Guest Blogger! Amy on Keeping Courage and Remembering the Good

Amy is one of the first people who ever went from blog/twitter friend to IRL 

friend for me. She's a twenty-something that's married to herhigh school 

sweetheart and she's one of the most genuine and funny women I've ever met; 

I'm so glad she wanted to guest blog here today! You can find her blogging at

 Crazy Random Happenstances, or  on twitter as @AmyReneePowell. Give her some 

love too, guys! 

{And I promise I'll be back for real soon!) 

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The end of school marked the biggest move of my life.
Me with my family on "the day"

I had already gotten married before graduation. I'd even already began my post-

graduation job. But when I actually got to that fateful day where I was to walk 

across the stage, I couldn't believe it. I was about to stop going to school - 

something I'd been doing for my entire life.

I know this isn't a new or unique feeling. Everyone sees graduation as the start 

to something huge. The problem is, I'm almost 2 years out and still haven't 

figured out what that something is going to be. I had to put my life on hold 

because I was married, my husband had to finish school, and I wasn't quite sure 

what I wanted to do next.

But now... My husband and I are both finally finished with college - and have to 

decide where to go next. I'm back at the same place I was at right after 

graduation. Except older.

We're juggling with questions like, "Do we keep our jobs?" and "How  close to 

family do we want to be?" or "What do we actually want to do  with ourselves?" 

We have graduate school and student loans and starting  our own businesses to 

think about. And the "kid question" is coming up  much faster than I thought it 

would. I know we'll find an answer for it all. It's just frustrating at times to 

find myself back in the same place.
I've even resorted back to MySpace-backward pictures of myself

But then I remind myself that literally thousands and thousands of  people 

before me have not only faced these same questions, but have  found answers to 

them. And reminding myself of that makes me feel a  little more secure.

So I'm trying to remember that big moves aren't all bad. Sure, they are scary. 

But they are also exciting. I can pursue that job that I'm really passionate 

about, or move to a city I've only dreamed of just because. I'm also lucky, 

because I have a partner to help make decisions.

I have no idea where I'm going to be living in 6 months. And for now, I'm 

learning to be okay with that. Big moves don't come with clear answers all the 

time. 

Fill in the _____ Friday - 2.10.12

As always, these lovely blanks come from Lauren's blog over at the Little Things We do! Check her out :)

 1.  I started my blog because   I loved the idea of finding a community of people who were going through what I was going through; namely, being in college and trying to discover who you wanted to be.

2.   One thing I love seeing on other blogs   are stories with real, raw emotion, in which people are being open and vulnerable. It's not easy to do that and I seriously respect it. Plus, it makes it so much easier to feel like I'm getting to know another blogger and not just learning a craft.

3.  Something I love about blogging   is just how great and kind people can be - I've gotten so many lovely and supportive comments throughout the years that I've been blogging and I just can't be appreciative enough for them.

4. A favorite blog post of mine is probably going to be impossible to narrow down! There have just been so many that impacted me. Let's see: The Nouns is one of the sassiest things I've ever written, which is great; in this one (it has a stupid title that I hate now), I examine what love means to me, which got me so many responses from readers (and still does!) that I can't help but love it; The Darkness is the most raw and vulnerable piece I've ever written ever; and finally love, loss, hope, repeat means so much to me that I still feel my heart clench a little when I read it.

5. Something my friends in real life know about me that I've never before mentioned on my blog is   that I'm actually pretty shy! I withdraw from social interactions of five people or more (which is probably why I haven't been to single blog conference yet - soon!). It's awful. I'm trying to get over it.

6.  My new favorite blogs to read are  Exile Lifestyle, Colin Wright travels around the world and writes about it - that's his whole "job" and I'm jealous, Ashalah's blog - she just moved from a big city to some big mountains; and No Ordinary Rollercoaster, which you've probably heard of because Ben is rather well-known in the blogging world (and deservedly so).

7.  Some things I tend to avoid doing on my blog are   being too negative or too political. As you can imagine, I'm actually pretty political by nature (I did move to DC for a reason), but it's not something that translates well to blogging. I feel like it alienates people. Or would you guys like to hear my opinion on politics? Let me know. 

As you guys know (or don't, hmmmm? New readers?), I'm in the middle of moving and getting settled into my new apartment right now (on top of working six days a week...ugh). I didn't plan on having time to blog today, or for the next week really, so I've got some wonderful guest bloggers lined up for you guys to check out. On Wednesday, Amanda told us about her move to Tennessee, and today the lovely Jennifer is here telling us about her big move to England. Give them some love! 

 

Now, I've got to get back to my working-six-days-a-week life and then go home and crash on my air mattress in my unfurnished apartment. Weeee!

