My Tuesday.

Since I made the deal yesterday that I would get a pair of TOMS if I went to all of my classes I decided it might be a little more motivation to have them here and not allowing myself to wear them. I ordered my TOMS this morning and have a spot cleared on my bookshelf by the door where I will display them until all requirements are met or, they go back.

Done.

I went to Personal & Family Finance, and came home and took a nap. It was one of those really cozy naps that you dont want to wake up from but I realized I could not give in that easily. I had just ordered my shoes!

I went to Strategic Management and then Economic History.

I came home, did some Paladin work, went to Paladin and then came back home.

I talked to my landlord (yup, thats possesive people. My landlord.) and she is sending me a contract for the apartment located in Provo.

So, dude, its really, really happening. (Is that one to many comma's?)

Then I realized I had thirty minutes to kill and went for a run. I ran an easy distance but I dont just run so my body was not happy. By the time my legs really couldnt take anymore and I slowed to a slow jog and then walking I felt like I was going to pass out.

In fact, I almost did. Twice.
Really.


I made it home and now its time for a little re-fueling and then an FHE meeting and then a couple hours in the library.

Love.My.Life.

Here's an oldie for you. I found this from this past christmas pre-hair cut/color. Some days I really, really miss my curls. I can't exactly pull it off with the bangs. It looks weird. I miss the curls. I like the bangs. What to do, What to do.

Motivation

From now until April 8, 2011 I must attend the following classes -
4x Body Flow
4x Body Attack
4x Financial Markets and Securities
4x Spanish 4
4x Economic History
4x Strategic Management
4x Personal & Family Finance

(April 8th is a blip in my class attendence because we are going to the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond, VA for Markets&Securities)



On top of that I have the following assignments that need to be done:
Personal & Family Finance - Paper (3/29)
Economic History - Senior Paper Topic Proposal (3/29)
Personal & Family Finance - Beginning write up of final budget (3/30)
Strategic Management - Year 18 BSG Simulation (3/30)
Personal & Family Finance - Complete Budget (4/12)
Economic History - Senior Paper Topic Rough Draft (4/7)
Strategic Management - Year 19 BSG Simulation (4/6)
Financial Markets & Securities - Test 4 (4/6)
Economic History - Senior Paper Topic Rough Draft (4/7)
Economic History - Presentation, Prohibition (4/12)


Basically - I have a lot going on, and my motivation was left in Utah so I had to think of a way to bribe myself to get this all done. Yup, bribing myself.


With a pair of TOMS :)

"Well fer gyall..."

J: Just thought I'd let you know that you are a pretty awesome young lady! Hope you have a wonderful day!

G: Well thanks, dear. Where did that come from?

J: My heart.

This best friend/boy drives me crazy most of the time.
Then there are times I get texts like this that just make me smile.

Tonight...

Tonight, I will not stay up until 2 am.

I will go to bed in five minutes as soon as I am done posting this.

I won't stay up looking at job postings from many different sources I have bookmarked.

I won't search craigslist for a car.

I won't open up my "cars" folder and look through the cars I have already found that I love and want.

I especially will not open up the window and stare at the 2010 Ford F150 Crew Cab Pickup.

And, I certainly won't keep working on the argument that I am going to present to Dad as to why I should get a truck.


I will lay in bed for a few minutes thanking my Heavenly Father for allowing a spring break trip to Utah to work out at the most perfect time.

I will giggle, very quietly, full of excitement for what is about to happen.

I will be scared for a moment realizing I have an apartment in Provo so this is really happening.

Then, I will doze off and dream of my life in Utah.

Another post on Utah.

1)I just moved $1300 in to my savings account so I don't accidentaly spend any of my Utah money (3 Months rent, 3 months utilities, 3 months food)

2)I've emailed my besties landlord to talk to her about buying J's summer contract.

3)I've contacted a friend of my Dads out in Idaho who buys/sells cars. We're talking about what I need/want/could actually afford.

4)I've looked up plane tickets and decided if I do not need to fly to Rexburg/Idaho Falls and can fly straight into SLC then I am flying Frontier ($225 for a one way flight that includes 2 free checked bags and with the things I need to bring out with me I like the free bags idea)

5)I talked to my boss at the cafe today and explained that I am planning on moving and will have a lot of free time to work during May and could really use all the hours she could give me. Seeing as I am one of only a few ABC Managers I think I should be able to work a bit, hopefully

6)The plan as of now is to leave BV on June 4th, stay in DC for a day or two and then I will be in NY for 2 weeks and fly out to Utah around the 20th

7)I have started my spring cleaning with two major moves in mind - tossing things left and right.

