Home, At Last

Scott and I arrived home to Charlotte at 8:00pm on Saturday (almost 36 hours after we left DC on Friday morning). We unloaded my bed and left the rest for the morning. I turned in the truck Sunday afternoon... so glad to be done with that 3 day chapter of my life.

I have yet to begin the process of unpacking. Maybe I'll just leave everything in boxes- it'll make moving easier next time, right??? Things still feel a bit surreal now- probably partially because it's the holidays so I feel like I'm visiting home like I would be anyways and probably partially because of the extreme exhaustion I cannot seem to escape. All I want for Christmas is to sleep all day. :) Which might happen since it's supposed to rain and that is the best weather for sleeping in my opinion.

OK enough rambling for today. I should have something more constructive to provide the blogging world in the near future.

Much love during this Joyous Season!

Day 2: It's Still Snowing.

Alot.

DC to NC: Day 1

Here is a play-by-play of day 1 of the move.

6:00AM Wake Up and finish packing the UHaul with brother's help (AKA I pack boxes and he carries them to the truck)

8:30AM Everything is out! We begin the journey South.

9:15AM Arrive to Alexandria, VA to meet up with one of Scott's friends from high school for breakfast

10:30AM Return to UHaul and find that the driver's side mirror has been knocked off (assuming hit and run, not vandalism). Begin the process of reporting the incident to UHaul and the police.

11:30AM Contacted by UHaul who is sending a mechanic to fix the mirror.

12:30PM After talking to mechanic, decide to drive to the Springfield, VA tow shop so he can fix it. I let my brother drive and insist that he keep the hazard lights on and "honk 5 times" when he decides to change lanes to the left. Luckily we had 2 right merges and only 1 left merge to get to the shop.

1:15PM Meet with mechanic and he determines that it is not fixable and that we need a new mirror. He is able to find one in Hyattsville, MD and sends a driver to pick up the mirror.

1:30PM Mechanic leaves for a tow job and leaves Scott and I chillin in the UHaul.

1:45PM After organizing my tote bag, I discover that I have 6 packets of oatmeal, blank greeting cards, and a "Tale of Despreaux" coloring & activity book. I decide that we can survive for at least 3 days in the UHaul.

2:30PM Mechanic returns and lets us sit in the "lounge" area of the tow company's center. I do all the word mazes in my activity book while Scott listens to his Ipod. Then I read a chapter of Breaking Dawn. 

3:30PM Mechanic has to leave again so Scott and I return to the UHaul to chill- literally. I decide it would be fun to quote Disney movies and let Scott guess what the quote was from. He gets them all right. Then he quotes something from "Zombieland" and I don't want to play anymore.

4:30PM I begin to sing songs from "Sound of Music" as well as songs about being hungry and cold.

5:45PM Driver arrives with the long-awaited mirror.

6:00PM Mechanic arrives to replace mirror. Scott and I return to the lounge.

6:15PM Mechanic opens box and discovers that the Hyattsville UHaul sent a passenger side mirror. not a driver's side mirror. I laugh. Mechanic says he's going to try to reconfigure the mirror to work on the driver's side.

7:45PM Mechanic and accomplice succeessfully complete the rebuild and installation of the mirror.

8:00PM I pay $570 for 6 hours of labor (4 hours of driving to get the part and 2 hours of reconfiguration/installation). We drive away.

8:15PM Scott and I stop at Wendy's for our first meal since breakfast. We scarf down way too hot food.

8:30PM We stop to get gas before we get on I-95. It starts to snow. We get on the interstate.

9:15PM It's snowing. Alot. Like I can't see out the windshield. We get off at the Quantico Exit to find a hotel. The exit ramp has already collected a significant amount of snow.

9:30PM We check-in at Ramada and are assigned to a room in a building behind the main building. The guest service attendant tells us to park back there.

9:40PM I decide I do not want to park the truck in the snow behind the building, nor do I want to be in a building separated from the majority of the hotel. We return to the desk and I explain this to the attendant while holding back tears.

10:00PM We finally arrive to our room for the night and I'm able to find my toothbrush, clean pajamas, and my furry boots all in the back of the moving truck (next time I move, I'm packing a carry-on bag with all my necessary items and a change of clothes).

11:15PM After showering and putting on clean dry clothes, I begin recording the day's events.

