SC to MD

Mark, me, Scott and Logan in Greenville, SC.

 

After I didn't get the job at PDS, I was pretty upset most of the day.  I took a silk class that night, which took my mind of it for a while, but by the time I got to Scott's place for dinner, I was thinking about it again.  When he asked if I wanted to talk about it, I just broke down into tears.  He then turned me toward the kitchen and asked if "that" would help - "that" being five bouquets of flowers he bought for me as soon as he got off work when he found out about my bad news. He said he didn't know what flowers were my favorite, so he just got some of everything.  I was speechless. 

Learning how to use one of Scott's DSLR cameras in Clemson.

By the end of dinner, I was talking and laughing up a storm.  I'm still disappointed in the decision, but I get over things very quickly.

That Thursday a big group of us went to Maggiano's for dinner to celebrate Mom and Cheryl's birthday.  Scott, Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Uncle Bob and Cheryl were all there. We had a delicious dinner and went to Grandma's afterward where she'd made banana pudding and cake.

in the Botanical Gardens

On Friday, Scott and I drove to South Carolina to spend the weekend with his family and old friends.  It was down-pouring when we left, and took us a while, but we finally made it to Greenville for dinner with some of his old friends - a married couple, Logan and Mark. They were really delightful and we had such a good time at a delicious burger joint.  From there, we walked to Greenville's famous waterfall park.  It is really quite impressive, and I wished we had more time to spend in the park, but thunder and lightening was getting closer, so we had to go back to the car.  As we walked, the skies opened and it started raining pretty  hard.  The umbrella was being blown all about, so did us no good.  Finally, we just closed it and ran.  If we didn't have stuff with us, I would've enjoyed just playing in the rain.  It was warm and delicious smelling.  I laughed as we got in the car, remembering the last tine I'd been out in the rain for more than a couple seconds...

It was freshman year of college.  I was returning from a salsa dance with my friend Nick (from Mexico) and it started raining.  We ran and jumped in his car.  After we were in and put our stuff down, he told me to take my shoes off and get back out.  Then he led me over to the slick brick sidewalks of the Chapel Hill campus, and as the rain poured down on us, we salsa danced in the rain.  It was one of those amazing moments that I'll never forget.  A bucket-checking moment.  Now, when someone asks, "Have you ever danced in the rain?" I can say, "Why yes, I have."  And even when I'm 80, I'll remember that moment, though no pictures were taken and I haven't seen Nick in  six years and may never see him again. 

by the sunflowers

And getting in Scott's car, quite wet and covered in goose bumps, laughing at the pure joy of feeling like a child again, I relived a little bit of that memory, and it was beautiful.

in the cornfields

The next day, we went to Clemson, where Scott went to school.  First we visited the Botanical Gardens which were very nice, though we only saw a small part of them.  Scott did a photo shoot with me, all excited about a new lens he'd gotten. Lucky for him, I've been posing for photos since before I could talk when Mom would say "Stand like this, turn your head like this, smile like this, not like that...."  Therefore, I'm a patient model. ;)

After that he gave me a tour of the campus and got me a Clemson shirt so when I go to the football games with him this season I'll have something other than Carolina Blue to wear.  That probably wouldn't make me very popular. lol  We wrapped up the afternoon taking more photos in some cornfields and sunflower fields.  It is so beautiful in that area with farmland everywhere.  I had such a great time.

Lieselotte in Chapel Hill

Lies and me in Chapel Hill

The following Wednesday, I left for Raleigh to see Lieselotte.  She is home for a few weeks with her parents before moving to Berkeley to start her PhD in Biology.  I was sooo happy to see her, even though it didn't seem like so long ago that I saw her in Amsterdam. As it turned out, it was a great week for seeing old friends.  That first day, Lies and I got lunch with my old professor, Darryl Gless.  He is such a brilliant man and I knew Lies would enjoy meeting him.  We all had a great lunch and conversation.  For dinner, we went over to Krystle's house (my old roommate) and caught up with her.  I hadn't seen her in about 2 years, so it was really nice!

Lies and me at the outdoor concert in Raleigh.

On Thursday, I met my old friend and Ballroom Club Vice President, Jonathan, for lunch and had him replace one of my burnt out headlights for me (as he is a manager at Auto Zone).  He was always like my brother, so it was good catching up on his life.  He's getting really into scuba diving, which was fascinating to me. That night, Lies and I went to an outdoor concert with her brother Florian and an old friend of hers in downtown Raleigh. Unfortunately, I got my first ever parking ticket because we misread a sign.  Ooops.  But, it was still a nice evening.

With Aaron and Erika in Cary.

On Friday, Lies and I went to the pool and then I went over to my friend Erika's family's home for dinner.  She lives in LA now and just happened to be home visiting in Cary, NC (very close to Raleigh).  Her family is great and after a delicious dinner of swordfish and veggies, we all went to a karaoke bar where every one of us (her parents, brother Aaron, and the two of us) sang karaoke and danced.  Upon returning home (I was the DD so I got to drive their Jag home), we played music like Frank Sinatra and danced around the living room until 2 a.m.  That makes two impromptu dance parties in less than a week!  SWEET! I ended up spending the night over there and after a delicious homemade breakfast of waffles and berries by Erika's dad, I returned to Lieselotte's house.