8)I started going through my cupboards and my storage totes of shampoo/face wash/lens solution stuff and tried to plan around how to use it before i leave and not buy any more

9)Could we cross fingers and toes that I get a job before I move?

10)I feel really, really good about this move.


Guys - This is happening.


I've evaluated things a lot since I have been home from Utah. I wanted to make sure that I was not making this move for anyone but myself, and I think in this decision it is okay to be selfish. Even though I have not moved yet I have already seen so many lessons I am going to learn from doing this. Today a friend and I were discussing a ..situation..and a certain someone and he said that moving to Utah seems like it will be the very best thing for me right now, I really just need to get out and get away from the situation and get back to me.

In another discussion with a different friend today I was told to "Let the man raise his kids". "The man" he was talking about is my dad. A little background: My mom went back to school when I was 11 and I was put in to the roll of "mom", cooking, cleaning and making sure everyone made it to school, seminary, after-school activities, church, etc. Its just what happened. So I have this "mom-gene" and then on top of that I became "mom" so I still have the tendency to act like "mom". Dad and I were having a talk and it came up that we arent sure what Georges graduation status is at this point or what he is doing, which led to talking about his job and then how Dad still gives him lunch money even when he makes a good amount of money...

Then I was talking with said friend and he said "let the man raise his kids".

It reminded me of when my sister-in-law told me that I had to leave home and go away for college. To take time for me, and let them learn to deal with things on their own. Its four years later and now I have someone telling me again that I need to let them live their lives.

It seems Utah will be good for me and serve a similar purpose as to what Virginia did for me.



This is a long post,
and really its mostly just for me,
personal notes,
because its easier to type than write in my journal but,
if you read it,
if you have input,
leave it.

I could use more advice and outside perspective.

Dear Netflix, It's not you, It's me...

I put my Netflix account on hold until April 30th, 2011.

That is the day I graduate.

Senior Paper, Class attendance, Papers, Projects and finding a job for post-grad life all must come before I watch the next 3 seasons of "How I Met Your Mother"


le sigh.

It is all becoming far too real...

I have realized just in the last week what a real possibility it is for me to move to Utah.

I just looked up flights and found the cheapest to be flying from JFK to SLC on June 28th.

That would give me like a week and a half at home, and a few days in DC to see all my loves there.

That would mean I take my very last final and go home. Try to re-pack everything and hopefully do it in a time frame that I can send some stuff with Boomer on his drive out from NY to UT.

Ive been e-mailing one of the girls I stayed with over break who is leaving to teach in DC this next semester and we've chatted about me buying her contract.

Which I could do.

I could stay there until August and that would give me 2 months to find a job, and figure out where I want to move, and get a hold of a car (?).

Dude - I could really be doing this.


I have talked to my Dad about it briefly about moving. I talked to my older brother, Stan and his wife, Linda and they were both very much in favor of it. That helps because Linda happened to be the one to give me the final push out of NY when I was thinking of staying in-state for college after Dad had his heart attack my senior year. She looked me in the eye and told me that I had to get out, I had to do something for myself and give the family time to figure out how to do without me and live my life.

I did it. I don't regret it.

The fact that she says I should move to Utah is a big pro.






All I can think of is:
Woah. Woah. Really!? Dude. Woah.



I feel like a ditz typing those words, but thats really how I feel right now.


Apology in advance for all the Utah posts I am going to write in the coming month.

Oh, Sunday

My apartment is clean.

My kitchen smells like chili powder, garlic, onion and yummy spicy things.

Im making flautas and guac.

Im cooking in my church clothes (new banana republic skirt!!), tights and my pink mukluks and my pink apron.

I probably look ridiculous, but im happy.

I like cooking on sundays, in my sunday clothes, to really chill pandora tunes.

And... today was my last stake conference in BV.
Which is weird.

And now... im just stalling because Im getting rather bored of tearing chicken for my flautas :-\


Okay, back to the chicken I guess.

What do I want to do with my life?

I want to move to Utah.

I want to move to Washington, DC.

I want to move to Phoenix, or Boston, or Seattle.

I want to work for a University - Administrative work, Career Services, Admissions.

I want to be a wedding planner.

I want to teach Business in High Schools.

