la joie de vie.

Can I really do it?

2010-12-29T06:11:00.000-08:00

Blog for an entire year, I mean. You know, one of those New Year's resolutions to share my daily thoughts with the world...ok, well just you. I do miss it - while living in Chicago I always had something to write about. But I also had way more free time...mostly at work. I have zero free time while at the office now, and the last thing I want to do when I get home is sit on the computer.

But maybe this year I can commit to steady blogging. I mean, I planned an entire wedding last year - I think I have enough to write about. I have other resolutions I want to keep too (ok, here I go - the somewhat annual, not so creative, but I've gotta start somewhere New Year's resolution post). 3 half marathons (number one is already paid for - Rock the Parkway here in KC on April 2). Write more..err...start writing thank you notes. Tennis twice a week (overall building healthy habits). Travel more (with a honeymoon in Italy and a cruise next December, I think I'll conquer this one). And other little things too, like saving money (shopping less), eating healthy (cooking more) and exploring Kansas City (I WILL go to Free Fridays, I WILL go to Free Fridays...).

I already know this will be a great year - it's our first full year as hubby and wifey! I want to find our favorite restaurant - the one we'll go to for all of our anniversaries. And learn new things together - snowboarding is at the top of the list; maybe we'll go to cooking classes, too. We're joining a tennis club this week, and will find some leagues to join as well. I suppose I can add blogging to that list... why not? I'll want to write about it, especially if, no when, we actually do these things!

I think first I'll want to tackle the wedding post. It was easily the best night of my life and there is so much to share. It might need several posts...or a couple of volumes perhaps...but it will include pictures, thoughts, memories, and a quote or two.

Ok. I'm back on track. Gotta love the ambition that January 1 brings every year.

What a Nightmare

2010-04-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Well I have to write about this, because I can't get it out of my head...and also to remind - ok convince - myself that it was just a dream. Last night, I had a horrifyingly terrible nightmare about...what else...my wedding day.

Que Wayne's World dream-sequence lead-in...

It's the day before the wedding and we're getting ready for the rehearsal. For some reason we (by 'we' I mean my sister, my mom and me) need to be to the rehearsal site super early, so I go for a quick run and head over there in my sweats - messy ponytail and all. We get to the ceremony site and find out that we are sharing the ceremony site with TWO other couples - on the DAY of the wedding. The first couple rehearses EVERYTHING - down to the last dance and the reception. Then the second couple begins, and we quickly realize that it's not a rehearsal - it's the ACTUAL ceremony; AND, I know the couple. The bride is a girl I went to high school with (a girl who is actually getting married this year also). Her bridesmaids start down the aisle in beautiful deep-blue to-the-knee dresses and I immediately panic as I remember: I DON'T HAVE BRIDESMAID DRESSES PICKED OUT YET. (This is actually something I'm struggling a LOT with). So, my bridesmaids will have to walk down the aisle in whatever they already own... Then, the bride walks down the aisle, looking beautiful, and she and her husband swap vows and I Dos. Everything goes off without a hitch; the bride looks amazingly confident, as if she new NOTHING was going to go wrong. Then, I realize it's my turn.

This is where, in my dream, I start to panic (not sure why I wasn't panicking when I realized my bridesmaids didn't have anything to wear...).

For some reason, the thought comes to me that my rehearsal, is not a rehearsal, but the actual wedding. My ceremony starts at 7pm and when I ask my sister what time it is, she looks at her watch and tells me, "5:40p.m." WHA!?! I am still wearing my running shorts and tank top, sporting a rat nest of a ponytail on the top of my head. I decide that I have no time to shower, but that I need to get my make-up started and I need to find someone to do my hair. I frantically ask my sister if her friend Jenny can come do my hair, as well as all of the bridesmaid's hair, and freak out as I sit and wait for her to arrive. (I have recently been scouring the internet in search of hair-do ideas, pondering extensions, and searching every resource I can to find the hair-do I'm dreaming of).

I sit and wait for Jenny to come, hoping and hoping that she'll make it before the ceremony, and decide it's time to put on my dress.

