Renovation Realties

During the month of renovation, I developed an addiction to the DIY Network and HGTV. From The Vanilla Ice Project to Flip or Flop, I slowly became obsessed with home improvement shows. One of my personal favorites is Renovation Realities where ordinary people take on a DIY project in their home. Most of the times it's the kitchen, sometimes it's a bathroom, almost always, it's a major fail. Most people underestimate the time and money involved in tackling a renovation problem. I know that I definitely did when it came to my home. It's also annoying when the wife is whiny and annoying and doesn't want to do any heavy lifting. How can you construct your dream kitchen or bath without being fully hands on? Those are the couples that usually fail at completing their project on time and within budget.

Through some streak of luck and a little letting go, we stayed on schedule (because we decided not to tackle the guest bathroom until later) and only went 98 cents over budget. It was pretty impressive, but that's not to say there wasn't trying times. We later went a little over budget with our round 2, but that's okay because we allowed for a cushion...so we weren't really 'over' in my eyes.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Kunal and I finished our guest bath. It was fun working together and the accomplishment from doing it ourselves was great. We were able to make time to see friends and hang out, all while staying on task of what needed to be completed. The only thing we left for later was the shower rod.

Last weekend, we put all the finishing touches on the renovated parts of our house. We hung out mirrors for in the bathrooms, bought new towels, etc. Now that renovations are over, I'm looking forward to getting back to my first love..DECORATING!

Renovations Galore

It's hard to believe that it's the middle of April already! Life has been extremely busy since Puetro Vallarta. Our first weekend home was spent catching up with friends. Kunal being home during the week is a welcome treat and it was nice to have him be social with me during the week.

Our current major project is renovating certain aspects of our home. I am super excited and cannot wait for the finished product. First up is the powder room and kitchen. Eventually the bathrooms upstairs will be redone as well. We have some random things here and there that we want to have done so our house will look so different once it's all done!

I'm looking forward to having a more up to date place to call home. Once projects start coming to a completion, I will post before and after pictures.

Puetro Vallarta

To celebrate our wedding anniversary and as an excuse to get out of NJ, we decided to go to Mexico. We picked Puetro Vallarta and stayed at the Hilton Resort there. It was such a fun vacation and while we did relax and get plenty of sun, we also did a lot of activities. It was a great trip and though it flew though, definitely was the perfect length. Lucky for us we were upgraded on our direct flight to Puetro Vallarta so we were able to relax comfortably. We picked up our cute little Fiat 500 from the airport and headed to our hotel. Driving in a different country really makes you appreciate America's roads and signs and the wonderful GPS most of us probably take for granted. As we waited for our room to be ready, we grabbed lunch and drinks by the pool. Our room was amazing! Not only was it super spacious, with a balcony, we had a rooftop terrace with a jacuzzi! The private jacuzzi was the icing on the cake as we were were a floor below one of the bars. More often than not, we'd go get drinks from the bar and head down to our room to hang out. Since the Hilton is a more family oriented resort, the pool had lots of kids so it was nice to have our own little space to be.

A view of the pool and beach from our room

These rock faces greeted us when we pulled into the resort.

After dinner on our anniversary! Kunal got more of a tan than I did, so jealous.

I went para sailing for the first time which was such a fun experience. Unfortunately, they couldn't let both of us go up together so Kunal said he'd sit out since he has gone before in Hawaii. Then we went jet skiing which was fun. The only other time I did that was on a lake. Being on on the ocean is a lot difference because of the waves. We also did this thing called "Vallarta Adventures" which was one of the best parts of the trip. We went zip lining, did some obstacle courses, and drove UTVs through mud and all that jazz. 

This was such a great vacation and a good start to the hopefully warmer temperatures that should be coming to NJ shortly. We don't have many other trips planned for the rest of the year, just trips to celebrate the important moments in the lives of our friends and family. April is dedicated to home improvements and then my sister and brother in law come in May for a wedding. June will have Kunal's family coming to town for a wedding. In July, we'll head to Dallas for my sister's baby shower. 

The Birthday

My birthday is right around the corner. Every year, I get very excited for my birthday and then a little sad. This up and down roller coaster happens without fail. I get excited because I enjoy the attention and the celebrating. I get a little sad when I think of how much my life has changed from my last birthday to my current one. If my life hasn't changed very much, it brings me down. I get a lot sad because the weather is usually still cold and I just want to feel the sun on my skin.

