Hello, Monday morning! So far, the day is starting out with rain and more rain. Just the opposite of this weekend.
Friday night, Matt surprised me and got home early. The coaches cancelled the 7 PM-9 PM practice, so Matt was home by 7, a good 4 hours earlier than any other day last week. We grabbed dinner at a Mexican restaurant after wandering around for about an hour. Mexican is always our go to and we decided to try a new place this time. We were sorely disappointed for a number of reasons. First, if we wanted to sit outside on the patio, we had to have cash. A cash-only patio??? But don't worry - they had an ATM inside. So, we just settled with eating inside because who carries cash around anymore?? At this point, we should have known things were going to get weird.
Second, the waitress was just odd. After I ordered, apparently I did not give her the menu back quick enough because she yelled at me to give it back to her. Do people often steal the menus there or did I just look like I was going to skip out with it? Because I think she was convinced I was not going to give it back to her. Then, moments later, she brings out two small cups of something. Initially, I thought it was the red sauce that they put on your enchilladas and she was just bringing it out to us so we could put it on our meals. But then she said "soup on the house." Matt and I looked at each other, looked around the restaurant and noticed that nobody else had a cup of "soup on the house." We examined the soup and it looked like spaghetti noodles in chef-boy-rd sauce. I am not sure what we were thinking, but we must have been starving, because we ate it anyway. Then we got paranoid that the waiters and waitresses were laughing at us because we actually ate the "soup." About 5 minutes later, we saw our waitress bring out the same thing to another couple. We couldn't decide if we should warn them or not. We decided if we were going down, we were going to bring others down with us. Classy, I know.
Third, the food took FOREVER to come out. No way is that typical service at a Mexican restaurant. Usually, you can't even get through the basket of chips before the food arrives. Not here. The two of us went through almost three basket of chips before the food got to us. So needless to say, we will NOT be going back there. We did wake up the next morning thankful that the "soup" didn't kill us.
Saturday was sunny and 78 degrees all day. So, I decided to make my way down to the beach for the day. Matt and Andy went into work to get a workout in and then do something with the ipads that the coaching staff got last week. Something about updating new software. So, they met me down there later in the afternoon. I did learn that I am QUEEN of the awkward sunburn. I put on suntan lotion three different times while I was down there. I was so proud of myself because I knew I was going to get a tan but without the burn. Long story short, I look like a lobster and I have band-aid tan lines on my feet. It looks really good.
But the beach made for some unbelievable people watching. I cannot even describe the sights out there. One involved an inappropriately PDA young couple down at the water. They looked like they were shooting a scene for a terribly cheesy music video. I believe at one point the girl went running through the "crashing waves" and jumped into her boyfriend's arms. True story.
That night, we ended up going out to one of our corner bars to watch the Gold Cup soccer game. Andy made friends with the pretty bar tender and kept buying her shots every time USA scored. After the second USA goal, the bar tended looked at us an told us that if Mexico scores, the kitchen would go crazy. Andy refused to order any kind of Mexican food on the menu then accidently proceeded to eat the jalapeno spread that was on his panini. When USA blew the game after being up 2-0, we took off to our other corner bar and things just got ugly from there. Great night :)
Sunday, Matt and I were hurting a little bit and even though it was a gorgeous day, we ended up on the couch for the entirety of it. For a couple of weeks, Andy had been trying to get us to watch True Blood on HBO. I am not normally into those types of shows. However, 9 episodes later, I have to admit, it is kind of addicting. A little graphic at times which is probably the reason why all of my dreams last night involved True Blood characters.
The only thing I wish we would have done yesterday was walk down to the Gay Pride parade that took place about 10 minutes from here. We saw people setting up for it on Friday night and I really wanted to check it out. However, the couch and True Blood was just too powerful for us after a night like Saturday. I really believe we missed out on something unbelievable though. I WILL be there next year.
Next weekend: Food Festival downtown!
I hope everyone had a great weekend! Its that time of day again for me to get back on the job search. Fingers crossed!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Retail Therapy - Most Underrated Therapy That There Is
I was definitely spoiled this past weekend. Matt was off work all weekend so we spent Saturday and Sunday just enjoying each other's company. He did kind of owe it to me since I spent Friday night at the office with him addressing 100 envelopes to recruits. Apparently, not only does Matt have terrible handwriting but so does the Director of Operations. So, I volunteered my services since my only other option was to back to the apartment alone while Matt finished stuff up for team camp. On top of that, we didn't get to eat dinner until after 9:00 PM because of the office work we were doing. So, when I say he owed it to me, I think I made my point.
Saturday he did go into the office just to switch stuff from one server to another. Apparently with everything he had running it was going to take 3 hours. I know he told me exactly what he was doing, but when he starts talking video technology I stop listening. So, he came back to the apartment and we grabbed some lunch. Brandon Rozzell was in town earlier in the week doing workouts with some big-time trainer up here (former VCU player). He is trying to get a contract to play overseas and was here getting some extra workouts in. He had to leave on Saturday, so Matt and I drove him to the airport. I know people warned me about traffic, but I think its kind of like the winters here - people can warn you, but you are still never really prepared. O'Hare is 13 miles away. It took us an hour and half to get there and back. BRUTAL.
We eased our pain though when we went to the strength and conditioning coach's apartment for a cookout. "Apartment" does not do this place justice. It was the most gorgeous apartment I have ever seen. It was obscene. I knew we were in for a treat when Mac greeted us at the door and told us to take our shoes off. I felt out of place in my Target shirt and flipflops. His wife just had a baby boy named Cole. Unfortunately, he was born 7 weeks early and had to spend the first 20 days of his life in the hospital. He is back home now and is doing great. But, it really puts things in perspective. Amanda, Ciara, and Devon - I am sure you are all so thankful for such healthy babies. I couldn't stop thinking about all of you and the little ones when I was looking at baby Cole. I even felt blessed that all of your babies are so healthy.
On Sunday, we walked dow to the beach since Matt had not seen it yet. We live 30 minutes away from beach (walking) and he STILL had not been down there. I mean, I know he has a job and everything, but still... ; )
We almost got trampled a couple of times by people biking, but we survived. I will tell you what - there was some SERIOUS inspiration down there at the beach. I am not talking about people in bathing suits. I am talking about the runners. At one point I looked at Matt and said "that is why I run - because if people like that can run, then there is NO reason why I should be complaining about a 40 minute run." Now, I know that sounds bad, but work with me here. Don't you have those moments when you are running and you just want to quit and call it a day. I always think about those people who are not necessarily in the best shape but they don't quit - its impressive. That's all I am saying here.