Singing karaoke with Erika and her mom.

That afternoon, Mom and Dad drove up from Charlotte and Dad drove my car back home while Mom and I continued up to Maryland in his car to visit Aunt Coleen and Uncle Tom, as well as Erin and her kids.

It is always nice up here with a lot of land and it smells like the mountains to me.  Two nights ago, I went running in my aunt's neighborhood in the dark and it was sooo great.  The night was cool under a starry sky with the moon grinning down at me and the smell of fresh grass and trees all around.

Addie and her peach.

Yesterday, my little cousin Addie spent a good portion of the day with us, and we had a grand old time doing handstands and cartwheels in the yard, picking blueberries and peaches from "Mimi's" plants/trees, and having tickle fights.  After giving her a much-needed bath, I read her Madeline as a bedtime story (which I hadn't read in ages).  I think she enjoyed my French accent, because she initially wanted me to read only a couple pages, but changed her mind when I suggested stopping.  She is such a little love, and it was so nice spending some time with her.  She's also smart as a whip and hysterically funny without meaning to be.  I wish Erin and her family lived closer so I could see them more often.  (Addie's brothers, Marshall and Brennan are precious as well, but they are older.  Marshall is going into 6th grade, Brennan into 3rd and Addie into 1st).

Addie being adorable.

Well, this is way longer than I planned for it to be.  But oh well - as I tell my friends, this blog is more for me than anyone else. :)  When I get home, I suppose I'll start scouting out more jobs.  I applied to be an English teacher through the school system in Charlotte, but without an education degree, I'd have to go lateral entry (work on my teaching license as I went), and they are less likely to hire that sort of person. (Even though I'm sure I know more about English and writing than half the teachers teaching). 

The Other Shoe

Photo taken by Scott of Tiff's twin nephew and niece.

Life has been really going uphill lately, and I kept thinking "the other shoe is sure to fall soon."  It fell today.  I didn't get the job - I was the number two candidate out of all the interviewees and they thought the number one candidate might not accept the offer because she wanted more money, but in the end, she did.

The thing is, this felt so perfect, and I know I would have been great at this job, and so happy doing it.  And I'm getting so tired of freelancing and making no money and having to live at home because I can't support myself on $1,000 a month.  I also know it's incredibly selfish of me to be whining and complaining when I have so many blessings in my life, and I really was trying not to get my heart too set on this job, but I can't help it - it really was like a dream job for me.

But I guess I should talk about the positives instead.

With Scott at Tiff's parents' lake house.

Positive: On 4th of July, Scott and I went to Tiffany's parents' lake house and had a great time.  We played with Tiff's niece and nephews, swam in the pool, went on the boat, and just enjoyed everyone's company. 

by the pool in Charleston

Libby on the beach

Positive: We went to a fantastic dinner party with friends the following Friday where Scott cooked on the grill (as the rest of the guys watched), and the girls all stood around talking and eating delicious appetizers.  His roommate Kevin came as well and we introduced him to all my friends too.  Now everyone knows everyone. :)  I'm such a little matchmaker.

jumping off the boat

Positive: I had 3 Couchsurfers come stay with me for a couple nights and we had a good time talking and playing Wii Just Dance together.  The two guys, Joe and Chris, were a 2-man-band and the girl, Ingrid, was their manager/photographer.  Ingrid and I went to a yoga class one day and I showed her all around uptown Charlotte.  It was really nice hosting again.

Positive: Scott took me out to a wonderful dinner at The King's Kitchen last Thursday and then we got dessert at Crave (a bar that features about 50 different types of dessert).  We had yummy homemade cookies and milk. Yuummmm.

with Kelby (center) and Tiffany at Kelby's wedding

Positive: The next day I drove to Charleston where I spent the day with Libby (the 11-yr-old girl I used to babysit for when her family still lived in Charlotte).  We rode bikes around their beautiful new neighborhood, swam in the pool, then went to dinner, a walk on the beach, and put-put with her dad and brother, David and Trip. The next day, we all went out on their boat for 6 hours and had a great time enjoying the beautiful weather and water.  Upon returning, I got ready for my friend Kelby's wedding on Isle of Palms.

I picked up Tiffany and Mitch from their hotel on the way.  The ceremony was outside behind the Citadel Beach Club with the dunes and ocean right behind them.  The reception was inside with views out over the area and to the water.  Tiffany and I were able to catch up with a few old friends and get ideas for Tiffany's wedding next summer.

On Sunday, Tiff, Mitch and I walked around downtown Charleston which I hadn't been to since high school.  It is so pretty and reminded me so much of Gone With the Wind and North and South.

