Following through.

There were several reasons I moved halfway across the country, to the fabulous city of Austin. One of those reasons: to become more comfortable being alone. For whatever reason, throughout my life, I have had a really tough time being alone. I'm either on the phone or making plans to go somewhere with someone else. It's like I've never truly appreciated myself and that time people seem to crave, alone time. I really never got it. I just knew there was some reason I was afraid of it, or at least, I didn't want it. 

I left May 24th. Today is August 30th. How many days is that? 98 days. Wow!  I almost left 100 days ago. Point being, the past week or so.. I finally think I have embraced alone time.  Today I came home, and I was so excited about just being by myself. Cooking dinner for myself, watching a movie by myself, doing WHATEVER I want without worrying about getting in anyones way. I can think about everything, I don't have to talk. It's an amazing feeling, and it is so completely refreshing.  When we are alone, we finally get to take in everything, absorb what has happened lately in our lives, and realize what there is to be thankful for and how silly our stresses are.  We make things out to be so much bigger than they are sometimes. All I need is a little time to take it all in, to think, to absorb the small lovely things in my life.  Cheers to accomplishing one of my goals in leaving my comfort zone. I can be alone, and LIKE it.  

Also, I told all of you, *My lovely readers*, I want to start a book club. Maybe I shouldn't call it that? I want to get together with girls and discuss books that teach us important things over wine and desserts. It's not necessarily a club!  I have decided that it is important to follow through with things like that. So many people say "Oh, we should.. blah blah blah" and then, it never happens. When we say "we should...," let's start saying "we should do that tomorrow."  Set a date!  Make it happen! It's all about the follow through. I'll have you know that I ordered my first book today! Kate, myself, and whoever wants to join us will meet soon and discuss Surfacing by Margaret Atwood. 

Another follow through.. Cody and I had a date night! It was so nice. Sometimes, you just need that time together.  I get it. We live together - how much time could we need? Well.. it's the darndest thing. I think a weird thing about living together is that it's easy to feel like, "we spend all of our time together!" And then somehow.. never spend time together? You become like furniture. How much time do you really need with your couch?  It's in your apartment, right? But how often do you sit there.. soaking up the comfort of your couch. Ok, it's a stretch metaphor, but I think it's a good way to get this point across.  We went out! Got away from the apartment.. which we both needed, went for ceviche and cocktails and talked about everything. We made plans to do all kinds of things, and we remembered why we're here. The best part of this whole date? He surprised me, came home early and asked me to go. It was so unexpected.  The unexpected is what gets me :)

And he's wonderful. 

Last, but certainly not least. LACEY IS MOVING TO AUSTIN! Which means I get to go home!!! I'm flying in next Tuesday, and we'll drive down to Austin on Sunday. It's just enough time for me to see everyone, eat at my favorite restaurants, and be refreshed. Also, I have a small plan to go to New Orleans on the way from Nash to Austin. Or.. somewhere else fun. The beach? Who knows! The world is our oyster. 

New

 I really should walk around with a sign that says "I'm entering adulthood. The real kind with bills and everything!"

Money. That stupid thing that I just can't seem to get away from or get enough of.  Just when I started to think, "Whew! I'm going to make rent this month! I will pay all of my bills!" And yes, that really is what happens when you wait tables. It's a miracle EVERY TIME!  That moment, when you are reassured you're going to get by? That's right about the time your tire blows out on the way to the job where you barely make food stamp wages. 

Cody. The beautiful boy who saved the day, came to my rescue, and is my reminder that everything is going to be alright. I couldn't be more thankful. 

Guacamole. I can't stop eating it.  Not only has adulthood welcomed me with bills and stress, it also seems to have broadened my tastebud horizons.  Anyone that knows me is fully aware that guacamole is a far cry from my usual french fry and chicken tender meal. Green is not the appropriate color for food.   I don't know what has gotten into me, but I am obsessed!  I guess that's a good thing? I'm pretty tired of being made fun of for my picky ways, so maybe this is a jumping off point! 

