4 signs.

my very first blog post! i got inspiration from my best friend jennissa (http://www.inthebeginning-j.blogspot.com/) to blog about my life adventures. although mine are not as exciting as most, i think this could be interesting and fun. where to begin.....

first and foremost was my job that i landed. i cannot express how much i LOVE my job. yes the bills suck, majorly, but at most normal jobs you don't get to wear sweatpants. guess what?? i do! i cannot thank God more for the opportunity he placed in my hands, literally.

i had originally planned to move to youngstown, ohio in mid-june to be the graduate assistant for the youngstown state volleyball program for the next two years. it was going to be my big leap of faith and a far far far move from my beloved family. i just knew i could do it and i'd get past the homesickness and it would be awesome. WELL- i flew out to youngstown in mid-april with my mom. it was by no means a 'cheap' trip. airfare was expensive, renting a car cost a ton, and the gas to and from apartment places and what not was expensive as well. i was so excited to get out there that i think i masked my unhappiness deep down inside. we first ventured to some apartment complexes that the coaches suggested and after touring a couple i literally looked at my mom and said 'no thank you, i cannot live here' (SIGN 1). my mom had the same feeling and was not about to let me move that far away from home and live like that. at this point i still had 2 more days there, a long time. the second day was more promising, we found apartments literally a block from campus that were perfect. they would pair me up with a roommate, furnished, etc. and i really thought that was it, i was set to move. i started telling the coaches about my find and i learned that the student-athletes lived there so it was going to be something they would have to check out and see if i could live in a different area of the complex (SIGN 2). so i was back to square one, and i started praying. i needed some guidance because i was feeling uneasy about it all now but i didn't want to disappoint anyone or feel like i'm letting them all down because i backed out. later that night we had just gotten home from watching the team scrimmage and we were laying in bed when the national news, CNN, had st. louis' lambert airport on tv with tornado damage, where my car was parked. i woke mom up and we watched for a bit but figured we would just get up early try to get on an earlier flight and get to my car. on the way to the airport i started checking flight status'...morning flights to st. louis were cancelled. once we arrived at the airport, 4 hours before our original flight, we were in a panic. the airline attendant told us it looked like no flights were going out of or in to st. louis for at least a day, BUT  to check with the flight attendant at chicago to see what they could do there. after arriving in chicago we learned we wouldn't be going to st. louis but instead to springfield so we arranged for my sister to come get us when we landed and my other sister would pick up my car on the home form illinois the next day. fast forward one day, the phone rings and my sister says well the good news is your car is still here, bad news the windows are blown out and its destroyed inside (SIGN 3). just great!!!!! at this point, i knew it was the Man upstairs telling me something. i had a lot to think about over the next few days. i spent a week praying and thinking about it, i was almost sick about it and i wasn't sleeping at all, on top of all my finals. after about a week of all the worriesome, sleepless nights i decided to make the call to their coach. i knew it wouldn't be easy and i had to coach myself through it and not cry. as hard as it was, i felt relieved and knew that it was right. (yes, they were mad but i do not blame them at all. they were GREAT people and it was a great experience).

literally 30 minutes after my dreaded phone call, my now boss called me and was asking about my trip and if i had thought any more about her offer to be her assistant (SIGN 4). i couldn't help but laugh, what perfect timing. i told her my story and explained that i was very interested in her position. we discussed the timeframe for hire and the step necessary for employment, and here we are now...

i'm in a great spot in life and i cannot wait for season to get started! this summer has been busy with camps and having to do actual work almost everyday, but it's been so much fun so far. i'm living in a duplex since it was the only thing that we could find for rent after the Joplin tornado. my mom and i drove down here to find a place to live and didn't realize how hard it would be. thanks to some family friends i found a place and am waiting the arrival of my roommate, Yuki, in mid-august.

hopefully my other posts aren't ever this long, happy reading!