Single Summer Shenanigans

It's been 6 years since I was single last and I couldn't think of a better time to be newly uncoupled than summertime in the PNW. The weather is magical, the days are long, everyone wants to be out doing stuff, work has temporarily slowed down for about a month and I have a slight suntan. CHEERS.

This month has been a whirlwind of saying yes to what feels good while also being gentle with myself. There has been less exercise and more drinks with friends, less salads and more dinners out and I'm really into all of it. I've been out of my apartment more, hanging with people I love who I lost touch with a bit, and generally packing in all the things I feel like I missed out on or couldn't want to do in the past few years.

My sorority sister Julia got married at the end of July. We went out the weekend before her wedding for a bachelorette party that included almost naked men, a rooftop bar, dropping it low at the Alibi Room downtown and finally late night Mexican food. I had a blast, and more importantly, so did Julia.

^^The bachelorette party outside the Triple Door^

^^Sisters^^

^^Julia (far left) onstage at the Buckaroos show (YAS)^^

Julia's wedding was on her family's farm on Camano Island. Dolly's fiancé (now husband!!) Wes drove Erin and I up to the wedding. We stopped at the Stanwood Saloon on our way for a few pre-wedding drinks and then threw it back, college style, with a few cold Coors Lights in the car before walking over to the ceremony site. Always keeping it classy.

^^Stanwood Saloon, beers and a tequila shot each before the wedding (obviously)^^

^^Car Bar SnapChat Selfie - PS can we talk about how hard it is to save photos from SnapChat now? Someone show me how.^^

The wedding was really beautiful complete with great food, friends, live music, drinks, cupcakes and an option to camp which we were going to take but last minute Erin decided to drive us back home. I was so happy to wake up in my bed the next morning, even though I was covered in mosquito bites which still haven't quite healed. UGH.

^^Love my PC05 Sisters^^ 

^^I definitely put on my bright yellow Ocean Shores sweatshirt part way through the wedding when I started to get cold. Gotta keep it classy!^^

I've been lucky enough to spend a bunch of time with Erin and Alli lately. Alli just recently moved back from Brooklyn and lives so so close to Erin and I (who live less than a mile apart, the best)!! It has been so nice to have a single friend to do all of the things with. Erin's man friend has been gone the past few weeks so the three of us have been having the most fun together which makes my heart so so happy. There have been yoga classes, drinks, flirting with random men, talking about random men, watching the new ghostbusters movie, dinners, shopping trips, etc. and it has been so, so good.

 ^^Sister Erin and I out in Ballard^^

^^Sneaky shot of sister Erin and a man we met at the bar who was definitely interested in taking both of us home so we left together in an Uber without him, lolz^^

Gaby came up to visit one weekend too (well, she came up for work and I got to hang out with her which was amazing). We spent one entire afternoon drinking ALL the beers at the Latona Pub (I've actually spent a lot of time there in general lately, it's my go-to neighborhood spot and I'm so thankful it exists and that the people who work there exist too).

^^Gaby and I single lady day drinking at the Latona Pub^^

Also, I spontaneously booked a trip to NYC!! EEK! I've always wanted to go and I figured now is the perfect time. I go for a night by myself and then Gaby meets me the following afternoon and I cannot fucking wait. Gaby is the best travel partner and we've talked about going to NYC foreverrrr and it's finally happening (because single Rebeka is sooo spontaneous) and I am about to burst. I'm really, really doing what feels good and it's the best. I would recommend it to anyone going through a change, or just anyone in general, really.

What else, what else?

There was also pizza for dinner with my law school+ group of friends right after Brittan and Brian got back from traveling the world. Then there was an evening in Columbia City in the park with them where we drank entirely too much pink wine, ate snacks from PCC and listened to music while sitting on blankets. I eventually had to send myself home in an uber and watched Netflix in my bed for most of the following morning. Worth it. 

^^Paul La's arm, Natalie, Brittan, Brian, me, Gaby, Erin and her man friend, Ambur and Adam. Rob is behind the camera^^

Oh! And Adam and Ambur finally set a date for their wedding. It's so soon and so small and I'm bursting at the seams with happiness for them. I will happily add one more wedding to my summer if its theirs. Congrats friends!

So yes, because I feel like I get asked every day how I'm doing here we are. I'm doing well. I'm keeping busy and I feel mostly really happy. Life lately has been an adjustment but I think I'm adjusting for the better and morphing into a really great version of me. So, for the next few months I'll be soaking up as much summer as possible and doing all the things that seem fun and hopefully popping in here to recap the good shit (even though all of my life is pretty good these days, I'm not going to lie). Thanks for all the support, friends. Cheers!

Magical Oregon Weekend

After work on Friday I headed down south to Portland, Oregon. The traffic was fucking terrible and the 3 hour drive took 4.5 hours but it was totally worth it. I met Marissa at her apartment in Kenton (N. Portland) and we shared some Rosé, meat, cheese, hummus and crackers before putting on lipstick (and a heavy, winter coat for Marissa because August? lol) and heading out to sip Moscow Mules at a cute bar with a patio on Mississippi. After that there were raviolis, fries and vodka sodas at another bar patio down the street. We hopped in an Uber from there and headed to Dig A Pony to drop it low and take snapchat selfies while waiting in line for the bathroom (as one does, duh).

