adios, david!

as i type, david should (hopefully) be en route to atlanta, where, after a seven hour layover (yikes), he'll officially be costa rica bound. he'll be flying into the country's capital, san jose, where our "house dad" is picking him up and taking him to our new digs in a small town just outside san jose called san pedro.

apparently, san pedro is a little quieter, safer, and is home to many universities, so is appealing to young folks like ourselves who like cheap food, cafes, and fun bars. as you can see, the country is pretty small (maybe the size of west virginia) and apparently has unparalleled public transport, so we plan to cheaply cover as much ground as we can in the few weeks we're there.

we still can't believe that the trip is already upon us...perhaps best illustrated by the fact that, despite getting the day off from work, david began packing for the six week jaunt last night at eleven pm...


adios, david! map courtesy: www.lonelyplanet.com/costarica

what has started to hit both of us, however, is a hefty dose of nostalgia about leaving ann arbor. though i think the true cut point is ten years, after six years, i feel like an ann arbor lifer and that this is truly my home. i remember a conversation i had with my econ professor several years ago, who was born in portugal but went to college in brazil. he said, "yes, i'm *from* portugal, but i became a person in rio." that's exactly how i feel about ann arbor, and as exciting as it is to take the next step, it's of course pretty bittersweet to leave such a special town full of so many important memories.

so, rather than packing and planning for this rather significant journey, david and i have been soaking in ann arbor (i feel so native to ann arbor, it was odd when we did the math yesterday and realized i've only been here one year longer than him) when we can...hanging out in our favorite cafes, seeing shows at the michigan theater, walking through the diag, and of course, hitting up the world famous zingerman's deli.


for david's last day in ann arbor for awhile, we were lucky to get near perfect weather. while yesterday would have been a great time to start packing, if you're from the midwest you understand the necessity of appreciating sunshine and sixty degrees regardless of what day, week, or month it is, and regardless of what else you have going on. u of m students understand this unspoken rule, and campus was buzzing with ultimate frisbee, flip flops, and even a mini-carnival in the diag. we celebrated by purchasing our first iced coffee/tea of the season (a little overzealous...we were chilly at the bottom of those glasses) and doing some people watching.

we did take care of some important errands that could incorporate time outside, like getting my glasses fixed after a year and a half of non-use (couldn't have been better timing considering our hour-late start to the airport this morning in the rain...vision is awesome when one is driving), and pondering the statue that sits exactly halfway between the medical school and my office, that we familiarly refer to as "pedophilia:"

upon our close inspection yesterday, we learned it's actually called "regeneration of time." we're trying to figure out who to contact about officially renaming it, because honestly, between the two, i think we're a little more accurate...

still left with an hour to kill, david suggested we visit borders (the flagship store, right downtown) and read travel books (not for costa rica, but for our next big trip that will include trekking in nepal--so cool). seriously...who knew there would be such a perfect other half who finds as much pleasure as i do in activities like this? our other favorite dates include reading medical texts at cafes and visiting the humane society. it's all about the simple pleasures...



while salivating over everest trekking guides, i began to simultaneously salivate over a gorgeous illustrated cookbook for the common grill, a wonderful restaurant in a small town called chelsea, about 15 miles west of ann arbor. if you've seen my bookshelves, you know it's no exaggeration that i read cookbooks like novels, and after polishing this one off, i decided we needed to break from our "ode to ann arbor" and have a farewell/early birthday dinner due west.

david was thrilled to discover they serve his favorite dish, paella, which is now becoming somewhat of a birthday tradition. last year a bunch of nutrition kids celebrated his birthday with a huge pot of the same:



and it's a darn labor intensive dish to create! above you'll see our buddy katie helping me de-beard mussels (yes, that's actually what it's called)for the birthday pot. unfortunately, shortly after this photo was taken, a mussel allegedly "bit" her, and she called it a night.

it's possible the pros at common grill pulled off a more aesthetically pleasing dish, but with the news that we've received our paella pan as a wedding gift (yippee!!), next year i'm ready to give 'em a run for their money.


but for now, it's just starting to sink in that david and i have to take a week off from our never ending joint adventures. what a bummer! and it doesn't help that it's so gloomy outside... it's so lonely in our apartment without him (thank god for the cats, who miss their dad but are excited to have "their" side of the bed back). i do have some affairs to get in order before i head to the tropics myself (in barely more than a week!) that should help take my mind off of it, like wrapping up the loose ends at work, getting wedding stuff squared away, and making sure the cats and apartment are in top condition for their five weeks solo, and of course, continuing to enjoy ann arbor.

but, if you spend any time away from your joint-at-the-hip partner in crime, you know how weird it feels to sleep alone in the bed, or to cook just for yourself (hence my traditional cereal binges when left to my own devices), or to have to brush your own teeth. it's just not natural! needless to say, i'm counting down the minutes not just to costa rica, but to my reunion with my favorite human as well.

yes, he really brushes my teeth for me (some people have witnessed this in person--it's not for show), and yes, we have matching toddler bandaids on our thumbs. what am i going to do without this guy?! i think i'll start with a nap...