New kids on the block

This week has been a pretty good one.  Monday was move-in day into our new apartment!  We really like our place. I did feel bad for the movers however, because we live on the 4th floor, with no elevator.  Let me just tell you, that having your (husband's) work pay/take care of relocation, is SO SO nice.  Best thing ever.  Didn't have to pack/carry/PAY a. thing. ! I'm convinced that's the only way we'll go, ever.  Call me lazy, I choose, "smart" or "clever."

We really like the town that we are living in.  It's just beautiful with lots of green, which I've been longing for, for a while.  The commute for Wolfgang for work is a little long, but he finds it worth it, for where we live (so far).  I just might share pictures of our place, after it's a little more under control.  Although I am pleased to say that minus 2 or 3 boxes, we are completely unpacked. I am unemployed and childless and petless after all, so it's not all that hard to tackle it, even if it is kinda a pain.

 Actually, I do have a couple of pictures to share.  Here are some pictures of one awesome perk of our new place, the wrap around patio!  And a great view.

Sorry, not the best quality of pictures, but it gives you an idea. The first picture is of the windows from the dinning area, looking out to the patio.

Another perk about our place, is that we have a one car garage. A GARAGE!  How cool is that?  That was definitely a selling feature, because this place is the same price as other rentals we liked, however other places would charge us up to $150 per month for parking. whaaat? No thanks.

Ok, so maybe this post isn't as exciting for you as it is for me, but I do have to share one more thing.  The landlord gave us an option for furnished (= more per month) vs. unfurnished. We obviously picked unfurnished, because we shipped all of our stuff.  The day before we moved in, he called and asked if we wanted him to keep the tv (nice, flat screen, 42" ish) in the apartment. We told him no thanks, because he would charge us to keep it on a monthly basis.  Later that day we go to get the keys from him, and guess what? He kept the tv there, AND patio furniture, for free! We totally scored on his laziness.  We were definitely appreciative.  It's kinda weird having a tv now, but we like it. I'm like a 40 yr old woman, and I (we) LOVE the HGTV channel. 

Anyway, I wanted to share more in this post, but there has been enough words for now.

Come visit us!

Hello, Maryland.

We've already been in Maryland just over a week.  Hello!  In some ways I'm still in shock.

A week ago Thursday, we hopped on a plane, and hoped for the best that our cars and belongings would someday make it to MD.  A few days go we got word that our belongings had successfully made it, and just this morning, these two showed up, luckily in one piece.

Whew.

For the first few days we were here we shopped around like mad men for a place to live, and luckily we found something great!  Move-in day is Oct. 8th.  So our stuff will patiently be waiting (somewhere?) for some annoyed mover dudes to haul them up 4 flights of stairs (sorry guys...)

We've been loving the weather and the GREEN here!  It's been so nice to be able to enjoy being outside, with the exception of the humidity today because of the night rainstorm. This is a cute little shopping area just a block or two away:

I spent the afternoon here the other day, and it was lovely. Not to mention it has one of Wolfgang's most favorite places to eat, Nando's, of which is originally from England, and about died when he first found out that they had locations in the states (but only on the east coast).

Another food establishment that we have become friends with, looks something like this:

Mmmmm.

And did I mention how much we love the green?  But we do know that places only become green one way...rain and snow.  But we don't want to talk about that right now, we're just enjoying the fall for now.  Here is a picture I took in the town that we will be living in.  Isn't it gorgeous?! I instantly fell in love with the place, and we were just lucky enough to find our future (rental) home there.

And tomorrow's plan?  Returning our rental car and going somewhere great.  Any guesses? Hint: It's not Nando's.

The News

Now, for the news that I mentioned in my last post...

We are moving to Maryland!!

I still don't really believe it when those words are coming out of my mouth.

Wolfgang landed a promotion with Marriott and will be working at their headquarters. He's been looking for a change in his job since the beginning of the year, and now all the many applications and interviews have finally paid off for him.  He's SO excited about his new job.

We've told the good/bad news to family, friends, and co-workers and it's all going to become a reality, in just a few short weeks. We both have never been to the east coast (except for one minor exception, when Wolfgang was flown out to Baltimore right before our Europe trip for an interview. That job didn't end up working out) so this is quite the adventure for both of us.

It's all very exciting, emotional, and scary all at the same time.

These next few weeks are going to be rough and will fly by so fast, I get overwhelmed just thinking about it.

So there you have it.  Any input about Maryland?  Send it my way. 

Oh, and this marks my 500th blog post. (!)

Pathetic

I may or may not have teared up after our friend bought and took our entertainment center.

I didn't care about the entertainment center itself, is was just the fact that our little apt became that much more impersonal (our entertainment center was about the only thing we decorated semi-cute) and that much more real that we are leaving.

(Sorry I have so many posts like this....get over it.) ;)

Disclaimer: OH and one more thing... the above mentioned DOESN'T mean we are sad to leave TVA (housing complex) I've been counting down for months on that one...I just mean leaving in general.

like a train

I'm just going to say it how it is...

I don't do well with change.

