Borderline Insomnia

I'm having trouble sleeping at night which is quite unusual. I think I've thrown off my sleep schedule by staying up too late and sleeping in on the weekends. This makes for some tiring week days, that's for sure. Thank you, caffeine.

I hate it when I can't sleep because my mind wonders in a thousand circles per minute. It's exhausting. I'm starting to become dizzy. You would think that, because so, after 5 minutes I would be able to fall asleep, lol. Nope. It just doesn't work that way. As I lie here awake in bed, I am thinking of a rather large to-do list I have subconsciously developed outside of my already established weekly to-do lists. Didn't I just recently blog about not trying to plan out anything... lol... who was I kidding!?!? I am a planner! :) My innateness comes and bites me in the butt when I least expect it to, I guess.

I'm still trying to find my fast-forward button............

Thoughts to ponder:
1. The city limit signs here in Santa Maria say "An All-American City" -bahaha I find this to be quite contradicting. I want to add "or Lack Thereof" to the end!

2. Why does "caregiver" and "caretaker" mean the same thing????

3. Why do we sing "Rock a bye baby" to lull a baby to sleep when the song is about putting your baby in a tree and letting the wind crash the cradle onto the ground? OUCH!

4. Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning around and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

Well, the Jack Johnson concert was phenomenal. He sounded exactly like his album -very talented. Layla and I both wore boots with heels which looked fabulous but was not such a great idea once our feet had to endure the many blocks, hills, and stairs between my car and our seats, LOL. Ya win some, ya lose some. :) Our seats were at the very top, but I don't think there was a bad seat there. The outside venue was beautiful. I'd love to attend another concert there someday, only next time I will wear flats! The Damian Marley & Nas concert at Avila Beach was also a lot of fun. Layla's cousin, Suzanne, went with us. The three of us danced the night away in the rain and loved every minute of it. Music makes me happy. Oh, and we saw a double rainbow in the sky which made me think of my mom! :)

Memories are good.

I miss my boyfriend and my family. Is it Thanksgiving yet???????

It Only Gets Better....

Need an update on my wonderful and exciting life in California?!?! Of course you do! Here we go:

I'm enjoying my job and the kids I work with more and more each day. I'm challenged. I'm learning. I'm making a difference. I'm smiling. I'm remembering why it is that I do what I do and why I love doing it. The kids remind me why it's important not to take the little things in life for granted. I thank God every day for leading me down this path to the career I chose. Yes, even though 7 years of college was pretty much Hell at times! :) All worth it.

I've stopped being a hermit crab & been out enjoying my weekends. Layla and I have made a CA Bucket List which we are currently beginning to explore. This should be a fun and exciting year to say the least! It's a rather large list (DUH), so we gotta pretty much make plans every single weekend from this point on if we want to even come close to giving it a high five in June, lol. I am taking advantage of every opportunity possible.

A few of our upcoming plans: This Thursday, Layla and I are going to see Jack Johnson in concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl. This Sunday, we are going to Avila Beach to see Damian Marley and Nas in concert. We're also going to go back to the apple orchard to pick apples and make caramel apples. We're also going to pick pumpkins from the patch & carve them -something I have not done since I was a kid (discounting the fact that I am still a big kid). We're both going on The Price is Right next week. Hopefully, one of us will win something! Woooo, fun times! Oh, and speaking of concerts.... we are going to see The Dave Matthews Band & Tim Reynolds in Las Vegas on December 10th and 11th!!!! My world doesn't get any better than that! :)

Or does it???

Prince Jason and I are doing fabulous. HAHA! This long-distance thing isn't as bad as I anticipated. Number one: Time is flying by. Number two: Skype is awesome. Number three: He is awesome. Number four: I get to see him in less than a month and a half! I can't wait for Thanksgiving break, seriously. I have planned a date night for the two of us (Dad and Jenn will spend the evening together doing something fun too -I'll make sure of it). I've got extra special plans for the two of us, and I know we're gonna love it. <3 His birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I'm pretty sure he's gonna love his gifts too. At least I hope so. We're happy. I'm happy. It only gets better from here. :)

MY LIFE IS GOOD.

