Life rocks, pretty much:

I had a wonderful weekend, the best in a long time. The reception at the FCO was great, a lot of fun and so nice to talk to some people who were closer to my age. One interesting difference between the FCO and State is that many of the Brits were just out of university or had only worked for a couple of years, so they were mainly in their mid- to late-twenties, rather than mid- to late-thirties, which seems to be the norm for JOs here. I met a cute boy too.

York was great. It's absolutely beautiful, the walls are all they're cracked up to be, and there was really way too much to do for a day. But I strongly recommend it if any of you are around the UK.

Sunday, I went to Mass and then to lunch with my cousin, her husband, her mother, and her kids. It was nice to see a family again, that's something I always miss in Chicago and here. Tea was great, the food was good and the ambience really wonderful.

I just wish every weekend could be this good. Really.