Bohtimore: Oh Boy, What a City

For the long weekend, I was invited by my sister Katie to head down to Baltimore, Maryland and visit a few friends. I had such a good time, I figured I'd share some of my trip's experiences! I really couldn't capture the beauty of this amazing city, but I tried! I hope you enjoy!

Note! If you are unaware like I was, National Bohemian Beer is a huge part of Baltimore culture and it's all over the place! Hence the play on words in the title of this post ;)

Our lovely hostess, Natalie, lives in Fells Point. It's full of friendly people and has a great bar scene! It's also right on the water!

Our first night out we went to Nacho Mama, a local favorite. My sister Katie (left) and Natalie (right) introduced me to "hubcap" margaritas. YUM!

The next day we took a walk to the more touristy section of Baltimore, the inner harbor. The smoke stack building is actually a Barnes and Noble!

The city was so full of character. Here's an old boat that was sitting right on the deck.

A little farther down, we came across a small light house

The view from the lighthouse, overlooking the harbor

We ended our trip for the day overlooking the harbor from Federal Hill

Overall, I had an amazing time!! It's a city like no other, with historical features, a waterfront view and a great night life! If you're in the Fell's Point area, make sure to check out Cat's Eye Pub. They play amazing music every day of the week and was named one of Baltimore's top 25 bars by Baltimore Magazine!

Have any trips you'd like to share? Let me know!

Everyday Heroes

One of the reasons I wanted to start this blog was so people could share goods news they came across. And luckily I've recently had two stories brought to my attention that is not only good news, but also features a few extraordinary people. The first came from an article shared by Andrea Fugazot, a friend of mine from Monroe and the second is a video my sister, Katie shared with me.

A few friends were home from college on winter break, driving around Lake Mary, Fl. looking for another friend's house. When the GPS led them astray, they stopped in the parking lot of Reflection lake, trying to get their bearings. At that point, one of the young men, Zach Sawin, noticed a car bobbing in the lake about 50 yards offshore. He immediately darted towards the car, dove in and spotted Miguel Hernandez sitting still in the drivers seat, frozen with fear. Sawin climbed through the window, unhooked Hernandez's seat belt and swam him to shore. The other friends jumped in to check the car, but no one else was in it. By the time everyone got back to shore, the car had sunk.

If they had arrived 5 minutes later, or if the GPS had managed to get to their friend's house without any trouble, this could have been a totally different ending. Not only did the timing work out, but Sawin had been brave enough to put his fears aside and save a complete stranger! Not everyone can say that if they were in the same position, they would have acted similarly. Of course we would all like to say we would, and we may never actually know. But these men, without hesitation, saved someone else's life partly to do with some minor coincidences.

If you'd like to read the full article, you can find it here!

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This video literally brought me to tears. It is an inspiring and heartwarming story about a strong bond formed between two brothers. Just watch it, you'll get it! Or you could also read the article!

Thanks again Andrea and Katie for sharing these amazing stories!

And don't forget, if you'd like to share some good news! please fill out our form!

A Few Good Ladies

Recently I discovered that a few lovely ladies, and friends of mine, all landed nursing jobs down in Maryland, which I thought was pretty good news! Amy Exner (left), Natalie Bernier (middle) and Jessica Black (right) are all 2012 graduates of the University of Delaware, School of Nursing with B.S.N degrees and R.N. distinctions. Currently, Jess is an ER nurse at Sinai Hospital, Natalie is in the Psych unit at Hopkins and Amy is in the cardiopulmonary at Upper Chesapeake. I would just like to throw out a little congratulations to these strong, smart women!

Segue way time! This news got me thinking about a bunch of other inspiring women from this past year. So I decided to put together a short list of a few good ladies from politicians to illustrators and everything in between. I hope you enjoy!

Malala Yousufzai, Pakistani female activist
Malala Yousufzai is a 14 year old Pakistani advocate for equal education. She was on her way home from school, when she was attacked and shot in the head by Taliban militants for publically voicing her opinions on women's education. Thankfully, she was recently released from a hospital in London and has made great progress. It really makes you realize how lucky we are to have a voice.
via CNN

Michelle Obama, First Lady
The first Lady, although receiving much criticism for being too involved in politics, is also seen as inspiring and strong. She supported the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 and took a lead role in the initiave, Let's Move which fights childhood obesity. She can also give one hell of a speech!

Penny Krakoff, Marathon runner
Even before NYC mayor, Mike Bloomberg cancelled the marathon after Hurricane Sandy, Penny Krakoff was handing in her number to spend the day volunteering in Staten Island. A Brooklyn native, Krakoff felt it was more important to help out her surrounding communities.
via Gothamist

Kathryn Bigelow, Director
Kathryn Bigelow is best known for her film, the Hurt Locker and was the first women to be awarded Best Director in 2009. Zero Dark Thirty is already showing serious oscar hype. With her hard hitting and non traditional ideas, Ms. Bigelow does not conform to the female director mold one bit.

Jessica Hische, Letterer & Illustrator
Jessica is an incredibly talented designer best known for her typography and illustrations. Now only 5 years out of college, Jessica speaks at conferences around the world, discussing the trade and inspiring up and coming designers everywhere.
via Jessica Hische

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton is no rookie when it comes to political finesse. She has run the state department for the past four years with perseverance and serious focus. She is a strong supporter of women's rights and education and has recently launched the International Council on Women's Business Leadership. All I have to say is "Clinton 2016"!

Who inspired you this past year? Share your thoughts in our comment section! :)

A Good Year

I have to say, 2012 was a pretty good year and full of really good news! One of my best friends got engaged, and one of my sisters graduated from college. I took a few trips with some of my favorite people, and made some great memories.

I know I'm a little late on this but I put together a photo gallery, with some help from my friends, of some highlights from this past year!

Happy New Year, and enjoy :)

Photo Gallery by QuickGallery.com

And don't forget, if you would like to share some good news, please feel free to submit!!