Time Flies!!!

I wanted to be better at this whole blog thing but time has just been going so fast and I feel so busy I have not been very good at it. The last time I wrote I had just finished my first week of work and was getting settled. Now i've worked for FIVE weeks!! So a quick synopsis of the last month...
Evan and I went to California for Memorial Day: it was my first time in this delightful state and i cant wait to go back and see more! Our main reason for going was to go to Disneyland: i LOVE this kind of stuff and now that we are so close Evan thought it was a perfect trip for my first "holiday" on the west coast. Disneyland was great - it was a lot different from Disneyworld in Florida but it was still fun. The first day we went to the California Adventure park. We went on a really cool Monsters Inc ride that looked exactly like the movie, a Little Mermaid ride, and a Toy Story ride that was actually a shooting game too and Evan killed me!! We rode a scary rollercoaster; but we both handled it like champs and we saw the Aladdin Musical. That night we went to a Dodgers game so we could check one off Evan's list (he wants to go to every baseball park in the country) While at the Dodgers game there was a fire with tons of smoke so that was pretty exciting.
The next day we went to the original Disneyland park and got to see traditional Main Street. We rode the Indiana Jones ride, Pirates of the Caribbean ride, Space Mountain, drove some mini cars, Buzz Lightyear ride, Peter Pan ride. We saw a 3D preview of Pirates of the Caribbean and watched a beautiful night time show over the river. It was a great weekend and I loved living out my inner child!!

Evan's uncle let us stay in his place at Long Beach which was much appreciated; I cant wait to go back sometime and spend some time at the beach!! On the way home, we stopped at a GIGANTIC outlet center which was overwhelming but great! I love west coast shopping!!
The next weekend we went to the Tim McGraw concert with some of my co-workers. EVeryone I work with is so nice and outgoing and I'm lucky to be working with people I also like to spend time with outside of work.
Work has been going by so fast and its incredible that I've been here for 5 weeks. Arizona is great; I'm getting tons of sun and just adjusting to a completely new life!

The big move/Week One

So a week ago today I arrived in Arizona and I have been adjusting to the fact that I am living here and not just visiting. The fact that I go to work everyday helps make it feel more real though. The journey from Kansas to Arizona wasnt as bad as I thought and 16 hours in the car went pretty fast. We went thru Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and finally Arizona. So basically it was a lot of nothing for a lot of it but we did get to see a few somewhat cool things.


This was the view from our hotel in Albuquerque. Mountains are a cool thing for a Kansas girl and its great cuz I get to see them everyday now!


Finally in Arizona!!!

My first week went by so fast and everything is going well with the job. Its kindof overwhelming and a lot to learn but I have met some great people and everyone is so nice and helpful! Its a great environment of people and I think its going to be a lot of fun. I've only been here for a week but I feel like I've made friends and its gone better than I would have expected in such a short time. And getting to see my boyfriend everyday is definitely a plus after being apart for so long; now we get to be like a normal couple which brings its own changes and challenges.
I miss everyone in Kansas and hope everyone is doing well and will try to keep in touch and keep you all posted (I know I promised everyone at the hospital I would!!)

New Beginnings

Okay so my attempt at blogging was kinda lame cuz I really had nothing cool to talk about but now that my life is about to have some big changes I thought i'd give it a shot again. Two weeks from today I will be a resident of Arizona and will be getting ready to start my new job the next morning. I will be working at Aerotek as a recruiter and I am so excited for this new opportunity! I love Arizona; nice weather year round, real professional sports to watch, fun activities to do all the time and everyone is so happy and laid back there. Not to mention, I will finally be living close to a very special person!! Of course I will miss my family and friends and not being able to attend everything that goes on but I know this is the best opportunity for me and the next step in my journey. Stay tuned for all the excitement that lies ahead!

Normal

“When will you understand that being normal isn't necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage.”

nor·mal   [nawr-muhl] Show IPA
–adjective
1.
conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.
2.
serving to establish a standard.

