But first, let me tell you about my week!

MLK Day was Monday and my department was closed, so I was off! I spent the day by getting lunch with some friends at Ireland’s Four Courts, where I experienced my first traditional Irish breakfast! A majority of the platter was stuff I had never even heard of before (ex. rashers, black and white pudding, Irish sausage), but that didn’t stop me! Any time I can combine my love for food and adventure is an opportunity I don’t plan on wasting.

P.S. The black and white pudding (sausage made out of blood, suet, fat, pork meat, oatmeal, and bread) was my favorite thing on the plate.

Thursday, Elizabeth (right) and I visited Kristen (left) at Gallaudet, where she is getting her Masters in Speech-Language Pathology. As part of an assignment, she had to perform an assessment of oral mechanics on three volunteers. Guess who two of those volunteers were.

The great thing about friendship is that it rarely matters what you do, just as long as you’re together. I think this night was a wonderful testament to that.

(Don’t worry. Elizabeth and I were able to muscle through without laughing the whole time. We both passed with flying colors)

Saturday night, a group of friends and I got together and did an escape room together! If you’ve never done one before or don’t know what it is, here’s a quick explanation: you and the group are given a certain amount of time to find and follow clues that help you complete the tasks and “escape” the room. If you haven’t done it, I highly recommend it! If you’re in the DC area, I very highly suggest checking out Escape the Room DC!

Our room was themed like a spy movie! Our objective was to find a mole, track his movements, and deactivate an alarm, all of which we did with almost 13 minutes to spare!

Afterwards, we visited Red Velvet Cupcakery to celebrate our victory! I chose a carrot cake cupcake as my trophy and enjoyed every bite (all two and a half of them; they were the perfect size)!

I cannot fully encapsulate into words how much fun I had (maybe the picture will help?). Remember what I said earlier about friendships? Though we had a blast being our own versions of 007 himself, it was because we were together that made the night as sweet as those cupcakes.

…All right. I’ve drawn out the suspense long enough. Friday, I interviewed with a facility in San Fran and signed a contract with them Monday!

That’s right! My next stop is San Francisco, California!

My first day with the facility will be February 20th and I will be with them until May 18th! I have never been to California before, so I am enthralled at the opportunity to experience another (and warmer) part of the country!