It's (Almost) the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I will start this off by saying, fortunately, my husband does not read my blog, so I can't get in trouble for what I am about to write. =)

I love Christmas...I mean, I L-O-V-E this holiday! Easily my favorite of the year and for so many reasons! I love giving gifts, I love the decorations, I love the time off from school now that I have that, it's wonderful! And, of course, there is the most important reason on all - without it, we as humans were screwed because no one would have come to save us!  I don't so much care for the music though. 


I must confess, I would really like to pull the tree out and decorate before we leave for New York. I mentioned the idea casually, last night. Husband said no. I don't know why...it's not like we are celebrating Thanksgiving this year, so technically, we aren't getting ahead of ourselves. Oh well.... 


Instead, I bought this last night in order to enjoy the anticipation of the upcoming holiday season. 

Isn't it adorable?!?! I love the movie, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (along with all those childhood classics - they are still my favorite to watch every year!), but I never pulled this quote out of it before...and soon as I saw it (thank you Pinterest!), I knew I had to have it. Plus, the meaning is so perfect! As much as I love to shop for others, nothing compares to the gift already given to us. Anyways, I think, in an attempt to pacify me and delay the decorating of our house, the husband said to buy and I did! Can't wait for it to get here...and I get wait until Friday, November 25 when the Christmas season officially begins!!

Another Step Toward Adulthood

At 28 years old, I typically feel nothing like an adult. I don't really know what I want to be when I grow up. I'm still a full time student. I don't do many domestic things. And I feel like I just run around trying to keep my head above water on most days. However, this week, I did something that made me feel just a little bit gown up! I paid off my car!!!! All by myself. I saved for the down payment. I made every single loan payment. I paid for the insurance, the registration, and all the maintenance. (Of course, since getting married, this automatically becomes a joint effort, but still - done without the help of parents.) And this week, it all paid off. The car is officially mine. I own it completely. What a truly wonderful feeling! Of course, all week, I have been so nervous that the car will now get totaled...but I am trying to stay positive and focus on our big accomplishment. Now, time to start saving that car payment money for the next one! 

 

Except mine has a moon roof!!

New York State of Mind

So, maybe I should just change this blog from "Adventures" to "Spontaneity!" Matt and I have done it again! Thursday, Matt and I received an email from Groupon Getaways about a deal on a New York City hotel. Just for fun, we though we would check out the cost of flights...lo and behold, we found some good deals! Better prices than I have seen on flights that didn't take you across the country. You could almost hear the wheels turning in both of our heads. We checked out the balance on our travel savings account (which we started over a year ago, but really hadn't had a chance to use yet), and all of a sudden, this random fantasy seemed very realistic. 5 days later, we booked the whole trip! Found AMAZING deals for flights, great prices on a mid-townhotel, parents offering to pay for special excursions as an early Christmas present, and were able to get tickets for the 9-11 memorial on Thanksgiving morning. Itinerary has been made. Costs calculated. Plans to gorge ourselves on pizza and pretzels from street vendors are in place. Now, we just have to wait...it will be a long six weeks. It is literally all I can think about every day. I CAN NOT WAIT. 

I have been to the Big Apple once before with two fantastic girls and we had such a great time! I am so excited to go back and this time with my best friend! We are in desperate need of a getaway right now. I can not think of a better way to spend our Thanksgiving break! Matt is so excited, he even went out and bought a pair of jeans!! (I got a scarf...it's beautiful!) 


I don't think we could ever plan trips to far in advance, the suspense is causing me anxiety and I don't think I could handle a longer wait!

Can't wait to do some shopping here: 

Going to see this play on Broadway:  

Oh! And did I mention?!?! We get to see the city in the Fall!! 

 

366

Today marks 366 days since I left my first career as a corporate event planner. A crazy 366 days it has been too! I do not for one second regret leaving ESRI. I had an incredible experience and learned A LOT!! How many 22 year old, fresh out of college girls get the chance to plan a 14,000 person international event?!?! How many young women get to plan a company's largest events, work with vendors across the country, and travel to the opposite coast annually for a big event that they planned that includes speakers from the white house?!?! I don't think many. I truly learned so much doing it too. Of course it had its rough moments, days, weeks, months...but it was an experience worth having and I realize that although I spent so much time wondering why I was there, I'm glad I was. And if nothing else, I made some truly great friends that I think I will have for a long time. It's hard to travel and spend a week or more with someone and not bond with them! We made some good memories, and I am grateful I can continue to be a part of their lives. As mentioned, I do not regret leaving ESRI. It was the right move to make for many reasons. Plus, I had the passion to pursue a career in education and I am loving that experience. However, I must say that something inside me misses it. Not the company. Not the drama. Not the being unappreciated. But the actual event planning process. I used a different part of my brain and talents when working on events. A part of my brain that actually functions really well. And to be honest, I feel a little rusty and lost without it. I wish that there was some way that I could have my cake and eat it too. Keep being a teacher and working with my beloved students, but still find the time to work on an event here or there on the side. I know it sounds crazy and like I am asking to be in over my head, but I miss it. I really do. Events are something that come naturally to me. I can walk into any given space and see how it should be set up, what kind of lighting would look good, and what color scheme I would want to work with. I even like to speculate in my head how many tables would fit and what shape table would work best. Silly, I know, but I can't turn it off. Every time I go to an event of any kind, all I can think about is what went into putting it together. I criticize the signage, wonder how many hours one person spent answering emails about the most minute details, and  try to guess how many arguments were had over the centerpieces. I know, it's ridiculous, but I love that stuff. My hope and prayer is that someday, one way or another, God will unite my two passions of working with students and planning events. I know that marriage will probably look unlike anything I can imagine, but that's OK with me, since I have come to learn His plans are SO much better than my own. This has been proved to me time and time again and I don't question it for an instance. So here I sit, 366 days later....not even in the place to reflect on my first year as a teacher yet, but finally ready to reflect on my first career. I write this more so that one day, I can look back on this and see what God has done. I know he will bring my two passions together one way or another and I want to have this to look back on say, "Look! I came from this place of longing and THIS is what GOD did for me!" Of course, I am impatient and will struggle through the waiting process, but at least I have the promise of a God who loves me and will use me and the desires of my heart for His own good. So thank you God, for where I have come from, and thank you God, for where you are taking me. Could we just get there a little faster? =)