It dawns on me that I have not had my dress altered nor have I even looked at it since the day I bought it. (I've had this ongoing fear for the past 2 months or so that the dress I bought isn't going to fit me in a few months, when it comes time to actually get it altered - ...forget that I'm running a marathon 2 weeks before the wedding...). I am freaking, freaking, freaking out that it's not going to zip up. I slip it on, realizing that it's about 9 inches too long, and miraculously, it clasps at the top. We get the zipper all the way up and start to rejoice, when of course, the clasp comes undone. It comes undone over and over and over until I finally decide that I have to leave it and hope it stays long enough to get me down the aisle. The time comes to make the walk that I've seen a million times, in movies and on tv, and I'm standing there with little-to-no make-up on, a messy/sweaty ponytail atop my head, holding up a dress that is much too long and slowly falling off. I look up to see Mike standing perfectly dressed, awaiting the arrival of his bride-to-be, who now looks as though she's stepped out of a Tim Burton film.

That's where it ends. And I wake up. The very first thing that pops into my head? "Yes! My dress fits!" And then, "I should've just used a safety-pin to hold it up on the back". And finally, a dark cloud overcomes my thoughts as I realize how terrifying it was to feel completely helpless and unprepared for the most important and joyful day of my life.

Yikes. Luckily, it was about 5 minutes before my alarm was to go off, so I put the dream aside and got up for the day. Although I couldn't put it aside - it hasn't left me yet; and the first thing I'm going to do when I get home tonight? Try on my dress to make sure it still fits.

A Little Roma Reminiscing... Just Because

2010-01-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official. I'm not a blogger. I've tried - and I started out with such high hopes and good intentions. From here on out, my posts will be random and will probably be written when something affects me on either end of the emotional spectrum. AND I find time to write about it.

BUT, I may sometimes post random thoughts or stories, just to write about them. Like this one. The other day, I saw that someone (sorry, can't remember wheo and therefor can't give credit) had posted this question: What's the Best Meal You've Ever Eaten? The question was followed with possible answers/scenarios, and then a statement saying that for many people, this is one of the most difficult questions to answer. Well, not for me. Although I've had several amazing meals that I'll never forget (Monday Night Hotdish after a long drive to Grandma's, spaghetti dinner for 30 before our marathon, Navona Notte with Mike when he visited me in Rome), this one particular meal was exquisite. It was amazing - unbelievable - and it was about so much more than the food.

It was early November in 2007, during my semester abroad in Rome, Italy. About 13 of us were on a train headed to Bracciano, just North of Rome, to our Art History professor's apartment. Our professor (named Rob) used to be a professional chef and each year invited a small group of students to his place to prepare and serve them an authentic Italian meal. After a short train ride out of Rome, we pulled into Bracciano; a small, Italian town that had all the charm and coziness you would expect. Rob was waiting for us - before we walked to his apartment, he gave us a small tour of the town and then brought us to a beautiful castle (circa 1485) that has hosted some of the world's wealthiest including Popes, Kings and most recently, Tom Cruise (uuhhhhh....). Rob, being our Art History professor, knew everything about the "most important and well-preserved" Castle in Italy and lead us through the magnificent structure.

By now, of course, our tummies are rumbling... although the castle was fabulous, we made this trip for the food. When we got to Rob's place, we got a quick tour....of the tiniest, 2-bedroom apartment I've ever seen. But holy crap was it awesome. Decorated exactly how a chef-turned art history professor's apartment would be. Copper pots and pans hanging on the wall, a massive, stucco fireplace that seamed to engulf the living room, a long and heavy wooden table (which amazingly sat all of us) and the most amazing, marble farmhouse sink that I've ever seen. Already, we knew we were in for something spectacular.

We opened the wine and Rob got cooking. He prepared for us 5 delicious courses, my favorite being the meat course: Guinea Fowl. Mmmmm.... it was perfectly cooked - crispy, golden skin, juicy meat - just delicious. The meal began with an egg and onion fritatta, followed by risotto with mushrooms, then a tagliatella pasta dish (sort of like tortellini), the Guinea Fowl, and a delicious dolce dessert (can't remember exactly what it was...but it was tasty). Although the food was delicious and mouth watering in every possible way, it was the atmosphere and the conversations that kept the night exciting and relaxing all at the same time. All in all, the meal lasted a good 4 hours. Half-way through dinner, Rob's friends joined us and before we knew it, we were living life like pure-bred Italians - smoking inside, talking loudly throughout dinner, sending Rob's 8-year-old daughter to buy us wine - it was awesome. At the end of the meal, Rob served us Grappa, an apperitif meant to sip after a long, hearty meal. (Being college-aged kids from Iowa, most of us took shots of it. Rob didn't seem to mind.) By now it was dark, and everyone's faces were growing warm and red. The next step? Head to a bar. (Duh.) We wound up at a small bar for a night cap (a Peroni) and finished off an amazing night with closer friends and a better appreciation for the Italian life.