Familiar Faces

How is it that I can move all the way across the country, to a place where I can feel so lonely at times, and manage to run into someone I already know? A familiar face!!! Along my drive out West, I kept saying (aloud) how big this world is & how it's unfortunate that someone can go his or her whole life without seeing and experiencing the beauty of this gigantuous world. On the other hand, how can this world be so big and yet so small at the same time? I'm realizing more & more each day that I am truly a small town girl. I love being around people I know & love. Of course, I love meeting new people as well. I just thoroughly enjoy going to the grocery store or the post office & running into someone I know & can talk to. I enjoy having conversations with people about more than just where I'm from or what I do for a living. I really miss getting to talk to people. It's way different now being in the real world, where all of my friends (including myself) have busy lives & have to make time to talk to one another. It's tough being away and not knowing what is going on in everyones' lives back home. It's tough going months without talking to my closest friends and then having to "catch up" in a matter of 30 minutes. Thank God for facebook stalking, lol. I think one thing I struggle with living far away is that I'm not around to see my friends, so I have to depend on being able to talk over the phone or internet. Nobody is a phone person. These days, I feel like I am a bother to call some people. I always get the messages of "I'll call you soon" which usually means when they have time to talk. I totally get it, though, because we are all busy. Everyone has husbands and families at home. Trust me, when I am with Jason I typically silence my phone and don't really care to talk to anybody else either. I understand, I really do. I just have to remember to keep putting myself in their shoes and not take it personally. It's still tough missing my friends. It's crazy to realize how times change. Life changes. People change (not for the worst, just change). Change is good. Life has changed me. I'm a fan of change. I sometimes, however, seem to have a slow adjustment to it. Maybe I should write some transition goals for myself.... maybe a picture schedule would help!?!? lol

Oh yeah.... in all that rambling, I forgot to mention the familiar face I ran into. Well, Layla and I decided to drive down to Huntington Beach (I wish Huntington, WV) on Friday to meet up with a fellow MUCD graduate student, Jenny Brown. She lives around L.A. and invited me to come down to a bonfire with her and some of her friends. I jumped on that opportunity, & luckily Layla was free and willing to make the trip with me. It was about a 4 1/2 hour drive (with Santa Barbara & L.A. traffic), but it was worth it. I'd never been to a bonfire on the beach, so this was a fun experience. Jenny introduced me to her friend, Pete, who was there visiting. Turns out, I already know Pete because he lived in my apartment complex my freshman year of college -right below me. Small world, indeed! We all ended up going out dancing after the bonfire. Good times.

In other events, we previously had a surprise mini housewarming party for our friend, Elizabeth. She moved here from Puerto Rico with nothing but a bag of clothes. Layla, Gabby, and I all have furnished apartments, but Elizabeth has been eating off of paper plates & slowly trying to buy furniture & things for her apartment. We thought we could help by getting her some of the little things she needs. She was grateful. We were happy to help. Also, it was a fun time with friends, tacos, & drinks at Layla's apartment in Shell Beach.

Oddly enough, in all this venting about how I miss seeing people I know... as I am sitting here in Starbucks writing, a lady I work with comes in. She is the IEP chair person (previously SLP) and already a mentor for me. I got to have a face-to-face conversation with someone today, yay! lol

I'm a little homesick today. I miss my boyfriend. I miss my family. I miss my friends. It kinda sucks knowing all of the things I'm missing out on back at home. I'll admit that I get a little jealous to see all of my friends or family get together, and I'm not there to join them. Boo! I get to do all kinds of new & fun things out here, I know, but it's not as enjoyable without the people I love to share it with. This traveling thing continues to be an eye-opening experience for me. I'm realizing more & more each day what the important things in life are. This is good for me. Life is good. Love is good. God is good. <3

