The Best Parts About Growing Up With Older Brothers

Nothing.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

When I lived in Dillon (a whole 1.5 weeks ago), I'd get off of work, go home and practically ignore the fact that there was an outside world. If I went straight home after work I typically stayed there. I cannot even fathom doing that here. I used to just sit right down and watch TV. Or sometimes make it to the gym. Mostly though, if I made it home I stayed there.

Here I find myself getting home around 3:50-4pm. I do some things. Put dishes away that I've left out to dry, straighten up my bathroom, make my bed, etc. Then around 5 I always think that's the perfect time to go out and do things. Find some place to shop and/or spend money. Groceries, decorations, nonsense. I try to get to my destinations based on street names alone and most of the time I do just fine. I can now make it from my apartment to Walmart and back without so much as looking at my GPS. It's freeing. It really is.

Last night, I was caught in what can only be describe as a torrential downpour. You ain't neva seen a stawm like we had last nigh'. The lightning was literally striking in the neighborhood across from mine. As I was driving home with a trunk full of stuff for my little abode, I was splashed by this lake that had formed in the middle of the main street. Seconds of not being able to see. I think normally this is a situation in which I would have panicked. Pulled over, cried a little and then put myself together and carried on my way. Last night though I couldn't help but laugh! The driver that splashed me slowed way down and I looked at him and he looked mortified. As if he did it on purpose. I was laughing so hard he probably thinks I'm absolutely crazy. I've never seen such a body of water form in the middle of a road like that.

It's little instances like this that show me how much I've already changed for the better. Now, I always always put all my eggs in one basket. It's just what I do, however, I feel very comfortable saying that this place has honestly made me twice the independent person I was before I got here. I still have yet to find myself in a bar or restaurant by myself. But today is Friday.

Who knows where this night will take me.

A Life Alone is a Life Worth Living (A listicle)

This list is inspired by a friends' Facebook status today. She gave a brief 'pro and con' over living alone.

A week into it and I have a few of my own:

PRO I can literally talk to myself about anything and no one is going to say "Are you talking to me or yourself". It's nice to have these moments with myself. I understand me.

CON I pretty much have to talk to myself all the time because I'm a talker and when there is no one else around to talk to, I'll still continue to talk. I like an audience, but really... I need no audience.

PRO No judgement for any decision made within those walls. Seriously! I can eat dinner pantsless, in bed watching Sex in the City. Dinner can be as healthy as chicken tacos or as bad (but delicious) as Bojangles.

CON No judgement means I can pretty much fall into any and all bad habits without any qualms. Something I need to already check myself on.

PRO Sometimes, I can leave a cup in the sink over night and not feel like the world is going to end. Seriously, I can even leave my plate next to the sink for a little while and not feel a bit guilty about it.

CON There is literally no one but me to clean up after myself so, really, things get cleaned rather quickly. That could have a lot to do with the fact that I'm terrified of these bugs down here and I'm not interested in rooming with any of them.

PRO I don't have to share my new couch.. with anyone. It's pretty amazing really. Sprawl out for a nap and no one is gonna show up to interrupt you. You can also drink wine in the middle of afternoon on your couch without anyone passing judgment! An entire bottle of wine. In a water glass.

CON Opening a bottle of wine is hard. I need a boyfriend and/or a better bottle opener. Just to open it. Then they can leave whilst I drink the whole thing.

PRO After you drink a bottle of wine, it is completely okay to just get down on the floor and do some yoga. It may be considered counterproductive, but the relaxing quality of wine and the soothing quality of yoga combined all together is a really incredible feeling.

CON There are literally zero cons to doing yoga after drinking a bottle of wine.

NC to PA.. A Quick Weekend Trip

What a fast weekend that was!
I decided to drive (again). It was another experience though! I cannot live short of those. I drove up to PA to visit some friends and it was definitely needed! The drive... wow. I hit Virginia and then West Virginia. I made a surprise appearance in Maryland and then about the time I realized where I was, I entered into Pennsylvania. It was rainy and dark by the time I really got into PA and wasn't so impressed with the beginning of that leg of the drive. I was on some random windy road called Garret's Shortcut. Come to find out, a friend of mine in PA grew up there. So of course my drive home I took it all in. At night it's just a windy road, during the day it was something entirely different. It was extremely beautiful and peaceful farmland. It was full of old barns and silos. There were fields of farmland as green as I've ever seen them. The road was windy but I did manage to snap a few pictures.

Now, I realize I've only been here a week but seeing all those familiar faces was pretty incredible really. For the most part, I haven't seen any of them for over a year. It's always like no time has passed though. They are such a remarkable group of people. One of my best friends from high school moved over there right after graduation. And I don't know about her, but I am beyond glad that she did. She seriously fell into the greatest group of people I have ever met. The fact that me, her friend from high school, can also fall into place with them is really rare.

