Summer

I want to blame the lack of an update on the weather being wonderful and spending time outside, but that isn't quite true.  I have spent some time outside planting a few things though. I made a small container garden this year and have lots of lettuce and some peas right now and hopefully in another few weeks I'll have tomatoes and peppers (although the pepper plant is being overrun by the tomatoes). 

 Here is when I first started these back at the end of April

These were peas and beans which I planned on thinning later, but only two pea plants came up so I guess it saved me some time and effort. Or they just knew I would never actually get around to that and took care of it for me. 

And here is what those pots are looking like today. They are a little crowded and sort of over-grown, but I'm just impressed that I was able to grow anything. 

 I swear there is a pepper plant in there somewhere.

This summer has brought about another big change around here. His name is Champ (came with the name Chief, but mom can't always remember that one) and occasionally he gets called Chance. 

He is part boxer, part pitbull and 100% into chewing things up. It hasn't been too bad, but the few items he has taken an interest in exploring the flavor of have met their match. Some of these items include a chair seat that is now a frame of rags and wood that was used in packaging for construction material. It is splintered and useless, but at least it is just the packaging. He started as a pet for my sister, but when her husband didn't like him much he was passed on to my parents. He is also not a fan of men. It took a few days for him to warm up to my dad and when the neighbor stopped over you would have thought we were under attack and he was our main defender. His bark is much larger than his bite. He will not consider getting close enough to be spit on if he is barking at you. 

Of course when we are interested in him unleashing his primal killer instinct on small rodents in the yard he finds them slightly interesting and has fun chasing them, but apparently he is a firm believer in catch and release. In all he is a nice dog if not terribly useful. 

The Annoyance of Money

Money seems to constantly be on my mind. As a somewhat recent college graduate I have become accustomed to closely monitoring my bank account and watching where I am spending all my money. This is exhausting. I have been lucky in that since graduating I have never had a point in time in which I did not have a job or any prospect of a job. Granted there were times when I came close (one job ending and not sure where the next one was) but I have been blessed to never wake up and honestly not know when or from where my very next paycheck will come. Still, you don't make much right out of school and especially when your first year out is spent volunteering.

I am only three years out so it might make sense to some that I would only be about a quarter to a third of the way through paying off my loans. Well, I don't like debt. Not that I have a lot of experience with it, but the idea that when my paycheck comes in and automatically ___% of it is not mine because of interest on a loan bugs me. I feel tied down and limited by my debt and I want to escape from it as soon as possible. Don't get me wrong, I am tired of the constant calculations and trying to figure out if I send an extra $100 to the federal government to pay for my college education (which I don't know that I am actually using) will that mean I am out of debt a day, a week, even a month earlier? It takes a lot of energy and discipline. I still like to splurge or treat myself every once in a while, but that generally takes the form of a specialty coffee or a really nice beer.

Yesterday I reached a new milestone in my trek to get out of debt. I am now down to two student loans (started with 5) and I owe under $9,500 (started with $21,000). This is great and I am very excited. I should feel this weight lifting off my shoulders. The opening of doors to travel and see more of the world. But there is always something else isn't there?

Suddenly I seem to be hearing about retirement from everyone. "What you save in your 20's determines your retirement." I have heard that from my sister, my mother, people on TV and the internet. Suddenly at 25 I feel like I am behind and I will now have to work forever to have enough money to retire. But should I be paying off my loans or saving money for retirement? Shouldn't I also have an emergency fund? I hear 6 months worth of pay is the standard. And what if I one day want to buy a house? When do you save up that money and how do you balance that with loans, retirement, and a basic savings account?

Here I was thinking I was doing so well to simply head towards getting out of debt before schedule and now I find out that I am worse off than I thought. I have heard the phrase "Live like no one else so you can live like no one else" many times, but at what point do you finally get to start that second part? At what point do I finely get to really live? At times I wonder if it is worth all this saving and monitoring of my budget if I have to delay enjoying the benefits for years and years. Being an adult is just not nearly as much fun as I thought it would be. Here I thought I would have all this freedom to buy a candy bar if I wanted one, but it turns out that candy bar means deferring funds away from more practical things like buying fruits and vegetables.