Anytime my life is about to make a dramatic turn, I think I go into denial, and the reality of it hits me at random times (and I become annoyingly and ridiculously emotional).

Last night was one of those random times.

It sort of started out yesterday afternoon, when it officially became known that our chance of staying in Hawaii went from about a 70%, down to about a 5%. When Wolfgang told me and the synapses in my head did their thing, I just kind of stood there in shock. "That means we aren't staying in Hawaii?" I almost cried. In the beginning, I knew that our chances of staying here were not that great, but the ups and down of it really confused me emotionally, knowing whether to be happy or sad, in either outcome (Hawaii or Mainland).

Then last night came along. I was lying in bed when all of a sudden it hit me again, that we are leaving Hawaii, very soon. A flood of people went rushing through my mind- friends, co-workers, and professors, and I couldn't help but break down and cry.

I seriously can't believe the last 3 years has gone by so incredibly fast. A part of me is ready to move on, but the other part is feeling overwhelmed that I haven't done everything that I need to/want to here. I guess that's just how life is though.

It's amazing how time flies.

24...old?

We've had a delightful weekend, and I'm still not ready for another week!
And as a side note, we've done pretty decently good so far selling our stuff
one surfboard gone,
clothes/books/texbooks gone
and microwave, entertainment center, dvd player and (maybe more) "on hold" until the end of the semester,
it's a great start.

It drives us crazy though, not knowing where we'll be living in about 3 weeks. Wolfgang didn't get the job he was hoping for here on Oahu, so we've got one more opportunity here, and if that doesn't work out, off to the mainland we go! But no bites yet.

Anyway, back to the title of this blog...
since when is 24 yrs old, OLD? I've felt like a "seasoned" person lately.
Not feeling well, but not sick (if that makes sense),
my feet hurt all day yesterday...from NOTHING,
and today, my muscles around my thighs/hips are super sore...again, from nothing.

What's up with that? Maybe all the stress is finally taking a (weird) toll on my body.
We had a great lesson in church today that has helped me to have a new perspective on life and the things that I need to do. My goal is to get back to working out to release all my unwanted stress, I think it'll be good.

Bring on the new week! (ugh.)

Change? Yes please.

I have a really hard time dealing with change and transitions. With graduation coming up just around the corner, I'm ecstatic, but beyond nervous too. I've been thinking that I've been a student for approx 20 years straight, and after December 17th, my life will completely change.

Yeah, maybe I'll end up going to school again, but probably not; and I know that you continue to learn...blah blah blah but my days of being a legit student are limited.

I have mixed feelings about this, but for now those feelings are dominated by GREAT JOY. I'm just ready to be done!!

What has helped this process along in wanting to move on, is the fact that I'm getting really annoyed and short with things around here. This may not seem like a blessing, but to me it IS a blessing in disguise.

Let's be real, if I didn't have nights like last night (obnoxious awkward single couple on playground last night keeping us up, security not getting off their lazy butts and helping us, Wolfgang getting up to tell them to leave, baby cry, listen to the baby's parents make love, baby cry again...)
Then I wouldn't desperately want to leave this place, and therefore I would be more sad.
I'm also at that stage where I don't care much about either of my jobs anymore, so now it's REALLY time to move on....

So yes, here was Jaimie again complaining about her living arrangements, but I really do feel like it's a blessing in disguise. call me morbid if you want.

2 months

I take great joy in knowing that in exactly 2 months, we will either be a. DONE and OUT of this apartment we are are currently in, or b. cleaning it and getting really really close to leaving it.

I can't wait for this day, minus the packing up and cleaning part.

I feel like living here has increase problems with anxiety, stress levels, and has lowered my tolerance level. I would actually really be interested if someone to do a study on the people who live here, in the rabbit hutches.

Things that have contributed to these problems include the fact that something is always going on. What can I say? I like being at peace in my home, a "place of refuge." What usually happens in a day at our apartment is either:

The baby next door is crying,
or
The rooster is crowing,
or
The neighbors/complex residents are making loud disturbing pleasure noises that no person should ever witness,
or
the baby next door is crying,
or
The whole place smells like sewage because of the sewage plant thing up on the hill behind us,
or
the baby next door is crying,
or
the children are obnoxiously (a word?) playing on the playground right outside our bedroom window
or
the yard workers are using REALLY LOUD MACHINERY that I have to YELL at Wolfgang to talk to him, and can't even consider making a phone call
or
a child from another complex is crying or throwing a tantrum
or
the baby next door is crying
or...
...repeat, repeat, repeat.

Ok, so maybe I'm being a scrooge, but I've had enough. I believe my blood pressure has risen to unhealthy heights, and my chances of explosion on innocent people has increased. This is not good.

I'll do my best to be a good righteous citizen until my days are up here.

(I'll try to say some nice things here now)
The few things that I will miss about living here, is the fact that we are so close to our friends, and that we don't have to pay for maintenance. Mmm....that is all.

I know I should be grateful for this place, but I won't, not ever, until I live somewhere worse with drug dealers or killers or prostitutes or all of the above as neighbors and then I'll think back, "oh yeah, I guess living in TVA wasn't so bad after all..."
But until then...
nope.