Is it Thanksgiving yet??????? :)

A-Typical Me

I'm finding it very difficult to come up anything to blog about these days. What is happening to me?!? Typically, I have more than enough thoughts bottled up in my head to jot down in a single post by the time I am able to sit down and do so. Typically, I have so much to vent about. Typically, I have SO many plans (again, I'm a planner) that I am always sharing in letting you all know what is "next" on my list of things to do. Typically, I have to find time to sit down and post. However, these days are not typical for me. I have sat down with NUMEROUS opportunities to write, but my mind just drifted off....

Side note: Who says we have to be typical, and who defines what typical really even means?

I guess my thoughts seem to be occupied by a special someone in a place other than here. I am here in sunny California, but my whole heart and soul are across the country. When I sit down to try and write, he is all I can seem to think about. I'm trying to give you all something to read other than how perfect Jason is, but I'm sorry folks... that's all I got for ya at the moment! lol I could totally sit here and write about how I wish I was there instead of here, but that's not entirely true. Clearly, I wish I was there. However, I am enjoying my time here. Don't get me wrong... I'm not regretting my move out here AT ALL. This is the opportunity of a lifetime that I've always dreamed of, and I am truly proud of myself (so far) for making that dream reality. Nothing can hold me back -not even love. I've said this a hundred times already: I'm so thankful that Jason is incredibly understanding and supportive. He's become the driving force of my motivation these days. For the mornings I've left that coffee cup empty (referencing back to a prior post "Top 10 Life Lessons" about self-motivation), he has kept me motivated. These past few weeks at work have been rough, and he has been there to encourage me, listen to me vent & cry about how much I hate my job, to remind me that I am not a quitter, and to remind me of what I have to look forward to after I stick this out. I've not only found the love of my life -I've also found my best friend. It's nice to have him to lean on. Besides, we don't always have to stand up straight, right!?!?

For the first time in my life, I am not sitting here trying to plan out my future. I'm not trying to figure out where to go or what to do next. Again, I'm referencing back to earlier posts about how I get to one road stop in my life and immediately start mapping out the next route. I guess this is probably the first time in my life that I actually know what I want and where I want to be. I'm content, even though I have to wait for it. Hopefully, the next few Life Lessons I write about will be on patience & how I've mastered it. HAH! That's stretching it a bit, don't ya think!?

I am officially counting down the days til Thanksgiving break. Jason, my dad, & my sister will all be flying out to CA on November 20th and are staying until the 27th. We will be celebrating the holiday here at my apartment (Jenn and I will be cooking, yeah!), and I absolutely cannot wait! This will be new and exciting for all of us. I'm, of course, planning an adventure-filled week for all of us to enjoy. I'm just happy about an entire week with my favorite three people!!!! It can't come soon enough.

I love my life. It's GOOD! :)

Cloud Nine

With everything good comes something even better.... -This pretty much sums up my entire life.

I am lying here in bed, trying to think of what to write about for once. This is the first time probably EVER that I have not been able to sit here and spit out word vomit consisting of the excitement and chaos that surrounds me week by week. Considering it has been a few weeks since my last post, this is especially odd and surprising. It's been a stressful couple of weeks, with a lot of unethical crap and aggravation going on at work... but for some reason I really don't care to vent about it. None of that matters to me right now. Maybe it's the resilience.... maybe it's the optimism.... maybe it's the sunshine....

