Year 2

I can't wrap my mind around the fact that 2 years ago I drove out of Idaho to chase this dream of living on the east coast. I blogged 6 months in and then again at the 1 year and now let's celebrate that I have officially been here for 2 years1 I have officially accomplished my goal of living on the east coast for at least 2 years. Why 2 years? I thought that was a good amount of time to really give the east coast a fair chance. I knew for the first 6 months I would go back and forth between being so excited to live here, to freaking out and thinking, why!?!?! But I figured after I got over that 6 month hurdle I would really enjoy DC. Then at the 1 year mark I thought we would be comfortable in the area that we could venture out and see other areas. I feel like that was a fair assessment. I also feel like these last 2 years have been amazing and we have taken full advantage of the area. But I would be lying if I didn't admit that it has and continues to be hard. I keep a lot of those feelings and tears to myself and to the few people that truly know me. I am not one to talk about how hard or difficult things are, I like to always show the good side and thankfully, most of the time it is good. However, I also want to be clear that while it has been good it has been hard and I still struggle, even at the 2 year mark, on why did I do this? I loved my life in Idaho. I have amazing friends, a good job, a great church and I felt safe and comfortable. So, why did I flip it all upside down? I did it because I needed to do it. I would not change this experience for anything. I know I am brave. I know that not everyone can or would do what we did, but I am beyond thankful for doing it.

Recap of Year 2:

• August - First professional baseball game; first play at the Kennedy Center; visited the Shenandoah Caverns in the Shenandoah area of Virginia; went back to Idaho for a week and it was amazing; visited Baltimore's inner harbor area
• September - Went to Charlottesville, Virginia to see BSU play; Mike and Lynda visited
• October - Chelsea visited; went to Hampton, Virginia to visit Robert, Stacy & Peyton in their new home; went to Gettysburg, PA; Becky visited
• November - Went to Gettysburg again; Tuf's parent's visited; Christina visited; hosted an amazing Thanksgiving with 9 people in attendance 
• December - Karen visited; Zach visited (amazing bonding!); first NFL (Redskins v. Cowboys) game for Monday Night Football
• January - Went to Great Falls, Virginia; Snowzilla
• February - First trip to NYC with Alisa and Melissa and Workday training; finally went on a White House Tour; paid my respects for the passing of Justice Scalia; went to Annapolis; Carrie Underwood concert; toured forts in the DC metro area
• March - Karen, Kimberley and Marcos visited; 2nd year of going to sunrise service at the Lincoln Memorial 
• April - NYC trip #2 with the cousins and James; James visited; cherry blossoms; Lionel and Yesenia visited
• May - Kathie visited and that encompassed all things DC including another White House tour, another trip for Mere to NYC (#3 for the year); meeting Zachary Levi (highlight of the year! or maybe my life!); 2nd year of Passport DC: visited Hampton, Virginia with Melissa to see Robert, Stacy & Peyton
• June - My birthday; SHRM Conference!
• July - Another crappy firework display in DC (all because of rain and humidity); Anthony's family visited; Sarah stayed for 1 month; Taste of Idaho in DC; Together 2016

And that my friends is a lot! Especially when you remember that I live here, so I still have to do normal things like work a full time job, commute 2 hours each day, laundry, dishes, care for my baby Princess (who is doing very well, even if we have come to the conclusion that she will always have diabetes).

Now as I go into year 3 I begin to think about things like, how much longer am I here for? And when I do leave? Where do I go? The cousins are here until June 2018. I have committed for one more year, and through some things in my life I may be committed to 2018 - but I have not committed to that yet. I would like to think I could go back to Idaho and I really want to, but the job market scares me and I would truly miss Tuf and Anthony. So, then do I go to Texas? Texas is not my home, but the people I care most about will be there, including Karen. Or do I go somewhere completely new like live for a year in NYC? I don't know and I really need to be okay with that. I need to do what I did when I decided to move here 3.5 years ago - I need to pray and I need my friends and family to pray for me. I need guidance and I need to trust God and I honestly have to be okay if He tells me that my time here is not done.

Besides trying to figure out major life decisions I want to still enjoy my time here. I have a few things I need to still do in DC like tour the Pentagon and Dept. of Treasury, go to a few more museums and see the people's Christmas tree (I have seen it every year I have been here) but this year it is from Idaho! And I still have so much traveling I need to do! I need to go to the Carolina's, NYC over the holiday's and Boston. So much to still do! And I need visitors to still come and experience DC!

And of course none of this would be possible without thanking the people that love and support me. The cousins - we work so well together and I am truly thankful for all that we do together as a family, I love you both! Barb - you may not realize this but I don't think I could have done this without your love and support, our relationship grew leaps and bonds since I left and I truly love and value you! Ri - you are my best friend and without our Skype dates I couldn't just be me. Kathie - you listen and understand me like none else, everyone needs someone like you in their life. Karen - you are amazing, you are my best friend, you are my family, how do I describe what we have? It is pure, simple and what we totally need. Melissa - you have become one of my best friends, I love that we travel together and we know so much about one another, I look forward to another year exploring with you. By work friends that make going to work enjoyable (Martha, Jen, Gina (even if you just left me, Whitney and Kathy). Monika - my Idaho friend, you push me to do new things and when I do them they are amazing. I am so glad that we are friends! To the person I will not name, but who has seriously been my counselor as I work through some really big work situations, I thank you. I look up to you and I admire you. I am so grateful that you are in my life and no matter what happens you showed me more than you will ever know and one of them was actually that it is okay to talk about your feelings - by talking to you, it allowed me to realize that while I perceived it one way, it was not reality and that alone changed me, not only at work but also in my personal life.And while I had decided that when I left Idaho that I was not going to make DC friends, I am glad that I did!

It has been a memorable 2 years. Here is to another year!