That afternoon we finally did our first BIG grocery shopping trip. You should all know that we have an adult refrigerator now. It actually has food in it. And not just food - food to make MEALS from. I even cooked two nights last week! I really do like cooking, but if Matt's getting off work at 9, KITCHEN IS CLOSED. Thanks for that saying, Mom :) So the other couple of nights, I met him at his office for dinner. Have I already mentioned that the food here is AMAZING??
As far as the job search goes, I feel like I am making some progress! I met with a woman from a consulting company that works strictly with non-profits. It is kind of like a head-hunting firm. She was really great and assured me that I would not have a problem finding a job. I wish people would stop saying that and just hire me already. That just makes the most sense to me...
I spoke with a woman today at DePaul about some part time work the admissions office there. While the position itself will never be full-time, she did say that I can apply for any full time positions that open up and I will have a leg up at that point. I would work anywhere from 20-25 hours a week at $23-27 dollars and hour. I did the math. I would make a more a month working PART TIME at DePaul then I did working FULL TIME at R-MC. And that is working only 20 hours a week at $23 dollars an hour. I feel like the admissions office gets taken for granted a little bit at R-MC. I think someone should present those numbers to President Lindgren. That's just insane. Its not like I would be making a fortune at DePaul, but it would sure feel that way after what I made at R-MC. Now, I know I have rent and other things to pay for now that I am on my own, but I could try and find other part-time job for the days I am not working at the admissions office. So, please keep fingers crossed!
Now, all of this just happened about an hour ago. Before that, I was having a rough couple of days. I have been very frustrated with the job search. I know its a long process and I wasn't expecting to find a job immediately. But, it has been tough spending hours in the apartment alone staring at a computer hoping to find a job. I feel helpless because I know that if some one would give me a chance, I would show them that regardless of experience, I would get the job done. So today, I decided I was going to get out of the apartment. I decided to take a trip downtown and walk around. I finally made it to Millennium Park which was gorgeous! More importantly, I found the "cheaper" shopping strip.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, Michigan Ave is full of stores whose names I cannot pronounce. However, go down State Street and its Hello, discount shopping! I do not do a lot of shopping. Every couple of months, I will go on a "shopping spree" (around $100 - CRAZY, right??). And today, I was just feeling it. For those of you who don't know, I am not an emotional eater. I am an emotional shopper. Now I know that an emotional shopper is more expensive, but at least I can fit into the clothes I buy. I am not knocking emotional eaters by any means. Because lets me honest - I eat my face off regardless of emotions and I used to be one until I found retail therapy. A-MAZ-ING.
Highlight of the trip: Found a Steve Madden store. The heels I bought were originally $72 on sale for $43. Um, Yes, please. If I wasn't convinced right away, the very friendly fellow behind the cash register told me how good I looked in them. This was not a Jeremy situation. This guy probably dates a Jeremy. Regardless, I want him with me whenever I go shopping so he can tell me how fabulous I look.
H&M was just up the street, so I ducked in there. Amazingly, so many things would match PERFECTLY with my new shoes. And did you know you can get things there for $7? So, as always, my philosophy stands: buy the shoes THEN the clothes to match them. Because at the end of the day, at least you have the great shoes. Carr
Now, it is time to get my workout in for the day. Jillian Michaels is calling my name and she is going to kick my butt. I hope everyone is doing well! R-MC Admissions - I heard you all survived the move even thought it didn't go quite as smoothly as you hoped! I hope you all like you new offices :)
I miss you all and hope everyone is having a great week. Please keep me updated with YOUR lives. As always, please keep your fingers crossed for me in terms of jobs! Love you all.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
The Rest of the Pictures! Thanks, Mom
DePaul University
Mom sent me a CD with about 65 pictures on there. I just need to organize them and put the rest up! But just wanted to give you all on idea of the campus first!
Cell Phone Pet Names
Ok - so I broke my promise. I know I am supposed to put pictures up before my next post. But the DVD Mom has sent me to upload all the pictures she took on her trip here have not made it here yet. I am crossing my fingers that it comes in the mail today! If it does, I will upload them all ASAP. What might have been easier would have been for me to go to the Best Buy up the street and buy a cord for my camera. Or even to make my own CD at Wal-greens. That last idea just came to me...next time though!
I know its been about a week since my last post and I wish I had some exciting news to tell you all! However, about 3 days last week were rainy and cold which meant I was confined to the apartment job searching. I did venture out for a Father's Day gift - I figured I could suck it up in the rain for my dad. He deserves it.
I have also been MIA because on Wednesday, my phone completely died. Matt and I were at dinner and my phone started vibrating and then just cut off. It never turned back on, even when it was charging. Now, I am not sure how many of you have seen my phone. For those of you who have, you are probably not surprised. Court and I have the phones that you get for free when you renew your contract. So naturally, the phone is top-notch. Mom and Dad even have the upgraded version of ours. No offense Mom and Dad. So, needless to say, I was not surprised. This is ALSO the same phone that last year I dropped downtown, fell into three different pieces, and I watched as the battery bounced around before falling down into a the city drain. True story.
I found the nearest Verizon store which was 2.7 miles away on Clark Street. I tell you the name of this street because it was NOT on Clark Street, which caused me to walk over 3 miles trying to find it. I eventually got so far down Clark Street that I was downtown. I decided it might be time to turn around, take the Red Line back to the apartment and check my computer again for the address. Yes, Mom - I left the apartment with no address in hand. I knew it was on Clark (or so google maps said..) so I just decided to head down Clark and when I got close to 2.5 miles, I started looking. That's how I roll.
I FINALLY turned around and right when I got to the Red Line stop at Clark/Division, I happened to look down the street on Division. Sure enough, there was the Verizon store. What the heck? It wasn't even on the corner of Clark and Division. It was purely on Division. I wish google was like Wikapedia where I could correct someone's mistakes because clearly someone was misinformed. I feel like I would have been better of with my TomTom. And that's a bold statement considering my TomTom likes to send me in circles and into dicey places before getting me to my destination.
The guy at Verizon was helpful but kept calling me "Sweetie". I am pretty sure I was older than him, so it just got awkward. The other guy was talking to me about Chick-fil-a opening up in Chicago. Fun Fact: They just opened the FIRST Chick-fil-a in Chicago. Nobody fully knows what's about to hit them. People are going to lose their minds when they try their milkshakes. So anyway, the other guy couldn't stop talking to me about Chick-fil-a and I was having a hard time faking being interested. I wanted to other guy to fix my phone without calling me pet names and for this other guy to find something else to do.
