Hey y'all!
So, moving to Tennessee was an excellent idea. I love it here so far! The people are great, being with Adam is awesome, and the family I'm staying with are absolutely amazing!
Here's how it all started.
I missed Adam way too much to be 1,600 miles apart all the time. So, I made the big decision to move to Tennessee. Adam was originally supposed to move to Utah, but he had a feeling to stay down in Tennessee, so I decided to follow him. I flew out to Tennessee at the end of August and stayed there for a week. (That flight was supposed to be for me to go and help him drive to Utah. It was non refundable or transferrable, so I decided I might as well just use it.) Then, Adam and I flew back to Utah to get my car and most of my stuff.
It was really a bittersweet moment when I got into the car to drive back to Tennessee. I knew I would really miss my family. I almost cried my eyes out when we left. But, it was a sweet moment, because I knew I could be with Adam every day now, and that it was a new adventure to embark on.
Adam and I started our long cross country journey. I wasn't sure what to expect. We planned on driving straight through and that it would take 25 hours. However, by the time we hit Colorado, just before Denver, we both became so exhausted we couldn't keep going. We stopped in the mountains twice to sleep for a couple hours before continuing on. I drove the last part of the night. Around 6 AM, I found myself falling asleep at the wheel. I don't really remember what happened, except that my head snapped back up and I basically freaked out. I pulled over at the next exit and slept in the parking lot of a gas station for a couple hours. Then Adam and I switched over and I slept while he drove. Adam makes fun of me because apparently I slept the "whole time" that he was driving, which is far from the truth. ;)
Adam and I didn't really talk much because one of us would sleep while the other was driving, or we would just sit in silence because we were too tired to talk. We had our share of interesting and funny conversations though. I tried to play a game of "30 Questions" with Adam that I found on Pinterest. He was kind of reluctant to play, but he ended up talking a lot and answering the questions. We only made it to 5 questions because they were pretty deep stuff. We did learn a lot about each other though!
The drive was not very interesting. We missed the beautiful mountains in Colorado because it became dark by the time we hit them. So, we ended up driving through the boring part of Colorado and through the bleak Kansas scenery. The only interesting sight was the St. Louis arch. We drove through St. Louis on the second night and it was AMAZING. I loved the sight. The silver arch shone brilliantly in the darkness. I was driving, so I didn't get to stare at it long, but the image is burned in my memory.
Finally, at 4 AM on the third night, we arrived at Adam's house in Adams, Tennessee. It was such a relief! I dropped Adam off and drove to my new home in Sango, which is about 10 minutes away from Adams and Clarksville. Christie, the mom, was still awake when I arrived. She's quite the insomniac, apparently! We chatted for a while before I headed off to bed.
It took me a few days to get rid of the lag from driving. I was pretty much exhausted for about three days. Looking back on the trip, it doesn't seem so long to me. I think it was so long that it didn't even matter anymore. It felt like we were driving and driving and driving and going nowhere. And then, all of a sudden, BAM! We were in Tennessee. It's kind of weird to think about it, and to think we will have to do it again twice in January, when we drive to Utah for our reception then drive back to Tennessee.
So far, the first two weeks of living in Tennessee has been great. It's been a bit different there. The climate is pretty humid, of course. The small town setting is pretty different for me. Growing up in the suburban area, stores are pretty close to us. However, here, you really have to plan out your trips because everything is so far away and it can get a bit expensive in gas if you have to go to a store every day. If I have to go to the store, I really have to think it out and make sure I'm getting everything I need to get for the week. It takes about 12 minutes to get to Walmart, and 25 minutes to get to the mall, Target, and Hobby Lobby. But that's on the route that my GPS has shown me. I'm sure there are faster ways to get there. I just haven't found them yet.
I've hung out with Adam every day. We've been working on exercising and went on a hike yesterday. Adam got us lost. We planned on a 1.37 mile hike and ended up walking 5 miles, according to my GPS. The trail had split at one point. I told him the trail was that way, and he said he was SURE it was the other way. So, we went the other way, despite my objections. Guess who was the right one? ;) But, we did get some extra exercise in, even though I had to do it all in my flip flops!