I have to be very in the moment to feel excited about my birthday. I had a great time celebrating on Saturday with friends in the city. I'm looking forward to my actual birthday dinner on Wednesday as well since the restaurant should be amazing. I'll end my 'week of celebrating' this weekend with a trip to Chicago. It will be fun to experience St. Patrick's Day in the windy city, even if it will be really cold...because I will be in the moment celebrating.

Last year, I knew I wanted to go back to school and find a new job. I'm very happy to say that I accomplished both of the goals. I needed some push in the right direction but it all worked out in the end. I enjoy my Master's program immensely even if the classes I'm taking this quarter are not as fulfilling. I think that is due to my professors, they aren't as approachable and responsive as I would have liked. My new job is great, I feel like I'm making a difference and that I'm a necessary part of the current project I'm working on.

I think the only time I got sad was when the weather was really awful. Having survived the ridiculous winter and still have snow in March is not fun. Being home alone or having a minimal social calendar due to the weather is also not fun. Living alone when it's cold outside is no fun.

I'm not sure what goals I want to set for myself this coming year. I think working out regularly tops the list. I work out very sporadically because I have no will power. It helps if I have to be held accountable for meeting a friend up to work out or something of the sort. It takes a lot of incentive for me to gather up my motivation, especially in this cold, cold weather. Once I am working out, it usually isn't a problem and I can get through it.

Work Remotely

One of the things I most coveted in finding a job was the ability to work from home. As most northerners know, this snow is no joke and I remember the frustration I felt when I experienced my first winter. I would try fruitlessly to dig my car out of the snow. Living in an apartment building, the plows lovingly piled the snow up against the cars making it impossible to move if you didn't have a shovel. When I was finally able to move my car, the first thing I did was buy a shovel and keep it in my trunk.

On those morning when my car was snowed in and had no idea of moving, I would spent the rest of the day pouting as I couldn't get to work and 'earn money' while Kunal was busy working away. Major downside of having a lab job, let me tell you. After that winter, I made every effort possible to get to work, even if the weather was absolute crap. I hated letting the weather affect my job.

With my new job, I get a handy dandy laptop to carry around which lets me work from anywhere I want. This has been SO awesome since this winter is particularly nasty. I don't think I've gone to the office for a full week since my first week here! It snows weekly and when it's still snowing in the morning and throughout the day, getting to work is tough. I"m so thankful that I can log on from home and still get things completed on time.

I planned a trip to Chicago for a week since I thought I was going to be unemployed after the holidays. My manager was extremely flexible and let me work remotely so I didn't have to take a week off unnecessarily. As much as I can't stand the snow, I will miss working from home. It felt so productive because I can do so much while I work. Working 8 hours straight is difficult and breaks are necessary so you stay alert. Instead of getting tea or water, I can go put in a load of laundry or vacuum when I need a quick break from work. And since I don't have to worry about traffic, I can work later than usual since I'm already home. And I mean, when you're snowed in alone, what else is there to do other than work? It's a win-win all around in my book!

Hawaii is for Honeymooners

I wanted to backtrack and talk about our trip to Hawaii. We went in November and it was amazing. We were extra spontaneous and decided to change our tickets and fly out a day early! We literally jumped out of bed, threw clothes in our suitcase and drove to the airport. Thanks to the many, many miles Kunal has flown, we booked our first-class tickets (is there any other way for honeymooners to travel) on miles and we were able to enjoy the perks of traveling in style.

Being on East Coast time, we woke up way too early the next morning. We decided to go on a early morning hike up Diamond Head. It was a bit tiring but the views were absolutely amazing and worth the trek. Below is a view of Waikiki Beach from the top of Diamond Head. We also went to the zoo, it was just a typical zoo. I feel that I've been to better ones before.

We went out for a fancy dinner where the food was AMAZING. Top of Waikiki is similar to some the Marriott hotel restaurants that revolve ever so slightly so you get 360 views of the city.

We also took a booze cruise which was super fun but slightly exhausting. Being in the hot sun and drinking on a boat was the perfect recipe for called it an early night that evening.

One of the coolest things we did was underwater scuba scoots. We went out to Hanauma Bay and we rode this scooters with a scuba helmet on top in the water. We saw turtle and so many fish. For those who know my fear of putting my head under water; it was a bit of a ordeal but once I was calm, it was a very cool experience. 

We wanted to experience a Luau so after much research, we picked Germaine's Luau to attend. It was lots of fun but a bit tiring. Dinner was amazing and definitely induced a food coma which made watching the show a bit tiring and long. 