Mitch and Tiff in Charleston

After walking around for a few hours and eating lunch at a place called Caviar and Bananas (not kidding), we drove back to Charlotte and attended a cookout at Scott's place with several of his friends.  After Tiff and Mitch left, Scott told me how much he liked them and I was so happy - my boyfriend is a big fan of my best friend and her fiance.  All is right in the world!  We plan to all go to Hilton Head together over Labor Day. :)

Positive: That's a lot of positives with only one negative, so I guess I'm doing pretty well.  Please keep me in your prayers as I search for the job I'm supposed to have.

in Charleston

cool huh?

The Winds of Change

It's been an incredible last couple weeks, and the winds of change have been stirring. 

Dad and me at Ashley's wedding.

For starters, I had an interview at Providence Day School for the position in the Global Studies Department.  I thought it went really well and I felt like I belonged there and clicked with the department director. The following weekend of June 23, I went with my parents to Waynesville, NC for the wedding of an old friend of mine - Ashley.  The wedding took place at 5 p.m. on the golf course of the Waynesville Golf Resort and Spa.  The day before had record-breaking heat, but that day some clouds had rolled in with a nice, gentle breeze creating a perfect temperature and better lighting for photos.  After the ceremony, which was short and sweet but very heart-felt, we all gathered under a huge outdoor tent.  There was a yummy buffet dinner followed by six hours of dancing.  Guess who was the first on the floor and one of the last off?  Yup, that'd be me.

I'd been a bit worried at first because I didn't know any of the other friends of the bride or groom in attendance.  But the mother-of-the-bride introduced me to the brother of the groom who was also a dancer, and from there, I was introduced to many other new people.  I danced for about three hours before my shoes came off.  Then kept going in my bare feet.  Though I must say, the highlight was when the wedding crasher showed up.

Ashley and Jon.

with the bride

on the dance floor

This man, probably in his 40s, comes up to me and asks me to dance.  I can tell he's intoxicated, but I figure he's some crazy uncle or something.  We start dancing and I ask him how he is related to the family, he says he isn't.  Then he asks how I'm related, and I said, "I'm a friend of Ashley's" and he says "Who's Ashley?"  This is when I realize this man doesn't belong here.  I give him an odd look and he says, with a slur, "I'm just here on a golf trip and saw the party."  After this, he tries to spin around and falls on the ground. 

I then excused myself and found the sister of the bride to inform her about this wedding crasher.  She then told Ashley who then told her father, who'd had one too many drinks himself.  Next thing we know, the father of the bride is shouting at the wedding crasher to get out, the wedding crasher doesn't want to leave, and then throws a punch.  I'm not sure who the punch was aimed at, but next thing you know, a cousin who was an ex-cop comes flying up and tackles the wedding crasher to the ground and punches him five times. 

with some dance buddies

All I have to say is, I hope the photographer captured some of this drama.

After the police escorted the man out (along with two of his buddies who were also there), Ashley stood on a chair, commanded the DJ to keep playing the music and laughed about the whole thing.

The next day, Mom, Dad and I visited Mom's cousins who live in Waynesville and own an antique/wood working shop, then we drove home and I went to Pops in the Park with a bunch of friends.  It didn't rain on us for about the first time ever at Pops, so that was lovely. :)

I was supposed to find out the job that following week, and finally was told on Thursday that a decision should be made on Friday.  But still no call. 

sunset over Pops in the Park

I spent Friday at the pool with my friends Rachel and Vanessa, then left for Jonas Ridge (where my grandparents have a mountain house) at 5 p.m. with Scott, my new boyfriend.  It was the first time he'd met my grandparents and they got along great.  He helped Grandpa with a few odd jobs and was very talkative with them.  He told me, after meeting them, "They may be the cutest people ever."  I tend to agree. :)

We had a great time up there, even though it was hot.  (In the 80s during the day, but way better than the 105 that it was in Charlotte).  We hiked to the top of Hawk's Bill which always proffers amazing views, then hiked Upper and Lower Creek Falls where we slid down waterfalls and swam in icy mountain waters.  :)

Also, on Saturday morning I got a call from Providence Day School and it was the department director.  He said I was runner-up for the job and that the other person was still considering the salary and they'd be able to tell me by Monday or Tuesday July 9-10 if she accepted the job or not. I'm really praying that she declines because I know I can do this job, that I'd be GREAT at it and there cannot possibly be anyone more passionate about it than I would be.  If not, however, he said he'll pass my resume along to some other departments, as there may be some openings in the communications department, for example.  I would love to work at PDS in any capacity - it really seems like a great environment - but it would be a little sad for me to be somewhere else watching the job I really wanted be filled by someone other than me.  So anyway, please continue to pray for that.

on my grandparents' mountain

On Sunday in the mountains there was a neighborhood potluck/cookout in our backyard (since my grandparents live on the very top of the mountain and have a very large yard). It seemed like the entire mountain showed up and it was so nice to see everyone there.  Granted, I didn't know most of them, but I met some new people and chatted with some old neighbors.  I always love big gatherings with food involved, and boy was there some yummy food!

After driving home that evening, Scott made a delicious Thai dinner for us. It was the perfect ending to a great weekend.