^^Rebeka and Marissa running wild on the streets of Portland^^

^^HEY GIRL^^

When we were done sharing a beer with a stranger on the dance floor we ran out of Dig A Pony and into a random bar where we saw one of Marissa's ex-flings who  many summers ago asked me "Where abouts you be lurkin to, girl?" #winner. We hid from him in a photo booth and then emerged long enough to shout "HI!" at him and literally run out of the bar, down the street and into my first ever strip club!!

^^Photo Booth Goodness^^

I've always been a bit weary of strip clubs (is it degrading to the women? are they there against their will? do they hate it? are there a ton of pervs there?) but Sassy's totally changed my mind. It was so magical. It was like a really fun, packed-full-of-hipsters bar with badass, beautiful, real, talented ladies dancing around naked/mostly naked. I wanted to literally throw all my money at them.

Side note: can we talk about how I was definitely the least cool person in all of Portland? THERE ARE SO MANY COOL PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE! I don't know where they all came from, but my self esteem is glad they're not in Seattle. Lolz.

Then, as we were leaving the strip club, Marissa wanted to take a picture of a sign on the door and she accidentally left her flash on and the bartender came over and literally screamed at us "NO PICTURES" (no joke, screamed) and we RAN out of Sassy's and down the street and called an Uber that we made drop us off at a 24-hour donut shop where we bougth donuts from a literal child and walked the rest of the way home and I face swapped a pic of Marissa with Spock and it was so so good. And then Marissa made us frozen pizza which we ate before passing the F out at approximately 3:45am. In case you're keeping track, that's: meat, cheese, hummus, crackers, raviolis, fries, donuts and pizza. Fat kids so hard.

^^Best Face Swap^^

Saturday morning we grabbed coffee and went for a walk in Marissa's neighborhood before grabbing some things, some snacks and heading down to the Willamette River for a mini-beach/river day. I ate a Reuben on the beach (logical) and we played on our phones behind a stump and waded out in the water and I sunburned the back of my legs like the ginger soul I am. It was great.

^^A Reuben is a totes approps thing to eat at the beach, duh^^

^^River chilling/back of leg sun burning^^

 

 ^^Hey Gurl^^

^^Only Marissa wears flannel to the beach^^

^^River River River Riverrrr^^

^^LOOK AT MEEEE^^

^^Beach selfie^^

After the beach we headed to Salt and Straw on Alberta (my first time!!) for a long line and eventually ice cream. It was worth the wait. I got the carrot cake batter that had cream cheese frosting chunks, OMG you guys, so good. Eventually we made our way back to Marissa's apartment where I showered, squeezed her goodbye and then drove to Hood River.

^^Waiting in line at Salt and Straw for ice cream^^

When I got to Hood River I headed to Beth's house (because Beth moved back to Hood River, eeeeeeeeeee! yay!) to get ready for the pFriem 4th Birthday Party event at the waterfront park. We ended up meeting Beth's sister Emily at the party and ran into more friends there. We had beers, listened to music and took pictures in the really cute photo booth. It was a blast!

 ^^Sun setting and all the festivities and Beth's face at the pFriem bday party^^

 ^^Beth, me and Emily at the pFriem party^^

 

^^Photo Booth Magic^^

After the party I was a little drunk and got a SUPER delicious quesadilla from a street cart before meeting up with everyone again at the Pub. We eventually headed for Double Mountain and then I met Brian to chill and drink some pink wine.

My liver hates me.

The next morning there was breakfast at the Hood River Inn (coffee, water and mimosas included which is my favorite thing at breakfast) before I headed back over to Washington see my parents and Fluffy Face for a bit. Fluffy was begging for a biscuit for like 20 minutes so eventually we finally gave him one and he went to town. We are bad pet owners for giving him human food, but also, it was hilarious.

^^Fluffy and his biscuit^^

When I got back to Oregon a few hours later I grabbed coffee at Doppio with Gaby. We gossiped and discussed our V EXCITING upcoming trip before hugging goodbye so she could go on a boat with some friends. I then grabbed a pork belly banh mi and a beer for lunch on a patio with Josh and Sarah where I third-wheeled really hard and peer pressured Josh into coming to my birthday party in Mexicooo (successfully, I think?). It was a really eventful 1/2 of a day. I spent the 2nd 1/2 of the day driving back to Seattle (6 hours I'll never get back, UGH, thanks traffic) and then slept for a million hours that night.

Thanks again for filtering all that alcohol, liver, you're the best. And thanks again friends, strippers, alcohol and the state of Oregon for the great-ass time.

xo

^^I am impressed with the amount of photo booth pics I took this weekend, high five Oregon Rebeka, killing it^^