Finally, "Sweetie" told me that I had to claim insurance on it since it was completely dead. I asked about our upgrade. He said "That's the first thing I looked for, hun." Ummmm, excuse me? Matt doesn't even call me that, but apparently this "professional" thinks its appropriate...When I go back to eventually upgrade my phone, I will NOT be asking for Jeremy. Well, maybe if he can get me a better discount...
So, I had to get a new phone overnighted. I was told it would be there "tomorrow at some point". When I went online to track it, the directions told me that deliveries come any time between 9 am and 7 pm (could be later for residential deliveries). If I was not going to be around, I could leave directions for the UPS guy to leave it with a neighbor or place it in a "safe place." The problem is that you need a key to even get into the building and I am assuming that the bushes outside of our building did not constitute a "safe place." So, once again, I was confined to the apartment. Unfortunately it was a gorgeous day yesterday...but I killed some time cleaning, doing laundry and job searching. Finally, at 3:30, UPS showed up phone in hand. I was still in my PJ's at this point, because where else could I go?
As soon as the UPS guy came and went and I activiated my phone, I couldn't get out of my apartment fast enough. I headed to the beach just to sit in the park by the water. I checked the weather before I left because I had NO concept of what it was like outside. It SAID 78. It did NOT say that down on the beach it would feel more like 65. I was dressed inappropriately for that kind of weather. I walked 30 minutes to the beach only to walk back 20 minutes later. I even had a jacket with me. And by jacket I mean a light-weight black zip-up.
I spent the rest of the day at the office with Matt and Andy (director of operations). They have team camp on Monday and Tuesday so they have been working like crazy this past 2 days and will be all weekend. It was just like being back at VCU, so I was fine with it. Today, I think I am going to head down to the beach again, but actually take advantage of it since it won't be 4:00 by the time I get down there! Tomorrow - Cubs and Yankees game!!! Yankees are in town for the first time since like 2003 or something crazy like that. I HATE the Yankees. The only good thing about the Yankees is that there is a chance Cameron Diaz might be there.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! Like I said, as soon as mom's CD gets here, all those pictures will be uploaded here. I do have to admit, its been a long week. I miss everyone like crazy and it all caught up to me when I was confined to the apartment with no cell phone. But, I just hope it gets a little easier each day. I love you all and enjoy your weekend.
I know its been about a week since my last post and I wish I had some exciting news to tell you all! However, about 3 days last week were rainy and cold which meant I was confined to the apartment job searching. I did venture out for a Father's Day gift - I figured I could suck it up in the rain for my dad. He deserves it.
I have also been MIA because on Wednesday, my phone completely died. Matt and I were at dinner and my phone started vibrating and then just cut off. It never turned back on, even when it was charging. Now, I am not sure how many of you have seen my phone. For those of you who have, you are probably not surprised. Court and I have the phones that you get for free when you renew your contract. So naturally, the phone is top-notch. Mom and Dad even have the upgraded version of ours. No offense Mom and Dad. So, needless to say, I was not surprised. This is ALSO the same phone that last year I dropped downtown, fell into three different pieces, and I watched as the battery bounced around before falling down into a the city drain. True story.
I found the nearest Verizon store which was 2.7 miles away on Clark Street. I tell you the name of this street because it was NOT on Clark Street, which caused me to walk over 3 miles trying to find it. I eventually got so far down Clark Street that I was downtown. I decided it might be time to turn around, take the Red Line back to the apartment and check my computer again for the address. Yes, Mom - I left the apartment with no address in hand. I knew it was on Clark (or so google maps said..) so I just decided to head down Clark and when I got close to 2.5 miles, I started looking. That's how I roll.
I FINALLY turned around and right when I got to the Red Line stop at Clark/Division, I happened to look down the street on Division. Sure enough, there was the Verizon store. What the heck? It wasn't even on the corner of Clark and Division. It was purely on Division. I wish google was like Wikapedia where I could correct someone's mistakes because clearly someone was misinformed. I feel like I would have been better of with my TomTom. And that's a bold statement considering my TomTom likes to send me in circles and into dicey places before getting me to my destination.
The guy at Verizon was helpful but kept calling me "Sweetie". I am pretty sure I was older than him, so it just got awkward. The other guy was talking to me about Chick-fil-a opening up in Chicago. Fun Fact: They just opened the FIRST Chick-fil-a in Chicago. Nobody fully knows what's about to hit them. People are going to lose their minds when they try their milkshakes. So anyway, the other guy couldn't stop talking to me about Chick-fil-a and I was having a hard time faking being interested. I wanted to other guy to fix my phone without calling me pet names and for this other guy to find something else to do.
Finally, "Sweetie" told me that I had to claim insurance on it since it was completely dead. I asked about our upgrade. He said "That's the first thing I looked for, hun." Ummmm, excuse me? Matt doesn't even call me that, but apparently this "professional" thinks its appropriate...When I go back to eventually upgrade my phone, I will NOT be asking for Jeremy. Well, maybe if he can get me a better discount...
So, I had to get a new phone overnighted. I was told it would be there "tomorrow at some point". When I went online to track it, the directions told me that deliveries come any time between 9 am and 7 pm (could be later for residential deliveries). If I was not going to be around, I could leave directions for the UPS guy to leave it with a neighbor or place it in a "safe place." The problem is that you need a key to even get into the building and I am assuming that the bushes outside of our building did not constitute a "safe place." So, once again, I was confined to the apartment. Unfortunately it was a gorgeous day yesterday...but I killed some time cleaning, doing laundry and job searching. Finally, at 3:30, UPS showed up phone in hand. I was still in my PJ's at this point, because where else could I go?
As soon as the UPS guy came and went and I activiated my phone, I couldn't get out of my apartment fast enough. I headed to the beach just to sit in the park by the water. I checked the weather before I left because I had NO concept of what it was like outside. It SAID 78. It did NOT say that down on the beach it would feel more like 65. I was dressed inappropriately for that kind of weather. I walked 30 minutes to the beach only to walk back 20 minutes later. I even had a jacket with me. And by jacket I mean a light-weight black zip-up.