I have no trouble closing my eyes and slipping back to Italy. Everything is still unbelievably fresh in my mind and I hope to goodness it stays that way. I still can't sleep in a silent room at night, thanks to the always-lively Piazza Navona outside of my window in Rome. I'm so grateful to have been blessed with the opportunity to study abroad. And I miss it every day. I'm sure I'll be back before I know it...

It's been fun, 2009.

2009-12-21T06:46:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, and although I've been busy, I have no excuse for not keeping up on this blog!

I attended my first monthly all-agency meeting this morning. One of our owners started off the meeting by saying, "Good riddance to 2009." From a business standpoint, I get it. But for me, personally, I will not be saying good riddance to 2009 anytime soon. I'm going to borrow a blog idea from A Wooden Nickel for your Thou ghts (and also thanks to Gwenbell.com) and recap what an amazing year 2009 has been for me.

Let's start off with something recent: Favorite Book of 2009
Several of my favorite memories from this past year happened at my monthly book club meeting in Chicago. Even though I moved to KC, I'm still in said book club and the girls Skype me in for our meetings (no joke, all they see is my face, on a laptop screen, sitting on the couch). I have my own glass of wine and my book in hand as I try my hardest to figure out who is talking (no peripheral vision on the old laptop). Our last book was my favorite - titled "The Shack." Anyone looking for an insight into religion, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, I HIGHLY recommend this book. It takes a pretty unconventional look at the Trinity - something wonderful to read after 18 years at Catholic school.

Ok let's jump back to July: Best Laugh of 2009
While I wouldn't consider this memory to be just one, big, belly laugh, I do consider it to be one of my best days/nights in Chicago... look at it as more of a long, ongoing laugh with never ending smiles and giggles. My roomies Katie and Al and I had tickets to Rascal Flatt's in July - my sister was coming into town with her friend for the concert as well. I worked part-time at a BrewPub. This all added up to 5 girls plus 10 friends, day drinking on the sidewalk, 1 delicious keg, a rocking concert and one totally amazing night.

Next, we'll take a step back at my year-long accomplishment:
Biggest Challenge of 2009
It all began in February - my roommate Allison and I were sitting on our rank-dank craigslister watching The Biggest Loser. In this particular episode, the few remaining contestants accomplished one of the most physically challenging tasks possible: they ran a marathon. I told Al that my sister had signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon in October. Al expressed interest in running a marathon at some point in her life. 20 minutes and $100 later, we were both signed up to run the TC Marathon. We started training in June and after 4 months of running, eating semi-healthily, and a total loss of our social lives, we both completed the 2009 TC Marathon. What a feeling - and I will be signing up for Grandma's Marathon in January.

To keep this from being a painfully long post, let's dive right into my most wonderful, memorable and obvious moments of 2009:
Biggest Rush of 2009
On October 16, 2009 my boyfriend, Mike, proposed to me at Lake Lavern at ISU. What an unbelievable feeling. A HUGE rush. I was surprised, speechless, everything. It was so wonderful. In a matter of seconds, I felt loved, surprised, amazed and utterly lucky. I wanted to cry and laugh all at the same time and had no way of even knowing how to show anything I was feeling, besides leaning over to Mike and giving him my favorite kiss of all time. I wonder if I'll feel that kind of a rush again. I still get a little rush when I look at him and see our life together...

