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Good morning and happy Monday!
We are officially back from our summer travels and Ankur starts his second year of medical school today. We’ve been in and out of Tennessee all summer since I wasn’t able to get the entire 10 weeks off. But, we surprisingly got more time to travel than I had initially thought.
It’s his last summer off until…forever? So I’m glad we got to take advantage of it and see our family and friends!
I usually like to do a “Lately” post every month just to share what’s been going on around here. (Though, if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you’re probably pretty in the loop). I know I’m cutting it pretty close here (how is it already AUGUST tomorrow?!), but figured its better late than never!
Feel free to play along in the comments and share what’s been going on in your life as of late!
Lately I’ve Been…
Visiting:
We just got back from a five-day trip to New York to see our family. My brother-in-law just moved to Ithaca so we wanted to see his new place and his new town. We also got to see my New York family and spend some time in Queens/NYC. (And we made sure to get some solid Manhattan food in our bellies before boarding the flight back home). Speaking of food…
Eating:
I didn’t actually get a picture of the amazing chicken shawarma or NY-style pizza we ate. But, let’s just say, we’ve been eating well. (Maybe a little too well?). The tacos pictured above are from a new-to-us restaurant we discovered in Knoxville. It’s right smack-dab next to a gas station (they share a wall), so I was a little hesitant to go there for lunch. But, I’m so glad we did. After a year of searching for Mexican food in Tennessee that actually tastes like Mexican food, we finally found a place.
Drinking:
While in Ithaca, we visited a few of the Finger Lake wineries. It’s something I genuinely miss about California. The fact that I used to live so close to Napa Valley and nearly a hundred South Bay wineries was one of the best things about living in San Jose. So, when we found out Nikhil had quite a few wineries near his new home, we jumped at the opportunity to see some of them.
Watching:
I’m not going to give away any spoilers from last night in case anyone hasn’t watched it yet. But, MAN. I just have ALL the emotions when I watch this show. I also appreciate that it makes Sunday nights much more enjoyable. (Whereas, previously, I’d just lay down on the couch and cry that the weekend was over).
Reading:
Click to buy on Amazon!
I just finished reading this Jodi Picoult book and highly recommend it if you’re big into novels. It’s a story about the Holocaust and it can be pretty heavy and emotional (as most of her books tend to be), but I enjoy her writing style a lot. We’re also still listening to Beneath a Scarlet Sky on Audible, though now that Ankur returns to school, I may have to wait until winter break to finish listening to the final 7 hours. Oops.
Listening
In addition to listening to my audiobooks, I’ve also been listening to podcasts while I’m at work. I’m still listening to my usual ones (The Daily, This American Life, etc.). But I’ve also been enjoying some new ones like Pod Save America and Revisionist History.
Learning:
All about bourbon! Did you know that Kentucky crafts 95% of the world’s bourbon? And did you know that it must be made with a minimum of 51 percent corn and aged in charred new oak barrels? Last weekend, we drove out to Lexington for Jordynn and Cole’s wedding and stopped to do a tour of the Woodford Reserve distillery. I’m not big into bourbon or whiskey, but it was really fun to learn about and see the process of how it’s all made.
Loving:
I have loved spending the past ten weeks with this guy. Things are going to pick up pretty quickly with Ankur’s studies over the next week and it’s going to be an adjustment after getting to spend so much time with him. But I will never forget these past two months. The summer of our Danube River Cruise. The summer of Hamilton! The summer of quality time and friends and family and weekends away. I’ve loved every second of it.
Questions of the Day:
- What are you eating lately? Visiting lately? Loving lately?
Ooooh i’m heading out to see my parents in Pennsylvania tomorrow. I do love Jodi P’s writing even though it can be super heavy at times – – I’m grabbing that one!
Carla recently posted…I am your second best friend.
Have a safe journey! <3
Looks like it’s been a fun one! I am loving GoT as well!
Emily @ Pizza & Pull-ups recently posted…Weekend Recap – Spontaneous outings and helicopter sightings!
That’s one of the few things I miss about living in DC. Being able to hop on the train and head to NYC at the spur of the moment was so fun!
It’s wonderful that you’ve been able to share and enjoy the last 10 weeks together! This weekend I got to enjoy some friend time, lake time, family time with my in-laws, and girl time. 🙂
Christine C recently posted…Celebrate Life ~ Our Favorite Weird, Wacky Holidays in August
Sounds like a well-rounded weekend! <3
I love Jodi Picoult, I haven’t read that one yet. I’ll add it to my list! My friend has been to Finger Lakes before and always makes it sound so fun, I really hope to go someday!
Beth recently posted…You’re a Wizard Ollie…and other Weekend Adventures
Ithaca is such a beautiful area! I was considering attending the college and it was definitely in the running, I really liked the area! Glad you’ve been getting some good travel and family time lately. I’ve gone back and forth to Illinois a BUNCH this month for my high school best friend’s wedding (shower, bachelorette party, & wedding all in one month). It’s been such a fun month, but obviously also exhausting so now I’m looking forward to taking a step back and getting back into my usual routine in August.
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I love Jodi Picoult! Currently we’ve been into making fancy grilled cheeses at our house 🙂 We got a panini press for our wedding that we have never used so its been fun!
We got a panini press for our wedding too! But, we have such little storage space and NO counter space in our kitchen so we ended up leaving it at my parents’ place until we move into a bigger home!
Those tacos, though …
I’m eating salad, with grilled salmon on top. Delicious. But I’m still thinking about the tacos on the top of this post.
I’m visiting a disc golf course every morning. The earlier the better. More dew on the grass, but way more peace.
I’m loving posts on Nostalgia Diaries. You’ve seen them, too, and I know you love Corey as I do. Love it when posts come out and seem to speak right to you.
I went to school in Ithaca and adored it! So glad you got to visit. I am only allowed to read one Jodi Piccoult book per year, otherwise I get way too emotional.
Sounds like a fun month! I haven’t read Jodi Picoult in years, but she used to be one of my favorites! I’ll have to check it out.
SO much fun!! I visited the Finger Lakes for one of my friends Bachorlette weekends. It was lots of fun! If you ever visit MI, I highly suggest checking out wineries around Traverse City.
Danielle @ A Sprinkle of Joy recently posted…Twinkie Trifle: a Twist on Twinkies
It sounds like you had a really amazing summer! I’m glad! Yay for finding a good Mexican place near where you live. That Picoult book sounds good. I used to read her all the time, but it’s been awhile. And yeah, bourbon is HUGE in Kentucky, but I don’t drink alcohol. Have you had a bourbon ball though? SO GOOD.
ShootingStarsMag recently posted…Miles Morales by Jason Reynolds
I love Ithaca and have always wanted to do some distillery tours. It looks like you had a lovely time!
Soynds like a great fun filled July! I havent read this one yet! Im reading Small Great things right now. Hard to read but I feel like I can’t stop either. Glad you found a good Mexican place!
Someone just recommended Pod Saves America to me and while I am usually not much of a podcast person, I did like the few episodes I listened to.
I really like your “Lately” posts.
I am obsessed with tacos. I am a low carb girlie now so I stick to the taco salads but those tacos pictured, look amazing.
That is so exciting you got to visit Ithaca! I am from Ithaca, and I love how close I am to all of the wineries. I have become quite a wine snob since moving here, but in a good way! Sounds like you had a great trip!
Such an awesome read, Divya! I would love to visit the Finger Lake wineries. When’s the best time of the year to go there?