We always wanted to ride around Hawaii in a red mustang and I'm happy to say that it can be crossed off our bucket list! We drove literally all over the island and had a blast with the top down. 

We always enjoy local breweries and wineries so we decided to check out Kona Brewing Company. The actually brewery isn't on Oahu but one of their amazing restaurants is there and both the beer and the food were great. If you ever make it out that way, get the roasted garlic and bread. One of my favorite dishes.

Who doesn't love pineapples and we knew we had to go to the Dole Plantation. While I wouldn't recommend  the gardens, the train ride and the pineapple maze were educational and entertaining. I clearly do not have a good sense of direction so Kunal was in charge of leading us through a giant maze in the shape of a pineapple. It was really fun even though it was super hot. Below is a picture of the Dole Whip that is very very tasty.

Our last stop was Pearl Harbor. I really regret not doing this earlier in the week because we got there too late to actually make it to see the Arizona. It was very peaceful serene memorial and I'm glad we went even though it was late in the late. 

I'm Back!

For doing so well the first year I had this blog, I have severely slacked this past year. I am going to try to make at least one entry a month to get back on track. I'll try to back post so I can talk about my travels. To sum up the rest of my 2013, it was fun and flew by rather quickly. We had many weddings and trips to keep ourselves busy. We celebrated many engagements and weddings of our nearest and dearest and were so thrilled that we could be a part of such a special moment in their lives.

Our summer was relatively low key with just a few weekend trips here and there as Kunal was working from home. He started traveling again late summer but unfortunately, I couldn't make any trips out to California. His new project takes him to Chicago and started around Labor Day. I've visited twice so far and hoping to make it out once more before his project ends.

I started a Master's program for Regulatory Affairs for Drugs, Biologics, and Medical Devices in the fall. It is an online program through Northeastern University in Boston. It takes up a good chunk of my free time but I am really enjoying it and hope it will open up the right doors for me career wise.

Speaking of career, I no longer 'playing with makeup' as of January. It was a bittersweet three years at L'Oreal but I am glad for the change. I currently work at Johnson & Johnson and I'm very excited for my new role. It gives me insight on the RA world and challenges me daily which I love. I'm glad to say that I am one step closer to having a "grown up" job since I get a company laptop and I'm able to work from home every now and then. This has been a lifesaver with this awful weather we've been having. Snow, sleet, freezing rain, you name it, it's hit us.

Juggling my busy work schedule, online classes, the house, and trying to make time for friends is proving to be a little difficult. I'm start combining socializing with another aspect, such as now I get to see one of my friends on a regular basis because we work out together. It's nice to have someone to huff and puff with and to be held accountable since it will prevent us from succumbing to our willpower and not working out.

The Wedding!

After years of being together, we finally tied the knot on March 30, 2013. It was one of the best weekends ever and I loved basically every minute of it. I think that my family along with myself did an incredible job planning the weekend of celebrations which resulted in everyone having a wonderful time and talking about for months and months. Considering I'm posting this almost 5 months later and my aunt and uncle were still raving about how much fun they had, I'd say it was a huge success!

I came home the Saturday before the wedding. Since my sister was also home, it was nice to get family time before all the family came to town. We had appointments to finalize details, itineraries to sort and of course, get pampered, etc so there was lots to do each other. Wednesday officially kicked off festivities as I got my mendhi done. It was a super long process and so glad I don't have to sit there for 8 hours ever again. Thursday, we had mendhi night at my house and it was a fun party and great way to hang out with family and get even more excited for the remaining events. Highlights from this included my Dad's amazing pav bhaji which every loved and ran out quickly.

 

Friday morning was my pithi, grah shanti, vidhi. I can't believe how super traditional I looked in my sari. It was a fun time and luckily my family is quite nice and didn't turn me into a jaundiced looking bride (unlike Kunal's side where he resembled Homer Simpson by the end of it).

After the vidhi, it was all about hanging out as we waited for Kunal's family to arrived to the hotel. Once the bus arrived, it was party time! I found a fun idea on Pinterest and proceeded to make a beer cake with the help of a friend.

We had garba-raas that evening to kick off the weekend now that everyone was in one place.

 

Saturday was the big day! It didn't start as smoothly as I would have wanted due to the fact that I woke up when my hair stylist was knocking on my door! Eeks!!! But luckily everything went pretty smoothly after that. My amazing foi dressed me and make sure I looked as fabulous as possible.

 

 

After the ceremony was over, we celebrated in the hotel bar until it was time for us to get ready for the reception. 