Best Trip of 2009
I'm gonna go ahead and say that although I've had lots of amazing, literal 'trips' this year, (Aruba, Hilton Head, etc) I've pretty much had one giant lifestyle trip...which if you've been reading my blog, you're familiar with. And I won't even go into the type of emotional trip it has been. But let's take a quick, bulleted look at my year thus far:

January 2009: Moved to Chicago. Without a job.
March 2009: Met Mike in a small town in WI where we spent the day at a winery, enjoying local wines....and lots of cheese.
April - May 2009: Started getting used to Chicago.
June 2009: Spent a long weekend in Hilton Head, SC with my family. The HOTTEST, most humid place I've ever been.
June 2009: Spent an amazing, adventurous week with Mike and his family in Aruba.
July 2009: Made the decision to move to KC in October. Yet again began the exhausting task of job hunting.
July 2009: Had an amazing weekend with friends, beer and a musical group called Rascal Flatts (see Best Laugh of 2009)
August 2009: Actually found myself settling in in Chicago.
September 2009: Realized my time in Chicago was coming to an end. Made of list of Must See and Dos before leaving.
September/October 2009: Accomplished said list (last dinner at Rose Angeli's, drinks at the top of the Hancock, shopping on Michigan Ave., etc...)
October 2009: Ran the full TC Marathon. Time: 4:50. (see Biggest Challenge of 2009)
October 2009: Trip to NYC with the fam. Twins/Yankee game at the new Yankee Stadium, definitely the higlight.
October 2009: Got ENGAGED! :)
October 2009: Made the big move to KC.
November 2009: Found myself having too much fun playing house with my future hubby.
November 2009: GOT A JOB. THAT I LOVE. IN ADVERTISING. Boo-yah!
November 2009: Bought a dress. Set a date.
December 2009: Turned 24. WHAT?!?!
December 2009: Had an unforgettable weekend with my bridesmaids.
December 2009: Looking forward to even more happiness and bliss in 2010.

Good riddance, 2009? Wrong. I'm going to miss you, 2009. In one year, I've never experienced more emotion, both good and bad, nor have I ever been so sure of myself and where my life is headed. One year ago, I was about to graduate college and move to a big city without a job. Never thought it would turn out so perfectly, and so quickly. Have faith all you recent college
grads!!! It will all work out, I PROMISE!

Life is good today.

2009-11-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

Zac Brown Band says it best: I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand, not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand... Well not literally, but I'm feeling pretty good right now. I'm all moved in at my new place in Kansas City and having a blast living with my future hubby! So far everything has been awesome - the weather, the people, the food, everything. I've pretty much spent the last two weeks trying to make our furniture-less apartment cozy, mastering the art of cooking for two, and interviewing, job hunting and everything that that entails. And everything has panned out PERFECTLY. I have officially been offered a job at an advertising agency as an Assistant Account Executive. I'm sorry, DREAM JOB?! I got the offer on Friday, which officially kicked off a fabulous weekend.

My mom and sister came to town to visit (and see my ring) so Friday night we went out in the Plaza for drinks and apps; the perfect start to a fun weekend. Then Saturday morning, we got up and went to a furniture store where Mike and I finally got a bed! Not just a mattress, or a box spring, but an entire bed!! We're totally moving up in the world. Then, my mom, my sister my aunt (who lives down here) and I went...gasp...wedding dress shopping! There was a MASSIVE sale at one of the couture wedding dress shops and - you guessed it - I bought my dress! We totally weren't expecting to buy anything, but it was PERFECT. And they had one dress in overstock, in my size, which meant I didn't have to buy the sample! It's a beautiful dress that has a traditional feel but is totally unique. It's absolutely gorgeous and perfect. And now it's in a garment bag in my closet, where it will sit for about 9 months before I even touch it again...well, I might take it out every once in a while... :) Then we all went out for afternoon drinks to celebrate. We picked up Mike a little later and headed to Lidia's for dinner; a yummy yummy Italian restaurant that I will definitely be returning to. Mike and I then went out with a group of friends and proceeded to enjoy the city until a little after 3am.

Everything has just been wonderful. I mean, my dream job, my dream dress, and now a comfy bed on which to dream about our awesome wedding...could it be any better? Mike and I keep telling ourselves how lucky we are to have everything falling exactly into place.

Now, if we could only decide where to go for our honeymoon... :) We're open to suggestions, so please help if you have any ideas!!

Yeah, they'll pass you by

2009-10-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

OK, be prepared: this is very, very sappy - it's more for me to reflect. Don't say I didn't warn you...

I had another interview last Friday in KC - it was at a really awesome production house and it went really, really well. Keeping my fingers crossed. I opted to fly back to Chicago Friday night so I could enjoy my last weekend here and as I was getting dropped off at the airport, Mike said to me, "This is the last time we'll have to say goodbye like this." It was so sweet - and as I was flying back to Chicago it hit me - this will be a week full "last times" for me. Well, last times for a while anyway.

