do not be wise in your own eyes

Top Ten of Twenty Ten

2011-01-08T21:13:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

Twenty Ten has been a year full of learning- not the type of learning that takes place in a classroom, but the type that requires deep thought and reflection. In between my figuring-out-life sessions, I've had the opportunity to travel the state, country, and world. Here's a few of my favorite trips (in chronological order).

1. Visit to DC (April): After 4 months of being back in North Carolina, I was ready to return to the District to visit fabulous friends and familiar places. This photo was taken at Old Glory, a southern restaurant in Georgetown. It's one of the FEW places in DC that serves sweet tea, so it was always a favorite for us Carolina girls. :)

2. Trip to West Virginia (June): The last time I was in West Virginia was when our family was taking an RV trip. I can't remember if it was the trip to Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon, but I do remember we spent 12 hours at a gas station for repairs after the RV was rolling backwards down the hills of WV. Luckily the trip this year didn't involve such chaos. I went to visit a good friend who is studying for a PhD in Clinical Psychology. This picture was taken at Coopers Rocks State Park on a gorgeous afternoon.

3. Oak Island, NC (July): I spent a week at the beach with my mom, grandmother, and brother. We were able to catch up with my one of my mom's best friends from childhood and her parents who were good friends of my grandparents. I also got to spend some time with Kristen, a fellow Carolina alum who is studying in Chicago. Annnnd I spent many hours trying to piece together this puzzle.

4. Newport, RI (August): From January to August of this year, I cared for a beautiful two year old girl who was recently adopted from Russia. In August, I accompanied the family on a trip to Rhode Island. We spent our days frolicking in the wake, baking cookies, kicking the ball, and learning to swim in the pool. This shot captures her exuberant spirit and childlike wonder.

5. Pumpkin Patch in Durham, NC (October): One of my good friends from college works at NCSSM in Durham. When I learned he was taking a group of students to a pumpkin patch, I was so excited to find out I could tag along. It was the first time I picked a pumpkin off the vine. It was an afternoon of good talks and lots of laughs.

6. First Grade Field Trip to NC Zoo (October): Since March, I've been tutoring a first grader through the Communities in Schools organization. In May, I watched him graduate from Kindergarten. I love my weekly visits with this precious boy and had a great time chaperoning his class's field trip to the zoo. This is a picture of my group for the day. We wandered through the zoo pretending to be giraffes, lions, and gorillas.

7. Honduras!!! (October - November): This wins best trip of the year award! I spent two weeks in Honduras with one of my best friends from college, Blair. She's been in Honduras since September of 2009 and was a great hostess throughout my visit. I ziplined through the rainforest canopy, spent many hours on buses, bought lots of bags of water, met other Peace Corps volunteers, ate too many baleadas (tortilla with beans, eggs, cheese) to count, and spent time catching up with a dear friend. Miss you Blair!

8. Thanksgiving at Mt. Mitchell (November): My mom's oldest sister hosted Thanksgiving dinner at her house this year. All of my mom's siblings, their spouses, and children were able to attend (that's 1 grandmother, her 5 children, 4 spouses, 13 grandchildren, 2 grandchildren-in-law, and 5 great grandchildren). It's not often that we're all in the same place at the same time, so I insisted on documenting the momentous occassion!

9. Snow in Chapel Hill (December): In the middle of December, Blair returned home for the holidays and we made a trip up to Chapel Hill for a good friend's wedding. While there, we met up with Rachel for an Old Well photo shoot. I never got snowy pictures at the Old Well while I was a student, so this was my chance! I do miss that place and all the people I met there.

10. Rockingham Reunion (December): I met up with these lovely ladies for a quick lunch in Rockingham. They were roommates our senior year and now are all living in big cities of Durban (South Africa!), Chicago, and Atlanta. During our lunch, we schemed a plan for us all to reside in DC after we complete our higher education goals. Can't wait to be living near them again. ;)

Twenty-ten was not what I expected, but I think it has prepared me for 2011. Here's to a new year and new adventures!

We Are the World

2010-02-12T20:57:00.002-05:00

Home, At Last

2009-12-22T10:54:00.000-05:00

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.

2009-12-19T07:05:00.000-05:00

Alot.

DC to NC: Day 1

2009-12-18T23:53:00.000-05:00

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

2009-12-13T19:37:00.000-05:00

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

2009-11-14T20:08:00.001-05:00

I will miss it. I will miss it not.

2009-11-10T19:43:00.000-05:00

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

2009-11-03T21:11:00.000-05:00

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

2009-08-29T09:19:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-11T20:57:00.003-04:00

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

2009-06-11T23:04:00.001-04:00

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...

2009-06-06T19:59:00.006-04:00

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...