 

After taking pictures with our families and bridal party it was time to party!! After the reception  it was the after party in the presidential suite. Such an amazing ending to the day. 

 

On Sunday, I was going to go back to Myrtle Beach with Kunal's family. After many late nights, early mornings, and continuous partying, we were exhausted and a three hour bus ride was just what we needed. 

Once we arrived, it was time for 'new bride' traditions such as smashing clay pots, putting hand prints on the wall, tipping over a pot of rice, leaving red footsteps as I first enter the house. 

 

This was followed by playing games..I won, therefore, proving what I knew all along. I will rule. Haha

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better weekend to celebrate. It was so fun yet went by so quickly. I'm glad I can relive it through pictures and video though =)

 

Napa Valley

It has been quite some time since I last posted. A lot has happened since the end of February. This post will be all about my fun trip to Napa!

Since Kunal has been in California for work, it has given me a great excuse to fly there! I love wine so of course I had to go to Napa Valley. This trip coincided with my birthday week so it was a wonderful treat. We went to 7 wineries and 3 restaurants to really make this trip worth it since we weren't sure when we'd be coming back. I'll highlight my favorites (aka the place where we bought bottles). As usual, I flew in Thursday evening so I can rest for my intense wine-filled weekend. Friday was spent hanging out with my cousin and nieces in Golden Gate Park. It was fun excursion even thought the weather was a bit cool.

Saturday we left my uncle's place bright and early for our drive up to Napa. We had a packed schedule as we wanted to make the most of our time there. The first stop at was Ehler's Estate which was recommended by my cousin and it definitely topped our list of favorites. We ended up buying 3 bottles because we loved the wine so much.

After 2 wine tastings, it was definitely time to eat! What place could be better for lunch than Gott's Roadside which is knows for their burgers, fries and shakes. It was just what we needed to ensure we can continue with the wine tastings for the rest of the afternoon. The second highlight winery of the day was Duckhorn which specializes in Merlot. It was a wonderful day so it was nice to have our tasting on the patio with my favorite accompaniment, a cheese plate!

We went to a couple other places but nothing was amazing so what's the point in writing about them? For dinner we went to a place in downtown Napa called Celadon that was also recommended to us. It was extremely delicious as everything else we had in Napa was. Let's just say the wine tastings from the day had definitely caught up to me by that point!

Sunday was our last day and we were determined to make it worthwhile. If you know us, you know we enjoy being lazy and lounging around while on vacation. Instead of the usual hotel breakfast, we went to another place that was recommended to us called Oxbow Public Market that is full of local places. We had amazing crepes and fun cupcakes.

After a hearty breakfast we were ready to tackle the wineries! We had seen a sign for a small winery called Ballentine Vineyards and Kunal decided we had to stop since it reminded him of the neighborhood he used to live in while in Charlotte. The wine was good, very light so we decided to purchase a bottle. We of course had to stop by Chandon because who doesn't love bubbly? They were having St. Patrick's Day festivities and we had some green champagne. Reminded me of that whole colored ketchup phase in the 90s but at least it tasted delicious. We walked away with 2 bottles and 4 souvenir glasses.

We decided to end our stay in Napa at Silverado Vineyards because it's up on a mountain. It was great to enjoy wine on the patio and looking at the beautiful scenery.

We drove back to San Francisco and had dinner locally at Straits which served phenomenal Singaporean food. What a great trip it was, though whirlwind at times. Wonderful end to my birthday and great way to start off celebrations leading up to our wedding a couple of weeks after!

Realty..

Today I booked a plane ticket. I didn't consult my bank account. I didn't bother to look at the balance on my credit cards. I just booked a ticket. That really made me think about my life. All my life, I have always been concerned with money, having enough, saving enough, earning enough. And today  I realized that I am so blessed to no longer have to constantly worry about money.
I have the ability to buy obscenely expensive shoes, book flights on a whim and still come home to a house that I own...all at the young age of 25.

Way to have life put into perspective...  

The Best Place to Ride out a Blizzard

This last Friday, Winterstorm Nemo paid the Northeast a visit. Lucky for me I had planned a trip to sunny Myrtle Beach for that same weekend. I was a little worried that my flight would be canceled. Luckily I made it out of NJ with only a little delay. I was going to Myrtle Beach without Kunal since he books his tickets pretty far in advance. But thanks to Nemo, Kunal was able to rebook his flight to come to Myrtle Beach.