Friday night I went out with my roomies and a bunch of our friends. I'm pretty sure we're going out Thursday night, so that wasn't totally a last time, but close... Then Saturday, all of my roommates were officially moved into their new place. The last time we were all at Marshfield. Sunday, a few of us ran a 10k in Oak Park. The last time I spend an hour running and chatting with friends around the Chicago 'hoods. Last night, we went to our favorite restaurant, Rose Angelis. The last time I drool over their amazing handmade pasta and spend WAY too much on a meal. (This time, though, they recognized us - we go there about once a month - and they bought us a dessert on the house!) Tonight, we have our book club meeting. The last time I'll sit around a coffee table with some of the sweetest girls I've ever met chatting about the roles of women, the stories behind the characters, the parallels and similarities we can draw into our own lives... Tomorrow, a date night with my bestie Katie: atop the Hancock building, where we'll inevitably spend $13 on a martini and $15 on one app. The last time I'll see the Chi skyline from up above. Wednesday, official and final cleaning day. I'm sure there'll be lots of cleaning days in the future, but this is the last one with these girls. Thursday, a night out at the Houndstooth. The last night of hug-chugging 40s in paper bags. And singing Taylor Swift to randoms. And my last night in Chicago. My last night in my (now empty) place at Marshfield. A very bittersweet night for sure.

It's impossible not to be excited to move to KC. I've spent 10 long months away from my best friend and I'm ready for that to be over. But I'm leaving people that I've grown way closer to than I ever could imagine. I know I'll miss them more and more each day, and I won't really realize how much they mean to me until some time in the future. With a big move happening right now, serious job hunt efforts underway, another big move at the end of January and a wedding to plan in only ONE year, it'll be tough to find the time to get to see everyone who's helped me make some of the most wonderful and unforgettable memories anyone could ask for.

It's a very bittersweet time, and everyone goes through it...I happen to be the first of my close-knit group of friends. My time here in Chicago was great, and went by faster than I thought it would. I'll miss it for sure, but I have a whole new life waiting to fall into place and for that, I couldn't be more excited.

No clever title here: I'm engaged!

2009-10-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

I love fall. I love the cool, crisp air, the beautiful color of the trees, and the sound of dried leaves crunching under my feet. My newest fall memory? I got engaged on the most beautiful fall day of my life.

Mike and I went back to ISU for Homecoming this past weekend. We got in late on Thursday night and had already planned to spend Friday morning together. We woke up and Mike took me to walk around campus - he knew I would enjoy the weather and we both wanted to check out the homecoming displays. We started to walk around ISU's Lake Lavern (ISU tradition: if you walk around Lake Lavern 3 times with your ISU sweetheart, the two of you will be married). We had walked around the lake before and decided to do so again. Mike suggested we sit on a bench and enjoy the peacefulness (a bench we had sat on for hours our freshman year, the first time we walked around the lake). We started to talk and Mike told me that he wanted to spend the rest of his life making me happy. Before I knew it, there was a ring, I was hearing the words "Marry me," and Mike was down on one knee. I of course said yes and immediately started hugging and kissing my new groom-to-be.

We called our families and all of my girlfriends - all of whom are incredibly happy for us. After we had shared the news with our family, we started to celebrate - we went to our favorite (and the only) Ames brewery to share a few cold ones (the seasonal Oktoberfest, of course, only heightening my love for the Fall season). Lunch was followed by a 12-hour celebration with friends, drinking and Welch Ave. (We totally conquered the thought that we can't day drink and rally into the night anymore).

I've never been happier. I had an enormours sense of pride this morning while riding public transit and showing off my UNBELIEVABLE engagement ring. I mean, I get to spend the rest of my life with me best friend! What more could I want? Happy is what happens when all your dreams come true - and mine just did.

I could be brown, I could be blue, I could be violet sky

2009-10-14T09:27:00.001-07:00

Well, first off, I did it. I completed the TC Marathon. The entire weekend is pretty much a blur to me and it's hard to even remember the unbelievable and immense pain that I was in from mile 24-26.2. I'm fairly certain that I blacked out and woke up in Chicago on Tuesday morning, trying to remember if I had spent the night before drinking 40s at Houndstooth or if I really had finished the marathon. Turns out, it was the latter.