2009-03-12T20:23:00.002-04:00

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

2009-01-30T19:47:00.004-05:00

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

2009-01-19T21:39:00.002-05:00

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.

2009-01-10T10:42:00.015-05:00

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

snowflakes... real and fake

2008-12-07T21:18:00.003-05:00

I'm in the process of creating my own winter wonderland, complete with paper snowflakes and twinkle lights. :) And while I love my wintery creation, I loved yesterday's real snow even more! Yes, SNOW!!! It stuck to the rooftops of cars for maybe an hour and then all evidence of the wonderful white fluff was gone. Hopefully there is more to come.

This past week was quite busy. The online package system experienced what one of the Desk Coordinators called an "Epic Fail". Thus, I spent many hours emailing residents to notify them that "there is currently a package addressed to you at the front desk of such-and-such hall". Sometimes I wonder what will happen when the entire Internet crashes. We'll have to read books, talk to people face-to-face, and go to the store to make purchases.

I'm very thankful for the Christmas season this year. I still haven't made many friends in DC, so it's good for me to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. And while friends and family are an important part of the Christmas tradition, they are not the reason we celebrate. HE is.

baby, it's cold outside.

2008-11-10T21:31:00.005-05:00

Now that I've made that the title of the post, clearly I want to listen to the song. And then I'll want to watch Elf. Sometimes I feel like I'm stuck in my own version of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

I wore my winter coat for the first time today! I knew I bought that coat on sale at Gap in the middle of Spring for some reason. I'm so glad I have it now. I think I may even wear gloves tomorrow. I look ridiculous when I walk into work with my coat, scarf, gloves, and boots. I may not look stylish, but at least I'm warm!

This week I'm conducting interviews for new Desk Receptionists. Only half of the current receptionists are returning, so I'm looking to hire as many as 20 new ones. It's quite a chore to review applications, hold interviews, and then make decisions on who to hire. Not only that, but we're already preparing for summer conferences. Right now I'm just trying to make sure the residence hall desks are running smoothly and that we have enough students working to keep them open (AU desks stay open 24 hours a day- which is very different from Carolina).

I feel like my two greatest challenges at work are: a) having enough time to get everything done and b) finding my place in the social scene. I continue to learn that things eventually get done even though it's hard to see that when the list never ends. But as far as the social aspect- I feel completely lost. In college, I always had a group of people I could call to hang out with. People invited each other everywhere. While I'm sure there were cliques, I felt like there was something that tied us all together- creating a community unlike any other. To say the least, I don't feel that anymore. For a while I was getting hung up on the exclusiveness I've experienced, but I'm trying to re-orient myself, gain a new perspective, and focus on the good.

I'm going to end this post with some photos from this weekend. My visitors always make it to the blog! Maybe one day YOU will be a featured guest on "Do Not be Wise in Your Own Eyes". :)

Rachel and Laura Beth at Busboys & Poets, a very fun restaurant/lounge/coffeeshop.

Rach and I at the Capitol building on a cold and windy day.

ever after

2008-10-27T20:38:00.019-04:00

The title of the post is in honor of...

a) the movie I am currently watching (it's a classic!)
b) the blast from the past day I had (AIM is pretty much amazing since it keeps me in touch with former supervisors and friends that are abroad- shout out to Danielle who is in Namibia!)
c) the wedding pictures I am about to post (congratulations to my married-for-almost-a-month friend Ashton!)

Reunited at last! (me,
Ashton- freshman year roommate,
French- freshman year suitemate)

The happy couple at the

Rehearsal Dinner!

The beautiful country

church where they
were married. What a
perfect October day!

Bridesmaids having fun
with the bride at
the reception!!!

I loved being in North Carolina and would love to take another trip soon, but I know that I cannot have a life here in DC if I'm always traveling to NC. I don't know how to compose my thoughts on current feelings about work so I'll leave that for another day.

I'll leave you with this fun fact- UNC football is bowl eligible. And basketball season starts soon. Go heels!

falling into autumn

2008-09-30T23:54:00.003-04:00

Well my friends, it's the 1st day of October (or it will be when this is posted in 20 minutes). I've been living in DC for 1 quarter of a year. I've had a job at American University for 2 months. And in 3 days by roommate from freshman year is getting married! I have been waiting for her wedding since the day I met her. :) I'm flying down to North Carolina tomorrow. I'll spend a day in Chapel Hill and then head to Ahoskie with my friend/freshman year suitemate/elementary school classmate French. We'll be wearing bright red dresses in this eastern North Carolina wedding. If the wedding were going to be outdoors, I may have pushed for cowboy boots to replace our silver shoes.