I want to go to Graduate School for my MBA or Master of Public Administration or Master of Accountancy or Master of Education or Master of International Affairs or Master of Business Studies with a focus on Human Resource Management.

I want to be a Certified Les Mills Body Attack Instructor.

I want to run a 5k.

I really want to learn how to make a macaron.




I was just talking to a housemate of mine as we switched our laundry and I told her that I was moving to Utah, training to be an instructor, going to find a job at a University doing... something, and blog about the whole thing.

I then said,
"If only it were that easy"

And she said,
"What if it is?"


Guys - What if it is?!?!
What if I need to, for once, jump without seeing the landing underneath.
Thats super unlike me.
I almost didn't go to DC because I got my internship and did not have housing yet.
But - what if I just do it.
What If I say, I am moving.
I find an apartment.
I maybe find a job. Maybe I wait till I get there to find one.
I use public transportation for a month or two until I get a hold on finances and get a car, or maybe I just walk a lot.


This would be me moving across the country.
Id have to stay for a year at least.
I wouldnt want to make that big of a move twice.




What if it really is that easy?

Quiero TOMS

I think it'd be really sweet to get a pair of TOMS. Anyone feeling charitable? My birthday is in less than 8 months now, you could call it an early present?
:)

Did I mention I'd love you forever?
and ever.

The Land of Milk and Honey Butter

I don't know what I ever had against Provo or Utah for that matter - cause I'm a big fan now.
I love the mountains.
I love the Jamba Juice.
I love my best friends who I get to hang out with for the next week.
I love my best friends roomates - ref. to Felicia and Joyce
(though Colin, you're cool too... mostly because you can make ramen cake)
I love the huge campus of BYU - and love that within an hour I found Amanda Cowan, Mike Voyles, Esther Harsh and some random guy that was talking to us at FHE last night.

I dont love the big hair and the constant show off of engagement rings and girls my age or maybe younger with babies - but I dont have to give in to those things, so I can handle it.


Vegas was pretty darn great too. It was a steady 75 degrees for the time I was there. I ate In N Out (twice, animal style), toured the strip on a Friday night (yikes), shot a gun for the first time (and blew up a tv in the process), grabbed Cafe Rio & rode on the back of Johns Bike on the highway... do not tell Dad. (Disclaimer: John asked if I wanted to go fast, I said no, he took the highway.... impaired hearing much?)

Ill post photos when I get back to VA. There are many :)



Okay - Back to my breakfast of bread, honey butter and jamba juice all @ the Wilk.

:)

Graduation Photos - Sneak Peek!

I know I said I wouldnt post until after break but come on - I had to!






I hate (hate) having photos taken of me but after having 4 years of my dad constantly reminding me that he does not have a photo of me in his wallet and cant "show me off" (his words, not mine) and with Graduation coming up (60 days!!) I knew I needed some photos. We are doing family photos after Graduation when the whole family comes down to Virginia.

Thank you, Thank you, Mrs. Brinn Willis for the photos - Hopefully this is enough of a teaser for the family to get excited for pictures in April :)

Viva Las Vegas

I leave for Las Vegas, Nevada this Thursday. Ill switch planes in Philly and then arrive around 10:30pst. Ill be there until Saturday where I will fly from LAS to Long Beach, California and then on to Salt Lake City arriving 10:30mst. Ill be there for a little over a week and then make the crazy trip home of SLC to Denver to Chicago to Roanoke arriving 10:30est.

Oh, the many time zones.
and, oh, the planes.
Seven.
7 planes.
Oy.



So now all that stands between me and this trip is homework and lots of it:
Personal & Family Finance - Test 3, First 3 sheets of Budget, 3 page paper on "The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom"

Economic History - Senior Paper Topic Proposal

Strategic Management - 3 year Strategic Vision, BSG Year 15 (lots of work to that one)

Markets & Securities - Catch up on notes from missed class and classes I will miss due to the trip

Spanish 4 - Un presentacion oral y tarea

Paladin - Billing of last issues advertisements, sending out copies of the issue to advertisers, setting up next issues advertisements, "Word on the Street" question

1 Body Flow Class, 1 Body Attack Class, 1 Senior Photo Shoot, 9 classes, one crazy evening of packing and all the above assignments.

I leave Thursday.
Wish me luck.


I will not post until I come back from the trip but I will be checking the comments so please, give me ideas of where I need to go and what I need to see while in Utah and Vegas.


Peace & Blessin's