You knew this post was coming...

I’m all settled in. I’ve checked out the local restaurants, I’ve finally bought that gym membership, and things are feeling way less shiny and new.  I’ve got my routine and I know my streets (sort of). I love the freedom and challenge of living in a new town, but there are lots of things that I miss as well.  It is really tempting to just hide out and think about the way things were.

I love my classmates!!

Then you have to get over it, because it isn’t cool to waste an entire year feeling all homesick. I’m keeping myself busy with crafts, books, T.V. shows and new coffee shops. That said, you just can't replace good friends, sisters, or mentors.

In truth, I'm always feeling homesick. It was like that when I went to college in Denton, again when I moved to Memphis, and now here in Georgia. It gets a little easier every move. Still, I would really like to find some quality queso... I may finally have to learn how to cook! 

Craft day

This week, I finally attempted one of the projects on my Pinterest! This is really exciting stuff, I know, but there isn't much else going on 'round here, so! I had a sad, cheap bookshelf from target that had an awful laminate backing. In my last move, the backing was destroyed. No big deal, it was really terrible, it had these trifold lines that ran vertically from the flat pack, and it made the bookshelf look really cheap. I finally got tired of looking at that ugly thing and did something about it. All it took was fabric, spray adhesive, a staple gun and foam board.

Before:

During:

After!

I don't really love crafts. I tend to think that most things I make by hand, be it food or craft, turns out terribly. That said, I am really excited about this project, and I think that it turned out really well. now I need to figure out how to actually style those shelves instead of using them as a holding place for all of my pictures. For another day!

Week One

Lots happened this week! I spent some time exploring downtown Augusta, the Riverwalk as well as First Friday, and I started my new job.

First, here are some pictures of the Augusta Riverwalk. I went on Wednesday with my neighbor to celebrate the 4th of July. The trail runs along the Savannah river, which divides Georgia and South Carolina. I look forward to running here when it cools off a little bit. It is such a beautiful place, and it sort of reminds me of the Austin Hike and Bike trail.

Fountain in front of the Riverwalk

South Carolina across the Savannah

That bird on the shore was huge!

At the end of the week, I went downtown with several co-workers and friends to check out First Friday. This is an outdoor event downtown that features lots of street vendors and flame throwers (we saw two different troupes). Without a doubt there were some strange characters out, but no big deal. After a GREAT dinner downtown, our crew walked the streets and eventually ended up at an 80's dance party. 

Heavy metal flame throwers

She was playing Proud Mary, Tina Turner style!

Turns out some of those strange characters on the street were up to no good: a shooting around 11:30 injured six people. City officials aren't thrilled about this, and lots of people are calling for an end to First Friday. I was walking to my car about the time when this happened, I was only a few blocks away!

Yikes!

The most exciting news of the week is that I started my job at the hospital. I spent most of my first week in orientation, which was boring but important. It totally wore me out; I crashed after every day. After the three days of orientation, I finally had my first real day of work on Friday. It was such a thrill to actually meet the people who I had e-mailed with for months. Even on my first day, I got to do some real work rather than just observe. In the afternoon I had to do a four-hour computerized tab-by-tab training, but hey! It’s done. Overall, a great first week here in Georgia.

Landed

I am finally all moved in to my new home, and almost completely unpacked. It took a few days, and there were some crazy moments. My dad came up to Memphis on Thursday to help me move and he brought his 3 month old puppy, Finley, along for the trip. If you have never tried to move residences with a puppy, I recommend giving it a try. A chewing puppy is great motivation to pick up trash, socks, boxes and everything else you can find.

The back of the both of our cars were packed solid. Neither of us could see out of our back windows. For me, the real victory here was pulling off a move with furniture without renting a trailer. I was really determined, and it worked out perfectly after a few trips to Goodwill.

Our littlest moving helper, Finley

The four of us (Dad, cat, dog and myself) made the trip to Georgia in two days. The first day, we made it halfway to Birmingham, and on the second day we finally arrived in Augusta. The drive seemed to last forever, and was made worse by the terrible heat. I know everyone here in the south is dealing with some crazy temperatures right now, but moving in weather like this was absolutely miserable. By the time we stopped the car, the reading in my car was 115 degrees, and stepping outside the car was like opening the door to an oven.

Turns out that we nearly didn't make it at all. When we stopped in Atlanta for lunch, we noticed my dad's truck was making an ominous squeaking noise. The car was diagnosed here in Augusta, and I learned that one of the pulleys for the main engine belt had busted on the drive. The car mechanic says that we are lucky, and I am very grateful that we made it here without a car breakdown. We must have had a pair of guardian angels making the trip with us. Now, Dad and Finley are safely back in Sewanee and I am here in Augusta, ready for action!

Dad, Finley and Cheddar

Tomorrow is my first day at the hospital, which will be new employee training all day for the next three work days. I am ready to get started with clinic, but it looks like I will be spending a few days learning the ins and outs of hospital policy and benefits packages!