I spent the rest of the day at the office with Matt and Andy (director of operations). They have team camp on Monday and Tuesday so they have been working like crazy this past 2 days and will be all weekend. It was just like being back at VCU, so I was fine with it. Today, I think I am going to head down to the beach again, but actually take advantage of it since it won't be 4:00 by the time I get down there! Tomorrow - Cubs and Yankees game!!! Yankees are in town for the first time since like 2003 or something crazy like that. I HATE the Yankees. The only good thing about the Yankees is that there is a chance Cameron Diaz might be there.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! Like I said, as soon as mom's CD gets here, all those pictures will be uploaded here. I do have to admit, its been a long week. I miss everyone like crazy and it all caught up to me when I was confined to the apartment with no cell phone. But, I just hope it gets a little easier each day. I love you all and enjoy your weekend.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Next post: PICTURES!! I promise!
Just wanted to let everyone know that my next post (after this short one, obviously) will be dedicated to pictures :) I am having mom upload some of the pictures she took while she was here on her visit and then I will upload the rest from Matt's computer. Keep your eyes out for those!
I hope everyone had a great weekend! It was rainy and cool all day Saturday so that led to a day on the couch watching movies with Matt. A surprisingly funny movie: Just Go With It (Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler). Definitely worth it on RedBox.
Now onto more job searching. I had a phone interview this morning for a job right here in Lincoln Park and I will find out on Friday if I will be going forward to the second round of interviews. Please please please keep your fingers crossed for me with this one. I will keep you all updated! Sorry I don't have more to post about. We didn't really get a chance to explore Chicago this weekend since it was pretty nasty weather. My goal for this week is to make it to the Art Institute of Chicago. I know once I do eventually find a job, I won't have as much time to explore. So, after spending the mornings doing job stuff, my plan for this week is to venture out! Wish me luck.
I hope everyone had a great weekend! It was rainy and cool all day Saturday so that led to a day on the couch watching movies with Matt. A surprisingly funny movie: Just Go With It (Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler). Definitely worth it on RedBox.
Now onto more job searching. I had a phone interview this morning for a job right here in Lincoln Park and I will find out on Friday if I will be going forward to the second round of interviews. Please please please keep your fingers crossed for me with this one. I will keep you all updated! Sorry I don't have more to post about. We didn't really get a chance to explore Chicago this weekend since it was pretty nasty weather. My goal for this week is to make it to the Art Institute of Chicago. I know once I do eventually find a job, I won't have as much time to explore. So, after spending the mornings doing job stuff, my plan for this week is to venture out! Wish me luck.
Friday, June 10, 2011
My Mac Hates Me
I hate my computer.
This post actually started out with a "good morning" the first 4 times I started posting. Yes, 4 times. My computer is less than 4 years old but apparently it can no longer hold a charge without the charger being plugged in. And I have knocked the charger out of place 4 times this morning, shutting down the computer 4 times. Who makes a charger than is magnetic and not a plug-in????? Even better, it did it to me three times yesterday while I was filling out job applications online. Awesome. So, happy freakin Friday.
Now I am trying to collect myself so I can rewrite the post without banging on the keys. Deep breath.
Ok, so since the discovery of the Chi-town beaches, Mom and I did some more exploring. On Wednesday, we ventured into downtown which is only about 3 "El" stops away. The nice thing about where we live is that we don't need to go into the city, but if we want to, its a 10 minute El ride. But it feels like a world away. When we exited the El, the city just hit us. Ten minutes earlier, we were in our peaceful neighborhood, admiring the skyline from a distance. Before we knew it, we were in the heart of downtown and it was amazing. The city itself is breathtaking. Chicago is like no other city I have been to. The streets are wide, the river is clean and the people are very friendly.
Our first stop was the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Ave. Its a mile worth of shopping where all the stores are at least two levels. A shopper's heaven. Needless to say, not my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong - the street was unbelievable. My sister would lose her mind there. I will suck it up when she comes to visit and we will spend an afternoon there. I will admit I was pumped to see a Payless shoe store and the Nike store on the street. I was surprised to see these two stores since the majority of the other stores I did not even recognize. All that means is that they are out of my price range. I am sure they were designer names. But if its not Target brand, Nike brand or Khol's brand, chances are I
1) can't afford it
2) couldn't tell you who the designer is.
So, we headed away from the shopping towards Navy Pier. Its a large tourist attraction right off one of the Chicago beaches and very family friendly. I mean, what screams family-friendly more than a giant ferris wheel? Some of you may know about my fear of heights, but for some reason I decided it would be OK to hope on board. I know mom really wanted to ride it so that she could get some pictures of the city, so I sucked it up and got on. Plus, I saw a family with 2 little girls get off ride before we got on. I figured, if those two could handle it, so could I, a 24-year old adult. I was wrong. I was sweating I was so stressed out. Next time I want to see a city from a bird's eye view, I will buy a post card.
Mom did some more exploring downtown on Thursday while I hung back to do some job searching. There are a lot of job openings here, but I have yet to find a company that is impressed with my dazzling resume. You mean people don't want to hire someone with three different jobs in three years? And by "jobs" I mean one professional job and two internships. Shocking. But, I am trying to stay positive and keep plugging at it. I know its a process, but it doesn't make it any easier. So, please keep your fingers crossed for me and maybe say a prayer or two here and there.
I will leave you with this before I head out with Mom on her last day here. This goes out to all the people who have been following the NBA Finals. Matt woke up to this Tweet this morning:
"I gave LeBron a dollar bill the other day and asked for change. He gave me 75 cents back and said 'sorry, I don't have a fourth quarter."
Even if you are pulling for LeBron and the Heat, that's HILARIOUS. Triple-double means nothing if you lose.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! I miss you all but Chi-town is treating us well :)
This post actually started out with a "good morning" the first 4 times I started posting. Yes, 4 times. My computer is less than 4 years old but apparently it can no longer hold a charge without the charger being plugged in. And I have knocked the charger out of place 4 times this morning, shutting down the computer 4 times. Who makes a charger than is magnetic and not a plug-in????? Even better, it did it to me three times yesterday while I was filling out job applications online. Awesome. So, happy freakin Friday.
Now I am trying to collect myself so I can rewrite the post without banging on the keys. Deep breath.
Ok, so since the discovery of the Chi-town beaches, Mom and I did some more exploring. On Wednesday, we ventured into downtown which is only about 3 "El" stops away. The nice thing about where we live is that we don't need to go into the city, but if we want to, its a 10 minute El ride. But it feels like a world away. When we exited the El, the city just hit us. Ten minutes earlier, we were in our peaceful neighborhood, admiring the skyline from a distance. Before we knew it, we were in the heart of downtown and it was amazing. The city itself is breathtaking. Chicago is like no other city I have been to. The streets are wide, the river is clean and the people are very friendly.
