Dear December

Hi December!

Woah! December you came in quick and strong. You had a lot going on this month!

Lets start off with the first weekend.... Kyle and I went to Asbury Park for dinner and an overnight at the Berkeley Hotel. We went to Porta for dinner. I love their White Door Sangria and of course their pizza. We ran into some friends of Kyle's and the atmosphere was perfect. We walked back to the Berkeley Hotel to our room that was on the top floor directly in the middle of the building- the best one in my opinion. 

We settled in to watch some Netflix and I ended up falling asleep. HA! We had plans to go back out but sleepy over here changed them. We got up the next morning and went to breakfast and went to see the Wooden Walls Christmas Tree. I had been talking about this Christmas tree for a while now and I was so excited to see it! 

Later in the day, we took a road trip to Kennett Square, PA to experience A Longwood Christmas. I was here a few years earlier and it's been on my mind ever since. It was a brisk night and Longwood Gardens was decorated impeccably. There was so much to see! A "fountain show" that was actually lights set to Christmas music, beautiful  poinsettias and all the beautifully decorated Christmas trees. I had ALL the heart eyes. It was the only thing I wanted for Christmas and Kyle delivered. We even took our first photo together, causing a traffic jam on the cutest but most congested Bridge within Longwood Gardens. 

I promptly fell asleep on the way home, leaving Kyle to navigate the two hour ride by himself. Oops! At this point my flare from last month, has subsided but I wasn't feeling 100% just yet.  I seemed to catch a cold right after Longwood and it lingered for about a week. It was frustrating and annoying. It also didn't help me get into the Christmas spirit. 

After a the cold went away, it was mid-december and I was in Christmas mode. Kyle quickly found out a dirty little secret of mine- I judge people's christmas lights VERY harshly. He was a bit shocked by this revelation. 

I was invited to an Christmas linner (late lunch, earlier dinner) at a restaurant West of where I work. It was a fun evening getting to chat with everyone I haven't really interacted with since before covid! I really enjoyed it! The bread was so yummy and so was the food. It was such a fun hidden gem. I ended up meeting Kyle after the linner to go climb in Brick. Maybe I had a few too many glasses of wine but it totally made climbing so much fun. Ha 

Christmas was a sweet and quiet. Kyle and I spent Christmas Eve together and then I spent Christmas day with my parents. We love our quiet holidays together. The day after Christmas I went for a walk with Adrienne at Double Trouble State Park. It was an unseasonably warmer than normal and it was a beautiful day! It was really nice to catch up with Adrienne. 

New Years Eve came quick after Christmas and it ended quietly and  without any craziness. Which is exactly what I like.2021 was a crazy year filled with lots of adventures and ups and downs and overall a great year. I hope the New Year brings fresh perspectives, a renewed sense of purpose and lots of adventures. 

[[Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom and experience can instill in us- Hal Borland]]