Things I'm thankful for right now:

Hot shower

Dry place to sleep

Wireless at the hotel

Things I wish I had:

Hairbrush

Snack

Lysine (I'm getting a cold sore, probably from the stress)

I'll leave you with a photo of the current conditions.

Happy-Sad

My last day at American University will be this Thursday. I've had quite a bit of time to process this decision as I submitted my resignation in October. I can confidently say that I am ready for a change, but I also know that I will deeply miss the students I have worked with over the past year and a half. I have been stretched personally and professionally in so many ways. I'm already seeing how my experiences in DC have prepared me for the future. In looking at grad schools, I've also been researching assistantships. Many of the non-research assistantships involve supervising students. It's encouraging to see that my newfound supervision skills could help with financing grad school.

Last weekend was the best weekend ever of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever". I am sooo proud of the 15 kids (now professional actors) who truly became their characters for each show. I am thankful to have been part of an amazing cast & crew. My excitement about the show bubbled over into every aspect of life- I think it's all I talked about for a solid two weeks. :) Here's a pic of the group I spent the past month and a half with...

I think I may look into some children's theater volunteer opportunities when I get home. I'll be nannying approximately 30 hours/week and plan to spend some time working on grad school applications and volunteering in the city. More than anything, I hope I'm able to gain some focus on what it is I really want to do. I can't really come up with a plan when I don't know what the end goal is. Stay tuned for any insight on what that goal may be.

My brother flies in on Thursday night. We'll pack up and drive home on Friday. Watch out North Carolina, here we come!

haha

I will miss it. I will miss it not.

I will miss my staff.
I will not miss the Metro conductor telling me "this train is being off-loaded, you must get off the train."
I will miss walking 1 block to 7-11 to get something I forgot at the grocery store.
I will not miss driving around for 30 minutes looking for a parking spot only to end up in the same illegal spot I was in before.
I will miss walking to Eastern Market on the weekend for a BBQ sandwich and sweet tea.
I will not miss the peeling and mismatched paint in my apartment building.
I will miss stumbling upon a festival on the National Mall.
I will not miss the extra loud sirens.
I will miss the UNC friends who have moved to DC.

to be continued...

Twilight Madness

Well friends, I am officially a Twilight fan. I'd been avoiding/fighting the frenzy for the past year, but finally gave in when a friend from home told me "it's just a love story, not alot of vampire stuff". I read the first book last week and finished the second book tonight. The books are emotionally intense and it's so easy to get wrapped up in the characters. They are definitely page turners. I also rented the movie this weekend... I can't decide if it's better to read a book first or go to the movie first. Watching the movie right after reading the book made me feel like the character relationships progressed much much too quickly (they already progress quickly in the book). I feel like if I'd seen the movie first, I would have been much more into it. But... if I'd seen the movie first, I would have known the ending. Either way, both were enjoyable.

Onto the life update... I'll be moving back to North Carolina on December 18th. My last day at American University is December 16th. I don't have a solid plan of what I'll be doing when I return to the great state, but I feel like I have a couple of options. My hope is that, in whatever I do, I will gain some clarity on what my next life step is.

My church is putting on a production of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" the first weekend of December. I'm far from being an actress, but I volunteered to assist with the rehearsals and the weekend of production. I've spent the past few Sunday afternoons playing charades, reading lines, and corralling kids onstage. It's been something to look forward to each week. I already have a few favorite scenes in the play- some of the kids are naturals on stage! There's one scene where the director of the pageant in the play (there is a play within the play) is telling the Christmas story and says "...and Mary, great with child" and then one of the kids says "Pregnant! She was pregnant!" and then all the other kids start laughing. I can't wait to see all the kids in costumes with their props- they're going to be great!

Sasha is 1! They grow up so fast. :)

Sasha on the futon.

An October Saturday afternoon at Eastern Market with Mallory and Katie.

October 24th - Colby's wedding in Lenoir, NC.

Love from DC,

Michelle

Ready for Fall

Well, I've made it through my second August working at a university. Let me just say, it has been an eye-opening experience to be on the staff side of Opening these past two years rather than the student moving in. To anyone who has ever moved into the halls early, you should give the coordinator a hug- Early Arrival planning is quite a chore!

In the midst of the busy-ness, I have had a chance to meet up with some UNC friends that have moved to the area. My new favorite escape is National Harbor- some call it a fake city, but I think it's a great break to the hustle & bustle of city life. Here's a picture from earlier this week. On Sunday night, they showed Free Willy and on Thursday, they showed 3 episodes of Friends!