Now, the family I live with... can I say they are AMAZING?? Because they are! I had quite a bit of anxiety moving in with a family, since the last two families I had stayed with ended up being... let's just say it didn't work out very well. I just didn't want to experience that hurt and disappointment for the third time. I can't tell you how good it feels to be accepted, welcomed, and loved in a home with another family. It feels so good to know they appreciate me and know that I appreciate them too. The parents are amazing and kind, and the four children are absolute angels to me! The children are: Liza, age 14; Alexander, age 12.. I think...?; Tori, almost 9 years old; and Katie who's six. They also have a dog, a ferret (which I hate because it decided it likes to bite my feet and chase me), and a sugar glider.
The children and the parents have been so excited to learn sign language and they pick it up so fast! The mom, Christie, wants to go on a sign language mission with her husband, so she has been super interested in sign. The two younger girls, Tori and Katie, have been stuck by my side and absolutely love signing and having me teach them how to paint. All the children are so sweet and obedient. Of course, probably not all the time, but they're some of the best kids I've seen, especially in my 8 years of nannying. I can only hope my kids will be as awesome as they are!
Currently, I'm searching for a job. Probably as a nanny, of course. I've applied to several retail jobs, but I haven't heard back because it's slow season and they aren't hiring just yet. I had an interview to nanny a beautiful 10 month old baby girl. I find out today whether I get the job or not. I'm pretty anxious to hear back! I've also gotten some side babysitting jobs and people who are interested in purchasing my paintings. So things are going well. Money's a bit tight, but I'm getting along. My parents have been so awesome with helping me out and I'm forever grateful I have amazing parents who support me in all that I do. They really are great examples to me.
While I'm waiting on a job opportunity, I've just been working on paintings and helping the family out with learning sign language. Christie has been out of town for the past few days, so I've been helping the two younger girls get ready for school, homework, and the occasional dinner. I also finished two paintings, which I'm pretty proud of.
Things are great! The only bad things that have happened so far is being out of money, chipping my front tooth, and having my laptop broken. But once I get a job, I'm getting that tooth fixed and my laptop fixed.
I have some pictures posted of my time here in Tennessee. It's not much, since I'm not really camera crazy like some people are. Anyway, enjoy, and thanks for reading!
So, moving to Tennessee was an excellent idea. I love it here so far! The people are great, being with Adam is awesome, and the family I'm staying with are absolutely amazing!
Here's how it all started.
I missed Adam way too much to be 1,600 miles apart all the time. So, I made the big decision to move to Tennessee. Adam was originally supposed to move to Utah, but he had a feeling to stay down in Tennessee, so I decided to follow him. I flew out to Tennessee at the end of August and stayed there for a week. (That flight was supposed to be for me to go and help him drive to Utah. It was non refundable or transferrable, so I decided I might as well just use it.) Then, Adam and I flew back to Utah to get my car and most of my stuff.
It was really a bittersweet moment when I got into the car to drive back to Tennessee. I knew I would really miss my family. I almost cried my eyes out when we left. But, it was a sweet moment, because I knew I could be with Adam every day now, and that it was a new adventure to embark on.
Adam and I started our long cross country journey. I wasn't sure what to expect. We planned on driving straight through and that it would take 25 hours. However, by the time we hit Colorado, just before Denver, we both became so exhausted we couldn't keep going. We stopped in the mountains twice to sleep for a couple hours before continuing on. I drove the last part of the night. Around 6 AM, I found myself falling asleep at the wheel. I don't really remember what happened, except that my head snapped back up and I basically freaked out. I pulled over at the next exit and slept in the parking lot of a gas station for a couple hours. Then Adam and I switched over and I slept while he drove. Adam makes fun of me because apparently I slept the "whole time" that he was driving, which is far from the truth. ;)
Adam and I didn't really talk much because one of us would sleep while the other was driving, or we would just sit in silence because we were too tired to talk. We had our share of interesting and funny conversations though. I tried to play a game of "30 Questions" with Adam that I found on Pinterest. He was kind of reluctant to play, but he ended up talking a lot and answering the questions. We only made it to 5 questions because they were pretty deep stuff. We did learn a lot about each other though!
The drive was not very interesting. We missed the beautiful mountains in Colorado because it became dark by the time we hit them. So, we ended up driving through the boring part of Colorado and through the bleak Kansas scenery. The only interesting sight was the St. Louis arch. We drove through St. Louis on the second night and it was AMAZING. I loved the sight. The silver arch shone brilliantly in the darkness. I was driving, so I didn't get to stare at it long, but the image is burned in my memory.
