Ames #1

So... first update from Ames.

Living in the best apartment ever...
with the best roommate ever...
in the best town ever (just cause it's not Iowa City, haha)...

Pretty dang happy here, folks.
Lot's of personal growth going on, as well as dealing with not abusing my new found freedom.

Sara introduced me to her friends from college. Love them.
Nate and Lee: cutest couple ever that I'm not related to.
Tom and Jordan: Tom's just goofy...just goofy, and I have a feeling Jordan might be my next partner in crime.
Brian: Tom's roommate, really sweet, quiet.
Through Brain, met another guy, Matt.
Mike: Nate's next door neighbor...heh...interesting.
still more to come.


Since we've gotten here, most of our time is taken up by trying to find jobs we actually like, cleaning and unpacking the apartment, planning a road trip to Colorado, and hanging out with friends.
I am still missing furniture which sucks. Pretty much everything that needs put out get's put on my desk, which I don't have. I'm sleeping on an air mattress too, until I get a real bed.

I am stressed out, but happy. Really happy. I have closure in a lot of areas of my life now and am exploring new open doors, especially ones I didn't expect and didn't think I would even consider.

I finally got my phone charger from the hotel Sara and I stayed at (oh man! We started watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and still need to finish it) .

We met a couple of our neighbors as well and are planning on getting to know everyone in the building. Sara has always wanted to do event planning so we're teaming up on little projects here and there. Our newest project involves our neighbors. Basically just getting to know everyone and having parties with everyone etc.
Our neighbor to the right of us is Ian. He likes to come over when he's board and bring his mandolin with him. We have jam sessions.
Our other neighbor to the left is James. He's the ultimate "we need to borrow a cup of sugar" neighbor. He's got everything. He helped us fix Sara's shower head, and had band aids for Ian when he got into a car accident.

Possible new major idea, brought on by new friend Matt (aka Yogi): Interior design.
Matt works for a construction company. We were watching a movie at his place this morning and I decided to look through a few of the interior design and architecture books his roommate, Mike, had (adore his roommate- cute little gay boy, although I can't call him little cause he's at least 6 inches taller than me). Among everything else we've talked about, I had told him how I love art and at one point wanted to be a fashion designer, then an event planner, and maybe do something with architecture. He told me I should do interior design.
I've thought about it before, but never really that seriously, because event planning is my focus. But just like everything else, interior design can be integrated into event planning.
Back ground info:
-Neither one of us like snow or cold. We decided that there should only be about a week each year (at Christmastime) when it snows. Cancel school, no work that whole week, everybody just goes skiing and sledding and whatever during that week. And then no more snow.
-Both of us LOVE traveling. He gets to travel a lot for his job.
-Twix is both of our favorite candy bar (that's actually irrelevant to what I'm getting at, but his reaction to finding out that we have yet another thing in common was hilarious- complete with eyes popping out, him staring at me in disbelief and commenting about how we both have to be from the same gene pool or something). Not to mention that both of our birthdays are in September, we adore garlic, and...oh man, he's going to be mad at me for forgetting what else...
Anyway, here's the plan now: We're going to start our own company where he builds the houses...or whatever, and I do the interior design for them. Then after we've made a ton of money, we're going to travel all over the world. My only stipulation was that we have to live somewhere where there's only about a week of snow- Texas.
Problem solved.
We've been inseperable the past two days (until now obviously). He made me dinner the first night *swoon*- Chicken Cordon Blue, broccolli and cheese macaroni and salad. I had never had chicken cordon bleu before, because he bought it from Hy-vee he said it wasn't the best and next time he'll make it for me from scratch.
He also made me and his roommate breakfast the next day (actually, this morning). Scrambled eggs, bacon and cressants. Too much fun.
It was hard to leave good conversation (and good food :) ) later on.
When I got home, Sara told me that at one point the cats had heard someone else opening their door and they thought it was me coming home. Big disappointment.
We had dinner with Ian. He had just gotten some venison and made a jambalaya type thing with it, as well as some mexican dish. We just sat around eating the left overs and watching the last episode of the Office that Sara and I were on (I bought season 5). Then we came back home talked for a while and watched 1 1/2 movies (I got ADD halfway through The Brothers Grimm and couldn't sit any longer).

When I first moved here, I didn't remember that my cousin, Luke, lives here as well. He actually came over one day to help us move around some things, which was really nice. I love my family and especially love getting one on one time with members of my extended family. I've found it really comforting knowing that someone who's known me my whole life is just across town.

Sara and I are going to start packing for Colorado tomorrow since we leave on Wednesday. Yikes! That came fast!

1.6.10

I believe I am having my mid-life crisis at the age of 23. I'm making a list of things to do outside of home, like go to the library, take mackie for a walk, go to a park.
I'm wondering- what does one do with the rest of their life. Even just getting a hobby sounds boring to me. I need at least five at one time to keep me occupied. Then you know one is bound to get old and then there will be a new one to takes its place, and then another will lose its fun and be replaced by another...am I willing to let that be the flow of my entire life. How does one feel fulfilled- yes, I know that God's purpose(s) for one's life is the key.
I've never even thought of all this till now, or at least never had any feelings about it. I've always gone with the flow of life, believing that all would be well and everything would be set in motion at the right time (what I didn't realize is that I have to start the motion; if I want to do something I have to be an active participant).
I feel like I've stopped suddenly in my tracks and am looking around at the neglected mess of my life for the first time. The people in my life are all surrounding me, pushing and pulling and encouraging me to keep moving. All I want to do is stop a minute and think. "Just let me clear my head and undo the knots for a moment," I want to say.
People ask me how it's going living with my parents which is still going through the process ("I'll let you know when I have time to think about it"). They ask me what is going on with Greg and me ("I'll explain when I understand it"). They ask me how my job is going ("well... It isn't").
And then the problem is, since everyone wants me to keep going, all the things that are already confusing on their own start to twist together and I don't know which front way is west and which rabbit comes out the other end.

Someone once told me, when I was tired and wanted to give up, that staying in motion is what helps the most.
But you know what? Sometimes you need a breather. Sometimes you need to get to the bench a half mile away and rest for a second.

How can you know which way to go or what to do if you don't take the time to think about it?

Confession: I am terrible at making decisions, I've always said I'd never be able to plan my own wedding because of it. Too many options.
The hard part about this confession is not that I'm not good at making decisions, the hard part is admitting that I have a weakness. Especially that, when I'm supposed to be an event planner, where I have to make decisions all the time.
Decisions have never seemed that important to me. I'm fine with making them when there is a real need for it. But ask me what kind of pizza I want tonight and I could care less. It's not going going to matter to me tomorrow or next week or next month. Just pick something good.

I'm so much better at saying what I don't want than what I do.

Until I get my footing here's some advice: don't ask me to marry you, don't ask me what I want for dinner (this won't ever change, unless I'm actually craving something), don't ask me what I want to do with my life.