Our first stop was the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Ave. Its a mile worth of shopping where all the stores are at least two levels. A shopper's heaven. Needless to say, not my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong - the street was unbelievable. My sister would lose her mind there. I will suck it up when she comes to visit and we will spend an afternoon there. I will admit I was pumped to see a Payless shoe store and the Nike store on the street. I was surprised to see these two stores since the majority of the other stores I did not even recognize. All that means is that they are out of my price range. I am sure they were designer names. But if its not Target brand, Nike brand or Khol's brand, chances are I
1) can't afford it
2) couldn't tell you who the designer is.
So, we headed away from the shopping towards Navy Pier. Its a large tourist attraction right off one of the Chicago beaches and very family friendly. I mean, what screams family-friendly more than a giant ferris wheel? Some of you may know about my fear of heights, but for some reason I decided it would be OK to hope on board. I know mom really wanted to ride it so that she could get some pictures of the city, so I sucked it up and got on. Plus, I saw a family with 2 little girls get off ride before we got on. I figured, if those two could handle it, so could I, a 24-year old adult. I was wrong. I was sweating I was so stressed out. Next time I want to see a city from a bird's eye view, I will buy a post card.
Mom did some more exploring downtown on Thursday while I hung back to do some job searching. There are a lot of job openings here, but I have yet to find a company that is impressed with my dazzling resume. You mean people don't want to hire someone with three different jobs in three years? And by "jobs" I mean one professional job and two internships. Shocking. But, I am trying to stay positive and keep plugging at it. I know its a process, but it doesn't make it any easier. So, please keep your fingers crossed for me and maybe say a prayer or two here and there.
I will leave you with this before I head out with Mom on her last day here. This goes out to all the people who have been following the NBA Finals. Matt woke up to this Tweet this morning:
"I gave LeBron a dollar bill the other day and asked for change. He gave me 75 cents back and said 'sorry, I don't have a fourth quarter."
Even if you are pulling for LeBron and the Heat, that's HILARIOUS. Triple-double means nothing if you lose.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! I miss you all but Chi-town is treating us well :)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Chicago has a beach?!?!?!
Well, we made it safely to Chicago!!! It took us right around 13 hours, but we broke it up into two days. The first day, mom and I drove to Pittsburgh and stopped in to stay with her friend from college. Jane was great as she opened her home to us for the night. After a delicious home-cooked meal, we spent the evening with her family on the back porch - very low key night which was perfect since the drive the next day was a long 8 hour one.
We headed out on Sunday at 7:45 AM. I am my father's daughter - no point in hanging around the next morning when you have an 8 hour drive ahead of you. I just wanted to get up and get on the road. I know mom would have liked to stay a little bit longer, but the NBA Finals are going on. I NEEDED to get there by 7:00 CT to make sure I caught the game. So, we hit the road nice and early. I am not sure if Mom knows that's the reason why I wanted to leave so early...
It was only when we were pulling out of the driveway that we looked closely at the directions and noticed we had a daunting drive ahead of us. 385 miles on ONE turnpike. Ouch. The remaining drive in Pennsylvania was easy. Ohio was another story. We hit NO traffic on the turnpike which was a blessing, but every 30 miles or so we ran into construction zones. Since it was a Sunday, there was not construction actually taking place but did you know that the speed limit goes from 70 mph to 50 mph when you are in a construction zone? And did you know you still had to follow that even when construction workers are not out there? Talk about a buzzkill in the trip.
And Morgan (my friend from VCU), you know I love you but driving through Ohio is boring. I can't believe you do it so often to go home! You are a trooper. Indiana doesn't look much different from Ohio either. Both made for a GORGEOUS drive, but very flat. And for as much farm land as we saw, we could never quite figure out what people grow out there. Ciara? Morgan? Tamara? Can you answer this for me?
I knew we were getting close to Chicago when I SMELLED Gary, Indiana before we drove through it. My friend Ciara, who grew up in Indiana, had warned me about Gary, Indiana. So, before the trip, I decided to do some deep research (thank you, Wikapedia) into the town. Not such a great town. Its a fascinating story how it went from a leading industrial town to almost a completely run down city. If you're into that kind of stuff. Which apparently I am. A lot of the factories are still working and still have a very distinct smell. I could smell the town from a mile away. No worries though - I made sure we had plenty of gas so that we did not have to stop in Gary.
We did have one scare on the drive up. We were literally 4 miles away from our exit and about 10 miles from the apartment when we started hearing a thumping sound. A LOUD thumping sound. Mom and I had the same thought: flat tire. All I could think was "you've got to be kidding me - we get this far and we get a flat tire on the turnpike??". After taking a couple years off of both of our lives, mom and I figured out that it was NOT a flat tire, but the L passing by us. I swear to you - it did not sound like a train. Matt and I live 8 minutes (walking) from the L and I have never heard it make a sound like that. But, all in all, we survived the drive and my little Hyundai did a hell of a job for her first long trip.
We have spent the past couple of days putting the final touches on the apartment. I wish I could tell you that we have gotten everything together, but we still have a couple of days worth of work left. I like to think I am helping, but I will admit that I watched Matt put together the bookshelf last night and watched mom hang the curtains. I did make the bed this morning though. Pictures to follow when the apartment is all put together.
Today, Mom and I headed out to find the lake (Lake Michigan) which is right about a mile from our apartment. Not only did we find the lake, but we found the beach! That's right - Lake Michigan has beaches. Nicer beaches than Virginia Beach (but I am not sure if that really is a huge accomplishment). Neither of us planned to actually find the beach, so we were not in beachwear. However, since its 95 degree here today (no humidity - eat it, Richmond) we decided we wanted to test the water out. Holy freezing. Nothing prepared me for that temperature. And people were swimming in it. I couldn't get past my ankles before I wanted to run back on the sand and bury my feet in its hotness. We spent a few more minutes out there before heading back to the apartment. I think I found my new daily run route. I also found my place to spend every weekend in the summer.
The water is a beautiful blue and surprisingly clear. The most interesting part about the beach is that the downtown skyline is right there. Its like a backdrop to the beach. Its the most incredible thing I have ever seen. I promise I will put up pictures ASAP. Which means I need to find Matt's camera since I currently do not own one. Shocking.
