Update. This just in...

I just got the call. We got the apartment! We sign the lease and get the keys tomorrow. Then, we will rent a U-Haul and move in on Sunday. This is the place we wanted really bad and it has everything we want. I am beyond excited!

It is almost the weekend and I have yet to blog about last weekend. Let me start from where I left off...

Last weekend, while tame was jam packed with activities. Dillon and I went on a double date with one of his coworkers and his girlfriend to the Cheesecake Factory. You can never go wrong with that place. There is something on the menu for everyone and dessert is almost always a must. The four of us shared a strawberry shortcake and I savoured every bite of that delicious treat.

Saturday morning was chilly as we began our hunt for an apartment. We bounced from place to place getting referrals from leasing managers for good places in our price range. I'm all about the best bang for your buck. We ended up looking at places that were more than our initial budget. After looking at several places, we decided to give ourselves the rest of the day off and have some fun! Fun to us was going to Ikea and an outlet mall. I scored some things for my cube at work from Ikea and work clothes at Old Navy (40% everything at the outlet. Cha Ching!) By Saturday night, we were so wiped out we ordered a pizza and called it a night.

After reviewing our budget we determined that our initial rent budget was very conservative so we extended it a bit. In our new budget, we have found a place we really like. It has all the amenities we wanted, it's safe and in a great location! More details to come as it is available...

Sunday was Easter and the weather was beautiful! We headed to Mount Vernon with a purse full of snacks. The weather was perfect, we were in great spirits, and the site was amazing. I always find it fascinating to walk on the grounds of places that once housed amazing leaders. George Washington had himself a nice little crib with breathtaking views of the Potomac. Did you know that Martha and George never had children together? I didn't. George was a stepdad to Martha's children.

Because it was customary to house travellers at this time the house had 10 bedrooms! It had original pieces of furniture and the colors on the wall were very close to what George had at that time (or so the tour guides say). As we were waiting to get into the house, there was a main giving us a rundown of rules and what we would be seeing. On the floor next to him was a box with file folders that had these instructions in nearly 30 languages!

Here are some pictures of what we saw...

All of the foliage on the grounds was spectacular. I kept gasping and pointing and making Dillon stop so I could take pictures. Here are some of the beautiful things we saw...

And just in case you forgot what we look like, here is an Easter picture of me and the big guy...

Hugs from the East coast,

V

The Pursuit of Happiness...

I found this website last night while using Stumble Upon (completely and ridiculously addicting).

http://www.highexistence.com/life-secrets-and-tips/comment-page-1/

I'm all about life secrets. Lemme tell you. I had an AHA! moment last week when I figured out one of my own life secrets....GIVING YOURSELF TIME!

I understand that this seems wildly obvious and I may be a bonehead for never practicing it before, but I'm enjoying this glory for now, folks.

There is no greater joy than relaxing after you get up. Not rushing, just relaxing like you have all the time in the world. I have never experienced such a delight. I get up. I make Dillon's lunch and my own and I just veg. This seems like a weird and inappropriate time to just veg, but this is my tale. I give myself all this time to just start my day. The rest of my day is so much more of a delight this way. I don't stress that I picked my outfit hastily or that it may be wrinkly. I don't stress that what I packed for lunch is not going to hit the spot. I don't stress that I am going to forget something. I don't stress that I will get stuck in traffic and be late. I try on a few outfits. Maybe iron an article or two. I contemplate what is going to taste just right on my lunch hour. I check my purse and bag to make sure I have everything I need for the day. Then, I double check. I drive to work and don't mind (kind of enjoy) traffic. I can just sit in my car and veg some more listening to my music. Veg to veg later? I am totally on board with this concept. Time. Give yourself some. It's pretty fabulous.

Also among my life secret revelations is figuring out that what I have experienced out here thus far by myself and with Dillon has been genuine happiness. A job. A life not 12 hours away from Dillon. Independence. New experiences. For me that is an equation for bliss.

Have you ever had that overwhelming feeling of happiness that you feel like you may just burst? I love life's moments like this and here, I have been having them often. On Sunday, I went to a mall at Pentagon City to buy a pair of jeans. I hop on the highway and within minutes the Washington Monument and Capitol are in full view. I'm going to the mall? What? For real? This is my life?

I'm thoroughly enjoying myself.

This weekend the apartment hunt will continue, but Dillon and I plan on sneaking some fun in there also. On the list, Mount Vernon and Monticello.
You can read a little bit about them at these websites : )

www.monticello.org/
www.mountvernon.org/

I have not taken a single picture since I have been here so I will do my best to heavily document these outings.

