So this weekend, I jumped at the opportunity of a free place to stay and headed down there Saturday morning. We spent the afternoon wine tasting at Jefferson Vineyards, Blenheim, and Trump, before eating a great dinner at The Virginian, a local institution. And no trip to Charlottesville is complete for me without a drink at the Biltmore and a bagel at Bodo’s, both of which we accomplished.

I hadn’t been back to Grounds since February, and it was nice to be back! Of course, first year students were moving in so that made me feel a little old since I moved in six (!) years ago. Luckily, I will be heading back down to Hooville before too long to do some on-grounds recruiting for work.

FITBIT FATIGUE. Who else has a Fitbit? When I first received it, I was stoked about wearing it, tracking my steps, and making sure I always hit my 10,000-step goal. Overtime, I definitely became tired of wearing it because I could predict how many steps I’d take in a day and the novelty wore off. But after all these trips I’ve taken and late nights at work, I definitely need to step up my game—couldn’t resist the pun—and hit the gym more. I never regret going, and always feel so much better mentally and physically afterwards.

To keep me motivated, my family does a Workweek Hustle challenge every week. No one has ever beaten my Mom, but I think it’s high time that happens!

LA CROIX. First, how do you say “La Croix” out loud? #help

Second, I decided to give this popular sparking water a try last week and am definitely liking it so far. I bought the orange flavor, but am wondering if there are any others I should add to my to-buy list? Let me know!

And, shamelessly, I am in desperate need of the following, so please weigh in with your current favorites:

• A new TV show to binge watch.
• The perfect end-of-summer song.
• Quick-and-easy workweek dinners.

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What’s been going on in your life lately?