Happy New Year’s Eve!!

I am continuing with my reflections on this year today. Here is part 1 in case you missed it.

Now onto part 2 beginning with my drive…

My drive to Philadelphia was split over the course of 3 days. The first day I just drove to Michigan to see my friend and her baby one last time until who knows when. Then I drove to my aunt’s house in Ohio the next day. She gave me lots of stuff for the kitchen such as utensils (those certainly came in handy). Then the last leg of my drive was down to Philadelphia where luckily the maintenance guy was still there when I arrived to open the back door for me. I unloaded most of my car and I made a bed on the floor with blankets, a sleeping bag and pillows. That was my bed for the first two nights before I purchased an air mattress. Then Brian came down and we bought a mattress and desk at IKEA. The two pieces of furniture I owned until buying a table for the dining room months later. I may not have many things but I have learned to appreciate everything I do have and make it work.

I spent my days exploring the town and walking around the mall, while also talking to recruiters and meeting new recruiters for interviews. The first two weeks in Philadelphia felt so long and I was stressed not knowing when I would have a job since I now needed to pay rent. However soon I had an interview scheduled nearly every day. Some interviews went better than others. My first was definitely terrible. Actually it didn’t really feel much like an interview since the guy did most of the talking. Somehow I was offered that job, but I didn’t want it after the interview. I had some more interviews, slowly figuring out what I wanted. With all the interviews and stuff going on, I was stressed and almost didn’t accept my interview with my current company. The recruiter was super nice and understanding though about my waiting to hear back from other companies and I decided to schedule the interview. Obviously I am sooo glad I did! Knowing I could take the train to work was a huge plus for me, since I was new to the city and being in the city to work just sounded so exciting. A completely new experience!! Not only that but the company was fairly new for its own company, just coming off of another company so a majority of the people were new and learning things together. With the room for growth and everything I was hoping I would get the call that I got the job.

A few days later I did get a call for a second interview. After the first interview was 3 hours with 5 people, I wasn’t sure what else I could tell them, but just made sure to be myself. I had one more person to meet though and so I interviewed with him and then they made the decision and chose me!! I accepted the offer right away and was super excited to start in mid June!! I learned and grew so much in the interview process and moving. I learned how to keep myself busy and enjoyed the sunshine during the days before working and then on the weekends. I had also applied to a yoga teacher training during this time to which I learned my acceptance of my first day at my new job. I spent my time before working doing lots of yoga and reading at the park and continuing my Instagram yoga challenges.

I am so grateful for the opportunity with my current company and all the people around me. Everyone is just so friendly!! For the people who knew me before my move, they notice in my voice how much happier I am.

My moving away and being closer to Brian has also been great for our relationship. We may not see each other often, but we certainly make every second count when we do get to spend time together. We don’t fight. There is no time for that. No time to be mad. We simply talk things out if we don’t agree and move on.

It is also nice to be on the East coast to see more as well. It was convenient for the weddings I attended in June and in October. It is just so easy to drive places. I can’t say how long I will be staying here, but for now I am happy where I am at. I am learning new things at my job each week and doing yoga teacher training at the same time where I am expanding my knowledge about yoga and more. Together they keep me busy and happy with my life!! I am so excited for this New Year and to see what exciting things 2015 will bring!!

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Wow I really can’t believe the year is ending already! It’s like I blinked and the year was gone. I made some big changes to my life this year and I honestly couldn’t be happier about them. When this year began, I honestly was not too happy. I was even counting down till my birthday mostly because I wanted to do something special for it. I was sitting at work and finishing work an hour into my 8 hours. I felt like I was wasting my time. However I passed the time reading the Divergent trilogy. Great series by the way.

January was below 0 cold. So cold my high school closed for 4 snow days in ONE month!! This is a school that never closes. Back in February 2011 when we had a big snow storm, it closed for 1 day for the first time in 37 years!! 3 years later, it was closing because it was -30 degrees F or something. I can’t remember the temperature, but while my sister stayed home from school (aka went to the mall with friends), I went to work.

In January, I also attended my first (and probably only) Blackhawks game with my co workers and my company started a bowling league.

February it continued to snow EVERY weekend! In fact, I think the snow was timed just for the weekends some times. My family continued to share our one shovel and shovel the driveway. I had lots of early dismissals from work too (which I loved of course). My dad kept saying, the snow will melt soon and then was surprised when it only kept adding on.

I braved a snow storm (and probably shouldn’t have) just to go to my best friend’s baby shower. One of the scariest drives of my life since I didn’t have snow tires. I just drove slow and nearly got stuck many times, but luckily I made it.

The last day of February came and I was laid off from my job. I had tears in my eyes as I drove home at 9:30am that morning. I mostly would miss my co workers. I honestly felt so very lucky for my first job and where it led to. With all my free time in the office I even was learning macros in excel and how to write them. I definitely have to thank my manager hugely for that one, especially knowing how much it will help me in the future.

In March, my best friend gave birth to her beautiful baby girl. I also started Instagram yoga challenges, enjoyed sleeping in and working out at the gym mid morning. I spent time talking to recruiters in the Philadelphia area and also still saw my co workers at the bowling league Wednesday nights until the final game. The time off gave me time to visit my friend in Michigan as well and meet her baby. I am so happy for her and her little family and was so excited that I could visit so soon. While the time was stressful and not knowing where or when I would work again, I really felt I needed that break from work. Not only that, but I needed to move away and my lay off gave me just the right push and time to figure out my move.

After talking with recruiters throughout March, I finally booked a one way ticket to Philadelphia at the end of March. I knew I would be coming back home before my official move, but did not know exactly when based on Brian’s schedule. So I booked a ticket, booked hotels and my first rental car and went on an adventure to Philadelphia, never having been there before.

My first day I saw the Liberty bell and Independence Hall. Then I had a few interviews in the area and saw museums in between. My second half of my week I went to see apartments and staying in the King of Prussia area and really got to know the mall (actually I still get lost around there).

At the end of my week, I returned my car to the airport and waited at the airport for Brian to pick me up. It was the first time we had seen each other since January so it had been a couple months and Brian was burnt out from working 8 weeks straight without a break, not even weekends. So he got a week off, which we spent traveling. We went to NYC for a few days then headed to DC with his parents. It was just the vacation we both needed before I booked my flight home.

I got home a couple days before my birthday in April. As I mentioned, I wanted to do something special for my birthday after most people forgot my birthday in 2013. I decided to head to Michigan again to visit with my best friend and her baby who was now 6 weeks old. I felt more confident holding her this time and enjoyed seeing my best friend on my birthday. I drove home and my mom got me a spiralizer which is definitely one of my most used birthday gifts (besides the tablet I bought myself a year ago). I also requested a cookie cake. I am not a big cake person, but LOVE chocolate chip cookies, especially Mrs. Field’s cookie cakes.

My dad had fun with a photo shoot of my cookie cake for some reason.

The rest of April was spent packing up my room and sorting things for giving away and throwing out. Though I really couldn’t finish all of it, I felt I got a bunch done. I loaded up the car on April 26^th for my big road trip. Luckily the snow was gone by then. My clothes (that I wear) fit in 2 suitcases and then I brought my kitchen stuff, toiletries, my desktop with its two screens and other items that I really needed.

Since this post is getting long, I will continue with part 2 tomorrow.