Happy birthday Andrew!

Russo family birthday #3 of 3 is here and it's for one of the coolest people I know, my brother Andrew!

I was talking to my family and Andrew last weekend and he was saying how he followed in my footsteps in so many ways; typical for a middle child. He joined similar clubs in high school, applied to the same colleges as me, and did City Year after graduation.  On paper, he looks like my younger brother (and he is!).

In reality, though, he's the cooler version of me.  I've always been quiet and reserved, while Andrew is the people person.  His sense of humor and lovable personality make him a big hit with anyone and everyone. I've never seen him interact with his students, but I'm sure he's one of the "cool City Years" that I always envied.  I always knew that Andrew should have a job working with people.  His personality is so fun that it should be used to inspire and motivate people to do something, whether it be to buy a product or help inspire people to be a better person.  That being said, I couldn't be prouder of his choice of career path.

I know it's hard being the middle child.  You aren't the first, so you don't get to pave the way and are constantly being compared to your older sibling by your teachers and parents. That being said, I'm glad that I didn't have to follow in Andrew's footsteps because he's an incredible guy. He took what I did and made it his own, which is incredibly inspiring.  Everyday I am so thankful to have Andrew as my brother and my friend.

Washington, D.C. and Maryland

I couldn't come all the way to the United States without making a trip up north to Washington, D.C. and Maryland, especially if it meant I could actually hang out with little miss Emma!   Since Andrew was home for Father's Day and heading back to DC that Sunday, I caught a ride with him.  It was so fun to hang out with Andrew in the car and hear all about his life in DC, even if we did hit REALLY bad traffic.

I spent that night with Rachel since she took the next day off of work.  We went to this new cheese and wine bar in Ballston, Cheesetique, which was so much fun. The next day, Rachel and I went to brunch at Metro 29 which had been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  I had the eggs benedict (my go-to brunch choice) and it didn't disappoint.  I didn't think it went above and beyond, but it was definitely good and I would return.  I need to watch the episode that Metro 29 is featured on.  After brunch, we spent the afternoon at the pool.  It was so hot that we only lasted a couple of hours, but it was so nice and relaxing.

That evening, I met up with my bridesmaid Sara and another one of our friends Kirsten for dinner at the Commissary in DC.  If you guys haven't been, you totally should. I had the chicken salad sandwich, while they both got the chicken burgers.  After dinner, I saw Sara's new apartment.  She's had some big changes in her life recently and I'm so proud of her for following her gut and doing what she knows is right.  Plus, her apartment is super cute.

I spent the night at my uncles' house while Andrew was house sitting on Monday.  I love their apartment and their pugs! Plus, getting to spend one more night with Andrew was fun. Overall, my time in DC was a lot of fun.  It made me miss living there with some of my favorite people so much.  I even saw our old apartment building, which made me even more nostalgic.  Maybe we'll return one day....inshallah.

The next morning, I headed to Maryland via the metro.  I got to experience the fun that is the metro reconstruction, which actually wasn't bad at all. I was so happy to make it to New Carollton, though, because Anna was there waiting for me!!  After a wild year and a half apart, I was SO happy to see her!  We headed back to her parents' house in Severna Park.  When we got to their house, Emma was asleep, which gave us adults to catch up. Being able to hang out with her and her Mike (my Mike's best friend!), as well as her parents was so nice.

After an hour or so, the star of the show woke up from her nap and, if I wasn't in love with her already, meeting her in person sealed the deal!

So happy to meet this little lady, but missing Uncle Mike!

That night, we met up with Karen in Baltimore and all spent the night cheering on the Orioles!  I'm always a little torn as a Red Sox fan, but it was a good game and Camden Yards is a great place to spend an evening.

Wearing white in order to remain neutral, but so happy to be spending the evening with two of my favorites!

Anna, Mike and I went into Annapolis on Wednesday night and met up with Karen and Anna's friend Nikesh for dinner. Anna and Mike were happy to have an adult night out and I was happy to tag along!  We even found a Turkish store across from the wine bar!! You really can't escape the Turks!

The next few days, we spent time hanging out on the river and lounging around the house. 

Views like this make happy hour even better!

Watching my friends as parents is one of my favorite things.  The love Anna and Mike have for their little girl is so obvious and endearing.

Pop Pop might be Emma's biggest fan...after Uncle Mike

We ended my week in Maryland with crabs because....Maryland!  I'm not the best at picking crabs, but it's fun and such a Maryland thing that I was happy to participate!

I had such a fun time hanging out with the Ficks and the Degenhards and getting to spend time with my favorite goddaughter.  I was so sad to say goodbye, but Anna and Mike are coming to visit for Thanksgiving, so that made saying goodbye a little bit easier.

love this little one so much!