We both arrived around the same time which was nice. We got some drinks while we waited for his mom to pick us up. Considering I only had a fruit and yogurt parfait in EWR, the mimosa and double tequila at MYR wasn't the best idea but oh well. Of course, we stopped by Bojangle's on the way to the beach. I haven't had Bojangles since November so it was the perfect first meal, especially after the drinking!

Saturday, my parents came down to visit. I'm glad they did because while my dad came up to NJ over the holidays, I hadn't seen my mom since Thanksgiving. We went over things for the wedding, which was the main purpose for this trip. We got the guys fitted for the reception since they are all wearing tuxedos, and then the girls hit the mall. While I had no luck finding anything, Rochani found a super cute pair of heels. We had a family dinner and then the "kids" went bowling. I was really good 2 weeks ago when I finally broke 100 and got a score of 126..I suppose this make me too cocky and I really sucked that night. Guess that's that happens when you don't bowl regularly.

Sunday was the day of departures. Kunal and I had afternoon flights and my parents were leaving to drive back to Raleigh. Kunal and I both had a layover in Charlotte but because of our flight times, we wouldn't be able to see one another. But my flight to EWR was delayed so I was able to see him again and bring him some Bojangle's before we had to part ways again. =)

Inner Ice Skater

This past weekend was Kunal's birthday weekend and it fell on a Saturday which was nice considering he's gone during the week. It wouldn't be fun to celebrate alone thousands of miles away from ME. =D

Friday, we went ice skating with friends. This isn't something we normally do but when there's a groupon involved, we'll do anything. I can't remember the last time I went ice skating and boy was it a lot scarier than I thought. I felt a few times which was a tad embarassing considering there were ton of little kids who acted like they were born with ice skated attached. It was definitely something different and a fun way to spend the evening. Although looking back on it, I'm sure the wine we consumed at dinner helped greatly with ability to see the fun. After we were done acting like 15 year olds, we decided to go to downtown New Brunswick to ring in Kunal's birthday with a drink. That one drink turned into a night of drinking and ended of course with us getting some pizza from Gio's on the way back home. Something about their buffalo chicken pizza that hits the spot when you need late night food.

Saturday was spend watching lots of college basketball and resting up for the night's activities. We had decided to celebrate Kunal's birthday in Hoboken this year and everyone got together for dinner and then we hit the local bars. Kunal got the best birthday present ever in NC State beating UNC. I was a bit sad but at least the birthday boy was smiling. How fitting that the first bar of the night was called Wicked Wolf.

I'm sure that after travelling every week, it was really nice to spend a weekend with friends. Sunday was a catch up day on laundry, grocery shopping, and work. And before I knew it, the weeknd was over! Now I'm starting to look forward to the work week because it's more restful and calm than the busy weekends we seem to be experiencing. We've done AC, San Fran, Kunal's birthday so far. We have the Superbowl this weekend, I'm going to MB next, after that is Anika's birthday, then my bachelorette in DC. I'll be looking forward to March 1st when we can have a nice relaxing weekend!

Wow January is over..

First of all, how is January almost over??? Didn't 2013 JUST get here??

Since Kunal is out in South San Francisco for work, it made perfect sense for me to go visit him one weekend instead of him coming home. Definitely fun to get out of NJ during this cold, dreary, miserable weather and go to the sunshine state. Friday Kunal had to go to the office and lucky for me, my cousin had the day off. She offered to pick me up in the morning and hang out which was great. We went down to Half Moon Bay to walk along the beach and had lunch at the Ritz Carlton as we enjoyed the ocean view from our seats. The coast in California is so different than the East. It's so rugged and full of cliffs and so very pretty. After lunch, we decided to go see some redwoods. In my naive East Coast mind, I was expecting to drive through some trees..no not the case in the part of California we were in. The redwoods we saw during our "hike" were rinky dink. Apparently I need to go way up north for those giant redwoods that I can drive through.

That evening, I got together with all my cousins for dinner. It was a great time and so nice to see family without having event upon event to attend. Usually the only time I see my cousins is for wedding purposes. I miss the times when we would have family reunions every summer and just get to truly enjoy each other's company.

