6:30pm: I stop into a wine store after work to pick up a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, Katie’s favorite. I never like to show up to a dinner empty handed. You should always ask the host what they would like you to bring and if they say nothing just bring a little something anyway. Being polite is very important. Millennials always get shit on for being inconsiderate. So defy expectations! Be better millennials. We can all do this together.

7:15pm: I arrive at Katie’s. Peter and Mason, Katie’s cousin, are already there. There is Brie, smoked Gouda and rosemary crackers out on the table. Katie pours me a glass of red wine. Have I arrived in heaven? I feel like my hosting skills have really rubbed off on her. The student becomes the master.

7:00pm: The bottle of Chianti we are drinking has a picture of a young renaissance boy looking mischievous. I feel like it must be stressful to design the logos for wine bottles. Most people buy their wine based about 10% on wine knowledge and 90% the label. I mean, I know slightly more about wine than the average 24 year old American girl, but if the store doesn’t carry any brands I know then I end up just picking one that “looks good.” Peter says his strategy for picking wine is to get the second cheapest one. Not a terrible strategy depending on how much you like the person you are buying it for...

7:30pm: The 5th guest at the dinner is the giant pile of Peter’s books. He’s staying with Katie in between apartments and there must over200 books next to us. Mostly history books with a sprinkling of historical fiction and philosophy. I find it admiral to have such a thirst for knowledge… but the dust! Books get so dusty. I hang on to a few books that I love; my first edition Harry Potter series, Disney War & The Power Broker but I don’t have space for all my books. I need space for important things… like my clothes. Also I am very allergic to dust. Clothes are washable; books are not.

8:00pm: Katie puts flank steak on the table. I love flank steak. It’s a very underappreciated cut of meat. It’s so delicious and easy to cook. I am a big fan of most red meat though. I mean I eat vegetarian and vegan all the time but sometimes I just want the bloody taste of a rare steak. I feel my body being revived when I eat steak. There was a two-week period where I thought I might be anemic because all I wanted to eat was steak. Turns out it wasn’t anemia I just love steak.

9:30pm: We don’t have anything for dessert so we just drink more and the rest of the cheese. Cheese is the best dessert ever. I feel very French and cultured when I eat cheese for dessert. Why would I want chocolate cake when I can have brie? Add some apples and honey make that a real cheese plate and you’ll be in heaven. I love making cheese plates.

9:40pm: Mason comes out with the last of his thin mints. He buys 20 boxes in march and saves them for the year. MASON FOR THE WIN! I feel so lucky, he decided to share the with us. Girl Scout cookies are so good. What are they even made out of? Crack? Probably crack. The same crack that they put in Red Bull and Cheez-its.