I didn't have any life-changing revelations during the run, nor did I ever have the thought, "wow, this is fun!" But, I do remember groups and groups of people cheering us on for the 4 hours and 50 minutes that I spent telling my legs to move move move! I ran with 6 other girls and our fans were the BEST. They met us at 4 spots along the route plus the finish line carrying 6 ft. tall signs covered in purple tinsel. Every 5 or 6 miles I would turn the corner praying to see those signs. When I reached mile 25.5 the cramps in my leg and foot became unbearable and impossible to work out, so I crossed the finish line with one foot in a permanent 'tip-toe' position and my sister literally dragging me by the hand. All in all though, it was a great experience - one that I will do again....in June, actually.

Secondly, I spent this last weekend in NYC. I went to the Twins/Yankees game at the new Yankee Stadium. Yes, I wore my Twins gear to the game - which meant taking the subway to the Bronx. We got a little slack for being Twins fans, but nothing as bad as being an Iowa State fan in Iowa City (surprisingly). Being in NYC really made me appreciate Chicago - there's no 'Midwest Nice' in New York - as my mom puts it, everyone is indifferent. And I think, what?! You mean these people don't care what I'm wearing, where I'm from, and what my name is?! No one even smiled at me. Ha. But, I'm still looking forward to scaling back my big city living and moving to Kansas City. Today alone I have already set up another informational interview AND developed a total fail-proof entrepreneurial plan with a fellow Art student from ISU (shout out). Yup, things are lookin' up! Keep your eye poseted on Etsy for our shop...

Finally, I am going the Ames this weekend for ISU Homecoming! As I'm sure I've said before, nothing beats a crisp fall day filled with tailgating, day drinking, bar hopping, and game losing in good ol' Iowa! I do, however, realize that where I once knew 90% of the people on Welch Ave., I will probably only know about 15%. Also, this is the LAST time I will see my boyfriend before we are living togehter! Actually kind of can't believe it - 11 months of being apart is almost over! But again, that's for another post (well, one that I will actually probably not post).

Oh, and only 2 weeks left at work and I JUST found the candy drawer today. What the....

A Change of Pace

2009-09-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

I am officially running the Twin Cities Marathon this Sunday, October 4th. My roommate and I signed up in February after we saw an episode of The Biggest Loser, in which all of the remaining contestants had to run a marathon. We thought, 'If they can do it, we can do it!' ....right?

So we let it soak in for a few months and in June, started training. It's been 4 months now and we've honed our running "skills", lost every shred of our social lives, and have spent the last 17 Saturday mornings along the shores of Lake Michigan. We keep asking ourselves, 'Who do we think we are?'

That's a great question: we are 2, post-college twenty-somethings who share a strong love of cheese, beer and coffee mugs and muscle tanks showcasing various wild animals. But, we are also 2 girls who set a goal months ago and are days away from accomplishing it. Yeah, we're nervous and slightly freaking out, drinking gallons of water a day and constantly talking about crossing the finish line, but we know that this will all be worth it for the sense of pride and accomplishment we'll feel running down the hill toward the Capitol. This has been such a huge motivator for me these past few months and I can't believe it's going to all be over soon. I'm sure we'll be in some pain come Monday morning, but I know I'll love every second of it.

Who knew that by the time I turned 24, I will have seen the Coliseum, gone skydiving, and ran a marathon? Who needs to have a fulfilling job when I'm lucky enough to have done all of these things already?!

Wait....

Forever Young

2009-09-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

I've sort of dropped the ball on thing blogging thing - I apologize to my many, many avid readers as I'm sure you're all a little peeved.

I just read a blog post from a woman I met not to long ago who is probably about 29/30 years old. The entire post was dedicated to her 'growing up'.

Huh?

I've been writing about growing up also, but I'm 23. Am I still going to be obsessing over, blogging about, and divulging myself in the thought of 'growing up' when I'm 29? I know that's still young and all, but I hope consider myself 'grown up' by then... I've also realized that constant blogging about this whole 'coming of age, growing up, post-grad struggling' might get old...and boring - which I think is also the reason I haven't written anything in the past few weeks. The thing is, it's pretty much the only thing I focus on these days. I mean, in 5 weeks, I'm moving to yet another city, again without a job with the possibility of repeating these last 10 months. And I have no idea what's going to happen. This time, though, I'm definitely focusing on other things too - I'm moving in with Mike and can't wait to have him by my side through this whole process - it'll just brighten things a ton. Also, I know he'll motivate me and help me in any way...and support me a little along the way...