Life in Iowa

Making the adjustment to living back in the Midwest has been difficult. I find myself longing for the busy schedule I kept while living out East. I used to have bible study every Tuesday, house dinners on Thursdays, drinks with friends and date nights. This winter I went to about 80% of the Capitals home games. There was always something to do if I was up for it. Now, I am faced with the reality that I am going to have to try to find things to do since I am in Iowa. (I may also be conveniently forgetting the times when I had to get creative with my wardrobe because I hadn't managed to make time to do laundry and how poor I felt because $5 for a beer was a deal. There were also those times when because I suck at making a decision I just ended up staying at home.)

 I rarely socialize with those I'm not related to these days. Not because I don't trust others, but rather I finally have the time to fully bond with my personal organizer and entertainer, the one relationship that has been a constant in my life since finding one another in a crowded BestBuy four years ago. He is my enabler and largest source of frustration when his energy level is unprepared for the marathon of Bob's Burgers I had planned. I like to call him Steve. Without him I couldn't spend hours falling into the abyss of Pinterest. (which may deserve it's very own post one of these days) We have grown close while I make this transition from independent city dweller to independently crashing with my parents while saving money and waiting for an apartment to open up.

The apartment is in fact there. I have seen it and spoken with the landlord and it will one day be mine! But in the meantime I am back to my old bedroom, with my belongings stored in a variety of boxes and tubs throughout several bedrooms and the attic. I have very little idea of where I can find half of the things I own and as the weather is getting nicer I am beginning to worry if I will ever find that one box that has the blue sundress I like (the light blue, not the dark blue). I have limited space and I hate the idea of unpacking three additional boxes only to pack them back up two months later.

I have moved a minimum of once a year since leaving for college so you would think I am tired of it. Part of me is ready to just be settled and stay put for awhile. But part of me is afraid that I am going to end up settling in here and never leave Iowa again. I know that isn't the worst fate out there, but I love the idea of living in a foreign country and immersing myself in a new culture. I don't care what people say about the University offering cultural diversity and different cultural activities, it is not the same. (Besides, after moving so much I have gotten pretty good at it and I would hate to lose that skill.) I can no longer watch House Hunters International without trying to figure out what job they have that is allowing them to move abroad and how I can get it. The spouse or child that gripes about having to leave their home town irritates me way too much.

But for now I am in the Midwest where the cost of living is reasonable and I have family nearby. I don't have a lively social life, but that will come with time. And if it doesn't perhaps I will actually make some of those hundreds of pinterest things I keep saying I'll do.

A lot Changes in a Year

So I initially began this blog as I transitioned from college life to becoming a young adult. Somewhere along the way I became distracted and stopped posting on here. Actually, I know exactly when that happened. It was March, one year ago when I went to London. I was there for two weeks and it was awesome, but when I got back I didn't know what to write about it. There was too much to cover in one blog post and so I kept putting it off. Then life went on and I had other things I wanted to write about, but I kept thinking I needed to go back to include London before moving on and now it has been an entire year. So since I have missed the last year here are the highlights:

I went to London! (And Dublin)
I had never before been to Europe so this was an awesome first. Corey was sent there for work so I stayed with him for two weeks and one weekend we went over to Dublin for a few days. Getting to wander around London (and getting a little lost) was wonderful. It was great weather and if I remember correctly it didn't rain the entire time I was there. Corey's mom and aunt were in the UK for a few days while I was there visiting his cousin in Bath so we went out to see them. We were able to see Stonehenge and tour surrounding villages where some of Harry Potter was filmed.

My favorite part of Dublin was a toss up between the Guiness Storehouse and trying out all the different pubs. We also went to the Leprechaun Museum which was a major tourist trap (no surprise) but was still a lot of fun since we went on the night tour. It was sort of a tour but also an audience participation play. I was cast as the town doctor and Corey was the handyman (if I remember correctly). If I ever go back I am going to make sure to get out of the city and into the country side.