I'm excited to spend time with two of the women who I met on my first day at Carolina. We watched each other change majors, change living situations, and change ourselves as we progressed through four years in blue heaven. People say you take pieces of your friends wherever you go. I think the people you actually live with get extra big pieces. I'm so happy they are still a part of my life. Call it a blessing or call it lucky, but my "potluck" roommates worked out better than most planned roommates.

I'll be sure to post some pictures when I get back next week. Oh and did I mention I'm going to spend some quality time with Sam and Georgia, the prettiest girls in North Carolina, during my mini-vacay. Just wait till you see pics of those cuties. :)

Peace, love, and joy!

home (chapel hill) sick

2008-09-07T20:48:00.002-04:00

I miss you. This past month has been full of long hours, lots of questions, and an overwhelming number of new people.

Let's start with the good- I love the people I work with. I'm never bored. There's a Starbucks and a Whole Foods at the AU metro station.

Now for the not so good- I don't really know what it is I do. I feel like I'm seriously lacking in purpose. I haven't found a core group of friends. I work too much.. I'm never around kids.

Elaboration- Today I volunteered with DC's Convoy of Hope. I got to sit outside in the sunshine (the days after tropical storms are the best days to be outside). I colored and did crafty projects with children of all ages. At one point I was running around a parking lot with a 2nd grader on my back. That is the sort of thing that would leave most people drained, but it fills me with energy- an energy I've been lacking these past couple weeks. I'm not sure what to take away from this experience. At this point I'm just questioning my decision to work at AU. It is definitely a good place to be in transition and I'm gaining invaluable experience, but there are no kids. Sadness.

On top of this, I miss Chapel Hill more every day. When I start thinking of my dear friends who are still there I start tearing up (and this usually happens on the metro... ha). I miss the deep conversations, words of encouragement, and hours of laughter. And I definitely miss Yogurt Pump!

I'm hoping this is just the two month slump and that things will brighten up here soon. They should at least be cooling off. Doesn't mother nature know that I moved here for the cooler temperatures?

long hours

2008-08-14T21:53:00.003-04:00

So I never thought I would let myself be consumed by work. I don't know why I didn't think this, considering that I'm a perfectionist and pretty much completely pour myself into whatever projects I take on. Nevertheless, it is what it is.

The past week I've been going into work early and coming home late. This is partly because I've been training students for most of the day and then have work tasky things to get done afterwards. For the record, I have no idea how/why I've been training students when I have so many questions of my own. But training has definitely been fun. Putting together powerpoints the night before was not so fun, but meeting and interacting with the students makes up for it. :)

I'm really starting to miss the friendships I had in NC. This hit me yesterday when I was going home from work and feeling great and wanting to celebrate. But I had no one to call to go get dinner or Starbucks or ice cream. I'm wondering if I'll ever have friendships like those I had in college again. College was a special time for me because it was socially-centered. I spent alot of my time investing in relationships. When am I going to have time to do that again?

I want to leave on a positive note. So I'll just say that I love the whirlwind that accompanies going back to school. If anyone wants to send me a bouquet of sharpened pencils, feel free.

homecoming

2008-08-04T20:53:00.013-04:00

After my first (half) week of work, I was happy to take off to North Carolina

Friday was the first time I'd flown since high school. I had a window seat on the way to Charlotte and was so excited when I looked out and could see Lake Norman!

On Saturday I ventured up to Blowing Rock with a car full of wonderful ladies. I volunteered to drive since I hadn't driven since June. It was great to be in the car with the windows down breathing in the North Carolina air and blaring the radio.

Meredith and Joel's wedding was beautiful. I know they spent hours planning the details and it sure paid off. As far as I could tell, things could not have gone more smoothly. It rained a bit during the ceremony which meant it was nice and cool when we arrived to the reception site.

It's always good to visit old friends. I got to see people I had not seen since May. We got to share summer stories and laugh and reminisce about our Carolina years. I think we all feel ridiculously old now that we've graduated college. I don't think I'll ever be able to wrap my head around the concept of time. Why did summer go by so slow in 3rd grade and now it's over in the blink of an eye?

So I've come to the realization that I have a very hard time with saying goodbye. Well, I don't think it's actually saying goodbye as much as the transition that accompanies the word. I tried to prepare myself before I even left for NC for what was going to come on Sunday. I was fine all weekend when I was hanging out with friends. I was even fine when I had to say goodbye to them after the wedding. But as soon as I got to the airport terminal on Sunday, an uncontrollable rush of sadness consumed me. Maybe it was because security took away $40 worth of toiletries. But I have a feeling that it was my body's natural reaction to transition.

As much as I try to fight the sadness, tears usually win. And after the tears and a couple days of getting back into the groove, I'm completely fine. And with work being super busy, there is no time for the transition blues. I've been busy working on re-formatting and fine-tuning training manuals for the year. Training starts on Thursday!