Have a great weekend! :)

Guest Blogger! Jennifer on Adventures in England

Hey guys! I'm still settling in and moving, so today I bring you another guest blogger - Jeniffer from Chaos Wrapped in Chocolate Covered Grins. What a precious name, right? Jennifer has been one of my most loyal, sweetest, and supportive commenters for a long time now and I love her insight on life that I haven't quite gained yet. Show her some love, okay? :)

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I am a planner.  I weigh options and consequences and more often than not, get caught up in and overwhelmed by the planning process and never act. I like that which is comfortable and familiar and always seem to be afraid of change.

That is why it took a total leap of faith (and a major step outside my comfort zone) to bring me to the place that I am today.

Thirteen years ago, after a month-long visit to England to see my then-boyfriend who was stationed in East Anglia with the Air Force, we decided to get married.  I returned to my home in Texas and began preparations for the wedding to be held four months later.  Just five days after the wedding, we were on a plane, with everything I could stuff in two suitcases, headed to England.  I left all that I knew behind- my family, my friends, my home, the area where I had grown up and lived for the past twenty-five years, in order to start my married life.

Ten hours later, we landed at London’s Gatwick Airport, collected our luggage and boarded a shuttle to the military base where his car was waiting to take us to the home he was already renting off-base.  The next nine days were a whirlwind of taking care of all the basics- getting my military ID, enrolling me in the system for healthcare, completing driver training and obtaining a driver’s license to drive overseas.

Nine days after my arrival in England, my husband left for a rotation to Italy for thirty days.  I was left behind in a house that can only be described as “single guy chic” with the two dirty hand-me-down chairs  I wasn’t entirely sure he didn’t pluck from the garbage, a television and bedroom furniture.  I had made acquaintances with the neighbors on my previous visit, but I didn’t know them that well. I was lonely and scared- and about to spend my first Christmas away from my family and friends- alone.

I won’t say that it was easy. It was very hard but I learned more about myself in those thirty days (and subsequently the entire past thirteen years I have spent as a military spouse) than I had learned in my previous twenty-five years.

I slowly began venturing out with my neighbor at first and then on my own.  I fell in love with England and it’s culture and eventually, I became the friend that would pile people in my little English car and navigate the small, winding roads that led us to the beach  (aka “the seaside”), the local village market days and to shopping, the movies and restaurants in Cambridge.  A trip to London was just an hour and a half away, Paris was an easy weekend trip and we even went on a weeklong tour by bus to Italy. 

I lived in England for two years before we received an assignment back to the U.S. and I loved every bit of it- even the parts that weren’t so great.  It was an incredible learning and growing experience that I believe helped me gain the necessary skills for dealing with the quirks of being a military spouse.   I would not change a single thing about it (well, I would have visited Rome one more time before leaving).

“What did you learn?” you ask.

I learned that I can step outside of my comfort zone and everything will be okay.  I am much stronger than I think I am. I have a level head when I need one. I can figure it out on my own. I can adapt to new environments and blend in. I can be one of the crowd.  I can also stand out and be me. I can learn from every experience the good and the bad and take a lesson away from it.

“Would you do it over again the same way?”

Absolutely!  I was incredibly lonely and sad the first six months, but that was necessary for me to grow and become who I am today.  I feel my entire outlook on humanity, the world and politics is different because of my experience living in another country and getting that different perspective.  I know that even now, when times get hard, I have it in me to persevere.  I can get through it and be a better woman because of it. 

And? 

I would go back to England in a New York… er… London minute!

About Jennifer:

I am a military spouse who currently calls New Jersey home (until Uncle Sam tells me otherwise).  My major in college was liberal arts with a concentration in elementary education and a minor in music, which pretty much just makes me a big ole nerd.  But I like me that way.  I have an eight-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter that simultaneously, fulfill me, entertain me and threaten to steal my very sanity.  Most days I can be found reading or writing, but some days I can be found rocking in the corner with a bag of Doritos.  It’s just how I roll. I blog at Chaos Wrapped in Chocolate-Covered Grins.

Guest Blogger! Amanda on Starting Over.

Hey guys! I've been in DC a little while now, but I'm currently trying to settle in my new apartment and not go crazy with all the packing and moving, so I've asked a few blogger friends to come over here and let you read a guest post from them about their moving experiences. Today is Amanda, from Teasingly Diverse, who I've bonded with over our shared 101 in 1001 adventures and recent graduate status. Enjoy!

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Sometimes in life, you have to step out on a limb. Other times, you have to take a flying leap of faith. 

Growing up, we moved around a lot. In elementary school, my family moved from California to Oregon and at 10 years old I had to learn how to start again. New state, new town, new culture, new friends. I thought my life was over. I didn't want to leave my friends. The only life that I knew. My entire extended family. Yet, looking back on my life, I don't even remember the details of those early years so much as I do growing up in Oregon. What I thought was ruinous to me actually turned out to be a blessing.

I think the seed of a wandering spirit was planted in me with that move (even if against my will at first). Following high school graduation, I packed up and moved 2,000 miles away to go to college in a state I'd never been to before at a school where the only person I knew was my admissions counselor. Those were the best 4 years of my life. In 2008, my life crammed into one suitcase and a backpack, I stepped off a plane in Paris, France to try my hand at living abroad for a semester. It was an incredibly difficult and extraordinarily beautiful six months. I returned, and promptly drove myself cross-country to move to California for law school. My home state, yet a city I'd never been to and yet again - not a single familiar soul. 

