First Week

I left Colorado a week ago today! (almost exactly to the hour...weird). The road trip here will go down in history as one of the best trips of my life! We made it the first night to the last town in WY before the Utah border. We were so tired we passed out and then woke up bright and early and headed to Boise, ID. Along they way there was lots of singing in to water bottles and lots of giggles. Traveling with Erika has truly become one of the best things in my life. We have decided to make a trip together yearly.

We arrived in Boise and met up with a friend of ours we met on the plane when we flew to Florida together. Wow..what a night! Could possibly be the most fun night I have ever had! I'll spare the details...don't want to offend anyone or get Erika in trouble :) Let's just say I will never, ever forget that night!

Getting up the next day to finish off the drive was difficult to say the least. But we got on the road around 11 and passed into Oregon about 30 min later. We arrived into Hood River and went straight to my apartment! The very nice land lady was there and waiting for us and gave us the tour of the entire house.(it's a super old house that is broken up into 5 units) We unpacked my car (of course the day we arrive Oregon was in a full blown heat wave!) Then we huffed up the biggest hill I have seen in my life to say hello to my sister Brooke, brother-in-law Mike and niece Katie. I was wondering if Katie was going to remember me and she did :) It instantly warmed my heart! That night Erika and I walked downtown (it's one block down from my place) we got dinner and ice cream and did a little window shopping. We later went for a walk to explore Hood River and come across the park that hosts move in the park. That was a cool first night experience :)

Monday I had to drive Erika to the airport. On the way we stopped at a few water falls and did a hike back to one of them. I think she really got to see Oregon's beauty that day! After we said goodbye and I drove off from the airport all alone...it started to hit me...I LIVE HERE! I'm sure this is a realization that will hit me over the next few months.

I began working in my sisters store on Tuesday. I know everyone thinks it's hilarious that I of all people work in a lingerie store. I think it's almost poetic. This whole adventure is going to be full of putting me in situations that make me uncomfortable. I think working there is going to help me overcome a lot of my "issues" :) I'm so grateful that my sister has given me a job while I look for a more full time one!

So far the experience has been kind of like a dream. My place is great! Small but fits me perfectly! It's super close to my sisters house and I walk to work everyday. I have never lived alone and so far I LOVE IT! I have wanted to live alone for a long time and now I get to! (don't get me wrong...Sophie was the best roommate I could have possibly ever asked for!) I have huge windows that over look downtown and the river...it's truly like living in a postcard.

While Erika was here she was talking to my sister and she started to tear up cause she was just talking about how I have spent my whole life being a part of everyone else's families and now I get to be apart of MY family. I'm really excited to experience that for the first time :)

I'm sure that I'll have my moments of homesickness and "what have I done?!"...but so far they haven't come. I'm so looking forward to the things that this season holds for me. I'm still just trusting that the Lord is gonna provide a job and friends and a church. He has seen me this far...He won't leave me now!

To My Friends

There are no words to express how grateful I am for all of you. Your support during this entire experience so far has meant more to me then you ever know. I went to bed crying and woke up and the first thing I did was cry some more. But, I don’t cry because I’m sad, it’s cause I feel overwhelmed. The love that all of you have shown me is just really hitting me right now. I am excited for my adventure, but I need to stop having to say goodbye! I seriously don’t think I can handle saying it anymore.

Betty-you are like my sister. You have allowed me to become part of your family and I don’t know how I can ever thank you for that! We have so many great memories together…probably a highlight will always be the grocery store J I look forward to hearing about all the great things God has got for you during this season as well!

Safinia P- never could I have asked for a better roommate. You and I have been friends through it all and I feel like we just get closer every year. Of everyone I have said goodbye to yours was the most peaceful because I know that time or distance doesn’t affect our friendship. We have done it before, and we are just doing it again! Enjoy your adventure! Um…and expect many texts about jams we MUST download J

Kelly Belly- You I also know will always be there and nothing is gonna change between us. You and I have been through this many times and of everyone we have visited each other the most. So I hope your planning that trip! Watching you become a wife and mother has been such a joy! You took to them both better then I could have ever have dreamed. I can’t wait to meet your little guy and WHEN you get skype he can meet me too J

Korts- Haha just writing your name made me cry. I sometimes wonder how it is we became such great friends. But we did and I am SO grateful. You have become my best friend and I know we will remain that way for many many years. You have helped me through so many things and have always been there when I just need to talk or someone to hang out with. I’m gonna miss you and your family so much. Like ridiculously so. But we always have facebook! It is afterall how we became friends J There is some exciting things in store for you and I’m just waiting to hear what they are.