Thinking of you all.

working girl

2008-07-31T19:27:00.010-04:00

This week has flown by! My brother came up from NC on Monday night. I was so happy to see him (and to give him a to do list)! He brought a dining room table from home so now the house is fully furnished. Hooray! He took the painter's tape off the ceiling and closed a window I couldn't reach. Thanks brother. On Tuesday, we went down to the National Mall to be tourists. Scott had never been to DC before so it was fun to show him around the city I now call home.

Yesterday was my first full day of work. It was a good day, but I left feeling exhausted. I think it was a combination of my current sleep deprivation (thanks to my new mattress...) and the overwhelming-ness that accompanies new situations. Today was much better! I got to meet with my team and talk about upcoming training! My current project is updating/re-formatting the training manual. Oh! And today there was a summer staff awards banquet. The theme was a rodeo and we had BBQ for lunch!!! Yay!

Tomorrow I'm leaving work a bit early to head back to NC. It's going to be nice to return to my homeland, but I'm not going to be there for long. I have a wedding on Saturday in Blowing Rock and then I'll be flying back to DC on Sunday. Just thinking about all the busy-ness makes me smile. August has always been an exciting month and I know that this year will be no exception.

Smiles and hugs always.

Yay!

2008-07-25T15:53:00.002-04:00

I just called American University to let them know I was accepting the position. I start orientation on Wednesday! I'll be jumping in just as things are getting crazy- students will probably arrive in mid-August. I can't wait to meet people and be a member of an active college campus again.

I'm sure I'll have lots to share once I start the job, but for now I'm just going to enjoy the last couple days of unemployment.

Thank you everyone for everything!

Love.

98 degrees is cool as a band name, not a temperature

2008-07-24T10:08:00.003-04:00

So for the last week, temperatures have been in the low 90s (in DC low 90s feels like high 90s). Today when I woke up, it was 68 degrees outside! I went out for a walk and it felt like a spring afternoon. Thank goodness for cold fronts!

In other news, I was offered a job at American University today as a Guest and Public Relations Coordinator for the Housing Department. I have to make a decision by Monday morning so I'll keep everyone updated.

I'm off to enjoy this weather!

Hugs and kisses!

2008-07-20T14:55:00.007-04:00

I think I keep putting off updating my blog because I want to wait and post when I find a job. But clearly my life has not stopped just because I don't have a job. I've stayed busy in a relaxing way. This week I spent alot of time walking around the city. One day I came back and google mapped my route and calculated that I had walked 6 miles! So from what I've observed, the most common businesses in DC are: Starbucks, CVS, and Quiznos. I'm a huge fan of Starbucks, but don't have much experience with the other two. Maybe that will change in the coming months...

Yesterday I went to Target and printed the 200 best pictures from senior year to put into a photo album. They include IV friends, HJ RAs, children I love to death, and my family. Today I'm going to rack my brain for funny quotes and inside jokes to write in the margins of the photo album. Here's a couple of the pictures that made the cut.

In Blowing Rock with IV friends.

HJ RAs at Cameron's birthday dinner.

My cousin's daughter Sam at my graduation. :)

My general feeling now is that I'm on the right path... I have a safe place to live and 2 amazing roommates. I recently found a church and am going to get plugged into the Children's Ministry there. I've had multiple interviews and a couple call backs. I'm slowly making friends. So the important things- a home and a church- came first. The job and the relationships are coming soon. I can feel it. :)

today's random thoughts

2008-07-13T18:51:00.003-04:00

1. I feel like I've moved to Seattle. I think it rains at least 4 out of 7 afternoons each week. I am definitely not in the permanent drought state of North Carolina anymore.

2. I am amazed by the structure of all of the underground tunnels that compose the Metro system.

3. The morning is my favorite time to walk around DC. It's the only time the city is quiet and still.

4. For the past 3 weeks I stayed within my geographic comfort zone (which consisted of my street and then 7th street to get to Chinatown in the South and the Metro to the North). On Friday, I went to Dupont Circle and walked down P Street to get home. I saw a Whole Foods, a Blockbuster, and a Wachovia. Once again, stepping outside of the zone led me to discover great things.

5. There's a new ABC Family movie coming on tonight! Back when ABC Family was the Family Channel, I'd watch Rescue 911 and The Waltons. Now, it's where I turn to get my fill of teenage drama. Oh how the times have changed...

patience is a virtue

2008-07-09T23:36:00.002-04:00

The job search, like many things in life, is a waiting game. My secondary interview on Monday went well, but I still have not heard back from anyone. Hopefully I'll know by tomorrow.