In all the stress (and tears) my job has brought thus far, you know what I see? I see joy in a toddler's eyes when she gets pushed on the swing, even though she can't see the smile on my face because she is completely blind. I see her wondering around the playground aimlessly, yet independently, trying to find her way to the stairs and to the top of the slide until she eventually reaches her destination with an accompanying, "WEE." It only took her 15 minutes, until she started the journey all over again. And to think of the small things we for granted. Or how about the boy with Spina Bifida who is paralyzed from the waist down... who sits and watches the other kids climbing on the playground or going down the slide??? I spent about 45 minutes carrying this 3-year old boy up the stairs and going down the slide over & over & over with him on my lap, seeing the smile on his face every single time. Was this speech therapy? Nope. Was this language therapy? Nope. Does the boy speak or understand English? Nope. Was he communicating with me? Yep.... with that simple little smile. I may get frustrated about the job I am doing and how it is different than I expected, but when I see these kids all of that frustration disappears. They are the reason I do what I do... the reason I love what I do... the reason I am determined to be good at what I do.

California is still treating me well. I love my apartment and the friends I have already made. I seem to always find amazing people to add to the overwhelmingly amazing list of friends I already have. How do I end up so lucky? And speaking of lucky.... how have I managed to find the most incredible guy in the world whom I call my boyfriend? We had such an incredible weekend here in CA, filled with beautiful sites, fun activities, and, most importantly, time together. Everything we did, from the Winery & Vineyard tours, walks & talks on the beach, drive up the coast, picnic in the park, drive-in movie, bowling with friends, sushi & smoothies, to cooking dinner together was more than I could have asked for in a weekend. I'm so thankful for a 3-day weekend. It went by surprisingly slower than I anticipated, which was nice. Spending time with Jason just confirmed what I already knew..... I'm happy and in love.













I swear, I'm on cloud 9. I like this cloud. I think I'll stay here a while... in the dream some people keep calling my life....

Life is good. Love is good. God is good.

Top 12 Life Lessons

As I promised in an earlier post, I am posting some things I've learned specifically over the past year. Some of these are random, and they are in random order as well. What the heck, my thoughts are always random! ;)

Life Lessons:
1. There comes a time when you have to stand alone.
2. Dreams are only goals lacking confidence. (I've said this one before, but I believe it to be even more so.)
3. If you truly want to achieve your goals, you must be flexible & willing to rearrange your priorities.
4. To get what you want in life, you have to be willing to make sacrifices. (advice: weigh the pros & cons)
5. You should "settle" for absolutely NOTHING. If there is something you truly want in life, you have to have confidence enough to at least try. Quitters never win, & winners never quit.
6. Everyone has insecurities. Don't let yours get in the way of who you are.
7. Don't stand in someone else's shadow when it's your sunlight that should lead the way.
8. If you have trouble getting out of bed in the mornings, fill your coffee cup with encouragement and self-motivation.
9. Life doesn't have a "rewind" or "fast-forward" button for a reason: live for the present moments without stressing over the past or future.
10. The most powerful communication is prayer.
11. "Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans."
12. Stand still, and let God move.

The one last thought I will leave you with is that sometimes things happen unexpectedly. You all know me as a compulsive planner. If anybody is guilty of #9, it is ME! However, you can't always plan everything in life & hope that it turns out exactly as you had mapped it. If you read back through my blog, you will see that where I am living & working right now is not where I had initially planned..... Nor did I expect to trade my car, drive across the country instead of fly.... Nor did I expect to meet such an amazing guy & fall in love in such a short amount of time. <3 "Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans." For me, life has turned out way better than I could have ever planned. I must keep reminding myself of #12.

I am completely HAPPY.
I predict there will be quite a few more life lessons learned in the next 10 months. I will keep you posted. :)

Life is good. Love is good. God is good.

West "Word"

Hello East Coasters!

