The Deets!

The Baltimore Harbor -the second two via

Each time my phone buzzes with a tweet or a comment from you guys about my announcement yesterday, it's like getting a gigantic thumbs up or a high five!! I really can't thank you enough for your encouragement. I'm contemplating printing out that post and the comments so that I can refer to it during the next couple of weeks and cradle my slightly freaked out heart with your words and support!! 

Now that I've FINALLY shared the big news, I have so much to tell you guys about the plans!! 

So far, the estimated date of deployment for my new life is: April 1st. That's when I hope to have a lease signed in the si-tay and all my ducks in a row. It's so close! I'm composing an email AS WE SPEAK to inform my current employers of my plans. That is one step that is making me extremely nervous! I've been here for almost three years and I've found some serious advocates for my happiness in my boss and coworkers. Obviously, if it was perfect, I would be sticking around a while longer but, I don't want the friends I've made here to take this moving thing personally. I don't think they will. We shall see!

I've settled on the neighborhood of Mount Vernon for my first taste of city living because it's crawling with history and filled with beautiful, old cathedrals. It's the "cultural district" and every building there is old and beautiful. I've wanted to live in that area since I first saw it. It's GORGEOUS!

some shots of Mount Vernon - via

ALSO! I landed a job in the city which I successfully worked this past weekend! Now you see how much I've been keeping from you, haha! The thing is: I wanted to sort of try the job out before I settled on a concrete date to move. And without that concrete date, I couldn't publicly share my plans and risk a premature resignation from my job here. 

I was looking at apartments with my friend, Brittnee who I'm trying to convince to run away with me up there! and we passed this little neighborhood pizza place called Kyro Pizza. I thought to myself: "no time like the present" and I walked in and applied. The gentleman behind the counter said "come in on Friday:" and that was that. The gig basically requires that you serve the handful of tables that are there and manage the carry out orders. They sell really interesting pizza as well as middle eastern food! It's cozy and friendly and awesome. Plus, they get a lot of business! I even read a few reviews that called the place a "gem". My parents visibly winced when I mentioned the job to them because of the extreme change it will be in income and in environment. That's part of the plan though! You might be wondering why I'm sharing such detailed information but, I'm just in that kind of mood. If a murderer wanted to take the time to come find me at work, I think it would be fairly easy to find out where 'work' is, even without my help.  

I trained on Friday and Saturday and yesterday I started taking my own tables. I had a blast! There was a moment, when my cheeks were rosy and warm from rushing around from the kitchen to the tables, that I thought "YES! I've missed this chaos so much! It's good to be home!" There's something so satisfying about being genuinely tired after being at work. You'll just never ever get that with a desk job. I'm sure I'll be grateful for a slow paced job when I'm older but for now BRING ON THE PANDEMONIUM!

It was grueling to drive all the way to Baltimore and all the way home for each shift 4 hours!! but that didn't diminish the fun that I had. I felt like myself again! I have applied at another restaurant called City Café that's way more high end. SO high end, in fact, that they wanted a résumé! To be a server! I thought that was pretty wild. I called them yesterday to check on my application and they said they would get back to me this week. If I hear from them, I'm going to have to think carefully about which job I want. City Café would be better money for sure but I don't know if I like the environment yet. It would be pointless to move all the way up there and get wrapped up in the same bureaucratic nonsense that I deal with here.

Thank you guys again for your support!!! I'm so happy to be able to share all of this now!