How about some music that makes me happy to end out this ultra bubbly post?


Hugs from the East coast,
V

I have recently discovered that I am crazy about COUPONS! Today, during a training meeting I kept offering suggestions to my co-workers about the best deals around town (even if it was unsolicited). Want a piece of gum? Sure. Did you know Orbit is buy one get one free at CVS? You like my nail polish? Thanks. It's too is on sale at CVS for $1.99.

I quickly learned that sales ads are useless unless you a card holder of some sort at the place where you are shopping. I never ever knew this to be true. I guess I never paid close enough attention when I went grocery shopping in college. However, now I am a big girl and I am ALL about saving that dough, scrilla, dolla bills, etc. Dillon and I got a Giant grocery store card and saved a bundle on groceries and I got a CVS card yesterday and saved five bucks immediately.

Tonight, I'm running by Safeway (a grocery store) to get some items just because of a coupon I found in the Sunday paper.

Dillon is beginning to think I'm cheap, but I just say "thrifty."

Hugs from the East coast, V

The hunt is on...

First week in DC. Oh, boy.

Last night, Dillon and I met Kara in DC for dinner. It was a great way to end my first week of work. Dillon was mildly annoyed by all the squealing and clapping I did as we drove in to DC as I was spotting the monuments. We picked her up at a coffee shop in the Eastern Market and got to see her adorable house. It was so wonderful to see a familiar face and spend some time with her.

This time last week I was saying goodbye to all of my loved ones back home. Today, I went on a hunt for my East coast home. Dillon and I made it to three places today. Our first appointment was at noon (a late start). We waited for approximately 70 minutes. Dillon kept telling me to be patient, but my aggravation was slowing rising. What is the point of appointments? A designated time slot so that your time or anyone else's is wasted! Finally after we realized that everyone that was being helped had gotten there after we had, Dillon made his point known to a leasing manager and we stormed out. No lead there.

The next place was much more accommodating. We were offered tea and cookies and Dillon was already impressed. Haha. This place is a lead (cheaper and more space than place number one in a quiet, safe area).

The third place was a bust. It's a high rise with condos for sale, but one guy wants to sublet his place at an unreasonable price. No lead there either.

I made Dillon pull over at a bus stop so I could jump out and grab an apartment ad. The hunt continues...

Hugs from the East coast,
V

New name. New life.

The last time I had checked in with the blogging the world, I was all about enjoying my summer and completing a hefty list of fun to-dos for the season also. Oh, my how things have changed. In that short amount of time, I've worn many hats (dental assistant, substitute teacher, bridal consultant, maid of honor).

Incidentally one of the "to-do's" on my summer list was to visit DC. I had never been there. Dillon was interning there. Why not? I, in fact, did visit Dillon over the summer. However, my DC tale does not end there.

The assumption was made by both Dillon and myself that he would be living in DC for an indefinite amount of time. I hoped to one day move in the area, but had no definite plans. To make a long story short, things did not go as planned (as they most often do not) and Dillon ended up back home in the Midwest. Nearly six months later, Dillon is hauling himself and his life back to DC.
This happened 19 days ago.
Fast forward, to the Monday Dillon started his job in the DC area (17 days ago). I tell myself that I will apply to five jobs every Monday and see where things go from there.

I apply to five jobs.
I get an email a few hours later to set up a phone interview.
The next Monday I have a phone interview.
The next day I get the job.
The start date.....THE FOLLOWING MONDAY!
::insert widespread panic and hysteria with a large helping of excitement::

Whew. Did you get all of that? Yes. I moved my life from the Midwest to the East Coast in less than a week (I did work it out to begin on Tuesday instead of Monday. I may adjust well to change, but let's face it...I needed a day to figure out which end was up).

Tomorrow will be the conclusion of my first week on the job. The job is with a company that conducts educational programs for kids of all ages. I will be a program coordinator for the upper elementary program along with six other ladies. In simplest term, I will be a huge part of planning, managing and implementing all phases of the seven programs all across the country this company conducts. I can genuinely say that I am excited about the experiences I will have with this job! It may not be teaching, but it is obviously still connected with education and I am still wildly excited about it.

For the most part, I am trying to settle into my life out here at the nation's capital. I'm still trying to live my life out of boxes and navigate through traffic.

The apartment hunt starts this weekend (Dillon and I are temporarily staying in our friends' basement).

Hugs from the East coast,
V