Being Alone

We have not yet gained possession of our house keys. If all goes well, tomorrow morning she will become ours. Every weed, every crack, every dusty corner, she is ours. Our first house together where our first child could grow up in! With that said, I have spent this week of vacation calling and comparing prices of landscapers, roofers, electricians, and cleaners! I have found a cleaning service I love and a landscaper I love. Next Friday they will pull out every weed and dust every corner of the house. To say I'm excited would be an understatement. My type A, organized personality is ecstatic!

One goal I have for myself is to spend more time alone and to feel comfortable doing so. I am a social butterfly and fill my alone time with phone distractions, lunch dates or phone calls. There is something about being alone that forces you to know yourself on a deeper, honest level. So today, in between appointments at the house, I bought myself a passion hot tea, resisted a chocolate chunk cookie, and read Gone Girl at my new Starbucks. I familiarized myself with the new Starbucks crowd and furniture. I see many sunny afternoons outside on the patio. I appreciated every smile and every warm face in our new neighborhood.

There is something about buying a house that forces you to feel more settled. I'm realizing this could be home for a long, long time. No more renting, no more moving. I want to become a regular in the stores and know the people who live around me. I think the last two months of waiting, and not knowing about the outcome of the house, had more of an effect on me that I realized. There is something about knowing the keys will be in my hands soon, leaves me with a calm feeling. So today, I sit alone in a state of calm and excitement!

Meet Bauer

Introducing Bauer, our 6 year old corgi/collie, who we fear we will love more than our own children!

I do, now what?

Two years ago in June, I married my husband Nick during an intimate wedding in the Botanical Gardens. Surrounded by friends and family, we exchanged words of commitment. It was in that moment, I knew every adventure and every challenge I would face, I now had my best friend by my side.

Two days after the wedding, with all our stuff in one car, we traveled across the country and settled in sunny, warm, San Diego. Paradise. We settled into our cute condo, slowly bought back all the essential items we needed, such as a french press, and began our lives as husband and wife.

Now, we both have jobs we love. I am a teacher, my husband is in his medical residency. We feel like we are playing grown up. We just bought our first house and we have to remind our parents weekly that we are not yet expecting a baby. If only they could come to love and appreciate their grand-dog Bauer more. We are settling in to our new lives as husband and wife, in a brand new city.

With the statement I live in San Diego comes many assumptions- Oh, you must be so happy all the time with that wonderful weather and those beautiful ocean views. Yes, I am happy but I am one of those types of people that is always reaching for more. I want to look back on my life and feel like I lived everyday and every moment with gratitude and appreciation. And in a new city, making new friends, being far from home, there are days I struggle. It takes work to think this way. This blog is to hold me accountable for my pursuit. It is to find out what makes me happy and fulfilled. This is a blog to follow for all of you who are in the stage of your life that comes after marriage, and before children. The stage that some do not explore as long as others. The stage that I felt didn't warrant a blog because what do I possibly have to say? Well, let's find out what unfolds!

If you are reading this, thank you already. I hope you stay on this journey with me and share your own journey of pursuit!