I am, of course, finally blogging from the Western state of California. The weather is currently 60 degrees, and I even turned my heat on this morning, lol. This COLD weather will take some getting used to, but it's overall nice. I can actually breathe which is one perk. I can't wait to start a new running routine next week. My dad is still here until Saturday, so I'm enjoying every minute I have with him before he heads back home. The moving company was supposed to be here this past Saturday, August 7th and still have not shown up. I called yesterday, and they said to expect them on Wednesday.... but they still have not called about a time (supposed to be 24 hour notice). Ugh!!! On a brighter note, the apartment people are painting an accent wall in my living room to match my decorations (woo-hoo) & putting a screen around my patio fence so tiny little Arnie can't fit through (bigger woo-hoo)! They are super nice. I have 2 bedrooms & 2 bathrooms... so plenty of space for visitors, HINT HINT!!!! :)

To sum up the cross-country road trip: BREATHTAKING, PHENOMENAL, ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!! I have always known how blessed I am to live the life I've been given, but WOW have I underestimated the beauty there still is to experience in this life. I honestly don't know how much more I could begin to appreciate what I've been given & the opportunity that is set out in front of me.... but I honestly keep finding more & more possibilities. I say it every single day: I am blessed beyond measure.

Dad & I started our journey by attending our 2nd annual family reunion in Newark, OH. I was lucky enough to have Jason at my side the entire weekend and dreaded the thought of saying goodbye to him and the rest of the family. I hate goodbyes.... even though it was more of a "see ya later" deal. The reunion was a blast, and everyone seemed to have a great time. Last year, we spent more time catching up and getting to know one another since it was distant family that lost touch after many years. This year, we knew almost everyone, with exception of a few, so we spent more time playing & entertaining one another. Fortunately everyone truly fell in love with Jason, and I'm pretty sure he enjoyed the family as well. What's not to love though!?!? ;) I met his parents the day before we left, and they are genuinely great people -just like him. I am lucky that he is so understanding and supportive to try and make this relationship work with such distance between us. So far, it's been okay. I'm learning to become more of a phone person. I can't wait to get internet in my apartment, however!

My cousin Michaela came in for the summer (Jeanetta's granddaughter), so I took her back to Colorado with me. She lives in Colorado Springs, but her mom met us in Denver when we got there. We drove from the reunion Sunday night through Ohio, Indiana, & Illinois & arrived in St. Louis, Missouri early Monday morning. We got to go up in the Gateway Arch & site see around town a bit. We then continued on through Kansas (I never care to step foot in that state again), finally reaching our next stop in Denver, Colorado. After dropping Michaela off, Dad and I went to my friend (from graduate school) Lynsey & her husband Mike's house. We stayed there two nights. While there, Dad and I visited Red Rocks Amphitheater, Coors Brewery, and Coors Field where we (and Lynsey) saw the Rockies play baseball. I love the state of Colorado! The drive westward through the mountains on I-70 was beautiful. We continued through Utah & Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada! We stayed 2 nights in Vegas & went to the Grand Canyon. Just when I thought I couldn't see anything more amazing than I already have..... BAM!!! Welcome to the Grand Canyon! :) It was quite expensive but worth it. We took a bus tour to view the canyon & paid to go on the Skywalk which has a glass bottom -we could see the bottom of the canyon from 4,000 feet in elevation! WOW! We spent a lot of time sitting on the rocks, breathing, & taking it all in. Beauty. I got to spread my mother's ashes at every stop we made. Her wish was to be spread over East Lynn Lake where she loved to go fishing, but little did she know she would be all over the world thanks to her stubborn yet adventurous baby girl. ;) While in Vegas, we took the monorail and walked to several different hotel/casinos & did quite a bit of site seeing. It was my second trip there but Dad's first. The next day, we continued driving back through Arizona to..... drum roll please..... CALIFORNIA!!!!! Finally! We did a little site seeing in Los Angeles & even found a fabulous lookout point where we could see the Hollywood sign! This was a much closer view than the last time I was there. We then drove on up to Santa Barbara, which is a beautiful area, then to Santa Maria. I was skeptical at first about this town, but I am certain I will love it. It's small enough that I will be driving less than 15 minutes to each job location (so far I have 5 schools), and I'm 20 minutes from the beach. My apartment is super nice, and I live next to a dog park. Arnie is in Heaven! Crazy = Dad and I were in 11 states in 1 week! Coolness! :)











I've yet to get internet at my apartment, so I am having to go to Starbucks (oh shoot, lol) to post. Hopefully I will get that hooked up within the next week-ish. Until then.... I will leave you with some photos which you've probably already seen on Facebook. Life is GOOD. God is GOOD.