For the rest of the day: We (and by we I mean mom because there is no way she is going to let me help with my lack of carpentry skills) are going to put together the last piece of furniture that is going in the apartment. Matt and I are then going to go for a run down to the beach since he hasn't seen it yet. Then, RED SOX vs Yankees tonight! Followed by the NBA Finals. I really think I would be okay if they were the only two sports shown on TV all year round. Two best times of year: May-June baseball with the NCAA Tournament/NBA playoffs and the World Series and the basketball season beginning Sorry, Betty Ann. Football just doesn't do it for me.
Before I get to work on watching Mom put together this thing together, I just wanted to leave you all with this: Chicago is home to the U.S. first serial killer. I know - kind of morbid, but his name was H.H. Holmes and he lived during the mid-late 1800s. He built what is known today as the "murder castle" in downtown Chicago. I stumbled across this little "fun fact" on cnn.com one day and couldn't look away. It was like a train wreck. The reason I bring this up is because I wanted to let my co-worker Katie know that, no, our apartment is NOT the murder castle. Our imaginations ran a little wild one day at work.
I really hope that by the next post I can have some pictures for you all. I promise I will attempt to look for Matt's camera. I hope all is well for everyone! Miss you all.
We headed out on Sunday at 7:45 AM. I am my father's daughter - no point in hanging around the next morning when you have an 8 hour drive ahead of you. I just wanted to get up and get on the road. I know mom would have liked to stay a little bit longer, but the NBA Finals are going on. I NEEDED to get there by 7:00 CT to make sure I caught the game. So, we hit the road nice and early. I am not sure if Mom knows that's the reason why I wanted to leave so early...
It was only when we were pulling out of the driveway that we looked closely at the directions and noticed we had a daunting drive ahead of us. 385 miles on ONE turnpike. Ouch. The remaining drive in Pennsylvania was easy. Ohio was another story. We hit NO traffic on the turnpike which was a blessing, but every 30 miles or so we ran into construction zones. Since it was a Sunday, there was not construction actually taking place but did you know that the speed limit goes from 70 mph to 50 mph when you are in a construction zone? And did you know you still had to follow that even when construction workers are not out there? Talk about a buzzkill in the trip.
And Morgan (my friend from VCU), you know I love you but driving through Ohio is boring. I can't believe you do it so often to go home! You are a trooper. Indiana doesn't look much different from Ohio either. Both made for a GORGEOUS drive, but very flat. And for as much farm land as we saw, we could never quite figure out what people grow out there. Ciara? Morgan? Tamara? Can you answer this for me?
I knew we were getting close to Chicago when I SMELLED Gary, Indiana before we drove through it. My friend Ciara, who grew up in Indiana, had warned me about Gary, Indiana. So, before the trip, I decided to do some deep research (thank you, Wikapedia) into the town. Not such a great town. Its a fascinating story how it went from a leading industrial town to almost a completely run down city. If you're into that kind of stuff. Which apparently I am. A lot of the factories are still working and still have a very distinct smell. I could smell the town from a mile away. No worries though - I made sure we had plenty of gas so that we did not have to stop in Gary.
We did have one scare on the drive up. We were literally 4 miles away from our exit and about 10 miles from the apartment when we started hearing a thumping sound. A LOUD thumping sound. Mom and I had the same thought: flat tire. All I could think was "you've got to be kidding me - we get this far and we get a flat tire on the turnpike??". After taking a couple years off of both of our lives, mom and I figured out that it was NOT a flat tire, but the L passing by us. I swear to you - it did not sound like a train. Matt and I live 8 minutes (walking) from the L and I have never heard it make a sound like that. But, all in all, we survived the drive and my little Hyundai did a hell of a job for her first long trip.
We have spent the past couple of days putting the final touches on the apartment. I wish I could tell you that we have gotten everything together, but we still have a couple of days worth of work left. I like to think I am helping, but I will admit that I watched Matt put together the bookshelf last night and watched mom hang the curtains. I did make the bed this morning though. Pictures to follow when the apartment is all put together.
Today, Mom and I headed out to find the lake (Lake Michigan) which is right about a mile from our apartment. Not only did we find the lake, but we found the beach! That's right - Lake Michigan has beaches. Nicer beaches than Virginia Beach (but I am not sure if that really is a huge accomplishment). Neither of us planned to actually find the beach, so we were not in beachwear. However, since its 95 degree here today (no humidity - eat it, Richmond) we decided we wanted to test the water out. Holy freezing. Nothing prepared me for that temperature. And people were swimming in it. I couldn't get past my ankles before I wanted to run back on the sand and bury my feet in its hotness. We spent a few more minutes out there before heading back to the apartment. I think I found my new daily run route. I also found my place to spend every weekend in the summer.
The water is a beautiful blue and surprisingly clear. The most interesting part about the beach is that the downtown skyline is right there. Its like a backdrop to the beach. Its the most incredible thing I have ever seen. I promise I will put up pictures ASAP. Which means I need to find Matt's camera since I currently do not own one. Shocking.
For the rest of the day: We (and by we I mean mom because there is no way she is going to let me help with my lack of carpentry skills) are going to put together the last piece of furniture that is going in the apartment. Matt and I are then going to go for a run down to the beach since he hasn't seen it yet. Then, RED SOX vs Yankees tonight! Followed by the NBA Finals. I really think I would be okay if they were the only two sports shown on TV all year round. Two best times of year: May-June baseball with the NCAA Tournament/NBA playoffs and the World Series and the basketball season beginning Sorry, Betty Ann. Football just doesn't do it for me.
Before I get to work on watching Mom put together this thing together, I just wanted to leave you all with this: Chicago is home to the U.S. first serial killer. I know - kind of morbid, but his name was H.H. Holmes and he lived during the mid-late 1800s. He built what is known today as the "murder castle" in downtown Chicago. I stumbled across this little "fun fact" on cnn.com one day and couldn't look away. It was like a train wreck. The reason I bring this up is because I wanted to let my co-worker Katie know that, no, our apartment is NOT the murder castle. Our imaginations ran a little wild one day at work.
I really hope that by the next post I can have some pictures for you all. I promise I will attempt to look for Matt's camera. I hope all is well for everyone! Miss you all.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Cupcakes and Air Mattresses
I never considered myself a blogger. I never really thought I had something that was so important or interesting enough that I should share it with the Internet world. Honestly, those who know me know that I am going to tell you the story 10 different times anyway, so why put it on the Internet? But, I decided that as I make my move to Chicago, things are bound to get interesting. I know for a fact my own mother is terrified at the thought of me living on my own. She is probably more worried for Matt's sake.
