Life After 28

Well, it's been about 5 weeks since I turned 28. I've taken some trips to see my nears and dears over the past few weeks. I had plans to post after each trip, but I was too busy being busy and being a big ole procrastinator with regards to keeping blogland all up in my loop. So come on catch up with me...

On my birthday-eve, as I was packing for my trip to D.C., Billy surprised me with cup cakes with candles lit and a beautiful card. I cried (because I'm such a goober) and read the card, made a wish (yes I make wishes on birthday candles) and blew out the candles. It was a sweet moment.

Washington, D.C./Alexandria VA- September 16 (my birthday)
I went to visit my sister on my birthday. I stayed awake on the plane the whole way there for the first time. I watched the sky most of the way. I couldn't believe I was up there. It's pretty hard to take for granted that tons of metal and hundreds of pounds of people are floating above the clouds. I took pictures.

I arrived in D.C. around noon and it felt just like home to me: I took a semester off from college my junior year and crashed with her in the heart of downtown D.C.--best 7 months ever. My sister left home for school at Foxcroft School in VA when I was 10, so our whole relationship has been these amazing visits to wherever she was at the time, which was always somewhere Northeast and beautiful. Anyway, Adriane took me to her spot, this amazing coffee house called Cameron Perks. I wanted to move into one of the brownstones across the street and just live there forever. I got to go to Trader Joe's for the first time, which was cool. H&M was everything I thought it would be. I was a little too bootylicious for the skirts I wanted to get, but I got some really cute tops and accessories. We shopped and ate and ate and shopped, and had a blast. We went to Kramer Books&Afterwords on Dupont Circle...one of my favorite places in D.C...and just had a great time doing our sister thing. Oh! And she and Vivian officially hooked up my "frog stuff" collection, so I'll be updating and posting my Frog Stuff photo gallery with the soon-ness.

Memphis, TN- September 24 (On the way to ATL)
On the way to Atlanta for Blen's wedding, Billy and I had a 5 hour layover in my hometown, Memphis. We met my parents and aunt and uncle at IHOP for breakfast. After breakfast, Billy went to the mall with my mom to find a tie (he left his other one at home) and I went home with my aunt to spend some QT with her. I love going home to Memphis. Just being around my people and relaxing 100% and speaking with my Memphis accent...LOVE it!

Atlanta, GA- September 24 (Blen's Wedding)
Billy checked into the Ritz (where the reception was being held) and we went to Summer's room for a bit...met her peeps...took pictures, etc., then Billy took me to Blen's uncles place where the pre-wedding celebration was going on: beautiful home, beautiful music, beautiful people, beautiful food, beautiful language, beautiful Blen, beautiful experience. It was hard, at times, to witness this rich and rooted Ethiopian wedding tradition and not mourn the African traditions that Black Americans were robbed of and will never fully know. The aforementioned "beautifuls" also sum up the wedding. And speaking of "sum", Summer did the wedding recap more justice than I can do right now, so for a more detailed recount of the wedding...and pictures...click here.

Dallas, TX- October 15 (Weekend with friends)
We went to Dallas for the wedding of Billy's friend he grew up with in St. Vincent. We went straight to our friend Edmund's (a.k.a. Nabz) place, but he hadn't made it home yet, so we hung out there waiting for him. It was great to see him. Always cool to see old CBU friends. Billy stayed with Ed and I drove over to Summer's for the night. We had plans to go out, but it was way late when I got there, so we ended up doing our old stand-by...yapping and laughing into the wee hours. The wedding was nice and the reception was nice. It was a short trip...not much time to spend with friends, but any amount of time with friends is just what the doctor ordered.

Austin, TX- October 21 (In-law in town)
My sister-in-law came to visit. She's in the U.S. on vacation and is spending most of her time with cousins in Brooklyn and Newark. We went bowling the night she arrived and I murdered my bowling average. We showed her as much of Austin as we could and Billy took her to San Antonio to do the Alamo thing. I love to see Billy around his people. His West Indian accent gets really thick, and he uses that dialect more, which is a bit of a huge turn on for me. 

Plenty of trips for me in my first few weeks as a 28 year-old.

And it don't stop...

I heard there's a party next weekend in Dallas for the "grown and sexy". I do consider myself sexy...we'll work on the "grown" part at the party.               

Comments

[Berry]

I don't remember DC having all these cool places that people keep blogging about when I lived there. Glad you've enjoyed your extended birthday. Its nice to get away so you come back and blog about it :)

[Summer]

Quel, my mother would take one look at your post and announce that you've got the "goin-itis".

Sounds like your visits were short and especially sweet. Glad your 28th is off to a fun start. "And it don't stop" indeed! For the Grown & Sexy? Already!

[funkeedva]

Awww what a happy birthday month :) heheheh

Sounds like you had a BALL!

[BRotha Buck]

I'm going to steal Bobby's birthday candle idea next year. Thats a good one. I'm so not romantic. I took my wife shopping and said, here pick something, anything out.

[Closet Owner]

Just wait to your hit 30, wife and kids.

Then talk to me about 28.

[KG]

D.C. is a wonderful place. I just moved away from there last year after calling it home for over 6 years (school & work). Thier is so much to keep your mind occupied if you're involved with keeping a progressive life style.

[terri]

how about, i don't know how i feel about you having such a cute life chica...

[Momma]

Quel, I am glad you finally let us know how you enjoyed yourself, trips and friends during that time. It is so much fun looking at your stuff, I also visited Summer's and saw Blen's wedding pictures. They were beautiful.

[E to the Dwige]

Glad you enjoyed your stay in the D.C area. Isn't it the greatest area. lol! I just spent the last 5 minutes defending the area and come over to your blog and am glad to see that you had such a great time there.