I just appreciate all the support from them and everyone back home. My heart literally hurts every time I have ever visited and then left Pennsylvania. I feel such pull from that state. It might just be a pull from the people, but I can tell that I belong there. Eventually. For some time. One day. Maybe for a year, maybe for 10. Definitely one day though, I'll live there. I always said I would. From the very first time to leaving there yesterday. I feel a weird connection to that town.

One thing at a time though. I'm still eating, preying and loving this area that I am in and this place in my life.

New Life!

I haven't updated this in a while because I literally have nothing to write about. I guess for now I can say that I absolutely love my new office. Everyone is very friendly and sweet. I am impressed with how many of them have popped over to say Hi or requested I find them so we can finally meet face to face. It was a nerve wracking first morning on Wednesday. I went to the wrong building first and then when I found the right building I was in the wrong parking lot! Oh well, I made it and it's been a ride.

Although I'm technically alone in this giant city, I have yet to feel actually alone. I don't have Wi-Fi or cable at the new place so I've been watching a lot of "Sex in the City" that I have on DVD. I also went ahead and bought "Seinfeld" and a season of "Friends". I go to the grocery store, cook dinner, do laundry. I FaceTime with family and text with friends. I snap as many pictures of this experience as possible.

I miss everyone back home so much, but not enough to give up. I am pushing forward in this new adventure and things are happening quickly. I head to Pennsylvania to see some friends tonight and then Monday I start a book club. (I have yet to finish the book.. I better get busy). That will give me a huge opportunity to meet some brand new people. I have to drive into Charlotte, which is terrifying, but I'm learning.

I'm learning that you do not drive the speed limit here. Like EVER. It's a mere suggestion. 10-15 miles over is what the actual speed limit is according to everyone here. On my 3rd day into the commute I am comfortable enough to put my music on blast and have a little concert in my car on the way to work. It's crazy how being in a place with 800,000 people has completely raised my self esteem. I feel like I could do absolutely anything!

Anyway, I am excited to get on the road tonight and I'm excited to head back to MT for Labor Day weekend. I'm just excited to do just about anything right now.

I'm just excited.

Hey Ya'll. Have a good one!

My goodness! That's about all I can say about today!

I moved into my apartment and it took my mom and I roughly 20 different trips up 3 flights of stairs to get it all into my little 600 sq/ft slice of paradise! Also, this took place in 90 degree weather with 90% humidity. So basically, we kicked ass.

Then we went to this fantastic little furniture outlet and found the perfect couch and an amazing bed! So all in all today went perfectly! My bed and couch don't get delivered until next week so we're back in a motel for the night. I did buy myself a little air mattress to get through the rest of the time though. Luckily this weekend I am heading to PA to see some friends and just relax for a few days. The reality of living in a place of this stature hasn't quite hit me. I assume my commute to work the next few days will help me to realize I am definitely not in Montana anymore (Toto..) Can one make a Wizard of Oz reference if they've never actually seen the movie? Did it. So let's move on.

So far my fridge only contains some lemon shandies and 2 bottles of wine. I plan on actually grocery shopping sometime soon but for now it's hilarious and I'm leaving it like that.

I'm ready to eat, prey, love though. Definitely ready for it. The eat part hasn't been easy. We mostly have forgotten to do that on this trip. Although, we did eat some seriously bomb BBQ this evening for dinner. It happened to be our only meal of the day so it was completely devoured in probably minutes. Prey? I'm already preying on this life. Taking in every minute of it. Love? Yes. It's definitely a possibility.

This was the new start I was looking for and I'm already hungry for more. Also more hush puppies because: the south.

Dream a Little Dream

I really need a dream interpreter. This one almost blew my mind as far as weirdness. 

I literally rode my office chair down to some place where they empty banana boxes and then realized I shouldn't have left work yet so instead of my office chair I stole a car. (I think I was still in Dillon at this time and not NC). I then was involved in gang activity which had me beating a mob boss up with a Billy club.. And then also opening a safe using this same method. 

After, I ended up in a house that I thought was my dad's, however, my friend's dead grandmother was in one room and I was just simply told not to go in there. I didn't realize my dad's dog, Junebug, hadn't been outside all day until she disappeared and I then found her in the dead grandma's room peeing in what I assumed to be the same spot she had been peeing in all day. I went in to clean it and that's when I noticed not only is the very obviously passed away grandmother of my friend sitting in there, she's sitting up in a recliner with her eyes wide open staring at whoever walks into the room. All I could think was that I wanted to tell my friend how sweet her grandmother looked...dead.

 

I cleaned up the pee and that's about when I woke up or stopped remembering my dream. 

I have had really bizarre dreams since I was a kid...obviously.