This is it!

Today is my last day of freedom until I get bitch slapped by reality when I start my new job tomorrow. OH yes, the day has finally come. Tomorrow, my unemployment ends and my employment begins! I have to be there bright and early at 8:30 a.m. and I'm definitely nervous/excited and I have no idea what to expect so wish me luck! While, I'm excited to finally have a job there are a few things that I will miss about unemployment...

What I'll miss about unemployment

-My couch

-My DVR

-No schedule

-Staying up late

-Sleeping in late

-No alarms

-Getting lunch with Dt whenever I want

-Being able to travel where I want

-Freedom

-Not having to put on nice clothes everyday (norts? yes please!)

-Reading on the porch

-Reading too many blogs

-Experimenting in the kitchen

-Being home when Dt gets home

-Going to the gym midday

-Daily naptime (you can judge but I know you're jealous)

What I won't miss about being unemployed

-Being broke

-Boredom

-Having no money

-Not being able to go shopping

-Hanging out by myself bc everyone else is at work

-Stressing about money

-Everybody asking if I have a job yet

-Everybody suggesting random jobs I could get that I have no interest in (don't do this people, it's annoying. If someone you know is unemployed, with an advance degree, they want to work in that advance degree's field. Not with your cousin at an accounting firm. The thought is nice, but it is zero help and just stresses them out more. kthanx.)

While being unemployed was great over the summer after being in college/grad school for 6 years straight, it got old pretty fast. I was in dire need of a break after school ended so the summer was used mostly for recharging. I enjoyed having down time, all the money I had saved up, and the freedom to go where I want when I wanted and to lay out all day long if I felt the desire to do so. But after August, and my family's vacation, things got a little more serious. I realized I had to save what money I had left because jobs weren't as easy to come by as I thought and I didn't know how long I needed it to last. This meant that while I had free time to do fun things and spend money, I could not do anything because I didn't know when my job would come along and I needed to save as much as possible.

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I ended up getting a retail job during the holidays to pay for presents and bulk up my bank account but by the time the new year rolled around, I was still unemployed and losing hope. I kept applying for jobs, praying, and hoping and I finally got an interview! Then, within three weeks, I had a job offer and two more interviews! It was feast or famine, I'm telling you. I ended up taking the job for the first interview I had and that is what I will be starting tomorrow. After about 10 months of unemployment, I've found a job, in the field I went to school for, doing exactly what I want to do. I think it was worth the wait and I can't wait to see what this job has in store for me! I'll let you know how it goes!

This blogger loves her mama!

On Thursday I went to my parent's house in Spartanburg because Mom and I were going to have a girl's day on Friday. I got to spend Thurs night with both of my parents while my little bro was at lax practice and debutante ball dance lessons. Yes, my southern little brother has been asked to escort a deb. He learned the waltz which he was surprised to learn that I remembered how to do from my cotillion days. Thanks mom!

Boy does look good in a Tux. And don't worry, Amy was not his prom date! Just a proud sister.

On Friday I went to an Uptown Sertoma lunch with Mama G. It was adorable! Turns out, my mom is still a sorority girl, just 25 years older. The meeting started with a prayer, ended with a chant and a clap, they had to pay a quarter for talking during the speaker, and there are different committees to be on, many of which Mom is in charge of. I was having serious AXO chapter flashbacks and thought it was funny that we never grow out of it.

If you aren't familiar with Sertoma, it is essentially a service group that puts together different community service projects mostly for hearing health advocacy. I really enjoyed the meeting and it opened my eyes to the different ways that I can continue to give back to my community after graduating college. Cheesy, I know, but I think it would be fun to find a group similar to this. Maybe I'll make Mom proud and finally join junior league. Anyone want to join with me?

Speaking of making mom proud, homegirl just loves to brag on her oldest baby! She stood up in the meeting to announce my new job, her friends came over to ask if I was the one in graduate school, yada yada yada. That lady talks about us a lot. I'm glad I've given her things to be proud of and to pay a dollar to announce at her community service club meetings (she talks about you too, Amy. Don't feel left out).

