Life is kind of like ...

wedding dress shopping.  Most of the people in my life are transitioning right now - to new jobs, or new cities, or from graduate students, or to married life, or as new parents, or to an empty nest - it seems like everyone is doing something different these days.  It got me thinking about transitions, particularly job searching transitions, and how they are a lot like wedding dress shopping.

Sometimes you search for months and months, you find lots of great dresses, but none of them are "the one".  Sometimes it is the first dress you put on and you just know.  Sometimes you're in a rush so it's an ok fit from the sale rack, but other times you really take your time and it is a handmade couture gown designed especially for you.  Sometimes you need something a little more flowy with some room to breathe and grow, but sometimes more structure is better.  Sometimes you need a little sparkle, but other times plain is the safer way to go.  Sometimes you think you found 'the one' and then buyers remorse sets in or the venue changes or you change ....

Regardless of what kind of dress you're looking for at least you can enjoy shopping!!

tomorrow

It's 10:30 and my profound lesson of the day is that sometimes (especially on Monday's) the best you can do is get excited about tomorrow ... if for no other reason than it isn't today anymore ;)

Today I'm looking forward to: tomorrow.

A house or a home ...

I've been apartment hunting in Minneapolis which is fun and scary at the same time.  I'm thrilled about the PhD, but scared of the actual program.  I'm excited for a new city, but much less excited about the frigid cold that comes with it! I'm excited to live by myself, but sad not to have roommates.  Needless to say, things are confusing!!

That being said, I've found lots and lots of nice apartments.  They come with different perks, in different neighborhoods, with different price tags.  While they are all nice, they all seem like a house and what I really want is a home ... I wonder if I could convince any of my friends to move to Minneapolis? (Emily seems like my best shot!)

As we say at THON "a house is made of walls and beams, a home is made of love and dreams"

Here's hoping whatever house I pick, feels like home!

Today I'm looking forward to:  running ... out-of-breath is a good feeling!!

Best Friends

Through Facebook last night I discovered that one of my best friends (from 1st grade!) is also in Harrisburg for a few days.  She and I have been friends, classmates, roommates, teammates, bridesmaids, and all sorts of other things together.  We are both likely moving sometime in the near future, and unless she adds Canada to the list we won't be close in proximity to each other.  (personally, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for San Diego because of the vacation opportunity!! Hey - winters are long in Minneapolis!)  

A good reminder for me that friendship isn't so much about being in the same location as it is about being able to laugh about ice cream cones and convertibles 20 years later!

Today I'm looking forward to: Popeye Wraps catching on across the nation and Katie Bowen being famous!!! (Recipe: Take a spinach leaf and wrap it around a strawberry and piece of fresh mozzarella.  You can add champagne dressing or other fruit as well!)

Everyone else is doing it ...

Everyone else has a blog - or so it seems, so I figured why not get one too! I love to keep up with the Jones'!  You might say it is my favorite pastime ...

I'm copying off of Litsa's "Todaytaughtme" theme and going with a forward thinking thought each day. Gretchen Rubin says if you don't blog daily you probably won't blog, so we'll see how this goes....

I'm an introvert and a reflecter ... it makes for an interesting and sometimes moody combination.  I spend an excessive amount of time looking backwards, thinking things over, replaying conversations, wondering about the what-ifs, etc.  One of my friends likes to call it my 'spin cycle'.  I go around and around and around and around and around with the same information.  Spinning is an interesting quirk - it gives me time to think things over, to process, to reflect, it generates lots of curiosity and knowledge seeking, but generally it doesn't actually get me anywhere (and frequently frustrates others!).  So I'm calling this blog looking forward ..  for all of the what- next thoughts in my life instead of the what-if or what-was thoughts.

I left Columbia two days ago for the 'what next' ... there is lots of looking backwards to be done, but also lots of looking forward!

Today I'm looking forward to:  BIG things happening for my favorite Cola ladies!! (and I'm looking forward to more looking forward thoughts ...!)