Spontaneity at its Finest

     There are many different adjectives I could use to describe my relationship with Matt. (All positive of course!) One of the adjectives that I love about us the most is spontaneous. You would think that someone who's career use to be all about "planning" and the OCD we both live with would prevent impromptu and spontaneous adventures with each other, but that is not the case. Since we started dating, I have loved that while we may plan for one thing, we almost always end up doing something else. For instance, on our way to Disneyland one night, we instead ended up in Hollywood searching for stars on the Walk of Fame and seeing just how far Sunset Blvd. really goes. Today, we booked a little Summer getaway for ourselves. We have been saving up for some time in order to do something fun this Summer. We knew it wouldn't be anything big or elaborate because we have our sights set on Italy in the next year or two, but still wanted to be able to getaway, just for a few days. Well, we found a perfectly affordable trip that will take us to San Francisco and Monterey for a few days each. And....we leave 1 week from today! All of a sudden, I have work to get done this week! I am so excited! Thanks to Hotwire we got FANTASTIC hotel deals and have found of plenty of things to check out for little to no cost in both cities! We will splurge a little by taking in a Giants game, going to Alcatraz (I have never been) and the Aquarium in Monterey! We will road trip too to save the cost of flights (believe it or not, driving is still cheaper than flying), and should have fun since we have never driven more than 4 hours before together! (I foresee some CD burning taking place this week to prep for the long drive). I love that while we some plans, our time is still open to a change and checking out new discoveries a long the way. But what I love the most is that almost 5 years into our relationship, we are still being spontaneous and open to new (and last minute) adventures! I hope we never loose this. 

P.S. Did I mention how much I LOVE having Summers off?!?!

Next week's journey takes to the following: 

 

Summer Time and the Living's Easy

Well, I am officially on summer break! I completed my very first year of teaching, am half way through my credential program...and more importantly, I survived!! I learned a TON and believe that I have fully earned the next 10 weeks off! The last week with my students ended well and we truly enjoyed our last few days together. Now for my big summer plans....projects around the house, gym, reading, pool time, more gym, visiting with friends, prepping for next year, and well, doing absolutely nothing when I feel like it! I have been stockpiling some books for this blessed occasion and have a "To-Do" list that is too long to ever accomplish, but I am so content. For the next two months, I do not have to cram homework, errands, cleaning, family, grading, and lesson plans into a day and a half....I have all the time in the world on my hands! This is a whole new experience for me....time I haven't had to myself since I graduated from college...and am really looking forward to the change of the pace! 

Betrayl

As I sit here and right this, I am finishing up the last of the paperwork for my credential. I am half way through. Last observation done. Last module done. At least until August! And what should be a moment of celebrating and excitement is anything but. I have experienced a terrible pain this past week. I have been betrayed. I don't know if I have ever honestly been betrayed in such a fashion before. I have definitely been hurt in the past and felt like people have turned their back on me, but not like this. Not used for someone else's agenda. Not thrown into the fire because it's easier to make me, the one who is supposed to be "untouchable" the scapegoat rather than them take responsibility for their own actions. I hurt. I feel USED. What a disgusting word. Used. Used so that someone could meet their own agenda. Someone took my words and used them for their benefit. Never mind what it does to me...oh I'll be fine. Never mind the relationships that they are ruining because of their actions. I'll be just fine. Never mind the unnecessary drama, pain, tears, physical sickness I have had to and will continue to endure, because I'll be fine. As long as they get what they want in the end, who cares what I went through. I'll be fine. This is a whole new kind of pain. One, that for whatever reason, God has deemed me worthy to endure. Thanks God! This makes two springs in a row of difficult situations and I did not see this one coming. I thought people could be trusted. I thought that I was looked out for and cared for. I thought that no one would betray me. I trusted few. I thought I chose wisely. I thought I was safe. I was wrong. Very wrong. I am alone in this situation. I feel completely isolated and alone. I can trust no one in this setting. No one. These people stab you in the back, set you up, and let you take the blame, as long as they get what they want in the end. I am sad. Sad and hurt. And in all of this, it makes me think about what Jesus went through. Betrayed by one of his closest. And He saw it coming. Ouch. I wasn't betrayed by one of my 12 closest and this still hurts. I wasn't betrayed for death and I still grieve. Wow. This brings a whole new understanding to the pain of having someone sabotage you. I don't know that I have ever focused that much on this portion of the Easter story before. It makes me appreciate even more the emotional pain that Jesus had to endure for me.