Because of how proud she is of me, she took me shopping after our meeting because she wanted her baby to look stylish on her first day of work. As well as her 2nd, 3rd, 4th day, etc. So we did some serious damage on Fri. Luckily, all of the president's day sales had already started so we got awesome deals!

I wish I could find pictures of what I bought online but we went to some outlets so they aren't on the current websites. Lame! Maybe I'll do some outfit of the day posts? We'll see.

We ended our shopping day at Bare Escentuals. I wear all bare minerals makeup so I love this store! I ended up getting a little makeover which was fun. I also walked out of there with some more foundation, a new set of eyeshadow, and a lot of buxom lip glosses which are my favorite. They have tons of great colors and they also plump your lips. They're amazing!

Before heading back to Columbia, Mom and I stopped by the country club to have dinner and see Dad. We had duck confit with mushroom risotto and its was soooooooo good! OMG, I'd move back to sburg just to have that on a weekly basis. Yum!

I loved getting to hang out with my mom all day Friday (and not just because she bought me things, though it was nice of her to do so). She's such a smart, beautiful, amazing person and I'm sad I don't live even closer to her. I'm lucky to have a mom who I have a lot in common with and I know how much she likes to have her daughters to hang out with. I'm one lucky girl! To honor my mama, here are some throwback pics of us...

Do me a favor and tell your mama (or dad, or grandma, whoever is important to you) that you love them!

And the big announcement is...

I GOT A JOB!!!

As you may or may not know, I've been looking for a job since I graduated in May. Yes, I've been looking for a long time. I went to graduate school for marriage and family counseling so that is the field that I've been looking in. I've also been pretty set on staying in Columbia (even though it's my least favorite town) because Dt is still in school and we live together. And yes, I'm fully aware of how dumb it sounds to plan your life around your boyfriend and you can judge me all you want, I understand, I probably would too. But I've been dating the kid for 6 years, I know he's my future, and I based my decision on that. So it's been a long time coming, but I finally found a counseling job here in Columbia!

I'll be a full time mental health counselor and I'll be working mostly with children and their families. I will also be able to get the supervision that I need to get my professional license for free which is awesome. I'm very excited but nervous at the same time. There are billions of questions running through my head...

How will I handle the 8:30-5 workday?

What will my office look like?

Will I be able to handle the huuuuuge caseload?

Will I be overwhelmed by the paperwork?

Who will I eat lunch with?

When will I go to the gym?

Will I make any friends?

How crazy will my clients be?

Am I getting paid enough?

How will this job affect the rest of my career?

You know, just the basic questions anyone would ask themselves when they accept their first full-time, grown-up job. I know I have a lot to learn but I'm so ready to get my career started and take the first step towards becoming the counselor I know I can be. I don't plan on sharing too much about my job on here, there are lots of privacy issues involved but I will try to keep you updated on some things. It will be a big change but I'm ready for it and glad to have my friends and family for support when I need it. 

In other news...

What did y'all think of the Grammy's? To tell you the truth, I was a little disappointed. There were some things that I loved but I definitely fast forwarded through others. First of all, I adore Adele! I think she has an amazing talent and she deserved to sweep the Grammy's so, good for her. She's also beautiful and I was digging her hair last night. 

Via

I also enjoyed Katy Perry's performance. To be honest, I've been completely sick of her lately (and the blue hair could be left at home) but I enjoyed finally hearing a new song and she took a jab or two at her ex which was entertaining. 

Via

My beloved T-swizzle left something to be desired though... we've seen her perform Mean before and I would have loved to see something new. But I thought her dress was pretty so points for that.

Via

And finally, Jennifer Hudson's tribute to Whitney Houston was beautiful. 

I was so sad to hear of Whitney's passing. What a tragic end to a wonderful life and talent. I can't imagine what her family, especially her daughter, is going through and I think they deserve their privacy. I also think that people who are judging her for her battle with drugs (whether that was the cause of death or not) are disgusting. She dealt with struggles that we will never understand and no one will know what exactly was going on with her. So, either mourn her or move on, don't speak ill of the dead. RIP Whitney. 

