Long Time, No See...

It has been one month and twelve days since I last posted. I apologize in advance but if you've read any of my other posts you already know I'm struggling but trying my best to keep this up. The past month has been incredibly busy for me. I went on vacation right after my last post for two weeks and then I moved up to school the following week. So here's a quick update list:

• I bought a car.
• I moved.
• First week of classes = done!
• Possibly getting published in the newspaper soon.

CRAZY. I know. A lot of information to process. First things first, I believe I last left you with me having a mental breakdown over finances, and cars (old and new), and stress. Well, fear no more! For God works in wonderful ways. I managed to get way over trade-in value on my old car which I had prayed about vigorously and said God's hand would definitely be in this process and I'd be doing what He wants me to do if I get that amount. Sure enough, God exceeded my expectations and I could not be more overjoyed. I upgraded to a much larger vehicle that gets better gas mileage than my old car. It made moving so much easier. Which leads me to my next point.
I moved! Not anything major; I moved back up to my university. I had so many apprehensions about this move all summer. Last semester I just did not do well at all. I was constantly getting sick and mentally and emotionally I was just never fully good... I would be away from home, my family, my friends... I wouldn't be working as much so therefore would not be making as much money... I didn't get the bedroom downstairs that had an adjoining private bathroom... Just so many little things gave me so much anxiety over this situation. Well, after more prayers I moved up here with my very close friend as a fellow roommate, I met my other two roommates who I actually really like, my apartment feels more home-y, and I love my classes.
I only have two classes on campus and two online but I am beyond excited for my journalism course. It's called "News Reporting" so I get to learn how to write for a paper and how to interview people! Fun Fact: Did you know those little flippy notebooks that news reporters use in movies and T.V. shows are actually used by real life news reporters? I thought they were just an old prop! So, my professor handed some out to us the other day and we got to interview a fellow classmate. I know it seems small but it is a step toward learning all that I can out of this course. However, the most exciting news that I got in my class yesterday was when my professor said that his goal is that everyone will get published in the school paper at least once this semester. I am telling you right now that I will be picking up thirty copies to bring home and send out to my family. Also, we had two people from the paper come to speak to the class. They told us about this awesome opportunity that they do where you can get added to their weekly pitch list and pick up any article ideas that you want! I am overwhelmed with the opportunities that I am already receiving from this entry level, prerequisite class.
Well, that's all the news I have for you today. Hopefully with my small course load and only being in class three days a week I will be able to update more. Thank you for sticking with me.

Two In A Row...

Ladies and gents,
This is my fourth night in a row that I've been up well past 11:30. It has been months since I've had late nights. I am not too proud of myself at the moment but what can ya do? I have immensely enjoyed going to be around 11 p.m. and waking up around 8 a.m. I love naturally waking up that early feeling well rested. I swear I am a morning person! I just have to have the perfect conditions. 
Today was one of my only days off this week so I had such a wonderful time relaxing in bed until 1 p.m. and hanging out with some of my best friends in the evening. I'm still feeling a little overwhelmed with my task list and trying to plan for the next 7 days before I leave on vacation but anxiety level is much lower than last night. No going to bed at 4:30 for me!
I did have one response back from one of those review writing jobs I applied for yesterday. The movie review company emailed me back which is beyond awesome because that is the job I wanted most. I am hoping and praying that this is a legitimate opportunity so we shall have to wait and see.
I also got way too inspired to go apartment shopping today but it was to no avail. Target, for once, failed me with their home decor selection as there was not a single item displayed. Even their bathroom supplies section was severely depleted. What the heck Target?!

In other news:
Today I am positively overwhelmed with how God-focused my boyfriend is. I have been in precisely two relationships prior to this with the first being with someone who was not a Christian by any means and the second being a five year commitment with someone who falsely told me they were a Godly person. To be in this Christ centered relationship changes everything and I am so grate and blessed that God has put Tyler in my life. He's been visiting family out of state for about four days now and we have been bickering for the past two. It's gotten to the point where I am so beyond annoyed with the situation and how I cannot get away from these negative emotions that I am annoyed about being annoyed and that is one of the most self-depleting emotions right next to being helplessly bored when you're sick. 

While we have strayed from relying on God in our time of frustration the past few days, Tyler was quick to text me tonight saying, "The way we have been fighting is ridiculous. You get annoyed very easily and I'm sensitive. We know each other very well but we still don't know how to work with each other very well. It doesn't matter which argument is whose fault. Every argument happens because we forget we are on the same team. We always think the other one is out to get the other and it's not true. I think it boils down to the fact that we don't treat each other Godly at all. We bought dating couple's devotionals weeks ago and have only read them twice. I even brought my copy on vacation with me! But we have become lazy and God knows this. We need a key word so that when things start to go bad whenever one of us says it, we take a few minutes and look to God. We either pray or read the Bible or maybe each find a verse and tell it to the other. And that will help us to memorize scripture too."

I don't think words could properly describe how grateful I am to have someone who can pull me back on the right track when I am struggling. While I strive to do the same for him, I am human, I am not perfect, and I don't get it right 100% of the time. It humbles me to be reminded that I am not being the best servant to Jesus and God that I can, should, and need to be. So, tonight I am thanking God for  abundantly supplying me with all that I need to be equipped with for this world.

Pardon my long post but if you have made it this far, thank you.

À la porchaine.

Starting All Over...