Summer Lovin'

First and foremost, I would like to apologize to all my fellow bloggers for my lack of commitment over the past couple of months. I have been on the go, nonstop, bouncing from place to place during this transition called Summer. I guess you could say that I am homeless. :) Thanks to friends & family, however, I have not been without a place to sleep or shower. So much has happened that I don’t even know where to begin. I guess I should start with where I left off.?.?.?. (I apologize in advance for the randomness of this post. I have to touch on a little of a lot, lol).

My last week in Florida was fabulous. Jenn and I got to enjoy the sunshine & entertainment of the city while hanging out with awesome friends. I miss everyone in Jacksonville, but I’m glad to be home. I started working with my buddy through Pathways a couple of weeks ago, so I’m in Ashland with him 3 days a week. It’s quite convenient considering my boyfriend Jason (WHAT!?!?) lives in Ashland as well. ☺ I’ll get to that a little later.

I finally found out yesterday that my CA license is valid, and I can begin working on August 11th. My family reunion is next weekend, and my dad and I will be leaving Sunday evening, August 1st, to begin our road trip out west. Our planned route is to leave from OH, drive through KS & get a hotel room, leave & drive to CO & stay a night with Lynsey & Mike, leave & drive to Las Vegas & stay 2 nights, go to the Grande Canyon while we are there, then drive down to Los Angeles, up the coast to Santa Barbara, then on up to Santa Maria. I will be sure to get plenty of pictures as we are site seeing along the way, as you already know. My dad gets 2 weeks off for vacation, so he will get to spend a week in CA with me too while I get settled. I am still working out the details of an apartment.

Now for this summer……

It has been filled with drama as well as excitement. I was ready to leave home a week after I got here, but I’m glad I didn’t. My second week here, I met a guy, a good guy, and unexpectedly like him a lot. I hate to even write about it for the fear I may jinx myself, lol. As you all know, I’ve been against the whole dating thing and used every excuse in the book as to why I didn’t need to give anybody a chance right now. I guess it turns out exactly like I’ve been told –when I least expected it. However, it has happened, quickly, and I am so happy it has. Jason is quite a handsome fella, but on top of that he is such a great guy. We have both decided to give this a shot, distance and all, because we know it’s worth it. I haven’t felt this way in….. well, EVER. One step at a time….. but for now, I’m incredibly happy. In the short amount of time I’ve been here, I’ve gotten to spend a lot of it with him, so leaving next weekend will be a bummer. He will be going with me to my family reunion, though, so at least we still have that time together before I leave. I keep reminding myself…. 10 months is nothing!!! I am still going to California. Although I’ve bit off more than I can chew with what it’s costing me to move out there, I will never get this experience if I don’t do it now –for me. I refuse to give up on my dreams and the expectations I set forth for myself. Jason is very understanding and respects me for this. A long distance relationship will give us the opportunity to build communication and trust, and to get to know each other on a different level. We will see each other along the way. My family & friends will hopefully visit too.

I wish I could’ve spent more time at home this summer with my family, but I’m also glad I haven’t. I needed to get away from Logan and all of the drama that finds me there. My family is so supportive, like always, and want me to find happiness. I’ve found it being here in Huntington/Ashland.

Jason and I got to go to Tennessee a couple of weekends ago, which was quite the experience. He has an amazing group of friends who were nice enough to invite me to their wedding. The best part was that we all (8 of us including the bride and groom) had an entire cabin in Pigeon Forge to ourselves for the weekend. They got married in the Little Pigeon River in Gatlinburg with this small audience of close friends. I was fortunate enough to be a part of this relaxing yet fun and entertaining time.