As far as misses... I don't care for The Foo Fighters or Bruce Springsteen. I'm usually a fan of Nicki Minaj but she went a little crazy last night. Sir Paul was a little slow for me, I would have preferred a classic. I think the whole show was a little slow actually but I was glad we didn't have to put up with Lady Gaga's antics for a change. All in all, there were highs and lows but not my favorite year for the Grammys. 

And last but not least, tomorrow is Valentine's Day if you didn't know. How do you feel about this "holiday?" Personally, I'm for it! Yes, I think couples should do romantic things for each other throughout the entire year but one day dedicated to flowers, chocolate, and love is okay by me. Dt and I are laying low this year but I know that he has a little surprise for me when I get home from work tonight so I'm excited to see what that will be. 

I'm also excited for this movie

Rachel McAdams is one of my all-time favorite actresses and she kills these romantic movies (hello Notebook) so I'm looking forward to seeing it. I hope y'all have a fabulous Valentine's Day, whether you believe in it or not, and give a little bit of love to those around you!

My first link up!

So I'm new to this whole blogging thing and learning as I go. I follow a lot of blogs and sometimes they do "link ups." Today, I'm going to attempt my first one!

Tracy over at Then I Got to Thinking does weekly link ups and this week is "tell me... an experience that made you learn about yourself."

So here goes...

In the summer of 2007, I worked at Yellowstone National Park. 

No, I'm not kidding. Yes, it's super random.

Most people are really confused when I tell them this and ask me how I ended up there. Well, my Dad's company ran resorts and hotels when I was growing up and one of the accounts they had was Yellowstone (YNP). Even though my dad no longer works for that company, he still knew they hired seasonal help to work at the resorts and knew the higher-ups there. So they told me how to apply, I did, and the rest is history. I applied to work in the marina. If you didn't know, there is a huuuuuge lake in YNP and a marina that rents boats to tourists with no boating experience.

My family has a house on the St. Lawrence River and I grew up around boats and I have a lot of experience when it comes to marina duties so luckily, I got the job. After my sophomore year ended, I packed three months of clothes, bedding, and my life into one big duffel bag and headed out west. I arrived in YNP by myself, I knew no one, didn't know what to expect, and I didn't have a car. A lot of the employees drive their cars across the country so they have a mode of transportation but not me. First  of all, my car wouldn't have made it. Second of all, my dad thought I could do without. So there I was.

Before I begin the rest of this story, I should also state that this period of my life coincided with the time in Dt's and my relationship in which there was no relationship. We broke up in February of 2007 and I planned on never talking to him again. It was not a good break up, I was heartbroken, but as the semester progressed, I did too, and by the time I left for Yellowstone, Dt was the furthest thing from my mind.

So that being said, I really was on my own. I was given a random roommate and had no idea what to expect (flashback to freshman year anyone?) Luckily, I was paired with this lovely Texan lady.

Jealous of my hunting hat? I know. 

It was also her first year at YNP so we learned about the park and everything it had in store for us together. She worked in the gift shop but all of our free time was pretty much spent together. And to be perfectly honest, the first few weeks we were there, we were miserable! The food for the employees was horrendous, we didn't know what to do with our free time, we couldn't legally drink, we were at a loss. But we slowly began to meet people (who had worked there before and knew how to entertain themselves in the middle of a national park). We started to travel to surrounding towns on the weekends (she had a car, bless her heart!), we took up hiking, we lived off of salads, granola and yogurt, and YNP ice cream. We visited every corner of the park and discovered everything Yellowstone had to offer. We also discovered boys! Lots of boys who were willing to show us all the wonders of Yellowstone!