I could write all day. But these 4 ladies have given me the inspiration and the determination to pull this move off! I know this is just something I have to do. I have no idea what lies ahead but God said “go”…so here I go J

Last Day!

Today is my last day at work :) To say this job has been challenging would be a massive understatement. When people ask me why it's so bad and I say "my bosses are mean" or "they play the same George Straight CD over, and over, and over all day, everyday" they always look at me like I'm a wimp or something. It's just one of those places you have to work to understand the vibe that it is here. It's full of sick to my stomach feelings, and as my co-worker says "mind games!" BUT today is my last day! All week I haven't really been that excited...that all changed this morning! I woke up and first thing I did was prayed and asked the Lord to help me have a good attitude and go out of here on a positive note. Since I started working here and dreaming of my last day I have been determined to leave here in a good place. Well it's gonna happen. I'm gonna walk out that door knowing I have done my best. :)

On my last blog my sister wrote me a comment. It totally made me cry (ugh I cant seem to have a day without crying.) She is so right. I'm not moving to Timbuktu and as my other friend says "it's not like your dying, your moving." Again truth. I have been so focused on the what I'm leaving behind, not on what I'm heading towards. (Typical negative Nancy...I'm working on it!!) So as I leave this job behind and look forward to what the future holds I have decided to also stop being sad. I am a wallower...and enough is enough. No more sappy blogs about how I'm gonna miss my friends or Dad. It's all been said. Those things are still true, but I'm now gonna look forward to all the new and exciting things that are in store. Getting to know my sister and her family better is gonna be so great! I'm not even sure what all to expect but I think that is one of the joys of this whole thing. So...here is to making new memories!

Congratulations

My roommate Sophie and I have a banner in our living room that says "Congratulations!". We threw a party earlier this year and we put it up then. When we were cleaning up from the party we decided to leave it up because we both said "there is always something to celebrate!". It sounds silly, but that banner has actually come in very helpful.

This week has been an extreme roller coaster. I have been super happy, then super sad. I have never experienced such strong emotions so different at the same time. I have talked to several friends over the past few days and when I tell them I'm sad and just can't seem to shake it, they all encourage me to be excited about the adventure. And I always get back to being excited but then a few hours go by and the sadness sucks me in. I was doing better this week but then on Sunday I was sitting next to one of the most special people in my life and she looks at me and says "I'm really feeling emotional about you moving." I look over and there are just tears pouring down her face. Well of course I start crying (it's a good thing we were surrounded by people cause I probably would have full on balled). After that it just has been hard to recover! I knew people were going to miss me but seeing her actually crying just made it all seem so real for some reason.

All week I have been on this roller coaster. Then last night I hit another major dip, I started thinking about my dad being all alone. Bleh...it was bad. I had to go for a walk to try and clear my head, I tried praying that didn't really help (hey just being honest). So then I called in the big guns. I asked my best friend and best advice giver I know to talk things out with me. We texted back and forth for a while...and of course I felt better and less emotional. After talking with him I felt more excited and more like this was just part of the process God has got me for me in this season.

So after work I have been packing and I ran down stairs to get something and I look up and see "congratulations!" And I just smile. There truly is always something to celebrate. Even though I have been sad and slightly freaking out I can celebrate the fact that I have so much in my life to be thankful for! Amazing friends :) They have talked me off the ledge all week this week. I can celebrate the fact that I'm about to embark on the adventure of a life time! I have NO idea what awaits for me in Oregon but the only way I'm going to find out is if I suck it up and go! I'm thinking I'm taking that banner with me and hanging it in my apartment :)