I also went to Jamboree in the Hills with my friend Selena. I’ve attempted to go for several years, but it never worked out until now. Let me tell you –this was the MOST fun I have probably had EVER! This reconfirmed that I enjoy living the lifestyle of a hillbilly and not a big city girl. The Florida/California experience is great for now, but gosh I will forever be a country girl. Don’t let the bleached hair & descent sense of style fool you. This was actually my first time camping, first time shotgunning a beer, first time flipping a cup, and first time pooping in a porta potty (sorry for the unnecessary info, but I seriously had issues before about that but after 4 days ya kinda have to get over that), LOL. I got to see dozens of country artists perform (freakin’ awesome!) which was not even the best part. The best part was the crazy group of people I got to laugh and have fun with. Great times, I’m tellin’ ya! I WILL go again. You should too!

I finally got to cuddle my best friend Kayla’s baby girl, Delaney Ryen Boggs. She is a perfect little angel. She looks exactly like her daddy. I’m the person who always laughs when people say that because newborn babies look like babies –not their parents. This time, I totally see her daddy. It’s crazy!

June 28th made 5 years ago that my mother made her journey up to Heaven. Apparently it took me 5 years to heal the wounds that were formed when she left. This has been the first year that I did not cry on Mom’s birthday, Mother’s Day, or the day she died. These are the days I usually break down, but this year was a lot different. I’m growing up. I’m healing. I’m learning. I’m loving. I’m living but not forgetting. It’s a feeling of relief and contentment. I’m a fan. ☺

Can I end by pointing out once again how fast time flies??? Seriously, where did Summer go? I leave in 10 days ☹ and I swear I just got here. Boo!

Don’t blink……

Closing Time

Another couple of weeks are history, and closing time is quickly approaching. This chapter of my life is just about over, but I sure as hell plan to enjoy writing til the very end of it. I have 10 days left here in Jacksonville. Although I am looking forward to what is to come, I will miss so much about what I've grown to love in my short time here. Jenn is flying down this Thursday to spend the last 5 days with me, and she will be riding back with me and Arnie to WV on the 15th -in my new vehicular automobile!!! LOL I traded in my 2009 Pontiac G8 for a 2008 Acura RDX after I had to take my car in to the dealership for the second time in 2 months -this time to have the transmission replaced. Yikes! There is no reason why a car should have those kinds of problems (the first was an oil leak) after only one year of life. It was still well under warranty, but I was afraid of what other problems I would have in the future. Therefore, I traded it in a heartbeat. As much as I loved that car, I think I made a more practical choice this time. The fun news is that my dad is no longer a cosigner on this car. I'm a big girl now! I have built enough credit in the past year to do it all on my own! That's a great feeling! Here is my new ride:




I officially moved out of my apartment a week ago and have been staying with Josh & Laura. It's been an easy transition for the most part. I traveled down to the Clearwater/Tampa area with my friend Amber last weekend which turned out to be a much better weekend than we anticipated. We truly had the time of our lives down there. We were able to stay with one of her friends, whom I happened to remember from Marshall athletics, and he was an awesome host & tour guide. We got to go out in South Tampa, rented a boat & took it out on the Gulf to Anclote Key Islands, kayaked to what we thought had to be Cuba by the time we got there, played board games with an entertaining group of people, laughed til our bellies hurt, and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful ocean and sunsets from the dock. He lives right on the water which totally beat any hotel we would've been able to book. And best part -it was pretty much a FREE weekend for the both of us. Memorial Day 2010 is definitely something to remember in itself. Here are a few pics from to enjoy:













I couldn't leave Florida without traveling over to the Gulf side, and I'm so glad I did. It is even more beautiful than I had heard it was. That side is definitely filled with more beauty than the Atlantic coast. I'm a fan.

