oh to be a woman

I am in the transition stage from college life to adulthood. And there is something exquisite about coming home after four years of university and reuniting with childhood girlfriends over cocktails and appetizers. The coming-of-age film melody plays as we talk and catch up from our years apart. We seem to laugh in slow motion, and hours pass like looking up at the clouds in the sky. It also helps to have a well-designed environment to add to the scene. It is a perfect opportunity to try out a stylish new restaurant for our backdrop.   

For this Happy Hour catch-up, we visited Olive and Oak Pizza. The whole place seemed as though I was looking through rose-tinted glasses. People were walking in with such a serene manner that made you wonder where they were coming from. Just relaxing at home, a day in the office, teaching for hours?

But they all ended up here in the same place together.

We feel like we are in a dream sequence where we laugh and learn about people's lives, sipping wine and eating from shared plates. We relish the St. Louis classic Toasted Ravioli which was stuffed with perfectly herbed beef and cheese filling, handmade dough, and a breadcrumb crunch. Definitely on my top five toasted ravioli I've had (which if you're from St. Louis is saying ALOT because we eat a lot of Toasted Ravs as they are lovingly called!). The Rainbow Carrots with Goat Cheese Spread, Roasted Hazelnuts and fresh Dill combined, in a Ratatouille way, to make sweet fireworks in your mouth.

There are certain people in your life with whom you can reconnect, and you forget what it was like to ever be apart. I am so grateful to have people like that in my life. There is something so alluring about being a woman consuming wine and chatting with friends. It's a simple thing. But I feel as though it is something that men cannot share in the same way. Women friends contribute stories and share our deep feelings, and the heaviness of life seems to melt away. "Girl Talk" is a magical wonder! It mends wounds and forms memories, just from simple conversation that isn't really that simple, but rather complex and even medicinal. Treat yourself to discussion with your lady friends and add lovely food and drink, because you deserve it. You always do.