So the question is, how long does it take to grow up? And what does it mean to be grown up? I don't really want to know yet. I think I'm young enough to where it's OK and sometimes even cute that I'm broke and working two part-time jobs.

Also, I should start blogging about other things...like food.

Jump in my DeLorean

2009-08-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

One of my "little" cousins turned 16 this summer, got her own (clunker) car, and is driving. I of course learned about most of this through facebook because my "little" cousin knows how to use the Internet... and other grown-up things. But she's not little - she's 16. Oh man, when I was 16...

This weekend is my 5-year high school reunion. I'm definitely going - and I'm excited to. Part of me just can't believe that I've been out of AHA for 5 years. I mean, it doesn't feel like it happened yesterday or anything, but while I was there, I thought that it was the central most part of my life and pretty much always would be. I thought it was the time when I was 'growing' into the person I'd be forever. Looking back now though, I realize that I have grown so much more in these last 5 years than ever before. But that doesn't mean high school didn't have any effect on me: it gave me the knowledgeable and confident base that I needed to even go to college in the first place. So now I'm wondering if this has happened to everyone else from my high school or if everyone will be exactly as I remember them (which is only in a good way). I know some people stayed close to all of their high school friends and some lost touch. I think I fall in the middle - well with facebook, Myspace and Twitter (where I've recently reconnected with someone from high school - shoutout!) it's impossible to completely lose touch, unless of course it's intentional. But since high school graduation and going away to college, I've noticed that coming home to my friends has changed almost every time I've done so. I find myself going out with and seeing people who I wasn't that close to in high school - and having a BLAST! Overall I think that I've changed - I'm less shy, more talkative and I don't like to be awkward or rude (not that I was before, I'm just more conscious of it...). It's so easy to be nice, why wear yourself out by avoiding people and 'uncomfortable' situations? Chances are it's you who's making it uncomfortable...

Well anyway I'm so pumped for this weekend. I know it's going to be awesome and a total trip down memory lane. Not to mention, Minneapolis is one of my favorite places on the planet and any chance I get to live it up in my fabulous city, I'll take it! AHA Class of '04!!!! Na na na na na...

5 Shcrute Bucks, Please

2009-08-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

When there is good, entertaining (and a lot of the time reality) TV on, I tend to plan my days around making sure I don't miss Bethany and Kelly's latest fight, whether Philipe or Sione are going lose enough weight to stay above the yellow line, or Jim's latest office prank on the one-and-only Dwight. Right now, however, is a time when not much is on television - I mean, it's been over three weeks since Ed proposed to Jillian and I still have yet to find anything entertaining on TV.

So, what have I done? I've given my couch a break and started enjoying the company of my roommates and those around me (ingenious, right? I mean, who would've thought). Since our TV favs have ended, we've had more roommie dinners (like Gouda Mac Monday and Taco Tuesday - mmmmm) and I realized that I had honestly forgotten how much fun it can be to just sit around and talk. Even two nights ago at our bi-monthly book club meeting, we ended up hanging out and just talking until 10:30pm - much later than our usual 9pm finish time (old balls). My 3 roommates and I all studied abroad together in Rome, Italy where we didn't have cable or TV and barely had internet. We would spend night after night crammed into one person's tiny bedroom sipping moonshine and peroni and casually slipping outside (as unnoticed as possible) to purchase yet another cup or cone of gelatto. I think it was because of these nights that I felt so confident in my time in Italy - I was constantly connecting with the people around me. Now, I don't want to totally mislead you - we did have laptops and DVDs and we were known to occasionally spend an evening watching a season (or 3) of The Office. But a little reminder of home was sometimes necessary to keep us from screaming at the Italian-stalions who were never shy of showing their true (physical) feelings toward American girls! But when I look back on my time there, it's not The Office that I remember. It's the talking, the cooking, the eating and the drinking that come to mind. There were 10 of us sharing 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, two (tiny) stoves, 1 sink and 1 fridge. You can't get much closer than that.