On Saturday, we went to explore the Bay Area. We went to Cliff House which is so beautiful. and perched right there on top of a cliff overlooking the jagged rocks as they disappear into the ocean. Afterwards, we went to see the Golden Gate Bridge and then went to meet up with my old roommate from NCSSM and her fiancee at Caffe Delucchi. It was so nice to catch up after years! Crazy how time flies from when we were sharing a little room in Durham to having lunch on the other side of the country with our significant others. Then we made our way down to Fisherman's Wharf and took a boat cruse around the Bay and out into the Pacific which was great minus the wind. We drove on the "Crooked" part of Lombard Street and after Kunal got a little weary of the hills, we went home to relax and change for dinner. Dinner was phenomenal at Ozumo on the water with a great view of the bridge and the water. After dinner, we had a night cap at The View - Marriott and admired the city lights from up high. I have a thing where I must go to one of the highest points of cities and see the night lights. It's so serene to be so high and gaze upon the vast city that I'm in.

It was a great trip and I really enjoyed myself. I hope I get to go again sometime soon. I know that February is not likely but hopefully in March, there's a weekend open.

Regression to 2010

Back when Kunal and I were dating, it was always long distance. We'd get through the week with wakeup calls, goodnight calls and multiple texts/emails all day. On the weekends we saw each other, it was a whirlwind of staying out late, seeing friends, and minimal sleep. Once we moved in together, our weekends became a little bland; no more spontaneous activities popping up, no more staying up until the sun rises, no more going out every night. It was nice and I really enjoyed staying in, cooking a meal, watching a movie, spending all night in house shoes and sweat pants. I mean I don't have 3 blankets for my couch for nothing.

Now that Kunal is travelling for the work week, we only see each other on the weekends. This past weekend was a perfect example of what I didn't want to happen! We went out Friday night and ended up going to bed at 4am! Saturday, we watched the  NC State and Carolina basketball games at home before heaading out to watch the Ravens game with friends at a bar. After the game ended, we drove to AC for the night to gamble away. We went to bed a little earlier than the night before, at 2am. The following morning we gambled until 1pm and then drove home to watch some of the football game, only to leave the house again to have dinner with some friends. Once we returned home, we watched a movie and packed Kunal's bag since he will be gone for 2 weeks. I ended up going to bed around 1am. Sigh...

I love seeing my friends and doing things, but now I've become such a homebody. I like being at home, getting a chance to do some laundry, clean up a little, watch tv, etc. I neglected my house all weekend and now it's the work week and I don't want to have to clean after a long day. Looks like it's getting put off until next weekend...more like next month in reality. This coming weekend, I'm off to visit Kunal in San Francisco. The following weekend is Kunal's birthday which we are celebrating in Hoboken. Then, it's Superbowl Sunday which currently we have no plans for. Maybe we'll keep it that way and just watch the game at home.

Christmas Blur

It's kind of hard to believe that the holidays are over already. They definitely flew by. It was weird having 4 day holidays followed by 3 work days. Maybe that's why it flew by because it just wasn't one big chunk of time. We spent a good chunk of time with family with was great because I was sad about not actually going home to see our families.

Having Rochani here was fun. Mainly because we could pick on Kunal as a team and we ate at really delicious places. We had Christmas Eve dinner at my aunt's house. It was fun since my other aunt was visiting from NC with her family. Christmas Day, we were homebodies and my relatives came over for some afternoon snacks. Wednesday it was back to work which wasn't the best way to end the holidays. Luckily my dad came up that night for the wedding of his friend's son. He was in and out as he visited with family and went to wedding activities. Friday we went  with him to the Valima. I was most excited for the food since Rasoi III has great food. Definitely did not let me down as I helped myself to more than enough Indian food.

On Saturday, we made our way to the city in the snow. We had brunch at a great spot called The Crooked Knife with Kunal's cousins. It was very delicious and I'm already looking forward to going back again soon. They have a brunch option for unlimited mimosas or bloody marys and an entree for $25 bucks. Obviously took advantage of that special.

After brunch, we all parted ways and us three made our way to our hotel to check in and drop our bags before we headed to Dave and Buster's for some grown up style arcade fun. I really like this place because well, one - who doesn't love arcade games, two - there's a bar, three- they have really awesome shot glasses in the store. Last time we went in Charlotte, we got these twisted shot glasses that is split down the middle so you can pour two things in it and it will mix in your mouth. They were a huge hit at our holiday party so we decided we needed to expand from 2 glasses up to 6 total.

After we tired ourselves out from playing games, we decided to go to the hotel and relax. We were going to a show that evening called How 2 B A New Yorker which included a buffet style Italian dinner with Sarah and her two sisters. I don't know about you but I love penne in vodka sauce! The show was definitely funny and the dinner was a nice plus for the cheapness of the ticket price. After the show, we all decided to go back to our hotel to hang out and catch up. It was lots of fun even though it was 6 people in a very tiny NYC hotel room. After a while, Sarah, her sisters and I headed out to go to R Bar. After the bar, we went to Crif Dogs to get some food. I had such an amazing hot dog, I am drooling as I think about it!