I gave a short list last time of things that I have learned to appreciate. I think there was.. cheap wine, dry shampoo, and activities.  Anyway, I need to add one-ply toilet paper.  It's the ever feared toilet paper from public places.. You know, gas stations... restaurants..  the kind that seems really uncomfortable?  Roughly, two and a half weeks ago, I purchased some on accident. I saw the clearance sign, and I just couldn't resist. I should add sales to the list of appreciated things. Anywho, one-ply lasts FOREVER! In these two and a half weeks, we have only gone through TWO ROLLS!  Talk about a penny saver! Quite frankly, it really isn't uncomfortable either; it just seems like it should be.  I feel like it might be slightly inappropriate to discuss toilet matters in a public blog, but I think it's a secret that I need to let the world in on! 

I love the fact that I just wrote more about toilet paper than how great my boyfriend is for changing my tire. It's funny to read back over this blog of mine. 

Here's to moving forward.

Ok. I admit it. I have only written three entries. I'm really horrible at keeping up with these things. Thanks to Micah Miller, I will write another blog!

My best, Lacey Fitch came into town which made me so happy and also made me quit caring about my blog readers. I know how all of you wait anxiously for the next entry.

Every day looked like this with a different background depending on the moment. I remembered what it felt like to have a close friend around.  Cody is wonderful, but he can't play every role - friend, roommate, boyfriend, family, etc.  It was so refreshing to have her here! In fact, we had such a great time.. Lace has every intention of moving here within the month!!

I don't know how to go over every detail of the past few weeks, so I choose not to. I always get confused about what blogs should be about.. Do you want to know my day to day? I'll just share a few of the things I've randomly thought - "Hey! I should blog about that!"

So, in moving to a new city, I've learned quite a few things.  It's important to stay active outside of this apartment which sometimes doubles as a dark cave I hide away in. I'm trying to create activities for myself, join social clubs.. The first one? KICKBALL! My new friend, Silvia invited me to join their "super social" kickball team to meet new people.  Granted, I may not be the most fit person in the world, or someone super into sports, but I most certainly am "super social".  So count me in!  The next thing I really want to do is start some sort of book club.. I think it could be good?

Next. I've learned to appreciate cheap wine. I'm broke, and the 3.99 bottle of Tisdale that I get from the gas station down the street is totally worth it. It's delicious, and it works just the same.

Another tidbit I'll clue you in on... Tresseme "fresh start", a lovely product which is totally affordable.  I think it was five dollars. What is it? Well! It's dry shampoo. Why do you need it? Because sometimes sleep is more valuable than a shower!  You spray it in your hair when you wake up, or whenever you need it, shake it out, brush it out, and your hair looks freshly blow dried! I didn't believe it either, but it was cheap enough that I just bought it and went for it. IT HAS CHANGED MY WHOLE LIFE!!!

So for those of you who actually read this far and find me utterly entertaining.. you must really care about me. I'll get a little deeper into my life, while remaining vague, because who shares secrets in a public blog?  It's difficult sometimes for me to be here, in a new city where I am close to but one person. It's a challenge every day. I don't always handle it in the way I should. I'm not perfect. I don't know anyone who is, but I know people who try to be their best and those are the people who I look up to.  All I can do is try.  I'm trying to make new friends, ones I can trust. I'm trying to maintain my relationship while balancing the stress of living.  I'm fighting my crazy, the same crazy that lives in all of us that we manage to keep tucked away most of the time.  Things are looking up, every day is better, this is the most exciting time I have ever experienced. This has been a challenge, but nothing I would ever think about taking back.  I hope that the people in my life will continue standing beside me as I grow, and that I will do the same.  True friends are hard to find, but those of you who are in my life, I will do anything to keep you for as long as I can. Sometimes, happiness is a choice that we make. I choose to be happy, to let the adventure continue, and I choose to move forward in the best way I know how, regardless of the obstacles along the way.  I read somewhere that life is like a roller coaster; there are ups and downs, but at the end of your days, the goal is to be able to say "what a ride." It's not about hitting a peak, where everything is easy and smooth sailing, happy from that point forward. It's about dealing with whatever comes your way, getting back up, taking on life's obstacles and enjoyments.

And that's that.


I'll leave you with two quotes that have both weighed heavy on my mind today.

