A Good Morning

So, this will be quite short, but I just wanted to take the time to reflect upon all the things, big and small, which make this morning (and generally my life) pretty great.

I'm finding lately that it's so easy to get caught up in our daily obligations and stresses that we often forget how well things are going in general. 

So, without further ado and in no particular order, here are some things which make me really happy to be where I am:

• Despite the cold and the snow which have hit Boston almost constantly for at least the past month, we have been blessed with several beautiful, sunny mornings, and I can't help but marvel at them on my walks to my 8 AM class. This morning was one of them, and "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" (from Oklahoma) almost seems made for today. 

• Yes, I have two big exams today, had a paper due this morning, and will undoubtedly have more work to follow. But as time has gone by, I'm starting to realize that these are very small bumps in the context of my entire life. In the past, I let my work become my life, but I'm just now realizing that I've finally learned to make my work a relatively small part of my life as I think of it. 

• I feel so blessed to have met so many amazing people this year. It's taken the past week to help me realize how much I love my friends and professors--some of whom I really consider friends--, as well as how important they are to me. Again, I've found that it's so easy to get caught up in work that one tends to forget how great it is to simply chat about anything and everything--even the most mundane aspects of life-- as a respite from the stresses of life and work. 

• I also feel quite blessed to have such strong support from my family. It's strange, but while I was chomping at the bit to start my own life when I moved up to Boston, now that I have, I'm finding it even more important to call them frequently to catch up and stay involved in their lives. I also know I'm getting into the big leagues now because my parents' and grandparents' advice is starting to make sense, and as scary as that is, it's kind of exciting. 

• I can't help but marvel at the fact that I'll be going to the Museum of Fine Arts to look at the Impressionist exhibit for my writing class on Saturday morning. My professor and his wife will apparently be giving us a tour of the exhibit and explaining the works. Not only is he one of my favorite professors, but it's tremendously cool to have a professor who wants to spend time and go places with his students outside of the classroom and on weekends. The best part? We're doing these trips the last weekend of every month for the remainder of the semester. 

Anyway, that's all for now. It really is a lovely day, so wherever you are, take a moment to appreciate everything that's going right--it'll make all the difference in how you view your life. 

Xx Caroline

Valentine's Day at the Gaslight Brasserie

Hello, All!

   My SO and I were trying to figure out what to do for Valentine's Day after a hectic and stressful week. We wanted to do something special, but not too crazy, so we decided to pop into the South End's Gaslight Brasserie for dinner. 

I'll share what we did and what we ate, but you have to make me a promise... Don't judge the photography too harshly this time, okay? In my excitement to see him after a long week and our haste to leave in time to make our reservation, I left my good camera at home and was stuck with my iPhone.

But anyway, as long as you're okay with that, here's just a taste of our experience at the Gaslight Brasserie.

When the taxi dropped us off, we walked through a brick corridor lit by gaslights, and immediately we realized that Gaslight would be even nicer than we'd expected. 

Swankier than the average students' haunt, to be sure. 

The bar we saw upon entering the restaurant was so evocative of 1920s Paris that I had to fangirl a little bit. 

We were seated in the lounge, which turned out to be even nicer and more romantic than the main dining room.

And of course, my wonderful, handsome date
and I shared a table for two.

Now, onto the phenomenal food we ate...

We started with escargots with toasted garlic and parsley butter.
These were so deliciously buttery!
They were also his first escargots, so they were a great introduction.

We followed the escargots with a raw oyster for each of us. 

For mains, he ordered Saumon Roti (Scottish salmon with swiss chard, golden raisins, cumin carrot puree & harissa aioli),

and I ordered Duck Confit with Carmargue red rice, cherries, roquefort, and Banyuls vinaigrette.

To round out the night, we decided to share an enormous Crème Brûlée between the two of us. He'd never tried one before, and it had been far too long since I'd had one. The overall verdict--incredibly good; the flambéed-sugar crust was just right, and the creme within was perfectly sweet and cool. 

All things considered, dinner couldn't have been more perfect. The prices were a little steep for a college-student budget, but the food was well worth the cost--everything was absolutely delicious!

Having filled our bellies with phenomenal food, we made our way through the unfamiliar South End towards my flat, and in the process, tried and failed to catch a shuttle, lost a shoe, laughed a lot, found ourselves at the spot where we first met, collapsed as soon as we got home, and rounded out the night by watching UP. 

I think it's nights like these that remind you what's really important. Although you'll both have some crazy, stressful, or exciting experiences on your own, at the end of the day, you're just two people who have chosen to share those experiences with each other, to make time to be together, and to plan and have new adventures together. Friday night was bigger than just treating ourselves to a nice meal--it allowed us to step away from the stresses of school and work and from the loose routines we had established and helped us remember the importance of recognizing and being grateful for what we have. 

I hope you all had a lovely night, whether you spent it with friends, family, a loved one, or treating yourself to a little TLC.

'Til next time,


Xx Caroline