Finally, at 4 AM on the third night, we arrived at Adam's house in Adams, Tennessee. It was such a relief! I dropped Adam off and drove to my new home in Sango, which is about 10 minutes away from Adams and Clarksville. Christie, the mom, was still awake when I arrived. She's quite the insomniac, apparently! We chatted for a while before I headed off to bed.
It took me a few days to get rid of the lag from driving. I was pretty much exhausted for about three days. Looking back on the trip, it doesn't seem so long to me. I think it was so long that it didn't even matter anymore. It felt like we were driving and driving and driving and going nowhere. And then, all of a sudden, BAM! We were in Tennessee. It's kind of weird to think about it, and to think we will have to do it again twice in January, when we drive to Utah for our reception then drive back to Tennessee.
So far, the first two weeks of living in Tennessee has been great. It's been a bit different there. The climate is pretty humid, of course. The small town setting is pretty different for me. Growing up in the suburban area, stores are pretty close to us. However, here, you really have to plan out your trips because everything is so far away and it can get a bit expensive in gas if you have to go to a store every day. If I have to go to the store, I really have to think it out and make sure I'm getting everything I need to get for the week. It takes about 12 minutes to get to Walmart, and 25 minutes to get to the mall, Target, and Hobby Lobby. But that's on the route that my GPS has shown me. I'm sure there are faster ways to get there. I just haven't found them yet.
I've hung out with Adam every day. We've been working on exercising and went on a hike yesterday. Adam got us lost. We planned on a 1.37 mile hike and ended up walking 5 miles, according to my GPS. The trail had split at one point. I told him the trail was that way, and he said he was SURE it was the other way. So, we went the other way, despite my objections. Guess who was the right one? ;) But, we did get some extra exercise in, even though I had to do it all in my flip flops!
Now, the family I live with... can I say they are AMAZING?? Because they are! I had quite a bit of anxiety moving in with a family, since the last two families I had stayed with ended up being... let's just say it didn't work out very well. I just didn't want to experience that hurt and disappointment for the third time. I can't tell you how good it feels to be accepted, welcomed, and loved in a home with another family. It feels so good to know they appreciate me and know that I appreciate them too. The parents are amazing and kind, and the four children are absolute angels to me! The children are: Liza, age 14; Alexander, age 12.. I think...?; Tori, almost 9 years old; and Katie who's six. They also have a dog, a ferret (which I hate because it decided it likes to bite my feet and chase me), and a sugar glider.
The children and the parents have been so excited to learn sign language and they pick it up so fast! The mom, Christie, wants to go on a sign language mission with her husband, so she has been super interested in sign. The two younger girls, Tori and Katie, have been stuck by my side and absolutely love signing and having me teach them how to paint. All the children are so sweet and obedient. Of course, probably not all the time, but they're some of the best kids I've seen, especially in my 8 years of nannying. I can only hope my kids will be as awesome as they are!
Currently, I'm searching for a job. Probably as a nanny, of course. I've applied to several retail jobs, but I haven't heard back because it's slow season and they aren't hiring just yet. I had an interview to nanny a beautiful 10 month old baby girl. I find out today whether I get the job or not. I'm pretty anxious to hear back! I've also gotten some side babysitting jobs and people who are interested in purchasing my paintings. So things are going well. Money's a bit tight, but I'm getting along. My parents have been so awesome with helping me out and I'm forever grateful I have amazing parents who support me in all that I do. They really are great examples to me.
While I'm waiting on a job opportunity, I've just been working on paintings and helping the family out with learning sign language. Christie has been out of town for the past few days, so I've been helping the two younger girls get ready for school, homework, and the occasional dinner. I also finished two paintings, which I'm pretty proud of.
Things are great! The only bad things that have happened so far is being out of money, chipping my front tooth, and having my laptop broken. But once I get a job, I'm getting that tooth fixed and my laptop fixed.
I have some pictures posted of my time here in Tennessee. It's not much, since I'm not really camera crazy like some people are. Anyway, enjoy, and thanks for reading!
My room while unpacking...
Finally clean!
Me teaching the kids how to paint.
Lil'bit.
My paintings!
Driving in Kansas.
Playing with the butterflies.
Eating at Red Robin in Kansas. Adam was pretty tired!
My 4 month old niece, Teyla!
My first pen drawing.
The river in Adam's backyard.
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