My last night at Home. (Home home, that is.)

Over the last few weeks, I have had several people (worried and concerned people, I should add) ask me if I was continuing my blog. Some miss the break from work it allows them, others miss the sheer entertainment of my writing - hah! Well, it is time to dispel your fears: my Journey has not ended, and neither has the blog. I will not guarantee that I will be as faithful of a writer as I was while in Europe, but, let's be honest, my days will not be nearly as interesting from now on - especially since a third of my day will be at work and another third will be sleeping.

I have really enjoyed spending time with family since I have been home. Although it has been only three and a half weeks since I left Europe, it feels like a lifetime ago. Six weeks passes by very quickly, and the memory of that time seems even shorter. When not visiting with family, I spent loads of time packing, unpacking and repacking. Amid all of that packing, I organized and sorted through almost every single item I own. Wow. I have WAY too much stuff. Hopefully my future apartment has good cabinets and closets.

While home, my parents, sister and brother-in-law were able to fit in a family vacation to Destin with me. We have been taking family beach trips for a few years now and were able to get one in before any oil was found around Holiday Isle. We stayed in a three bedroom townhouse near the beach - it was perfect. From Wednesday until Sunday we were able to get our fill of sun, seafood, shopping, and sand. Amazingly, the oil had not even affected the wildlife and fishing! We went on a four-hour chartered boat tour and caught plenty of snapper and king mackerel. It was a perfect Father's Day weekend, even though Dad isn't too big on the beach. :)

But now the time has come. Tomorrow I am leaving. My car is tightly packed; my furniture, etc. is ready and waiting for the movers; I am anxiously wishing to find a spacious, clean, affordable apartment in a safe area. Oh! And there is an update on that, as well. I have so many things to tell you! My best friend from high school Alex is going to move up to DC and room with me! I am VERY excited that she's coming, even though I'm not exactly sure when that will be... Regardless, it is going to be great! Yay!

My plan changes by the hour, but CURRENTLY I plan to drive to Starkville tomorrow, Birmingham on Thursday or Friday, Huntsville on Friday, Chattanooga on Sunday or Monday, and DC on Wednesday. About twenty hours worth of driving spread over ten days. Once I am in the City, I will really hunker down on my apartment search.

It is really weird sitting in my almost-empty bedroom. While packing, I also sorted through most of my childhood trinkets and such. Now all of the remaining stuff is piled neatly in my closet, just waiting to be downsized and boxed again if my parents move. Speaking of parents, I think Mom is going to take my leaving a bit hard; if you live around here, it's time for you to step up to the plate! (Don't worry, Mom, you can come visit ANY time!) Even though DC is a thousand miles away, it is easily accessed within a day by plane or automobile, unlike Europe. And I am blessed to have an AMAZING job with an AMAZING company. Aah! I'm pretty excited.

I guess it's time to be a big kid now.. Well, at least it will be time in 21 days..

Aaah. The South!! - Post Europe Blog

I have officially been home for a week now! And it is the strangest feeling - now that I am home, I feel like I never left. It is as if the last month and a half was all a dream, and I only have the memories, pictures, and a few extra pounds to prove that I ever left the country.

I won't lie, I thought I was going to cry on the bus from Bristol to London last Monday. I was not ready to leave my dream world, not ready to return to reality. The morning of my departure, I didn't have time to fret: I woke up at six and my plane left at nine; thank goodness for airport hotels! As soon as I set foot on the plane, I heard the flight attendant's sweet southern drawl and started to get excited. Funny how thoughts of hamburgers and fried chicken didn't excite me, but something as small as an accent pulled my heartstrings and made me miss home. My Europe trip was great, amazing, wonderful, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But it was time to go home.

During the ten hour flight, I watched The Hurt Locker and Dear John, made friends with an 87 year old lady, and read two London newspapers - how productive! As soon as we landed, I realized I could a simple device that had become a luxury to me - my cell phone. I could actually use my cell phone to call friends, check email, look at Facebook! Wow! I was in Georgia - the South - with tons of Southerners! Everyone spoke English, and without a funny accent! No one cared if I said k(r)wäˈsän  or k(r)wäˈsänt (for the word croissant)! I couldn't believe my eyes or ears!

The novelty of the United States amazed me the entire time I was in Atlanta. I am sure I looked a little bit crazy; I was like a child in a candy shop: amazed by the smallest things. I called some friends and actually giggled when I heard voicemail recordings. I kept forgetting to walk on the right side (instead of the left like in England) and would laugh at myself. I drank lots of coffee - hah, surprise! 

When I finally arrived in Gulfport, I had been awake and traveling for over sixteen hours. Needless to say, the novelty had worn off - I was ready to be home. My sweet sister picked me up at the airport and brought me home to my parents. I immediately began unpacking and doing laundry. I was finally home! It was time for real life.

Since last Tuesday, I have had the chance to visit with my grandparents and immediate family. Chelsea drove down from Starkville to visit, and we spent the weekend together: Sex and the City, shopping, picking blueberries - perfectly American. Unfortunately, I have developed a bit of a cold or virus or infection. It began on Thursday, was most violent yesterday, and is still lingering today. Hopefully tomorrow will bring more strength and less coughing, headaches, and weakness. The to-do list of my "real life" is quite long! I must get well so that items can be checked off soon, soon, soon!

This week I hope to unpack everything that I meticulously packed at my Starkville apartment in December. My company offers a moving service (whew!), but they must pack every box themselves to ensure no broken items. While this will be a huge job, it will allow (or rather, force) me to reevaluate my belongings and decide whether or not they are necessary for my new life in Washington. 

For months and months I have been procrastinating; I kept saying that I would do this or that "after my trip". Well, now it's time. I need to unpack, reorganize, find an apartment, plan my itinerary for getting to DC, and create a budget. It is finally time to grow up. I am going to have a big girl job. And pay my own bills. Wow. 

I start work in 41 days. The countdown has begun.