Yesterday I started reading The Death of Innocents. It is much more intense and requires more thought than the book I just finished, The Namesake. (Sidenote: I didn't appreciate Carolina's summer reading selections until now. Both books provoke more questions than answers, but that is appropriate given Carolina's focus on the liberal arts.) Although the book is written by a nun who becomes a spiritual advisor for men on death row, I did not expect Christianity to be a central element of the novel. Here is one of the many insightful quotes from Chapter 1: This is the death house, where killing is done by quiet-spoken, polite people, who first serve you a fine meal and pray with you before they kill you. The book uncovers details of the moments before death as well as the neverending trial process.

OOOh! I almost forgot- I met someone from North Carolina today! I was checking out at The Limited (I justify shopping by telling myself I need "work clothes") and when the sales associate looked at my license, she told me she just moved here from Durham. Yay Raleigh-Durham! I think I will always be excited when I encounter someone else from the Tar Heel state. :) Can someone please send me some BBQ and Sweet Tea? K, thanks.

strawberry swing

2008-07-03T18:41:00.004-04:00

According to StrengthsQuest, one of my strengths is connectedness. I like connecting other people with each other and I also look for relationships between topics. When I would sit in class listening to a professor's lecture, I would think about how what they were talking about was connected to something I had heard in a different class that same day. I can probably link things that most people think are unrelated. Anyways, this is relevant because today I realized that I will always link the new Coldplay CD with my first couple weeks in DC. Some other examples of my music to time period connections are: John Mayer with my trip to Australia in high school, Snow Patrol with my school of ed days, and Brad Paisley with my first summer away from home.

"Strawberry Swing" is one of my favorite songs on the CD... Here's some lyrics:
People moving all the time
Inside a perfectly straight line
Don't you wanna curve away?
When it's such...
It's such a perfect day

I just smile everytime I hear that- "such a perfect day" :)

Here's a synopsis of my one of many perfect days in DC:

1. I rode the metro downtown so I could go to a museum. The Museum of American History was closed for renovations, so I went over to the Holocaust Museum. This museum is different from others I've been to in that it directs your path. I liked that it followed a timeline, but there is just so much to see and read and take in that it was a bit overwhelming. I felt like I paid attention for like 45mins and then was just looking for the exit. There is alot to think about when walking through the museum- the people affected, the overall impact on history, why it happened, etc. I'll go back sometime and see what all I missed. My favorite part was listening to one of the museum guides talk about the architecture of the museum- there are many windows and skylights, but the only thing you can see through these windows is the sky and other parts of the museum. It is my understanding that the architect, a Holocaust survivor, designed the museum this way to create a feeling of being trapped. I can't even imagine the thought and mathematics and planning that went into designing the museum!

2. I got a call from the non-profit I interviewed at yesterday and they want me to come in on Monday for a secondary interview!!!! yay! yay! yay! Yesterday's interview went really well and after hearing more about the organization and the position, I can hardly contain my excitement at having a second interview! But I'm trying to keep myself grounded and remember that whatever happens will happen for a reason.

3. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival was occurring on the National Mall today. I walked around and sipped on a Lime Fizz (I had to walk probably a mile to find cash so I could actually buy the Lime Fizz... and it was so worth it!). Then I sat in the Texas Dancehall and listened to some country music and watched people dance. I sat there wishing I was under the age of 10 so I could go up there and dance around with my brother and sister. That is so the kind of thing we used to do.

Happy 4th of July!!!

I'm wishing you all many 'such a perfect days'.

i don't want to survive. i want to live.

2008-06-30T23:12:00.002-04:00

I've been busy today! I went to see Wall-E (that's where I got the title of the post). It was the cutest love story and most innovative Pixar pic yet. I am consistently amazed by the creative geniuses behind the Pixar films. I don't want to go into too much detail, but I have to tell you that there is a spork featured in the film. ;)

I've been trying out some different churches in the area and tonight I finally found what I'd been looking for. Frontline is a gathering of young adults in the DC area. It felt like a mix between Intervarsity and Summit, which were both big parts of my life in college. It's strange to be the person being welcomed rather than the person welcoming, but I am sure God has great things for me to discover in this new Christian community.

I got a call from a non-profit today asking me to come in for an interview! I'm super excited about this one... it's a pediatric AIDS foundation and they're looking for a Human Affairs Assistant. Ahhh! So many things I love... children, public health, assisting people. I'll let you know how it goes.

Talk soon.

happy happy joy joy

2008-06-29T21:35:00.012-04:00

This weekend was sooo amazing! Nothing is better than getting caught in the rain at a parade, walking around for what seems like miles with UNC friends, and shopping at a downtown market.

So, this weekend was Carnival- a Caribbean parade and festival held near Howard University. One of my roommates and I went to support our roommate who was in the parade! I never actually got to see her, but I know she was fabulous! Here are some pictures of what I did get to see...

these guys on stilts were way impressive

a little rain never hurt anybody

evidently it's ok to carry around snakes in DC...