As I settled into life there, I thought my wandering days were behind me. Finally, I was putting down roots that I thought would stay planted. But life is full of surprises and new adventures. As 2011 drew to a close, graduation behind me, I felt strongly that a new chapter awaited me and it was going to take a lot of bravery, risk, and pluck to navigate it. 

I took that flying leap of faith, packed up my car again, and headed southeast.

My destination was Nashville, Tennessee and after nearly 3 weeks calling this city home I can already tell that it's winning over my heart. New beginnings aren't guaranteed to be easy, and this hasn't been. It takes awhile to wrap up the loose ends behind you and begin building new relationships. But looking back over the past few years I can say with certainty that openness to new things, to a new story, has never steered me wrong. I'm finding my way here, slowly but surely. I can't wait to see what the rest of 2012 holds.

Thanks for having me, Valorie! I wish you nothing but the best on this new adventure and if you need a recommendation for a great farmer's market in DC let me know (my uncle has one there) :)

Amanda is a 26 year old recent law school grad learning to love Music City. A Pac-12 girl now in an SEC world, she can't quite bring herself to root for any of their teams. Yet. Amanda blogs at Teasingly Diverse about the adventures and challenges of trying to complete 101 Goals in 1,001 Days. She's also got a slight Twitter addiction (@amandalou01)

Evaluating January and the February Goalsteps

 {mine.}

As I mentioned in January, I want 2012 to be awesome, I want to live as loudly and voraciously as I can, and I want to skid into New Year's Eve looking back and saying "that. was. awesome."

To do that, I got organized. I made buckets that together define my life: Creativity, Exercise, Friendship, Romance, Self-Improvement, Career, Photography, Internet Everything, Do Uncomfortable Things, Finances, and Travel. Yes, 11 buckets.

In each of those buckets, I set three big huge goals that would make me thrilled to accomplish. In a couple buckets, I actually set 4 goals (oops).

Will I accomplish all 33 35 goals? Maybe. But probably not. Priorities will change. I'll realize it's not something I actually want to do. Some won't be possible at first and will have to wait. Some I've already finished. But I'm already liking this system, even though it was hard to do this month with all the moving.

To get these 35 goals done, each month, I sit down on the first (today!) and I write down one goalstep to do that month. Why 'goalstep'? Because it's the step I'm going to take that month to make something happen. It takes a little pressure off and keeps me moving forward.

My goals for January went okay. It was hard doing a lot while I was trying to find apartments and living in someone else's space. But I think I got a lot done, and while some had to get rolled over, it's been a wonderful process. And now, I want to share some of my February goals with you guys. Partly to keep me accountable, partly so I can't lose the stupid piece of paper I write my goalsteps down on (I did this in January and it threw me for a loop), and partly because I know seeing other people's goals inspires the heck out of me, so maybe I can help someone else out that way too.

The Exercise Bucket
Get a gym membership
Become a yoga studio member
Lose 1 pound (I want to lose 12 pounds over all this year, so 1 pound a month)


The Friendship Bucket
Make all my Skype dates with KJ and Cyndi (I miss you guys so much!)
Make and send a birthday gift for two friends back home
Move into a dog-friendly apartment (this is so I can get a greyhound!)


The Self-Improvement Bucket
Get an apartment (this is so I can set a cleaning schedule and keep to it)
Set up a handwriting template (my ultimate goal is to be good at calligraphy to address letters)
Stop biting my lips

The Photography Bucket
Do a staged bridal shoot (if any of you know a good thrift store I can pick up a wedding dress, or anyone who would be willing to model for me, email me at valorieclarkphotography {at} gmail {dot} com!)
Be a second shooter for a wedding
Save $50+ dollars toward this lens.
Find a few photography contests to enter


The Internet Everything Bucket
Hit 100 followers on this blog (if you've got tips or want to help out, shoot me an email!)
Start selling ads in March (for now, I'm doing button/ad swaps! If you're interested, email me!)
Find out how much it would cost to get my blog it's own domain

The Creativity Bucket
Pick one novel to start working on again
Make this 2012 memories jar
Read A Prayer for Owen Meany

The Do Uncomfortable Things Bucket
Find a place in/near DC to either free-fall or bungee jump (Anyone know of a good place?)
Take good care of my hair (this is so I can donate it in May!)
Sign up for the Color Run in September! (Sign ups open today!)

There are other buckets (Finances, Romance, Travel) but those are more private and/or boring, so I didn't share them. What do you guys think? Anything on here you're doing? Anyone want to sign up for the Color Run with me? It's only a 5k and I need the encouragement!

Also - I'm still looking for guest bloggers and still thinking about that advice column idea. Tell me your opinions!

Ready? Go!