My First Wedding!

This past weekend, my cousin Tina got married, and I got to attend my very first wedding! (I went to the wedding of a family friend when I was little, but I was really young and didn't get to go to the reception, so I don't usually count it.) Tina got married to a guy named Mike who has come to a bunch of family events, and everyone in the family loves him!

On the day of the wedding, it was such a perfect day with amazing weather. It was an outdoor wedding with a cute little gazebo and a little river going by. Tina's dress was really pretty, and it was a nice ceremony. It was really short too, which everyone liked!

me and Lexi getting photo bombed by our dad

with my mom and Auntie Michelle

Then came the reception, the part that I was most excited about! My dad's side of the family can get a little bit wild, so I knew it would be really fun! First up was to get some drinks! Once everyone had hit the bar and sat at their tables, it was time for the speeches and the toast. The speeches were given by Mike's brother and Tina's two older sisters. My cousin Katie had a long speech that was funny and made us all laugh a lot! Then, it was dinner time. My dinner was steak with mashed potatoes and vegetables, and was really good! And finally, it was time for dancing! We got some more drinks and hit the dance floor for the next couple of hours! I didn't know some of the music that the DJ played, but there were some good songs too that everyone got really into! Once it hit 11pm and everyone started to leave, we were all so exhausted after the celebration. I'm so happy for Tina and Mike and think they make a great couple :)

me and Lexi with our cousin Allie

All in all, I had a great first wedding experience! It's so weird that I'm getting to the age when people close to my age are starting to get engaged and married. I personally can't see myself getting married for a long time, and inside I still feel like I'm definitely younger than 22, so it's crazy to me that other people my age can already feel ready to settle down! But I know I have a ton of friends who are also enjoying being young and single, so I'm not alone! And even though I feel far away from getting married myself, I'm looking forward to attending some more weddings in the future!

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

Over the past several months, I have been on the hunt for a job that would be a good fit for me after I recently graduated from college. I am from the Boston area and had a plan in my mind that I would find a job in Boston, live at home for the first year, and move into the city next spring or summer. When I realised the number of entry-level jobs in Boston in positions I would be qualified for and interested in was much less than I expected, I started to panic and feel depressed thinking that I would never get a job. Every time I checked a website like Monster.com or Indeed.com, I would see thousands of available positions in Boston, but it seemed that all of the marketing or sales jobs I would come across either required 5+ years of experience, a master's degree, or were too far to commute to from home. I had never really considered moving to a new city, but when I randomly decided to broaden my search to include cities other than just Boston, I was amazed at how many great opportunities I was finding! I still felt hesitant, because surely I couldn't afford to rent an apartment at this point in my life. But after browsing the rental markets in some different cities, I was actually surprised to see that, once I have a job, I probably could afford an apartment! Ever since discovering that the possibility of moving to a new city could actually work out for me, I have been excited looking into more opportunities and researching cities that I think would be a good fit for me.

While I'll always love my hometown Boston, I feel like I'm ready for a change and to experience something new.

A bunch of the jobs I saw were in states that don't necessarily interest me, such as Texas and Missouri. But I have found opportunities in more exciting cities like New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, and Miami. I've been researching all of these cities and could see myself being happy in any one of them. I have decided that the cities I can most see myself in (and which are most practical without having a car) are San Francisco, Seattle, New York, or Chicago. I already know I love New York, and after interning in Seattle last summer, I could definitely see myself living there. I think I would really love Chicago as well, but the city that is intriguing me the most at the moment is San Francisco. I had never really thought of San Francisco as a city I would want to move to, but after researching it a little bit, I think my personality would fit right into the laid-back, adventurous, and open-minded atmosphere of the city. Not to mention, there are so many start-up companies there that are looking to recruit twenty-somethings like myself. Ever since learning about some of the opportunities in San Francisco and the other cities I mentioned, the thought of moving out and experiencing a new city is so exciting to me, and I can't stop researching job opportunities, possible business connections, and the cultures of the different cities. If things continue along this path, I could be living in a different part of the country within the next few months! And as scary as it seems to move to another part of the country where I may not know many people yet, I keep thinking of a quote I read once that I try to live my life by: "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." I am going to keep that in mind as I continue on the search to find a job and possibly a new city to call home!

