per request and promise, a blog post! we are headed off to the Great Smokies this afternoon and won't be back till next Friday afternoon, so I figured I should write something before disappearing in order to not skip on a promise.

on unemployment...
i am finding that unemployment is an interesting place to be. granted, i've only been here a week, but hang with me. i was expecting a huge slow-down in life once i wasn't working 40 (or 50 or 60....) hours a week, but that hasn't really been the case. the last week has been almost as busy as life during the school year as an RD. it's a different kind of busy to be sure, but life definitely hasn't just been lazing around the pool. i've cleaned the apartment, applied for jobs, read books both for fun and professional development, gotten ready for a camping trip, and lots of other things. this week of camping is going to be my first real mental slow-down since leaving IL.

which is definitely not meant to be complaining. it's just different than i was expecting.

i've thoroughly enjoyed the last week. visiting family and friends, driving through beautiful parts of america, making plans.. it's good, fulfilling busy'ness.

this coming week is that rare combination of busy'ness and calm. hiking during the day and coming back to leisure by the campfire or cookstove. swimming in a creek to clean off (there are no showers anywhere in the park!) and keeping our food away from bears. i'm looking forward to the slow-down in a gorgeous place and will hopefully have some pictures and stories to share when we get back.

so it's been awhile, once again. figured i'd give a brief update while i'm sitting in the airport. adventures of the last couple of months include standing up in a friend's wedding, visiting hawaii, and the whole holiday shabang. so here you go! enjoy some lovely pictures from my recent travels :)
the bridesmaids and the bride:

on the plane coming in to kauai.. this picture is through my sunglasses. the water had a rainbow sheen to it the whole way in :)

from our hike to waipoo falls. dangerous! the falls were 800 feet high. this is me going closer to the edge so i could see them better:

and finally.. our little christmas card picture. the boys and i.. brave souls went out in shorts! i got to wear my jacket because i was taking some of the pictures!


they're telling me my plane is almost here. time to go line up!

party in my mouth.. or not..
summary of my chip eating experience this weekend: triangle man, triangle man, triangle man hates person man, they have a fight, triangle wins, triangle man..

and a couple hours later i bit a huge chunk from my lip. it was *awesome*
/story time

last night i dreampt that i was wearing a glorious scarf.. it was wrapped around my neck and i was cuddling into its warmth. i walked down the street and received many complements on the beauty and practicality of my accessory.. it was a very fulfilling dream.

..when i woke up this morning i found i had the leg of a pair of flannel pajamas wrapped around my shoulders. sometimes we find comfort in the most interesting places.

well... shit. it's been a long time.
so i survived my first year out of grad school. survived being very intentionally used. ..it's been kindof a rough year. lots of ups and downs. but survived it i have. and come out stronger, i hope. still not sure. i think the strength and the learning might take a little bit to show up. i haven't really had time to think enough to cause fortification. not sure what i should be eating to help with that :P

not really too much to say though.. am kindof waiting for stuff to gel before i can even feel like i can share. hence not posting much. i am spending all of next week off, in miami, with lots of outdoors time and me-time, so hopefully i can figure some stuff out.

sorry to be so vague. such is the way of things.

sometimes i wonder if you ever turned into a decent human being.