My good good friend Danielle was staying in Bethesda this weekend so I got to spend some quality time with her! Yay! We went to a mall in Bethesda on Saturday and then met up for dinner in Chinatown on Sunday. I was so happy to get some love from NC! :)

This afternoon one of my roommates and I went to Eastern Market which was absolutely fabulous. It was like a farmers market plus lots of little craft stands- lots of jewelry, random art, some furniture. I will definitely be going back in the near future!

Thanks for all the phone calls this weekend. I feel like I've gotten to catch up with a lot of people. I have some job interviews this week so I'll keep you all updated.

All my love.

dinner with friends

2008-06-25T20:09:00.003-04:00

I cooked my first real meal tonight! For the past week, I'd been eating angel hair pasta with tomato sauce. Well today I was ready for something new. I walked down to the neighborhood Giant and came back with ingredients for a fabulous dinner! My friends, I made baked chicken, broccoli, and brown rice! Please see below.While the meal was quite tasty, the best part was that I felt as if you all were here. The rice reminded me of Katie who eats rice every chance she gets. The broccoli reminded me of Alex, the little boy I used to baby-sit who I miss oh so much. The plate I ate off of reminded me of Jenna, Danielle, and Fred who gave me dishes for my birthday. While I was cooking, I thought of Nicole who I lived with for a wonderful semester in Odum Village. When I poured water from my Brita pitcher, I thought of Daniel who informed me that Brita pitchers are a staple item for any apartment in the city. As I sit here and take in the deliciousness, I'm thinking about the wonderfulness of my senior year and how I miss chatting with Cameron in his room and popping in to say hey to Tiffany and Alaina in the office. Oh and clearly I miss Blair and Christine, my Red Room Regular friends. :) Well, I'm going to go finish this meal with some ice cream which will make me think of Rachel and Jordan who are always ready for an ice cream date. And I promise that even if I didn't mention you in my little dinner party story, I've been thinking of you and wishing you were here to experience DC with me.

long lost love

2008-06-22T20:11:00.002-04:00

When I was in elementary school, my favorite thing about the summer was the summer reading contest at the library. I would be looking for that year's reading log before summer even started. I read alot of series- Boxcar Children one summer, Babysitter's Club the next. I would always complete at least one log and usually needed at least one more. The grand prize that stands out most to me was the year I won a blue "Race into Reading" T-shirt. I think that's where my love of free T-shirts began.

In middle school, I started to read historical fiction. I liked the history, but I think I liked the fiction more. There's something about escaping to another place and time that has always captivated me. I find myself getting caught up in movies and TV shows, but they don't allow the same level of imagination as a good book.

In high school and college, my love for reading began to decline. I never like to be forced to do anything, especially not something I enjoy. I spent who knows how many hours highlighting text to remember for the next day's test and reviewing cliff notes for reading quizzes. Somewhere between the cramming for exams and researching for papers, I forgot how much I actually liked to read.

Well, I think that phase of my life has passed! I spent the past two days reading a book just for fun! It was a girly book (The Last Summer of You and I by Ann Brashares if anyone is looking for a book to read by the beach/pool), but it reminded me how much fun it is to create a little world for a set of characters and their thoughts/feelings. I don't know what I'm going to read next so let me know if you have suggestions. I'm going to the library tomorrow to get a library card (and maybe theyll let me get a kids reading log...).

Oh! And I went to the most amazing salad place today. It's called Chop't. How cute is that? It reminded me of Marble Slab because they mix up your salad and then they take it out of the bowl and mix it more and chop everything into little pieces. What a creative idea! Love it.

Last thing- I went to a church in Maryland this morning. At first I was overwhelmed by how large it was and felt like I didn't belong. It's such a strange feeling because I spent the past couple years feeling very plugged in to the church I attended in Durham. I think it is going to be good for me to experience being "the new person." Anyways, there was a guest reception afterwards and I met a couple who was so welcoming. They offered to pick me up from the Metro on Tuesday evening for a cook-out at the church. I'm excited and nervous to meet new people. I long to be accepted, especially in this new place I call home.

It's storming out. Maybe I should start another book tonight.

learning to listen

2008-06-21T22:02:00.002-04:00

I pride myself on being a good listener. I may not always give the best advice, but I make an effort to show people that I am listening. I ask questions so I can better understand. I pay attention to the little things that other people may not notice. I give feedback to show that I am listening and not just hearing.