Sunday, my dad was off to Maryland/home so we left the city at a fairly decent time so we could get home in time to say bye. After he left, we met up with some friends at one of our favorite New Brunswick places, Brother Jimmys to catch up over what everyone had been up to over the holidays.

Rochani left Monday morning to go back home. I had scheduled Monday as my sleeping in day so I slept for as long as I could. Then I got ready and Kunal and I headed out to run errands. That evening we went to our friend's house for a NYE party. I am so glad they hosted one because I was so not interested in going to the city for it otherwise.

And then just like that, before I knew it, 2012 was over! What a whirlwind year it had been. There are a lot of things that I accomplished and still a few goals left for me to handle in 2013.

Holiday Cheer

This past weekend a friend of mine and I co-hosted a holiday party. It was loads of fun and a great way to start off the holiday season. It was nice to have people over and it helped make the holidays a bit more real. It hasn't really felt like Christmas since we have no plans of going home and this party really helped get me in the holiday spirit. I'm trying to look on the bright side of things. Kunal's little sister will be visiting and we're going to my Aunt's for Christmas Eve dinner. We have a friend's New Year's Eve party that we're planning on attending. It should be fun. It is just weird that I'm not off for the entire week between Christmas and New Year's.
It's hard to believe the year is over. I can still remember last New Year's Eve like it was just a couple of weeks ago! I guess once you're a grown up, time really does fly.

No More Winter Break

All throughout school and even for the last 3 years since I graduated, I always, always, without a doubt, took time off around Christmas and New Years. Whether it was to go to India or just to go home, I always enjoyed my mini holiday vacation. This year, I'm only off Christmas Eve/Day and New Year's Eve/Day. This has a lot to do with our families being all over the place. My mom is going to Dallas to spend the holidays with my sister (guess I really do know who the favorite child is). Kunal's mom is in India shopping for the wedding. His brother is going to Las Vegas/LA right after Christmas on a boys trip. My dad is coming to NJ for a wedding. So since it was really only Kunal's dad and sister, we invited them to NJ. His dad declined and said he'd go to Charlotte to see the family there. So now we're playing host to a 15 year old girl for two weeks while we try to go about our normal lives.

Being 15 is a tough age. You're too young to drive but too old to be babied by others. Hopefully Kunal will be able to work from home so she isn't stuck watching TV all day bored out of her mind. I'm going to go ahead and assume that I'll be extremely busy with work since there are many, many, many things that need to be done in order to close out the year smoothly. If my coworker was still here, I would probably take off a couple of days just to spend at home but alas, she is not, therefore I cannot.

We plan on going to the city one day. It's the easiest tourist attraction nearby. We'll grab brunch with the cousins and then wander around the city seeing all the fun holiday decorations. We're going to a show that evening called "How 2 B A New Yorker" which sounds hilarious. If you recall, I went to a similar concept show in Paris and I loved it. It helps that there is a catered Italian dinner to accompany the show so that should be great...oh yea, and a cash bar!

Thanksgiving

The rest of November was such a whirlwind that before I knew it, I'm in December! The week after Boston, one of my co-workers broker her ankle! Typically she is my back up for when I'm gone and I'm hers when she is out. This is okay when one of us is out for a day or two...but now that I've taken over all her responsibilities, work is insanely busy! I shortened my Thanksgiving trip just so I could work a half day the Wednesday before. After working ten days straight, I was beyond ready to get home to NC and relax with nothing but food on my mind.

We left NJ at 1:30 and arrived home a little after 10pm. Not too bad considering we stopped for gas and got stuck in a bit of traffic here and there. Once we were settled in at home, I stayed up with my family and we finally watched Dostana, a Bollywood film that came out in 2008. Better late than never, right?

When Thursday arrived, I was more than happy. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I was beyond ready to eat some delicious food made by my sister. For lunch, we had Bojangle's because no visit to the South is complete without some sweet tea and cajun fries! People slowly started to trickle in as the day went on. The food was awesome, as usual. Aside from the regular turkey, we have mini stuffed baked potatoes, chipotle black bean soup, cheesy jalapeno corn bread, some sort of salad, mushroom and leek stuffing, macaroni and cheese, a cheese plate, and for dessert, an apple crumble strudel thing. It was well worth the three years that I had to wait. After dinner and dessert were wrapped up, we went over my wedding invitations so I could have them all addressed and ready to go. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Probably because I was lazy and didn't leave a slot for the name to be written in and provided a website for RSVP'ing instead of cards to mail back.

