Foxfield

As a double 'hoo, Foxfield -- a day devoted to outdoor drinking and supposed horse-watching -- has long been a much-anticipated part of my springtime entertainment. During my undergrad days, my friends and I would don our sundresses, string on some pearls and enjoy a day at the races tailgate style. Drinks would be poured from the back of SUVs and pickup trucks, and hours would be spent wandering from one raucous plot to the next. This year, however, things were a tad classier. There was a tent (a welcome upgrade given the 92 degree heat), a series of tables and chairs and a catered lunch. All in all, a much more adult set-up than I've enjoyed at Foxfields gone by.

Spring socializing

It's spring and, with the weather warming up, socializing in Charlottesville has become much more appealing. There's no need to drag your winter coat into college bars or to trudge through snow in 3-inch heels. Nope, now is what I like to call sit-on-the-patio-in-a-sundress time. And, thanks to Darden's social organizers, there are activities aplenty.

Yesterday, for example, about 40 to 50 Darden students and their significant others boarded buses to visit the local wineries and breweries. My girlfriends and I opted for a tour of the Barboursville and Horton Vineyards. On the 6-hour tour, we learned more than we'll probably ever need to know about Charlottesville viniculture, sipped glasses of Chardonnay and returned home exhausted. Up next? Easter brunch at the Horse and Hound. Not a bad way to enjoy a Central Virginia spring.

Forte Foundation Conference

For those incoming female MBAs, I just wanted to write a quick note about the Forte Foundation's upcoming conference in New York City. The two-day affair (June 26-27) is a great way to network with women in a variety of MBA programs.
I attended last year and got advice on everything from transitioning to b-school and maintaining work/life balance, to finding a non-traditional internship. Plus, being at the conference somehow made attending Darden in the fall much more of a reality!
Curious? Check out the foundation at www.fortefoundation.org.

Birthday

So, it was my birthday last weekend and, because I wholeheartedly believe in being self-indulgent on your birthday, I not only drank way too many champagne cocktails, I also got a little nostalgic. Lolling in bed, nursing a headache, I tried to think of all my little girl dreams and of those, how many I'd actually accomplished.
Become a veterinarian serving a clientele of puppies, kittens and bunnies? Nope.
Own a home with built-in bookshelves and a breakfast nook? Also, no.
Write the next great American novel? Hah.
As I kept counting things off, I quickly realized that my life is nothing like what I imagined it would be like at the tender age of 6. I'm back in school and, as a career-switcher, somewhat careerless. I own a car and two closets' full of clothes, but nothing more substantial than that. And, the only semi-creative writing I've done recently has been this blog. Judged against my little girl standards, I'm sort of a sorry case.
But when I think about my life at 27, I'm actually quite satisfied. I'm here at Darden, preparing to transition to the business side of media (an industry I truly believe in). I have fabulous friends (who provide not only champagne, but also aspirin). And, without the responsibilities of home ownership, marriage and motherhood, I'm free to pursue my passions as I see fit. All in all, I've gotten to a great place, one I'm proud of and happy in.
Over the past 21 years, I've come to grips with the fact that I may never be able to check off veterinary sciences or the great American novel. And I'm perfectly okay with that. Of course, I'm still holding out for that breakfast nook.