I moved to SW DC
In June I moved from the MVS house into a town house half a mile south of the Capital. Suddenly I became more of an adult and had to pay utilities and buy groceries that weren't part of a house budget. I no longer was cooking for 7 when I cooked, just me, so cereal and sandwiches became much more common.

Italy!
I went back to Europe! Before Corey came back to the states we both flew to Rome in July and met at the airport. We traveled by train from Rome to Florence and on to Venice. We saw soooo many old things like Vatican City, the Colosseum, Palatine Hill (and that was just Rome). And lots and lots of Renaissance art in every city we were in. We also figured out public transit in Rome which was an adventure in itself.

In Florence we saw the David, the Duomo, and lots of rain. 

(It really is amazing how life-like he looks!)

Venice was my favorite city. Partially because it was a little more relaxed and we could walk or water taxi everywhere (there are no cars allowed) and also it is just so beautiful. There was lots to see, but we were able to take it slow and just enjoy being there.

I turned 25

Still not sure how I feel about that one, but I was able to celebrate with friends. In the MVS house we had a tradition of asking the "birthday questions" which entails forcing the birthday boy or girl to reflect on the last year and answer deep questions about highlights, lessons learned, and what hopes the future holds. While I don't remember all the questions and answers, I know that I enjoyed being 24 and was very excited to reflect on going to Europe for the first time while 24 and being excited to find out what "firsts" being 25 holds. One thing that I definitely learned at 24 was that I LOVE traveling and I can't wait to go abroad again. 

New Job

During Christmas break I heard about a job opportunity and applied. I ended up getting it!

Road Trip/Moved Back to Iowa

The new job is at Crowded Closet Thrift Shop in Iowa City. Obviously this required a move back to Iowa. Luckily for me I have amazing friends in DC so Shiri and Julia decided to travel with me back to Iowa. It was a horrible drive because of the weather, but it made the transition way easier. I am now living with my parents until a place opens up in July. This move is definitely the biggest change that this last year has brought. I did not really plan on coming back to Iowa anytime soon, but it just seemed to work out and so far it has been good. It is taking a lot of adjustment and I have been having moments of doubt and longing for DC. I just have to trust that this is where I am supposed to be right now. 

If nothing else, I am currently saving money and paying off more of my student loans which puts me in a better position to be able to travel. So if living in Iowa means I get to see more of the world I am okay with that. 

(FYI Corey will be moving abroad for a permanent placement rotation just as soon as the government figures out some of the logistics. This means he is going to be gone for 2-3 years.)

Obviously a lot of other things have happened like holidays and fun things with friends like concerts, (Alex Clare, Noah Gunderson, and The Steel Wheels. If you haven't heard of any of these please look them up, they are all great!) movie nights, brunches, hockey games and meeting Slapshot, spending a day in Baltimore, and dinners and drinks with friends. I am sure the year ahead will hold new adventures and new excitements and this time I plan to write them all down before it becomes an overwhelming list. 

Snow Days, Spring Time, and Hockey

So this weather is getting stranger and stranger. Today was another snow day - the second one we have had this month. Two years ago I was in Chicago on St. Patrick's day and I wore shorts and a T-shirt all day because it was in the 70's. That was Chicago! This is DC where winter is supposed to be shorter and spring a lot nicer. As annoying as it is that the weather is still not warm, it was nice to be able to have a relaxing day of working from home. I got stuff done, but I also took a break and went shopping with some of the ladies I live with for while in the afternoon. I realized that it had been a long time since I had gone shopping with a group of girls and we had a lot of fun looking at fun outfits and picking out a few new items each. I am really excited about my new comfy, over-sized sweater. I also got pants with a pattern on them which is really not me, but I figure, I'm young, why not?

Just two days ago (Saturday) I went on a long walk down to the National Mall because it was so nice out. I really enjoyed the walk. It is right at 2 miles from my house to the mall. I took my time and just enjoyed the weather. It was great to not have an agenda or feel rushed to be doing something. Turns out there are some really cool churches tucked away between the buildings of the city. Here are a few:

I think this red door against the white church is really cool. Also it is an interesting contrast against the building surrounding it.