The definitions go on forever, but this is sufficient to make my point. For the last few months, my life has drastically been changing, in all areas. I left a job I loved and will soon be starting another, I moved to a different city, i moved in with my family, I stopped living with my best friend who I had lived with for 5 years, and some of my most important and defining relationships have been facing a lot of changes. I have found myself constantly saying and thinking "I just want to feel normal again." After a fight, or a break or a breakup with someone we all find ourselves saying that we want to feel "norma"l. After beginning a new job, it just doesnt feel "normal" Living with new people in a new city doesnt feel "normal" I put normal in quotes because I realize I have no idea what normal is. I'm searching for this thing, this feeling of contentment, that everything is right; but I dont think it exists. I am young and just facing the real world and I know that I will continuously be faced with these life changes. As soon as I feel comfortable and "normal" again, things will change. I will move again, I will get married, I will have children...all of this way big changes than what I am facing right now. So I think I've decided to find that normalcy within myself. To not let outside sources, such as relationships, locations, or jobs affect how I feel to myself. If I feel content with myself regardless of what is going on, then maybe I can always feel "normal."

Obsession

This whole living at home thing is starting to get to me. I am grateful for the opportunity to save money and spend time with my family, but I'm starting to lose it. I am just so bored so I am thinking of what I could possibly write on here because nothing cool goes on in my life and I glanced over on my desk and realized I have an obsession. It could be over something a lot worse but...I have a jar on my desk with random chapsticks and lipglosses - It has 6 different chapsticks and 13 lipglosses. I mean that is ridiculous. So I am vowing to not buy any until all these are gone. They can probably last me a couple years.

Ode to Lawrence

So i have had this thing for a few weeks now and just debating actually posting..basically I'm not that cool or entertaining and have no reason that people would ever want to read what I have to say. But it comes down to the fact that I have a LOT of extra time on my hands. Here's the thing, I have recently made that move that many others at my age and stage of life are making...I have moved back to my hometown, TO MY PARENTS house. I am currently waiting to start a job that doesnt start for 3 more weeks so I am stuck pondering the complexities of life, remembering the last 5 years and wondering what in the world I am going to do next or where I am going to end up. So here is this blog, to let out my frustrations, to share my triumphs and really to just have something to do.
For the last 5 years I have lived in the greatest college town in America and I am so grateful for the experience and all that came with it. One day as I was approaching the end of my senior year i stood at a tall place on campus and just looked at. Now if you have never been to the University of Kansas you have no clue what I'm talking about but it really is beautiful. A couple months ago, a friend and I took one last "tour" of campus and went to all our favorite spots and talked about our favorite memories and even eat a crunchy chicken cheddar wrap! Here are some pictures of those favorite places...

The Chi-Omega fountain. On beautiful spring days it was always refreshing to pass this and see all the bright, new flowers. On graduation day it was a perfect spot for a photo shoot and a great spot for after hours "swimming"

Potter's Lake. It has the cutest little benches around it to study or take a break from class and big open areas for a little picnic date. It's also a great stop to throw goal posts (although a few too many in one year)

Memorial Stadium. Enough Said
I didnt get a pic of Allen Fieldhouse that day but it is single-handedly the greatest place on campus. I can stand in there and fell the fight song and get this overwhelming feeling of joy. I am not a crier, but that pregame video gets me every time.
Lawrence was not just a place my parents dropped me off at where I went to get an education. It was a place I grew up, I became who I am. I made the most incredible, lifelong friendships. I fell in love, had my heartbroken, and fell in love again. I learned some things, most of which were learned outside the classroom and not in.
When I think back to how I decided to go to KU, I honestly have no idea. I knew I was going to stay in Kansas and I wasnt going to stay in Wichita. I had no family ties to any college in the state so it was up in the air. By the grace of God, I chose KU. I have no doubt that just as God led me to the University of Kansas, each step he takes me from here will be just as fulfilling and exactly what I need.