I've loved being able to reconnect with friends who I shared my Carolina experience with. I have really missed the feeling of community that I had at Carolina. I think college breeds deep relationships- and the people you spend your time with really do become your family.

The air is a bit cooler each morning and the humidity of summer will soon morph into crispness of fall. Bring on the warm sweaters and crunchy leaves!

Hot Summer In the City

This summer has been so much more cooler than last summer. The rain is ever present like last year, but the unbearable heat has yet to set in. This makes my walks with Sasha much more enjoyable. We usually walk down to the Capitol and the National Mall once a week. The rest of the time we just hang around the neighborhood- there's a few parks nearby that we frequent. Sasha is more than happy to meet new people, but she is still verrry hesitant around other dogs. I need to research some socialization strategies. Here's a recent pic of the cute pup.


The summer portion of work is coming to a close. I've prepared a calendar for the Fall semester and am planning various trainings set to occur the first week in August.

I've been feeling overwhelmed lately and am stressing about what's going to happen next. I'm still pondering the idea of grad school- counseling? social work? education? I just need to decide when & where. I'm really leaning towards returning to North Carolina, but who knows...

What I reallllly want to do is just take a year-long vacay and visit all my friends. I would get to go to New Orleans, Los Angeles, Chicago, France, Dominican Republic, and NC (of course!). Good thing the internet lets us "travel" without buying a plane ticket.

Mucho mucho love.

Kid Songs

So oftentimes at work I find myself singing "Rise and Shine" and/or "Baby Beluga". I'm not sure what the greater meaning of these occurrences are, but they seem to be amusing to me and some co-workers.

Please reminisce and enjoy.

March Madness continued into April and May...

Well friends, things have finally slowed down a bit. Here's the highlight of each month:

March: I had visitors almost every weekend!

April: UNC took home yet another National Championship trophy!

May: A good friend got married and I was able to spend a weekend at home in Charlotte. :)

All 3 months were a busy time at work. I spent many hours assigning interns to rooms and working with different AU departments to prepare for summer conferences. Rather ironically, my hours at work have decreased now that summer has actually arrived. Now it's on to preparing for student arrivals in August.

I'm still clueless as to what my next step is. It's nice to have my feet on the ground at my current job, but I want to be able to apply my experience to something new at some point. I'll keep you updated on when/what that may be. ;)

Sasha has grown alot! Last time we went to the vet, she weighed 7 pounds. That's quite a bit more than the 2.7 pounds she weighed on her first visit. I love her mucho. Our current favorite game is fetch. I throw a ball into the kitchen and she brings it back. She used to go get it and then take it to "her" carpet. But now she actually brings it back to ME!

That's my short and sweet update. I'll leave you with a photo from the wedding I went to last weekend.


Oh and if you're a fan of Taylor Swift and/or Coldplay, check out this video. It's a beautiful composition!

Oh the Madness of March...

This time last year I was in Savannah enjoying my last spring break. Now I'm hiring students, planning for summer conferences, and attending meetings galore. Luckily 2 friends from college came to visit last weekend so I don't feel too disconnected from the college years. Since it's been a while I'll give an update on a variety of subjects...

1. WORK: It is so much better than it was 2 months ago. I finally got over the negative enough to put my positive attitude back on. I'm getting along much better with co-workers and doing my best to develop positive working relationships. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I will probably always encounter people who want to shoot down my positive outlook on life. I definitely know that things are not perfect, but somehow happiness & excitement get me so much further than bitterness. :)

2. APARTMENT: Two words... cute & cozy. I've found a place for almost everything and even hung some pictures on the walls! I actually like living in a smaller apartment- less to clean and lower utility bills! My roommate and I are getting along well. It's nice to have someone to come home and talk to at the end of the day.

3. SASHA: She's a mess! I think she's about 7 pounds now (the first time I took her to the vet she was 2.7). So she's definitely growing! I have my moments of frustration- like when I'm trying to take her for a walk and she decides to lay down on the sidewalk or when she barks at me because she wants to play at 1:00am. NO Sasha! The moments of adorableness outweigh the frustration. Right now she's passed out on the rug outside my room. We go to the vet again on Saturday. Hopefully all is well.

4. LIFE: Lately, I've been debating what to do next... grad school? teach? something else? This week I spent some time looking at social work programs and researching DC charter schools. I just don't know what to do. I wish I could feel at peace with a decision. But right now all I feel is confused.