And this all makes me think of Friends (another shout-out to the TV show that's constantly paralleling my life). All 6 of those characters can sit around one couch at a coffee shop and just talk. For my last few months in Chicago with my Navona roomies, I need to remember to talk to them, drink with them, eat with them and probably (since the new Projcet Runway starts tonight and Biggest Loser starts in September) share some much-loved couch time with them.

Ladies' Night

2009-08-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

As I sit in Panera (seemingly the only place that has free wi-fi: wtf starbucks) I can't help but overhear...or eavesdrop...on the table near me. The table is surrounded by eight elderly women capped on one end by their priest and I instantly think, when do your life-long friends really become your life-long friends? Is it the people who are your friends during the first part of your life - the ones who wear Starter jackets, British Knights shoes and Tommy Hilfiger overalls? Or is it the friends during your 'golden age' - the ones who study with you, hold up your two-story beer bong and always help you validate the amount of money you spend at Target? Or the ones who will be with you down the road - and maybe they have been with you since the day you got braces and glasses at the same time - the ones who babysit for you when you're in a pinch, who bring over one-pot dinners when you lose a loved one and who get weekly perms with you every Thursday after morning church? Either way, they're there for you when you need them.

I think I have friends from all parts of my life who will be with me forever. No, I know I do.

Sunday Funday

2009-08-02T18:08:00.000-07:00

Never has the theme song for the TV show Friends seemed so appropriate to me. Granted, when the show first aired I was too young to understand the struggles of young, unemployed adults trying to live it up in a big city. Yet here I am, on my way to turning 24, living in Chicago, working as an intern downtown and as a hostess on the weekend, completely understanding the lyrics to one of the most recognized theme songs of my generation. No one told me that my life, when I was turning 24, would consist of two part-time jobs that allow me to live paycheck to paycheck. I've definitely burned my breakfast on several occasions, and I have heard several horror stories from my mom about living without much money in a big, new city... I'm not gonna go on like this and dedicate this entire post to my being unemployed and broke, but just to put it into perspective, a majority of the Friends theme song = my life right now...

But, thankfully, I have lots of friends (and family) who are always happy to help me and be there for me - and to give me hope. My best friend is on a one-way flight to D.C. right now where she will be starting her dream job as a Press Assistant for a political office. She graduated in the Spring of '08 with awesome grades, wonderful recommendations and high hopes. One year later, she was still working as a server in her home town. She worked and worked and applied for every single job she could find (not an easy task, coming from a soon-to-be expert on job hunting). When I found out that she got a position in D.C., I was ecstatic. Not only was I happy for her, but I (selfishly) let her happiness grow into a hope for me that I hadn't felt since I initially graduated. It's so wonderful to know that things do work out, even if not the way you'd planned. I don't have my dream job yet, but at least I see the opportunity out there and have friends to help me get there... oh, and two jobs to get me by for now.

Rachel worked as a server before landing her dream job at Ralph Lauren. It'll happen.

and here we go...

2009-07-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

...never really thought about starting a blog before, and I'm not so sure why I'm choosing to start one now. I'm guessing it's my need for some sort of creative outlet, which I definitely don't have in either of my jobs. The ultimate would be having a studio somewhere separate from my apartment where I could draw and paint and sew and design my life away. But those, and many other things I find myself wanting, cost money, something you don't have much of when you're working two part-time jobs and living in Chicago. So, a blog is my next outlet of choice. I've never been afraid of writing and sometimes think to myself that I'm actually pretty good at it... must've been Mrs. Culnane, my english teacher at Blessed Trinity (who, by the way, turned 80 when I was in 8th grade, and is still teaching). She made us read Shakespeare before most kids my age even knew who he was. Or maybe it was any of the AHA english teachers I think of on an almost daily basis - Ms. Ginder, Ms. Boston, and Ms. Hanley - who had us read who knows how many books and write more papers than I thought possible in one school year. Funny the things you think about sometimes when you're looking back at how you've become the person you are. That's probably a good start for a different blog, so I won't go there now. And I guess that's a good way end my first blog post - hopefully I keep this up. And hopefully it helps me keep track of time here in Chicago, and not wish it away as I have been doing these past few months...

...and I officially gave a shout out to all of my old english teachers in my first blog post. Wow.