It’s been a rough few days for me. I’m always sad seeing the Fourth of July come to an end because it’s one of my favourite holidays alongside Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful time over the holiday weekend. My sister Kate, who lives in Atlanta, came to visit for a quick 48-hour stay and made it extra special.
On Friday afternoon, Kate arrived and we rushed to show her around our neighbourhood. WaWa was our first stop before catching the subway into the heart of the city. At Jefferson, we got off the train and made our way to Reading Terminal.
Because we arrived just as the terminal was opening, we got a good look at everything. We stopped for certain delicious chocolate coated pretzels on the way to Independence Hall, where half of Pennsylvania’s population was taking part in a festival on the street. As well as food trucks and live bands there were games and a diverse group of people to talk to. Before making our way out of the crowds, we ate a few snacks as well as took a few pictures.
We wandered down to Spruce roadside harbour, grabbed some few beers as well as some tacos, prior to actually finding a great nook to hold out for several hours. We didn’t decide to return home until we realised how far we should go back in order to do so. Late at night, we rushed back to our rooms and passed out.
We got up early on Saturday morning to begin the preparations for a small party that would take place later in the day. The day had managed to fly by, and our friends had begun to show up. While hanging out from the backyard, we prepared a massive feast.
We ended the night with fireworks at the a nearby high school before collapsing in bed exhausted but ecstatic.
If you look closely, you’ll see Lilly and the return of my shirt. The fireworks were not a favourite of hers, even though we took her to see them.
In order to beat the heat on Sunday morning, I went for a quick 3 mile run before everyone else got up. My route turned out to be 3.5 miles long, which was a pleasant surprise. After the binge I had the day before, I was in such better spirits.
I had an excellent time this weekend. A much-needed respite for us and a wonderful opportunity to meet our friends and share our city with Kate.
