The Cultural Dish: A Look Back: 2012

As I sit here writing this post, I am amazed that it is already New Year's Eve. Where did 2012 go? Every year it seems like time goes by faster and faster, but this year was exceptionally fast! There have been so many ups and downs (mostly ups), that it feels like 2012 was really several years crammed into one.

So as I continue to be amazed at how quickly the year has come and gone, here is a look back at some of the major events and yummy dishes of the year!

January 11th, 2012

I got engaged! Since high school, my best friend David and I always said that we were just friends and that nothing more would happen. However, after going through college and many ups and downs together, we finally realized that maybe we should be more than friends... and well, the rest is history!

May 20th, 2012

After a very fast-paced, whirlwind of a year, all of my hard work paid off and I received my master's degree in higher education!

July 17th, 2012

I made my hubs-to-be his two favorite treats for his birthday - carrot cake and chocolate chip cookies! And all in the form of the cookie monster!

August, 2012

David and I love to travel. We have been to so many places abroad, yet we had never visited a place in our very own state of Massachusetts! Therefore, we finally rectified this situation and spent a weekend in Cape Cod!

During our trip we discovered that their is an Elyse winery! Now I just need to buy a bottle...

We stayed at the Inn at Siders Lane in Falmouth, MA and it was superb! The owners are so kind and welcoming and they whip up an amazing breakfast. I was also lucky enough to get their famous Creme Brulee French Toast recipe, so stay tuned, because I will be making it soon!

September - November, 2012

For my job as a college admissions counselor, I traversed the state of NY for two months in order to attend college fairs and visit with the future students of Merrimack College. I was also able to visit some pretty cool places too...

First time visiting Niagara Falls!

And Sleepy Hollow too...

November 17th, 2012

I married my best friend!

We then spent the next few weeks traveling through Italy, Monaco, and Southern France!

One of our favorite restaurants in San Gimignano!

David attempting to knock over the leaning tower of Pisa... if only he could have lifted his leg a tad higher!

I could never get tired of views like this one...

Our hotel in Venice. Yes, those are people walking in the water below. Surprisingly one of the more interesting parts of our honeymoon was seeing Venice flood firsthand!

Monte Carlo!

View from our room in Nice, France. We stayed at Vista Azzura, a beautiful bed and breakfast that has only two rooms, so it was perfect for our peaceful, romantic getaway! The owners Cathy and Michele are so welcoming and such great people too! Oh, and they have an adorable dog named Sushi.