I do want to preface that for those of you who follow my sister's blog, you might be thoroughly disappointed in this one. My sister's blog in simply unbelievable. I want her to turn it into a book. Its extremely powerful - she shares her story of trying to change lives one student at time. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it will make you thankful that you are not a teacher where she is. But most importantly, its inspiring. Mine is probably none of the above. I am okay with that. I am not creating this blog to blow people's minds like Courtney's story does. Hopefully mine can just bring a smile to someone's face after a rough day. I just want to be able to share my (mis)adventures with the people that have been there for my other (mis)adventures throughout the years.
The moment I decided that I should go ahead with this blog was about two weeks ago when I went up to Chicago for a week to visit Matt, see the new place, get familiar with neighborhood, etc. The moving company had come to Matt's apartment in Richmond two days before to pick up all of our belongings. We were told that the moving company would be in Chicago anywhere between May 19 and May 31. As soon as they told us that I KNEW we were not going to be getting our stuff while I was there (May 18-24). That is just the kind of luck I have. Sure enough, I was in Chicago for 6 days sleeping on an air mattress in an empty apartment. We could hear the echo in the apartment as we turned the key to unlock our apartment, that's how empty it was.
So, it was then that I knew this was going to be one crazy ride. If that's how its starts out, then there is no question in my mind that future hilarity is going to ensue.
Other than spending a week in an empty apartment, the rest of the week was amazing. For those of you who are familiar with Richmond, in terms of downtown Chicago, our place is like living in the fan. We are three miles from downtown Chicago and you can see the skyline from one of the streets by our place. However, the best part is that its like being in the GOOD parts of the fan ALL the time. We have three parks within walking distance from the apartment and most importantly for Matt, there is a Starbucks literally across the street from us. It doesn't matter to him that we just bought a brand new coffee maker. Starbucks or bust.
Most importantly for me, I found three cupcake shops all walking distance from the apartment as well. Dangerous. The last day I was there I got to live out one of my dreams and be a cupcake judge. Every time I watch cupcake wars I always wonder how in the world those judges got to be the test tasters and what I needed to do to become one. Are you kidding me? That's your job? To taste cupcakes? Sign me up. So, on the last day, I went to each cupcake shop and bought one cupcake from each place to taste. And to the surprise of Matt, I really did only taste. I have SOME will power. Something about eating 3 cupcakes in their entirety was not justified by my 2 hours walking around the neighborhood that morning.
The results? Sweet Mandy B's French Toast Cupcake took the cake (you see what I did there?)! Best part about Sweet Mandy B's: its an 8 minute walk and is home to over 30 other desserts. Particularly delicious was the peanut butter rice crispy treat that I sampled the day before. I left the remaining parts of the cupcakes for Matt to try, but he was not nearly as excited as I was. However, he did manage to finish all three of them after I twisted his arm about trying them. I'm just saying - don't argue with me about desserts. I am always right when it comes to finding the delicious ones.
What Matt and I both did agree on about the neighborhood was how awesome the bars are. There are two bars each two blocks from our apartment. One does not serve food. That means, you can order a pizza from the pizza place down the street and have them deliver it to the Wrightwood Tap. Since we had no TV the week I was there, we were "forced" to go to Wrightwood every night to either watch a baseball game or the playoffs. Tough life. We made friends with the bar tender one night because we were literally the only two people in there at one point. Apparently at 8:00 pm on a Saturday people are still out eating dinner. Win-win for us though - the bar tender hooked us up with free shots and a couple of free beers for being the first customers of the night. Could have been embarrassing had we cared, but the playoffs were starting and you DON'T come between us and our basketball.
I think the funniest things that happened while I was there involved two different trips to one of the parks down the street from us. On Friday, Matt had to go into the office for a couple of hours, so I went for a run before heading our to explore the neighborhood. It was a gorgeous day so I brought my Kindle to the park with the plan of reading for a couple of hours. While I was there, I met a couple of women who bring their dogs to the park every day for their doggie dates. They were all very friendly and when they found out I was from Virginia, they told me I was moving at the perfect time of year. Apparently the summers in Chicago are "magical." But, according to one woman, there are about 2 weeks in July that are just "unbearable." She said that it just gets so hot and humid and no one can stand it.
Those of you from Virginia, yes, you just read that correctly. Two weeks. I DID refrain from laughing out loud at the woman. I gently reminded her that I am moving from Virginia where the 90+ degree days start in May and don't end until early October. She wants to hear complaining about the weather, I'll give her complaining about the weather come December.
The other thing that was funny but confused the heck out of me was the sunbathing. One of the days I was there, the temperature reached about 72 degrees. Apparently people lose their minds when it hits 70 and think that it is sunbathing weather. I was walking around in pants and a sweatshirt and I walked by about 10 people sunbathing in the park. Excuse me? When I asked Andy, the director of operations for the DePaul team, about this, he told me that after I spend a winter here I too will be sunbathing in 72 degree weather. I think my mother will back me up on this one and tell him that regardless of how cold it gets there in the winter, I will NOT be putting on a bathing suit in 72 degree weather.
There is a chance I will not make it through the winter in Chicago. I just want to throw that out there.
So, that sums up my week in Chicago sans our stuff which sat on a moving van God-knows-where. Just to get you up to date, our stuff can two days after I left. Awesome.
Tomorrow I will pull out of my driveway to make the 13 hours drive with mom. We are breaking it up in two days so hopefully it will be more comfortable. But the hardest part is going to be that my dad is not making the trip with us. Something about having a job...so overrated. As many of you know, my dad and I have a very close relationship - most people can see this from just one interaction. So, having to drive away with him standing in the driveway is going to be the hardest part about this move.
I have been truly blessed over the years with an unbelieveable group of family and friends. I am fortunate to have neighbors who are more like family than friends. Two best friends that I have known for 13 years. Teammates who I won't see for months, but the moment we all get together we can't stop laughing. Friends that I have made the past two years through VCU who have forever made an impact on me. A sister who has been my number one supporter without even knowing that she is MY hero. And a family who helped me become the woman that I am today. Even though I am starting this new chapter of my life very far from Glen Allen, I take with me the memories and stories of the past 24 years that have made me realize how much I have to be thankful for. Someone has, without a doubt, been looking down on me and has blessed me with the gift of friendship and love.