I already know I love New York and would have a great experience living there.

Even though I've never been to Chicago, I can see myself really liking it there.

After interning in Seattle, I grew to love the city and think it could be a good option for me.

San Francisco is currently at the top of my list in the search for a new city to call home.

Spending the Night with Fall Out Boy, Paramore, and New Politics

I think everyone has a few singers or bands who have had a significant impact on them, and for me, one of those bands is Fall Out Boy. I first became a fan of them in 2005, and in 2007 after their album Infinity on High came out, they quickly took over the role as my favourite band. Throughout high school, my love for Fall Out Boy stayed strong, and if I was ever having a bad day, I knew that listening to their music would cheer me up. I even saw them in concert twice, in 2007 and 2009. (Of course, they were amazing!) I was so sad when FOB broke up in 2009, but was so excited when they got back together last year. They quickly returned to being one of my favourite bands, and I grew to love their new music just as much, if not more, than their previous albums.

So needless to say, I was so happy when my sister told me that Fall Out Boy was going on tour this summer and would be playing a show near us! And to make it even more awesome, Paramore was joining them on tour! Paramore is another band I loved since high school, but had never seen in concert. At first, we didn't think we would be able to go, since the lawn seats and cheap seats were all sold out, and the only ones left cost hundreds of dollars a piece. But then, after checking one last time on eBay, we found tickets in a great spot for $75 a piece. Score!

The concert was on June 22, which ended up being such a nice day! My sister Lexi and I headed out early to park and get some dinner before the show. Of course we jammed to my FOB CDs the whole ride! After finding parking (that was free!!), we went to a little Italian place nearby for dinner. The restaurant was having a special where pizzas were half-price that night. Everything was going perfectly for us! :)

Lexi and I all ready for the concert!

When it got closer to the time doors would open, we headed back to the concert venue and got t-shirts. (I have a Fall Out Boy t-shirt that I got seven years ago when we saw them perform for the first time, but unfortunately it doesn't fit any more!) 

The first band to perform was a newer band called New Politics, which Pete Wentz just signed to his record label. I had only known one of their songs before seeing them perform, but they were really good and I enjoyed their set a lot! I've been listening to a bunch of their songs since the concert, and definitely want to buy their CD.

Next up: Paramore! Before the concert, I hadn't bought Paramore's latest CD yet, and didn't know most of their newer songs, but I was so excited when they ended up playing a ton of their older songs! Hayley Williams has so much energy and was so great to watch. It's amazing she can run around on stage as much as she does and still sound so good singing! My favourite song they performed was probably Misery Business, because that was the song that made me originally fall in love with Paramore when I heard it on TRL. (Any other 00's girls miss that show as much as I do? ;) ) The entire crowd seemed to know that song, so the whole venue was singing along with the band. They even brought two girls up on stage to sing the end bit of the song with Hayley. Paramore is a band I had wanted to see for years, so I was so happy to finally get to experience them perform live. (And seeing them perform inspired me to buy their newest CD that I have been absolutely loving!)

And then it was time for the performance I had been anticipating most: Fall Out Boy! As I expected, they opened up with Phoenix from their latest album, and from the very beginning, their set was full of energy and excitement. It's amazing how many hit songs they have had over the years. I did not stop singing and smiling the entire time they played! Something about seeing them perform live just makes me feel happy because they have had a pretty big impact on me growing up. I can't even pick a favourite song because they were all so good, but one thing I loved was how they ended the show with their song Saturday. I know it used to be their tradition to end all of their shows with this song because it was one of the first ones they ever recorded together, but I wasn't sure if they would continue that tradition after returning form their hiatus. But they continued the tradition, and I sung along with the other die-hard fans who have been fans of theirs ever since their early years.

I had such an amazing time at the concert, and seeing the three bands perform live made me love them even more and made me so excited to (hopefully) see them again in the near future!