"When you're young, you think everything you do is disposable. You move from now to now, crumpling time up in your hands, tossing it away.  You're your own speeding car.  You think you can get rid of things, and people too - leave them behind.  You don't yet know about the habit they have, of coming back.
Time in dreams is frozen.  You can never get away from where you've been." - Margaret Atwood

"The longest, most arduous trip in the world is often the journey from the head to the heart.  Until that trip is completed, we remain at war with ourselves.  And, of course, those at war with themselves are apt to make casualties of others, including friends and loved ones." - William Sloan Coffin

Painting.

My room!  We have spent so much time trying to figure out all of the decor of this place!  We finally went out and bought some paint. We added two accent walls, the one behind the bed and there's another one in the kitchen. I really like the light green. I'm OBSESSED with green right now. I really like yellow too. I'm turning into my grandma. We painted the night stand and dresser eggshell white too. I love it.  The only thing I need now is a painting to put behind my bed.. so please, friends of mine that paint, paint me a picture to put above my bed.  I think it's going to be hard to move out of this place when it's time to leave after doing all of this work!

As a side note, painting in an apartment is no easy task..

Settling in

Cheers to blogs!

So I had this great intention of having a blog that I post to regularly when I moved to Austin at the beginning of June, but I failed greatly (with the exception of the one post I made). I actually was posting to wordpress which only confuses me. I think that was the biggest problem when it came to continuing my postings.  It seems to be a trend to have a blog now, and I think I need to jump back on board.  

I could go through every fun time or difficult moment I have been through since I moved, but I feel like it would just take forever. We're going to have to start from today.  The bottom line is, I moved to Austin at the end of May.  We moved into our apartment at the beginning of June, and I would say we have been adjusting ever since.  I'm just now starting to feel normal and settled in.  It's crazy how long it takes. 

When I came here, I didn't know a soul other than Cody and Kensie. I had to start being a little bit creepy.. I'll call you like 10 minutes after meeting you "Hey! What's up? Let's hang out." It seems to be working though! I've made quite a few friends since I've been here.  I had to fight my desire to hide out and be awkwardly shy, which I am fully aware isn't typically me. It's weird how quickly your personality hides when you don't know a soul within 1000 miles!  I had to force my outgoing nature to take over.  I was surprised how quickly I missed home and the familiar streets of Franklin. The good news is, that's mostly subsided.  Now, instead of wanting to bail on this plan and move back home, I just want to visit for a few days.  I need my fix of my favorite restaurants, friends, talk with my dad, walk to my room, smell of my house!  Just for a minute.. then I can come back and be fine.  

My very best friend, miss Lacey is coming to visit in... FOUR DAYS! This will cure my homesick for a little while.  Yes, I have made an itinerary that I worked on diligently for several days to show her the best time.. ever.  I am super excited for her to come though because I get to trick her into doing the tourist things that I can't get anyone else to do!  For instance, there are 1.5 MILLION bats that fly out from underneath a bridge in downtown Austin. THAT'S A LOT OF BATS!!!  Who doesn't want to see that!? Oh, right. Evidently, anyone that lives in this city. 

Hopefully, I'll be heading home for Miss Micah's wedding in October! October is pretty soon so I think I can wait that long. Then I could go home for Christmas. The only issue here are my funds! Necessito mas dinero, por favor. I was thinking we could all get a "send sarah home" fundraiser going? If everyone I know gives me like.. ten dollars, I could go home several times over! So, PAY UP. 

I think after this post, I can move back into the present.. not give you my thoughts on moving, but instead tell you my daily activities! Which are so much fun. I try to do everything that I haven't done yet, and stick to Austinite activities. All of those silly famous things like Alamo drafthouse, barton springs, the greenbelt, hamilton pool, kirby lane, blues on the green, and the list goes on.  

Until next time...

The Great Move : actually written June 7

So I decided that I should blog about some of this big move. I had a big, wonderful plan to blog along the way, before, during, and after the move.  Turns out, moving is a little hectic, and blogging didn't play a big role in packing or unpacking any boxes.  I'll try to give a nutshell story of the things that have happened, with a few pictures along the way. I thinking blogging is going to be the easiest way to share everything with those of you who care.


I'll share some thoughts about everything on the next visit to "Skittles Sayla" wordpress.