Next time I write it will be from my brand new (well, to me - its old as dirt) apartment in Chicago! I love you all and visitors are always welcome :)
I do want to preface that for those of you who follow my sister's blog, you might be thoroughly disappointed in this one. My sister's blog in simply unbelievable. I want her to turn it into a book. Its extremely powerful - she shares her story of trying to change lives one student at time. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it will make you thankful that you are not a teacher where she is. But most importantly, its inspiring. Mine is probably none of the above. I am okay with that. I am not creating this blog to blow people's minds like Courtney's story does. Hopefully mine can just bring a smile to someone's face after a rough day. I just want to be able to share my (mis)adventures with the people that have been there for my other (mis)adventures throughout the years.
The moment I decided that I should go ahead with this blog was about two weeks ago when I went up to Chicago for a week to visit Matt, see the new place, get familiar with neighborhood, etc. The moving company had come to Matt's apartment in Richmond two days before to pick up all of our belongings. We were told that the moving company would be in Chicago anywhere between May 19 and May 31. As soon as they told us that I KNEW we were not going to be getting our stuff while I was there (May 18-24). That is just the kind of luck I have. Sure enough, I was in Chicago for 6 days sleeping on an air mattress in an empty apartment. We could hear the echo in the apartment as we turned the key to unlock our apartment, that's how empty it was.
So, it was then that I knew this was going to be one crazy ride. If that's how its starts out, then there is no question in my mind that future hilarity is going to ensue.
Other than spending a week in an empty apartment, the rest of the week was amazing. For those of you who are familiar with Richmond, in terms of downtown Chicago, our place is like living in the fan. We are three miles from downtown Chicago and you can see the skyline from one of the streets by our place. However, the best part is that its like being in the GOOD parts of the fan ALL the time. We have three parks within walking distance from the apartment and most importantly for Matt, there is a Starbucks literally across the street from us. It doesn't matter to him that we just bought a brand new coffee maker. Starbucks or bust.
Most importantly for me, I found three cupcake shops all walking distance from the apartment as well. Dangerous. The last day I was there I got to live out one of my dreams and be a cupcake judge. Every time I watch cupcake wars I always wonder how in the world those judges got to be the test tasters and what I needed to do to become one. Are you kidding me? That's your job? To taste cupcakes? Sign me up. So, on the last day, I went to each cupcake shop and bought one cupcake from each place to taste. And to the surprise of Matt, I really did only taste. I have SOME will power. Something about eating 3 cupcakes in their entirety was not justified by my 2 hours walking around the neighborhood that morning.
The results? Sweet Mandy B's French Toast Cupcake took the cake (you see what I did there?)! Best part about Sweet Mandy B's: its an 8 minute walk and is home to over 30 other desserts. Particularly delicious was the peanut butter rice crispy treat that I sampled the day before. I left the remaining parts of the cupcakes for Matt to try, but he was not nearly as excited as I was. However, he did manage to finish all three of them after I twisted his arm about trying them. I'm just saying - don't argue with me about desserts. I am always right when it comes to finding the delicious ones.
What Matt and I both did agree on about the neighborhood was how awesome the bars are. There are two bars each two blocks from our apartment. One does not serve food. That means, you can order a pizza from the pizza place down the street and have them deliver it to the Wrightwood Tap. Since we had no TV the week I was there, we were "forced" to go to Wrightwood every night to either watch a baseball game or the playoffs. Tough life. We made friends with the bar tender one night because we were literally the only two people in there at one point. Apparently at 8:00 pm on a Saturday people are still out eating dinner. Win-win for us though - the bar tender hooked us up with free shots and a couple of free beers for being the first customers of the night. Could have been embarrassing had we cared, but the playoffs were starting and you DON'T come between us and our basketball.
I think the funniest things that happened while I was there involved two different trips to one of the parks down the street from us. On Friday, Matt had to go into the office for a couple of hours, so I went for a run before heading our to explore the neighborhood. It was a gorgeous day so I brought my Kindle to the park with the plan of reading for a couple of hours. While I was there, I met a couple of women who bring their dogs to the park every day for their doggie dates. They were all very friendly and when they found out I was from Virginia, they told me I was moving at the perfect time of year. Apparently the summers in Chicago are "magical." But, according to one woman, there are about 2 weeks in July that are just "unbearable." She said that it just gets so hot and humid and no one can stand it.
Those of you from Virginia, yes, you just read that correctly. Two weeks. I DID refrain from laughing out loud at the woman. I gently reminded her that I am moving from Virginia where the 90+ degree days start in May and don't end until early October. She wants to hear complaining about the weather, I'll give her complaining about the weather come December.
The other thing that was funny but confused the heck out of me was the sunbathing. One of the days I was there, the temperature reached about 72 degrees. Apparently people lose their minds when it hits 70 and think that it is sunbathing weather. I was walking around in pants and a sweatshirt and I walked by about 10 people sunbathing in the park. Excuse me? When I asked Andy, the director of operations for the DePaul team, about this, he told me that after I spend a winter here I too will be sunbathing in 72 degree weather. I think my mother will back me up on this one and tell him that regardless of how cold it gets there in the winter, I will NOT be putting on a bathing suit in 72 degree weather.
There is a chance I will not make it through the winter in Chicago. I just want to throw that out there.
So, that sums up my week in Chicago sans our stuff which sat on a moving van God-knows-where. Just to get you up to date, our stuff can two days after I left. Awesome.
Tomorrow I will pull out of my driveway to make the 13 hours drive with mom. We are breaking it up in two days so hopefully it will be more comfortable. But the hardest part is going to be that my dad is not making the trip with us. Something about having a job...so overrated. As many of you know, my dad and I have a very close relationship - most people can see this from just one interaction. So, having to drive away with him standing in the driveway is going to be the hardest part about this move.
I have been truly blessed over the years with an unbelieveable group of family and friends. I am fortunate to have neighbors who are more like family than friends. Two best friends that I have known for 13 years. Teammates who I won't see for months, but the moment we all get together we can't stop laughing. Friends that I have made the past two years through VCU who have forever made an impact on me. A sister who has been my number one supporter without even knowing that she is MY hero. And a family who helped me become the woman that I am today. Even though I am starting this new chapter of my life very far from Glen Allen, I take with me the memories and stories of the past 24 years that have made me realize how much I have to be thankful for. Someone has, without a doubt, been looking down on me and has blessed me with the gift of friendship and love.
Next time I write it will be from my brand new (well, to me - its old as dirt) apartment in Chicago! I love you all and visitors are always welcome :)
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