While my sister is in town, we are gonna try and do some last minute fun things here in Jacksonville before we leave, including the zoo, Budweiser Brewery, the beach (duh), crabs (yum), museums, arts market, & who knows what else. As for the summer.... I will constantly be doing stuff while at home. Already, I have plans to go to Cedar Point with my CD girls, Jamboree in the Hills, a possible family trip to Myrtle Beach, and a family reunion in OH -all in July. I already know time is going to go by rather quickly, as always.

Well, I guess I'm going to stop being antisocial and go join the other housemates in the living room for the rest of the evening. The next time you hear from me will most likely be from good 'ol WV, so cheers to my life in Florida! :)

Stepping Stones

Wow, I guess it's been a couple of weeks since my last post. Life has been kinda hectic (although good) lately, so I haven't had the chance to sit down and actually write an update. Here goes:

My trip to Colorado was phenomenally exquisite! I can't even put into words the beauty of that state. It's much more than I expected and more magnificent than a simple picture can explain. I'll share some pictures anyway since that's as close as you'll get until you plan a trip for yourself. :) I highly encourage it! Besides the fact that I got to spend a long weekend with some great friends, the highlights of the trip consisted of a trip to the New Belgium Brewery (awesomeness), a dog park, Red Rocks Amphitheatre (where I fully intend to attend a concert some day), some neat places in Downtown Denver, a hike to the top of Three Sisters Peaks, and a drive up to the top of Loveland Pass at the Continental Divide approximately 12,000 ft above sea level. Here are a few photos for you to enjoy:

Red Rocks Amphitheater:

Three Sisters Peaks:

Loveland Pass:

I had to pick my jaw up off the ground everywhere we went. I was truly in awe. I love Colorado and will be visiting Lynsey & Mike again very soon. In fact, I will be visiting them in August along my drive to California.

Yep, that's right. I cancelled the moving company for my car (still having my furniture & stuff shipped out) and will be taking a road trip with my dad & hopefully my sister too. We are planning to drive through the Rockies & stay a night in Morrison, CO & continue on to stay a night or two in Las Vegas -woo! I'm sure we will be making other stops along the way, but these are the main ones we're planning our trip around. Oh, and we will try to see the Grand Canyon too.

Speaking of moving..... and packing..... ummmm, well I haven't done much of that, LOL. The moving company will be here in 5 days, and I keep staring at empty boxes sitting in my living room floor, hoping that if I take a nap & wake up they will magically be filled with my belongings. It hasn't happened yet, but there's still time! :) I'll get around to it eventually. HAH!

So where am I moving? I have officially accepted a job working in Santa Barbara County Schools in Santa Maria, CA. I'm finally doing it!!!! My caseload will be ALL preschool-age kids, and I will be doing a lot of play-based assessment and intervention in preschools as well as homes. This is perfect for me. Seriously. Awesome! I finally get to hone in on early childhood development and concentrate on the area of my field that interests me the most. I am stoked about this job! I will be working 40 hours/week (unlike my job now where I only get 35 hours/week) and will continue to get a housing stipend through the holidays (also unlike my job now). A major pro of working as a contracted therapist in the schools is the fact that you get so many days off (holidays, weather/snow days, spring break, etc.). The con is that you get those days without pay if you are hourly instead of salary. This next job will be better, and I won't have to worry as much when I get those 10-12 days off for Christmas. Anyway, I think I have made the right choice. I start work out there August 23rd. Until then -I am finishing up my last 3 weeks in Jacksonville & then truckin' it home to good 'ol WV!

I am definitely going to miss my friends here in Jax -I've met some really great people. They will come and visit me in CA, and I know will be back to visit here at some point as well. My good friend, Laura, asked me to be a bridesmaid in her & Josh's wedding next summer. That's how close we have become, and we have only known each other for about 9 months now. God put me here for a reason, and I'm glad he did. It's been a stepping stone and an eye-opening experience in many ways. I will write a "What I've learned during my time in Jax" post a little later. I think it will do me some good to write & then read it for myself.

Off to continue NOT packing. Maybe when I wake up in the morning the boxes will be.................................... ;)