However, I think that while listening to everyone else, I forgot how to listen to my own body. Since I've been here in DC, I haven't had many people to listen to. My roommates and I strike up conversation when we're around at the same time. But, for the most part I find myself keeping busy and then feeling hungry or tired. For the past four years, I didn't feel hungry often because I had plans for most meals. And I felt tired, but I fought the feeling with caffeine and more busy-ness. Now that I have no plans for meals and plenty of time to rest, I'm trying to learn the healthy way to approach hunger and fatigue. Listening is always the first step to understanding. Now that I have time to listen, I think I'm on the right track.

On a less self-reflective note, I went to a target today! It had 2 floors! And there's a special escalator for shopping carts! Who knew such a thing existed?!?!? I loved it. I'm pretty sure I'm going back on Monday and getting a cart just so I can practice sending it up the special escalator. The target is located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood and is right beside a metro stop. There's also a Best Buy, Marshall's, Bed Bath & Beyond, and plenty of other stores. I can't wait to explore that area more.

Tomorrow will be the last day of my first week here. Maybe something eventful will happen!

Bye for now.

another good day in the city

2008-06-20T19:33:00.003-04:00

Today was wonderful. I spent the morning organizing the kitchen and putting away my dishes that had been sitting in a box on the floor. I always feel so accomplished when I finish an organization project. My mom says I should be a professional organizer...

After laying around from my hard morning of work, I decided it was time for an outing. I got out my Lonely Planet city guide and thumbed through the "sights" section before deciding on the National Gallery of Art. I took the metro down to Constitution Avenue and then walked to the museum. A couple things occurred to me as I walked around in awe of the art, the building, and the people around me.

a) The art is beautiful. But who decided that these are the pieces that should be in a museum? There are so many talented artists in this world, but so few have their work displayed for any/everyone to see. Also, do artists want this many people to see their work? Did Monet even consider the idea that one day hundreds of 8th graders would walk by his painting while on a yearly field trip? Is that what he wanted? I love Monet. Alot! But I wouldn't even recognize his work if someone hadn't put his art in textbooks or donated his pieces to museums. I could go on, but I would end up talking in circles as I so often do.

b) Second to Monet, my favorite piece I saw was "La Condition Humaine" by Rene Magritte. It just makes me smile. Maybe because it resembles a photograph, maybe because it's clever, or maybe because it captures the sky on a beautiful day. Whatever it is, it will definitely bring me back to the museum soon!

c) While I was walking through a room of Picasso, I said hello to one of the men "guarding" the work. I'm not sure what those people are called... After asking where I was from, what I was doing here, why I moved to DC, etc, he told me about a free event that evening. The National Gallery of Art sponsors a free jazz concert in their garden on Fridays! How cool is that?!?!? Someone please come visit me so we can go to the garden and have a picnic while listening to music in downtown DC! :)

In summary, I love DC more and more everyday. I still don't have a job, but I'm confident that all things come in time.

Smiles and hugs!

chilling out, maxing, acting all cool

2008-06-19T17:08:00.002-04:00

Today has been very laid back. Now that I've got my room in order, I feel like I can get the rest of my life in order. I did some "tasky" things today- called the cable company, walked to the post office and the bank, picked up some more groceries. I'm loving that I can walk everywhere. The weather is absolutely beautiful and there is so much to see! I walked by Howard University today and seeing college students made me miss Carolina. I even saw some prospective students walking around. I wanted to stop and talk to them and tell them how amazing college is. But I'm pretty sure they would have thought I was crazy. So I just smiled.

I'm feeling much better about things today than I did earlier in the week. I think that having a place to call home has really helped. I'm getting along wonderfully with my new roommates. I think we're all going to go to dinner or something soon.

I've been watching Enchanted for the past hour. I think it's time for some sort of art project or organization activity. Goodness knows I can't just sit here.

Much love!!!!!!!

The roller coaster of change

2008-06-18T10:50:00.005-04:00

So I graduated from college over a month ago. Despite my plan to take time to rest, I feel like I've been going nonstop since graduation. While I haven't been bogged down by studying, baby-sitting, RAing, IVing, etc, I've still been busy. I went from Chapel Hill to DC to Chapel Hill to home to the beach to home to DC, and the list goes on. Now that I'm in DC for the third time, I plan to stay for a while. However, I'm not sure how much rest I'll get. I don't have my car so I'm always walking somewhere. Anyways... Here are some pictures and thoughts regarding the past couple weeks.

My sister graduated high school! Woohoo! I went to Myers Park graduation for the fourth (and hopefully last) time. She had such a big smile on her face as she exited the arena. Here we are afterwards...

My brother helped my mom and I pack up the truck this weekend. He did a great job! Nothing broke on the trip. But everything got soaking wet. You'll have to contact me for details. I don't need this embarrassing story posted for the world to see.

I've spent the last couple days unpacking and attempting to organize. We all know that organization is basically my favorite hobby, but that doesn't lessen the overwhelmingness (new word!?) of unpacking. Slowly, but surely things are coming together.