I have no idea what I want to write about on here. I have no idea how I want to structure my posts. I just have this immensely long train of thought that is just spewing with ideas that I get overwhelmed and don't know where to start or even what direction to go in. I have a "to-do list" about the length of a mile with absolutely no motivation to work on it. I should finish folding the three loads of laundry sitting upon my bed. I should put away the dishes in the dishwasher and hand wash the pots in the sink. I should wash my bed sheets. I should scrape off the Joy FM window decal that this ridiculous Florida sun has somehow BURNED onto my car. I should be doing my workouts. I should get some sleep. I should do a lot of things. However, I am instead lying in bed surrounded by candles with my cat curled up just a foot away. And in many ways, I am content.

I applied for some writing gigs today through some postings I found on Craigslist. I know it seems "sketchy" but I am desperate to get my foot in the door, so to speak, somewhere in this business. The absolute worst part is that so many gigs won't pay you but will promote your blog instead. Which is great! It's such a great idea for someone who has a blog of substantial value yet is unbeknownst to the world to get the recognition that he or she deserves! But then there's me. Who has no direction whatsoever with my blog and can't keep up with regular postings. They'd take one look at this link and think, "What the heck? You want to write? What credentials do you have?"

Of course I have no credentials, prior experience, or virtually anything to show how dedicated I am to this career field. All I have is my passion, my drive, and my word. Unfortunately, that's not enough in the real world. So! Here I go. Trying to start my blog up again for the fourth time. I'm going to try my utmost to make this work. I have to make this work. This needs to work. I will make it work. All I need is God, prayer, and my drive.

À la porchaine.

Seattle...

     On June 13th of this year I had the impeccable opportunity to travel to Seattle, Washington; a state that I had only been dreaming about going to ever since I watched Sleepless in Seattle and instantly fell in love with not only Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks but also the city itself. I left from Tampa International Airport with a layover in Miami and around 9 PM we finally took off for Seattle. This was my first night flight and though I have been on hundreds of flights since the age of five, I had never been on a flight at night so I was incredibly excited to see the world from above at dark. We landed at about 1:30 AM local time and I could already tell I was in love with the city as we began our descent. Typical of Seattle, it was a fairly cloudy night. We broke through one layer of clouds and I caught a fleeting glimpse of the Space Needle and it literally took my breath away. As quickly as it appeared, however, it was gone and we were trapped in yet another clump of clouds. By the time we cleared the new covering we were right above the streets and I managed to snap this fantastic shot with my phone:

     The whole city was lit up like a Christmas tree and I knew flying by night was the best way to go. My dad and older brother picked me up from the airport and we ran to our hotel to try and catch some sleep before the next day when we would head to a port to load onto our cruise ship to Alaska. By morning I still couldn't believe that I was in Seattle. I had only dreamed of the city for years and finally I was here and I was on the West Coast for the first time ever! When we left the hotel, we got a cab into the city to the port and when we were dropped off my dad told me to turn around and there I saw the Space Needle literally just blocks away. Admittedly, the cruise to Alaska was going to be exciting for me and a whole new adventure but I could not wait to get back to tour around Seattle before I flew back home. The only taste of city life I was able to get before I boarded ship was a Reuben sandwich from a local deli. Every time we walked by the water I just had to rush over and look into it (this was my first time seeing the Pacific waters after all). I was amazed at how clear the water was, especially at night, and seeing the tiny jellyfish floating in the current. Luckily, our room on the ship had a balcony so I was able to stare a small version of the Seattle skyline while we were still in port.

     I will delve into the adventures of my cruise in another post because I really want to talk strictly Seattle here. Once we disembarked from the ship after one week away from my beloved city, I had to start bugging my dad to tour the city with me. He and the rest of my family had gotten there a day before I did so they had already done everything I wanted to do; except take a ride to the top of the Space Needle. We checked our bags into our new hotel and headed off to get a City Pass for the next two days that would cover a multitude of tourist attractions. I was incredibly blessed to have the last two days of my trip be completely sunny which was so unusual for Seattle. We could even see Mt. Rainier perfectly on both days which was yet another rarity! It was like I was loving Seattle and she was loving me right back with everything she had. 

     We ended up going into the Space Needle once in the morning and once more at night and both trips I would highly recommend doing. We went to the very first Starbucks, walked Pike Place Market, saw the famous fish tossing, and ate a fresh Mt. Rainier cherry at a fruit stand. We went through the aquarium and took a ferry boat around the waters of Elliot Bay where I got the perfect view of Seattle's skyline. We visited the EMP (Experience Music Project) museum and the Pacific Science Center and did some typical tourist souvenir shopping. Ok, I was the only one ecstatic over the souvenirs but I was perfectly content with playing the tacky tourist and getting mugs, t-shirts, and key chains that all had "SEATTLE" printed across them. The only thing I did not get to do was take a Sleepless in Seattle tour around town to see where they filmed but I knew that I'd be returning again one day and felt satisfied that I got to do all the other items on my Seattle Bucket List. Other than the classical tourist rounds we just walked the city and by the end of the second day I felt comfortable enough to guide new tourists around the city myself.

     My returning flight was another night one that left about 12:15 AM local time and I felt dejected leaving a place that made me so happy. I found comfort in knowing that I had plenty of pictures, souvenirs, and memories of the city that I would get to carry for the rest of my life. Plus, I knew I wouldn't be able to stay away from the city too long; I still had some Sleepless in Seattle touring to do! ;) Until next time, enjoy these wonderful pictures with me...