Lately I've been really ungrateful.  Ungrateful for how incredibly privileged I am in this life.  In many parts of the world, I would enjoy very little freedom-- especially as a woman.  And the news coming out of Iraq recently, or the Gaza, or Ukraine... there is so much evil out there.  Yes, evil, call it what it is.  And I'm very sheltered from it.

I've been complaining because I have a foot injury and I won't be able to run for a couple weeks at least.  On the flip side, I complain because I have to exercise to stay at least somewhat thin... a problem that only exists in first world countries with plenty of food.  I get sick of the job I work 12 hours at a time at.  But I have a job.  And it pays me enough to not only pay my bills, but to afford smaller luxuries in life as well.  I have lived a life relatively free from illness and tragedy.  I don't fear for my life when I walk out my front door.

It isn't to minimize the few heartaches that I do have and never allow myself to be sad.  Or to never be angry.  But I should be more grateful for what I have.  I'm going to work on that.

Life as I see it

Well, I said I was going to keep this blog more faithfully.  And thanks to a foot injury that unfortunately kept me out of work tonight, resulting therefore in the inability to go anywhere at this time, I've got a little extra time on my hands tonight.

Yes, a foot injury.  Not exactly certain how serious at this point, but enough that it's difficult to walk.  But it is somewhat better than it was this time last night, so I'm hopeful that by tomorrow it might be even better.  No idea how it happened, though I suspect it's related to running.  Anyway, I'm not here to talk about my foot.

Actually, I'm not really here to talk about anything really.  I guess this is just one of those usual boring updates.

This week has been quite relaxing, honestly (minus said foot injury).  After working crazy overtime last week (which I'm so grateful now that I did!) I gave myself permission to just relax.  Didn't pressure myself to pick up extra this week.  I enjoyed each moment.  I did have some issues with my car registration.  For future reference to those of you out there... think very carefully about buying a car out of state, especially if that state is over three thousand miles from your home state!  That's all I have to say about that.  The issue is quite resolved at this point.  A couple of days ago, we drove out to Green Bluff to go berry picking.  Something I've never done before!  And I'm even more excited now, because come fall we can go apple picking, and pumpkin picking at the pumpkin patch!  Believe me, for Florida girls, this is a novelty!

I have to say, for the first time in my life... I'm happy and content with where I'm at.  Not that my life has been really hard in the past, but there's always been this very unsettled feeling deep down.  I've known pretty much since high school that Florida was not where I would live for the rest of my life.  And since nursing school, that itch to leave never went away.  Taking that leap back in October was the best thing I could have done.  Being in this part of the country somehow just feels right... and I love it!

That isn't to say that life is always just amazing.  But right now, I feel I can take a step back and simply appreciate where it's at.

Overdue Update

I have somehow managed to go all of June and all of July without one post.  This blog has definitely fallen to the wayside, which I hate as I would like for it to be a way for me to keep friends and family updated.  Although Facebook and instagram allow for that, I find that I love the idea of sitting down and taking the time to actually think about how I am doing, what I have been doing, what direction I am/would like to be going, etc.  A blog is just more personal.  And as most introverts tend to do, I just express myself best in writing.  Not to say I am a good writer.  Far from it, but I do enjoy it.

But when life gets full and busy, these things do take a back burner to the rest of it.  I don't even know if it's worth trying to give any sort of update, but in a nutshell, summer in Spokane has been awesome!  We found a place in town (we were previously living pretty far outside of town) back in June, and being close to work as well as just the rest of the city has been great.  Since May I've visited Montana, North Dakota, started dating an awesome guy (eventually perhaps you will find out more... but I like to keep things somewhat private), moved into Spokane, turned 27, taken a trip to Portland, highlighted my hair for the first time, (my hair actually has blonde in it now!) visited Silverwood Theme Park (largest theme park in the Northwest), biked the Route of the Hiawatha, worked A TON, and oh yeah... traded my car, Ron, in for a new Rav4!

So there you have it, a condensed version of my summer so far.  I'm still loving it out here in Washington.  A life of not dealing with humidity, constant (CONSTANT) oppressive heat, daily thunderstorms, or keeping one eye on the weather channel for hurricanes is quite foreign to me.  We have had a few weeks of surprisingly hot weather, but without the humidity it is still somewhat bearable.  Learning to live with it and not having central AC is another story!  I'm ready for some cooler temps, and soon!  Heat is 80% WHY I left Florida!

I will make attempts to actually keep up with this blog.  In the meantime, I'm really enjoying my time out here in the Northwest!