It only took a month and a half since the first real warm day of the season, but it finally feels like summer. And life since my last post has been decidedly busy, yet at the same time pretty boring (in my opinion). I didn't think any of it was worth blogging about...but I'm going to anyway. Sorry. Without further ado, a few things:

After starting my search in April, sending endless email inquiries, making dozens of appointments, and seeing shithole after shithole in person, I finally secured a new apartment for the fall. The experience of apartment-hunting in Boston actually does warrant its own post, so stay tuned, but in the meantime, I'm basking in going Craigslist cold turkey for a while.
I visited Portsmouth, NH a couple times — first with my dearly departed (to NYC, boo!) friends Scott & Dione, and then to spend some quality time with my aunt and uncle who live there. Slowly but surely, I'm discovering a lot of great spots in that town, but visits somehow always feel too short. Great finds from the most recent trips: Fat Belly's Bar & Grill (to indulge my burger love), The Press Room (home to a gaggle of googly eyes that were the highlight of the trip), and this giant, random chair and ottoman:

I completed a RAD self-defense course, which was a little bit corny (see the manual cover below) but ultimately pretty cool and a worthwhile experience. After several weeks of classes, the course culminated in a simulation day where we were put in three different situations where we had to fend off and escape attackers. Watching myself on the video afterward was cringe-worthy, but I'm really glad I did it. Remember: the solution to every situation is to kick 'em in the groin. (Joking, but not really.)

My parents and brother, Matt, came to visit! Having visitors always seems so much more stressful when you don't have a house for them to stay in. You can't rely on downtime where people do their own thing, watch TV, read, whatever. Everything has to be planned and scheduled and jam-packed — that's how it feels, anyway. And jam-packed, it was! We went to a Red Sox game (in the pouring rain), took a Duck Boat Tour (dad jokes galore), and ate some great food (Mom loved Parish Cafe, and the Harpoon Brewery made Matt happy).

I started a book club. My friend, Jamie, was wondering if I knew of any she could join and since I didn't, I went ahead and made one. It's been surprisingly great, actually. So far, we've read Furiously Happy, The Lowland, and are about to discuss In the Unlikely Event. It's called the THERE IS NOTHING BUT BOOKS Club. (I'll share the story behind that another time.)
I briefly gave online dating a try and then promptly returned to my first true love: Netflix. Who else is freaking out about the latest season of Orange is the New Black?!? AHHHHHHHHH.

That's it for now. Hoping to get back to blogging more regularly now that my life is no longer dictated by realtor appointments. Huzzah!