I'm happy to be here most of the time. Yesterday I had a burst of "what in the world am I doing here" feelings. I think those are normal. I think back to my first week at UNC and this feels similar. I feel anxious and overwhelmed and confused, but all of those feelings are wrapped up in excitement for the future. If DC turns out to be as amazing as my Carolina years, I have alot to look forward to!

I'm off to organize! Love and miss you all!

Job first, Decorating second

2008-06-14T01:21:00.002-04:00

So I've spent the past couple days visiting friends and family that I will miss very much while I'm off on my DC adventure. Here's a summary of the week's festivities (in list format, of course).

a) I spent Wednesday night with my cousin's family in Concord. The newest member of the family, James McCray, is 2 weeks old today!!! I got to play Simon Says, power rangers, hungry hippos, and play-doh with the older boys while their mom tended to baby Mac. Oh and on Thursday morning I woke up at 7am to a 6yr old staring at me. I guess he likes getting up early now that school is out and he doesn't have to...

b) Being in Chapel Hill has been bittersweet (luckily the majority of it has been sweet). I love being here and visiting with people, but I'm reminded of the change that is to come. I'm not a college student anymore. I've always thought it was funny when people said that after college comes the real world. Aren't we always living in the real world? I mean sometimes I feel like my life is a movie, but I'm constantly reminded that everyday is as real as can be. I got some good advice from a wise friend today.
1. College is good, but the "real world" is better. I'm not sure what's so great about it, but I'm super excited to find out!
2. Get a job, and then decorate. I'm so ready to move into my apartment and at night I can't sleep because I'm thinking about how I'll arrange things, or what curtains I should get, or what sort of photos will hang on the wall (photos are the best form of art in my opinion). My friend reminded me that I have plenty of time to decorate. Hopefully I'll be in this apartment for a while. If I do everything now, I won't have fun projects to look forward to later.
3. This isn't so much advice as an important self-realization. I usually have to make a major decision in order to make smaller decisions. It's like junior year when I felt like something was wrong, I needed a big change- so I changed my major. And while life didn't suddenly seem perfect, I felt like I could take on what was thrown at me. Today my friend told me that all year long she had been trying to get me to make some sort of decision, and here I am making a big life decision. So I think now that I have the big life decision out of the way, the other things are going to slowly work out. Hopefully that means everything will work out with the UHAUL truck. I booked one online, but the local branch doesn't have record of the reservation. Thank you internet.

c) I'm going to cook-out tomorrow! I'm not sure if they have cook-out in DC, but I'm going to guess no. There are CVSs and Starbucks on alternating corners, but I'm pretty sure neither of those places sell banana pudding milkshakes...

I miss North Carolina already.

opening and closing doors

2008-06-06T16:43:00.007-04:00

I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. When I send my resume to potential employers and don't hear back from them, all I can do is tell myself that it wasn't meant to be. I rely on external forces so that I don't have to be the one to make a decision. So when doors are opened and remain open and it's up me to make a decision, I kinda freak out. I went up to DC to look at apartments this week and after looking at two that were definitely not what I was looking for, I found one that I love! It's a cute row house on a quiet street near downtown. It's basically what I imagine when I think about apartment living. I found out today that I can live there... all I have to do is say yes. That three letter word means so many things. If I say yes, I'll move to DC sometime in the next couple weeks, which is definitely something I want to do. But then I think, well what if there is something better, what if I'm not on the right track, what if I really shouldn't move to DC? I could keep thinking about the what ifs or I could say yes. And move. To a city. Which is what I've wanted to do for basically all of college. But saying yes closes alot of doors. It closes doors to jobs outside of DC. It closes doors to other living situations. It closes (hopefully temporarily) the North Carolina chapter of my life. I'm going to follow the 24-hour rule and sleep on it.

Reasons to move:

1. Culture!!!

2. Georgetown is gorgeous! I think I will always
want to live near a college campus.

3. Who doesn't love IKEA!?!?

transitioning

2008-05-26T16:07:00.001-04:00

I always do the things I say I never will. This has become the theme of my life. Here's my list so far...

1. I said I would never be an RA... I started working for housing the summer after sophomore year and stayed involved until graduation. I met some of my best friends while I was an RA and wouldn't trade those experiences for anything.

2. I said I wanted to move to a big city, but not Washington DC... I had an interview with a non-profit in DC a couple weeks ago and am currently looking for an apartment in the downtown area (if you know anyone who needs a roommate, let me know!). The more I read about the city, the more I feel like it is the best place for me to start the next chapter of my life.

3. I said I would never move back home... I'm writing this from home. This is just another reminder that things don't always happen how I think they will. But the good thing is that the end result is usually so much better than I could ever imagine. I'm excited to see what will happen next!