5. BASKETBALL: Go heels! My love for Roy's boys grows more each year.

6. THINGS THAT MAKE ME GO HMMM... I think I'm going to write a book about the strange things I see on the metro. Here's a couple:
- A man carrying a wireless microphone. Maybe he was rushing it to a local concert?
- A woman wearing one dress shoe and one tennis shoe. At first I thought maybe she had an injury, but couldn't she still wear matching shoes?
- I know there's more, but I can't think of them now...

Hope your March is as mad as mine. :)

<3 Michelle

2 miles down the road

So... I'm moving. Basically my cleanliness, niceness, and overall lifestyle do not exactly match up with one of my roommates. After a rather loud argument with said roommate, I decided it was time for me to find a new place. For a while I was looking at places in Alexandria and Arlington, but I decided that I couldn't handle an even longer commute than what I have now (it takes me an hour door to door even though AU is only 5 miles away!). Finding housing in DC is quite the chore. But after searching high and low on craigslist, rent.com, and various other sites, I was able to find a place. The apartment is probably less than a third of the size of my current house. There is no living room, but my bedroom is a decent sized. What's most important and exciting is that I really think I'll get along with the girl I'm moving in with. She goes to the church I've been attending and is a grad student at AU. Hopefully movie nights and late night roommate conversations are right around the corner. I'm packing up tonight and tomorrow. Then moving on Super Bowl Sunday. Luckily the place I'm moving is only two miles away. It's about 8 blocks from Union Station (where I'll get the metro to work), and 8 blocks from Eastern Market (my most favorite Sunday afternoon activity is going to the market). While the stress of moving is looming in the air, the excitement of being in a new place with a new friend is sure to be worth it.

I'll post pics once I'm settled into the new place. Oh, and you've got to see how much Sasha has grown!

Love from the district.

the tomorrow so many have waited for is finally here

I think it finally hit me yesterday when I was driving back into the District from running errands in Virginia. When I was stuck in traffic amidst people from all over the country, I realized that this really is history in the making. And I'm here for it. Who knew that the reason I didn't want to move here- the fact that DC is the nation's government center- would allow me to view and be a part of history. While every Presidential Inauguration is an important part of United States history, I feel like this Inauguration is an important part of World History. It makes me excited to see Americans from all different backgrounds supporting Barack, but it makes me even more excited to see people from across the world supporting our new leader. Take a look at this photo album posted on the New York Times website.

Tomorrow is here.

I have a friend. Her name is Sasha.

So I'll start with the big news first... Santa brought me a puppy! I left for Denver to visit a friend on Dec. 21st (more on that later) and when I came home on Christmas Eve, there was a furry friend waiting for me. I'm still not sure if now is the perfect time for a puppy, but does "the perfect time" actually exist? She's a Shih Tzu poodle mix and is currently 3 pounds. As my neighbor said, "all puppies are cute, but she's adorable!" She gets lots of attention when we go on walks around the neighborhood.

While Sasha was the highlight of Winter Break, there were many other exciting happenings. I was able to stop in Chapel Hill on my way home and visit with some of my best college friends. As always, it was good to be in the place I called home for four years. My extended family got together for lunch at my cousin's house. I got many hugs from my cousin's daughter, Sam. And Sam got me a Christmas present!- a pink unicorn like hers for me to sleep with. :) It may have been my 2nd favorite present.

The day after our family luncheon, I flew out to Denver. This was a semi-last minute trip that could not have worked out better. My friend Rachel's parents moved to Denver this summer and her family invited me to come stay for a couple days over break. I'd never been to Colorado, so I was so excited for the opportunity to see that part of the country. We could see the Rockies from a park near her house! We spent time lounging around, exploring downtown via light rail, visiting crafty stores in Boulder, and we even went to the Nutcracker! Rachel and I met at UNC at Convocation and spent alot of time together during our college winter breaks. It wouldn't have felt like the holidays if I hadn't been able to see her.

I came back to DC on the 28th and had to return to work on the 29th... I spent this last week training the students who work at the front desks of the residence halls. It was a draining and stressful week so Sasha and I will probably lounge around this weekend watching movies... and probably will take a trip to Petco- she sure chews up her toys while I'm gone during the day!

Happy (belated) New Year!

Much love,

Michelle & Sash