First, with moving, there comes an awful lot of planning.  I planned out budgets, apartments, grocery lists, itineraries, planned when I was allowed to freak out, planned when I would get homesick, plan payments, etc.  I also planned out my going away/graduation party, which I have quickly realized was the only thing I planned that I might have had any control over at all. Any other plan I had pretty much just exploded as soon as the morning of packing the budget truck began.

Step 2: Grad/Going Away Party - Went so well. My whole family came, minus a few unlucky members that couldn't make it and missed the best time ever.  It was so nice to see everyone in one place; can't say that's ever happened before. I had a lot of good friends come over, including the marvelous, Brittany Galloway who drove all the way to Nashville from Knoxvegas to see me before I left!  I also got to see my cousin, Courtney's new baby, Claude Thomas! It was so funny to see a baby that's related to me; I don't know what I'll do when one of my siblings makes a baby.

Step 3: Loading the budget Truck.  It was soooo crazy to see Cody driving an enormous moving truck, towing a trailer with his pathfinder on it.  He made it all the way to Austin!  Rob came to help load the truck at the last minute, which was so amazing.  Thank God for Rob; he hung out the whole time! I honestly don't know how we would have done it without him.  Lacey, Dad, Hunter, Ryan, Scott and Rob all helped out which was fabulous. It's always nice to see that people really do care.  We didn't finish until midnight, and couldn't sleep until 1 at least.  It was such a long day!

Step 4: Driving to Texas! Kensie, Cody, and I all drove in our own cars so this was completely awful.  Riding in a car alone for a long drive is at least 10x more painful than a normal car ride. I watched Cody struggle to drive the Budget Truck, which was a little terrifying for me.  Honestly, he did a great job - he was super confident, and I probably should have had more confidence in him! He stayed within the laws of the road and the lines of the road, and mostly at the same time. We woke up at 6am the day after loading the truck to head out, with the intention of getting to Austin that evening.  We found out that driving alone after only 5 hours of sleep is almost impossible.  We also found out that when you're driving a 16 foot truck towing a trailer with a car, you are only permitted to drive at 55mph.  We were forced to stop to get a hotel in Texarkana so we could sleep, and this pushed everything back a day.   The typical 14 hr drive to Austin from Nashville took us around 19 hours.  Talk about awful.  Remember the whole time I was in the car, I was alone- except for my faithful friend Tucker who was heavily sedated after a doggie downer.

Step 5: Unload Truck into storage unit

Step 6: Find an apartment. Get approved for apartment.

Step 7: Have fun - This included: *Going to a ranch in Texas - completely fun. They shot guns, and let me shoot too. We also went to a swimming hole and some sort of crazy dam where the boys slid down it.  *Head to Lake house on Lake Travis.- Ridiculous. Too much fun. The best way to describe that trip is "SurprICE!" There was a game we played where you were surprised with a Smirnoff Ice.  If you got "surpICE"d, you had to take a knee and drink the entire smirnoff.  Hilarious, while ridiculous.   Also, because of this trip, I had to board Tucker for the first time.  It was hard to do, but he didn't seem to mind.

Step 8: Get a job

Step 9: Move into apartment

Step 10: Have more fun- We went to Corpus Christi with Cody's cousins. Corpus is on the coast with all kinds of ocean! Grant, Cody's cousin, took us on his boat so the boys could go fishing.  He's a fishing guide down there! Pretty cool. I wish we could have gone fishing for sharks, but I was a little nervous about getting seasick.  ha! I think this would have been my dad's favorite part about my adventures thus far.

Step 11: Find a way to make this place home. Working on it. Our furniture is all in place, the refrigerator is full (sort of) ,mostly everything is clean, and we're working on decorating. We actually had friends over today! We went to the pool for the first time, and we grilled out with hamburgers and chorizo.  They are big on some Mexican food down here! I feel like I'm turning into a Mexican. My new favorite grocery store is this place called "Fiesta!" It's as big as wal mart!!! ha It's the best.

Also, I can't stop cleaning. I think I'm "nesting."

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This was actually written approximately.. 2 weeks after being here, I think right around June 7th.  I guess I should start posting more often.. Everyone is doing it!