My schedule was nice because I worked 3 1/2 days a week at 14 hours a day. They were long days but it gave me a 3 1/2 day weekend to camp, hike, or travel. I showed tourists (a lot of them non-english speaking) how to drive boats, refilled gas cans, cleaned boats, messed around with my co-workers, and gave lake tours. Yes, I turned into a tour guide. I learned all of those fun facts about Yellowstone Lake and told them to boats filled with tourists. The tips were soooo worth it and people loved me. The uniforms were the most embarrassing thing you could imagine and completely unflattering but I had a killer tan. No pun intended. 

So I spent 3 wild months out west and I learned a lot about myself. I've always been independent but this adventure tested me and I think I succeeded with flying colors. I met new people, I did new things, and I discovered who I was without my family, boyfriend, sorority sisters, Clemson, and Spartanburg. I carried bear spray. I starting dating a new boy that was as different from anyone I've ever dated as could be (both the good and the bad). I discovered that the idea of camping is fun while the reality of it is not. I saw thousands of bison. I saw old faithful. I learned that tourists are idiots most of the time. I brought sundresses and southern hospitality to Wyoming. I visited Jackson Hole. I climbed mountains. 

When I came back to Clemson after that summer I think I was different in many ways. I had lost weight, I had a serious tan, a casual long-distance boyfriend, and three months of exploration of who I was as a person as well as Wyoming. That summer, I learned that I'm capable of anything I set my mind to and while I love all of the support from my family and friends, I know that if need be, I can do it without them. I'll never forget that summer (even though I lost a lot of the pictures when my hard drive crashed and traumatized me), the people I met, or the things I learned about myself. 

Holiday update

I’m starting to realize that I should have started this blog months ago when I was fully unemployed and had lots of free time. Unfortunately, I didn’t (that’s just how my life works sometimes) which means that I now have to find time to blog around my crazy holiday hours. And who knew working in retail would mean crazy holiday hours? I mean, what was I thinking when I signed up for this? I think it had something to do with money and loans kicking in but the pain in my feet and lack of readiness concerning Christmas this year are blocking all of my financial worries so I’m not really sure what my motivation is. I’m exhausted, I’m nowhere near ready for Christmas, I don’t get to hang out with my boyfriend as much as I’d like, and I haven’t cooked any fun holiday treats all month L (insert snooki-style waaaaahhhh).

In between my crazy work schedule I have been able to do one or two things. First of all, I attended Dt’s family Christmas gathering yesterday which was fun, a little dramatic, and resulted in a lot of venting for good reasons afterwards. Doesn’t family just do that to you sometimes? After the really long day of family interaction, Dt and I came home and enjoyed the rest of our evening together, cuddling, watching the Grinch, listening to Christmas music, and driving around looking at Christmas lights which I think was the perfect ending to a bumpy day. I’m so lucky to have that boy with me every day of my life <3.

In order to prepare for Dt’s family get-together I had to think of something to get everyone. His family seems to be very fond of me and his aunts always get me a little gift, which is so nice of them and totally unnecessary but they do it anyway so I think it’s important to do something for them too. Considering the fact that I am on a very small budget and needed to gift 6 people, I knew I’d have to do something homemade but I didn’t want it to be super lame so I went perused Pinterest until I found the perfect idea. And it was this!

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2010/05/my-favorite-vanilla-brown-sugar-body.html

It was super easy to make (after two trips to the store because it didn’t make as much as I needed for 6 people) and came out perfectly! I found some great jars at the dollar store (holler holler) and one of the women who I work with whom is super crafty and amazing offered to help me put sunflowers on top of the jars (to mask the ugly top that the dollar store provided). The sunflowers worked perfectly with the brown scrub and I thought it looked great. I’ll post a pic of my version when I have time to upload my camera but until then, you can use your imagination with how it turned out.

In other news, I’m still lacking in the gift department for mom, dad, and Tuck but I have ideas for all three and just need to brave the Christmas crowds that I have to deal with every day at work and really don’t feel like dealing with on my one day off. Ahhhh, such is life sometimes. Wish me luck and I’ll let you know what I find! 

Love, Em