I’m back… and so is Addie!
I feel like I’ve been away from my office forever, but really it’s just been 10 days. By the look of the pile of paperwork, it’s been about 10 days too long, but that’s OK.
As I wrote last week, DC was amazing and overwhelming and informative and fun and… well, you’ll have to read the series I’ll be posting, which will have information ranging from places that are amazing to eat (I have a bit of a foodie in me) to the hotel, and of course, THE CONFERENCE!
For this week, I am so thankful for the friends I’ve met in my life. More to the point, the friends who are new and those that are aging with me- all of whom keep late hours and early mornings with me- talking long into the night, over water, wine, laughter, a shed of tears, and always with a lot of honesty. Being that I lived in Alexandria, VA (outside of DC) for less than 6 months, I didn’t make a ton of lasting friendships, and I don’t maintain most of them, but Melissa (my Oklahoma roomie) and Drew (who I’ve known for a decade) are people I have kept close and will continue to do so. My amazing cousin, with whom I share something akin to sisterhood… but closer. Then there is Kate (who will be guest blogging AGAIN this week). She stayed up with me, came to dinner with us, and fielded all of my questions about everything from surgery to love.
It’s true, I learned a lot at the LPA National Conference, but more than that, I was afforded the opportunity to reconnect with friends and family that I miss in a part of my heart that no one can touch but them.
This week, my dwarfism fact is simple: be human. I was touched by someone in my life who encountered the phrase I have a fear while the conference was in DC. Slightly shocked and certainly embarrassed, my friend asked for this person to be professional in their full capacity- being human included. Everyone can educate and be aware without being directly affected. Join in!
Lastly, my random of the week: GETTING LOST IS OK!
You know the moment that your stomach and brain connect in a way that you cannot control. Together they scheme to enact WWIII on the closest people to you and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Yeah. That happened to me in the car leaving DC at 2pm without having had even a nibble of food that day. How we attempted to get breakfast in the District and ended up in Silver Spring, MD, I’ll never know (that darn beltway!)… but I do know that sometimes there are gems that you find when you least expect it. 
La Madeline Café is one of those places. It’s a chain… but you’d never know. The corner location we found was clean, full of the most helpful staff and all the free bread and jam Addie could shovel in! The bonus: best coffee Dave had since we had left Rhode Island (Moi? Nope… I got TCB coffee in DC earlier in the week- thanks, Drew!). We had a wonderful lunch with my aunt, and took lots of silly pics. It was a perfect afternoon, regardless of my hypoglycemic behavior and dire need of caffeine. Thank goodness for a patient, loving and understanding family!
Live life like you have GPS… because chances are you do! You’re never really lost- we are all on a journey. An adventure. Thank you for taking this one with me. The Martinka’s hope you had a wonderful Independence Day and a happy Monday to you Reader!!!
Awww!!! These images are just too sweet! That first one of Addie is a fav! Looks like you have been busy and having lots of fun! 🙂
Glad you had a great time. And love the getting lost is OK. 😉 LOL I freak out when I get lost – which doesn’t happen often since my GPS goes everywhere … but every so often even That is wrong.