Hey guys! I want to give a big thank you to everyone who helped me out by contributing as a guest blogger while I was moving, as well as all the wonderful people I've gotten to exchange emails with as they've been introduced to my blog for the first time through these great bloggers. I've enjoyed reading all the comments, and hearing about a lot of my friends' coolest adventures. So seriously, thank you. You've made this move a little less crazy and a little more fun.
That said, I will be back starting next week. Actually, starting tomorrow with Fill in the Blank Friday, but I've got a good post coming up for you guys next Monday that I've been working on for a while - so come back to check on that.
ANYWAY. This last guest post is written by one more fellow Aggie (I've already had Jacob and Amy) - Amanda Jill. I never got to meet her in person while at A&M because it's such a huge school, but I've enjoyed reading about her life, her take on College Station, and now her big move to Chicago. I hope you guys love her just as much. Drop her a line, why don't you? :)
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You know that song, "She's gone country?" My life is just like
that, except completely opposite. I'm a twenty-two year old designer
from deep in the heart of East Texas that made a journey to the big city
of Chicago. Here's a sliver of how I ended up here and my thoughts thus
far. enjoy!
It was a question I had become all too familiar with. "What are you going to do after graduation?" Well, you know what, I didn't know -- I still technically don't and I've come to realize that it's okay.
It was a question I had become all too familiar with. "What are you going to do after graduation?" Well, you know what, I didn't know -- I still technically don't and I've come to realize that it's okay.
I
recently graduated from Texas A&M University (as well as miss
Valorie) and had no clue where my life would take me. I had gotten so
tired of people asking my what my plans were. I almost made a shirt
simply so I didn't have to answer that dreaded question ever, ever
again.
Well here it is guys, I graduated from a
prestigious university to move to an unfamiliar city and... work at a
bar. Yeah, you heard me. I moved to the big city of Chicago from the
middle of nowhere, Texas just over a month ago to serve people food and
beverages. I love it so far. The first couple of weeks of city life were
overwhelming. I only knew a total of one person and had never even been
to this city until stepping off the plane.
What
might you ask caused me to pack two suit cases and take off on a plane
to a city I'd never even been to? Good question. I'm still not really
sure, but I can tell you that I'm glad I did. Although I'm a college
graduate living as a "struggling artist," I'm learning more than I'd
ever imagined. It's times like this that matter most. When I'm 45 years
old and telling my children about my life story I can't wait to tell
them about my adventures in Chicagoland.
When
I'm not working at the bar, I'm freelancing from home. It's a nice
balance. I get to meet new and interesting people, which is always an
exciting experience, but still get to design.
If
someone asked me 6 months ago (maybe even 2 months ago) what my plans
were, i'd have never said, "Oh I'll be a graduate and working in
Chicago at a local bar!" With that being said, I wouldn't change it for
anything (okay that's a stretch… there are some really awesome things I
might trade it for). I have no idea how long my journey in Chicago will
last, but for now it's what I've come to love. If you find yourself in
the city, hit me up!
i'm amanda jill. i'm a recent college grad from texas a&m. i'm a big
design nerd and have learned to openly admit it. i love bright colors,
shiny things, ampersands and straws. check out my blog and design work
at www.theamandajill.com. oh and i tweet (sometimes about random, stupid things) but follow me anyway -- @theamandajill. who doesn't love new friends? plus i'm awesome.
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Thanks again to all my guest posters. I appreciate the crazy out of you guys. :) <3
In case any of you missed them, here they all are again: Amanda from Teasingly Diverse on starting over in Tennessee; Jennifer of Chaos Wrapped in Chocolate-Covered Grins talking about her move to England; Amy, the author behind Crazy Random Happenstances talked about keeping courage in the face of hard decisions; and Jacob from La Vie Quotidienne dropped by to write about his big move to CHINA that happened YESTERDAY. Again, it was all great stuff and I love them all for it.
See you kids on Monday. :)
how cute!
ReplyDeletelove rach.
www.so--hi.blogspot.com
Best of luck to you Amanda! I know I am much older than you guys- but I feel a kindred connection with y'all since I am from "deep in the heart of east Texas" and essential nowhere and while most of my classmates dreamed of staying and raising their children there, I only dreamed of leaving. I am glad I followed the path I followed and waited on marriage and kids. I have two small children and still feel young, while my high school classmates (and a few of my college ones) are all posting on Facebook about their kids getting married and having grandkids! Eeek! Grandkids. I can't believe I am technically that old.
ReplyDelete