Last Saturday Corey treated me and Cara to a couple of tickets to see the Capitals take on the Coyotes. It was a fun game and we came back from a 0-2 deficit in the third period to win the game.

After the game we were going to go grab a bite and a drink, but decided that making a fire at home and roasting marshmallows would be better. Then we thought about it and decided that roasting peeps would be even better. Turns out that the wood we have was all too wet to burn properly, but we each managed to get one peep roasted before we ran out of dry-ish wood.

They were really tasty! I mean with the extra sugar, how could they not be?

Longest Winter Ever!

This winter just wont end! Last year in February we had consistent 50* days. Sure it got cold at night, but I was never tempted to wear my big winter coat to work the entire month. In fact I believe last winter I wore that big thing a total of maybe 10 days. Now it is March and Monday we had a snow day. There was ice under around 6-10" of snow depending on where you were in the area. I know you mid-westerners scoff at such conditions, but here they really don't have the equipment to deal with that snow and ice. We did have one normal February day on the 22nd. I happened to be on a Saturday so a bunch of us went to the Mall for the afternoon.

Alisha joined us for snacks and Frisbee

This is Ben, Grace's fiance. He was a little rusty. 

The sunset and the Capital at sunset are for you Mom.

Right as we were getting ready to go we saw this fox wandering around. No idea where it came from or what it was doing, but it was just on the lawn in front of the Museum of American History.

So that was the one day of spring. Three days later I left my house to head to work and this was our front garden. Currently it is even deeper (after the snow on Monday). 

In order to break up some of the monotony of winter Keith and Erica hosted a murder mystery dinner on Saturday. We were all given characters ahead of time (I was Cleptopatra) the light fingered Queen of the Nile. Everyone else was a roman. It was a box set complete with character profile booklets and a CD with background music. It was a lot of fun and we all enjoyed on another's costumes. 

I apologize that this post was so long delayed I hope all the pictures helped make up for it. I feel like I am constantly busy, but I am not exactly sure what it is that is keeping me so busy these days. Corey is enjoying London and feeling pretty well acquainted with the city. Because of the time difference we don't have much time to talk during the week (only over my lunch breaks, when I get them) so we try to talk on weekends. I am flying out on the 28th to see him and I am sure it will be great! We are going to spend one weekend in Dublin so that should be pretty awesome. 

Also coming up: Marlinda and Mom visit me! They are actually going to be here for the beginning of the Cherry Blossom Festival so they get to be part of the first wave of the new tourist season. I just hope it really is spring by then!

Not Much to Report

I know it has been a rather long time since I posted, but I just don't have much going on these days. Since Corey has gone I am spending a little more time hanging out with my house but work and other things have kept me busy. I spent the last Saturday of January babysitting for a family at church. Matthew and Lisa Watson are new pastors that have been working with our church while they research where they are going to start a new church in DC. They have two boys and a little girl ages 7, 5, and 2. It was a lot of fun hanging out with them and less exhausting than I had originally imagined.

The next weekend I had to work on Saturday. (What a great way to being February) We had a training for our college employees so that we could get this semester started off on a strong note. We also did some hiring and I have been busy recruiting for the last few weeks. Saturday night our house went to the Green Sky Blue Grass concert at the 9:30 club. It was really awesome, but after a long week and working that day I was exhausted and some of us ended up leaving about a half hour early.

This last weekend my small group from church went on a retreat. We stayed at a cabin by a river in Maryland. It was cold so we were mostly in doors, but it was great to get out of the city and spend some time just relaxing for a weekend. We all shared out faith journey/story and got to know one another even better and on a deeper level.

I was supposed to be flying out to Atlanta tomorrow at noon for a conference, but because Atlanta is now expecting to get another storm* they have canceled all flights heading there after 6:30pm tonight. We have called and canceled our hotels and are planning on staying here.
*storm is defined as 2-4" of snow and temperatures as low as 30