Friday, Kunal and I were going to Charlotte with his little sister for a get-together his family was having. On the way, we stopped at Zaxby's for lunch because that is another Southern staple of good fried chicken. Then we made it to Kunal's aunt's place where there was a bunch of people coming over for dinner. As usual, the adults had one room and the kids were all gathered in the other. After dinner, Kunal and I wanted to go downtown to meet up with friends. As usual, we ended up at Crave and then I left to go to Suite to see some of my friends. The night ended with late night food from Pita Pit which I don't think I had since 2010 before I moved up to NJ!

Saturday, after enjoying the breakfast buffet that the Doubletree offered, we were off to a family friend's house for a late lunch. This auntie makes awesome pani puri and manchurian. I had this the last time I was at their house and was thrilled to have it again! I could seriously eat pani puri all day every day...okay maybe not every day but definitely all day every now and then. =D We left the Charlotte aread around 3:30/4 and started our drive up to Chapel Hill where we were having dinner at my aunt's house. I hadn't been to her place since my sister's mendhi which she hosted. They have this new awesome media/play room. The kids have a Kinect which is super fun to play. We all took turns playing this river rafting game and I'm not surprised at all that Kunal and I were the best. Haha.

Sunday, we had to drop my sister and brother-in-law off at the airport. Then we ran a few errands before settling in at the house for the rest of the day. The break was such a whirlwind of travelling that it was hard to believe it was over already. Monday was our day of travel up to Philadephia. For our one year, I got Kunal tickets to a MNF game where the Panthers were playing the Eagles. It was a long drive but the game was very fun! Thank goodness we won! The temperature wasn't too good and our seats were awesome! We arrived at our house about 2:30am and boy was I tired! I finally feel fully recovered after this last weekend.

Beantown Trip

Last Wednesday, we got "hit" with a Nor'ester that, luckily, didn't affect us as much as the news said it would. On Thursday, we drove up to Boston for the weekend. The drive was great, a easy 4 hours with a bit of congestion leaving into the city. We decided to come a day early to see our friends who has moved to Boston. For dinner we went to The Cactus Club where the drinks were great and the enchiladas tasted like Indian curries. No joke, my lobster and shrimp enchiladas has a sauce on them that tasted just like chicken tikka masala curry. I mean, chicken tikka masala is a favorite dish of mine so it wasn't too bad but it was definitely odd. The spicy salsa wasnt spicy and the jalapenos didn't help add some heat to the food. I don't think I would go back unless it was to drink. After dinner we ventured over to Top of the Hub located at the Prudential Center where they have floor to ceiling windows and you get a fun 360 degree view of the city. I enjoy going to very tall buildings in cities so I get a great view of the city lights. After I had my fill of vodka/tonics and the Boston lights, we went to meet up with some more friends at a bar. I'm not sure what gave us the bright idea of having a night cap when we got back to our hotel..but there we were sitting at the hotel bar closing it down as we waited for our pizza to arrive.

Friday, we were a bit on the lazy side as we packed up and got ready to change hotels and go meet Kunal's family and the relatives. It was great to see everyone so soon after seeing them in England. We ate, we drank, I napped a bit. Before we knew it, it was time to go to the Omni for drinks with the rest of the family. I had New England Clam Chowder which is always great. After drinks, since most of the aunties are vegetarians, we went to a Chinese place to get another dinner.

Saturday was the day of the wedding and let me tell you. It was so great to wake up somewhat late and get a good breakfast in before getting ready for the wedding. Now I wish my wedding was in the afternoon! We took a coach bus to the church which was great since driving in Boston is no fun. After the short ceremony, back on the bus we went. The reception was on the top floor. During the cocktail hour, we were able to venture outside and get really great views of the city. There was a live band at the reception which I loved. It kind of reminded me of college frat parties. Live bands are wonderful and it made the reception very fun. After the reception, we went to a bar nearby and continued the fun.

Saturday, there was a brunch at the Omni before everyone went their separate way. After brunch, we walked around and went shopping before Kunal and I made the drive back to NJ.

Here are some pictures:

Kunal and Nishan with their Jijajis

The girl cousins and me

First dance as a married couple

The AKs