Yep. You read it here first, people. Halfway mark! The nearness of July makes this feel even more true. For, once it passes, August will arrive and my time here ending will be quickly upon us.

This week has been comparatively quiet, which maybe is why my thoughts had a little more room to breathe. A revelation that came about, as a result, is that no one comes to DC on accident.

As it is the hub for our nation’s government, policies, and security, it draws in some of the top minds of our day. That being said, I have had to fight off an inferiority complex multiple times, as I found myself surrounded by the ambitious, the scholars, the travelers, the thinkers, and the influential.

As those of the nation’s (and even the world’s) best eloquently speak with one another, discoursing over issues near and far (in one language or multiple), seemingly solving life’s problems with ease, I am blatantly aware of my own limitations (and that’s coming from someone who is writing for a travel blog!). My speech feels clunky, my mind infantile, and my ignorance apparent.

It’s invigorating and intimidating, all at once. And whichever wins out depends on whether I’m willing to humble myself to a place of learning and gaining or not.

Over the weekend, we started a 1,000 piece puzzle I found at TJ Maxx. It has a beautiful design on it, made up of several different Jane Austen characters on it from “Emma”, “Pride and Prejudice”, “Sense and Sensibility”, and “Persuasion”.

While getting moving outdoors or a stimulating board/card game are some of my favorite ways to spend time with people, puzzles have found their way in my faves as well!

There’s much to like: the sense of camaraderie from accomplishing a common goal, engaging the brain while not being entirely exhausting, and it’s easy to carry on a conversation while working on it (and perfectly acceptable to sit in silence if called for).

Thursday evening, we finished it. We have since kept it intact, as it really is a beautiful design and we are just that proud. However, there is another puzzle I purchased in the queue, ready to be put together!

Tuesday evening, we had over Dan and Elad, who are friends of Carly’s I had briefly gotten to know at a mutual friend’s going-away party.

Dan and Elad are brothers, born and raised in Israel, and Messianic Jews, so I was very interested in their story and had asked many a question throughout the night of the party. They were kind enough to oblige me.

As an indulgence to my curiosity, Carly invited them over for dinner Tuesday evening. The plan was for us to rehash our trip to Israel with them and cross-reference it with their childhood in the country Carly and I had grown to love, but it ended up just being a fun night with new friends. It was a blast nonetheless and I hope that it just gives us more reason to see each other again before I leave.

Thursday evening, Carly and I went over to watch the newest episode of The Chosen with Kristen and her fiancé, Destry. If you haven’t watched the show yet, I highly recommend (whether you call yourself a Christian or not)!

After work Friday, I decided to get an impromptu pedicure done. My feet were in need of some TLC and the prospect of being pampered didn’t sound shabby either.

Friday evening, Carly and I continued our LOTR watching with the Two Towers.

Saturday, my childhood friend, Melissa, and I had scheduled a meet-up. Where I grew up in Virginia is only a couple hours away from DC and Melissa wanted to see me while I was at a closer distance. She also had her son since I had last seen her, so I was all too ready to accept the opportunity to catch up with her and meet her baby!

We decided to meet at 11 AM at Ted’s Bulletin (third time visit for me!), so I got us a table a little before then. Poor Melissa got held up in traffic, so I made use of the time by chipping away at my book and sipping on a cup of coffee. I think the staff thought I was being stood up on a date, as it was an hour after taking my seat that Melissa arrived.

We enjoyed our food as we chatted, wandered around Eastern Market, and tried to keep cool in the heat.

Melissa and I have known each other since elementary school, so it’s wild to think of her as a mother! I remember her saying over the years that she wanted to be a mother, so to see her being so (and rocking it) is such a joy!

A majority of Sunday was spent helping the Bean’s move into their new home. Moving is never a fun experience, but it was nice to be of some help to friends and to get to know their family a bit more!

Sunday evening, I finished “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” (P.S. highly recommend!) and got out the book next up on my to-read list!

So, I had never heard of Corrie Ten Boom before going to Israel two years ago. There is a dedication to her in the Righteous Among the Nations trees at Yad Vashem, which is how I was introduced to her and her story. I’m looking forward to reading about it myself!

Prepare yourself for a wild and crazy ride in the coming weeks! Every weekend in July has something planned within it, some being entirely booked altogether, so more adventures within the adventure are on their way!