Five on Friday!

It's that time again... Happy Friday, y'all! It's been a crazy busy week, and I am so ready for a slower weekend so I can breathe and relax for a little while.

Kevin's Surprise Visit: Last Sunday, I was at home by myself after my parents left for a business trip. I was downstairs in my basement working on a project (and watching Rafael Nadal win his 9th French Open title) when I heard knocking at my front door. I walked upstairs and looked out to see Kevin standing on my front porch! He surprise-visited me for the day since he had the day off from his internship. We hadn't seen each other since graduation last month, so you can imagine how happy I was. 

First Phillies Game: This week, I started an internship at TGaS Advisors, a pharmaceutical consulting firm up here near my house. Each year, they organize a day trip to a Phillies game, and this year's game was yesterday. Two of the other interns and I joined in the festivities. I had never been to a Phillies game before, and my first experience was pretty good! The Phils won 7-3 over the San Diego Padres.

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia

The Fault in Our Stars: I promise this isn't a bandwagon read! I actually bought the book months ago and only got around to reading it recently. I'm still not finished, but I like what I've read so far. I want to finish the book before seeing the movie. And I fully anticipate crying sometime along the way. Apparently it's unavoidable. 

Pinterest-Tested Chocolate Muffins: I found this recipe for "Clean Eating Triple-Chocolate Muffins" on Pinterest a few weeks ago and finally tried them out this week. They were super easy to mix up and bake, and incredibly delicious. I wouldn't have known they were "healthy" or "clean" if I hadn't made them myself...they didn't taste like it at all. I definitely recommend this recipe if you're looking for a healthier, quick breakfast on the go. 

picture via Maria Kang

New car shopping: I've driven my grandpa's old 2008 Chevy Equinox for the last four years. I'd hoped it would last one more year and I'd look at a new car after grad school. But the transmission has been causing trouble for the last few months, and at this point, fixing it costs more than the car is worth. So the search for a new car starts now! I'm interested in the Mazda CX-5 and the Subaru Forester. The car I learned to drive was a 2006 Subaru Legacy, and I absolutely loved it. I've heard nothing but good things about the CX-5, so I'm especially excited to test-drive one of those. 

If you have any suggestions for other small SUVs (with good gas mileage) that I should check out, please share below! I want to explore as many options as possible.  Happy Weekend!