Late So Soon

“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” ~Dr. Seuss

I have always loved this quote and find it quite appropriate for where I am in my life right now. This summer has absolutely flown by. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was graduating, heading to Nashville, and now it seems like the end is rapidly approaching.

Summers have always been so special to me. When I was young my Mom would always take my sister and me swimming at the pool or Wilson's Creek. We'd always go to the Outer Banks and spend lots of lazy days together. When I reached high school summers were spent babysitting and making a little extra spending money. College summers have meant squeezing a lot of fun into a couple months before the hectic college life begins again. Beach trips, movie nights, and little get aways. Lots of fun with friends and family.

This summer has been bittersweet. It reminds me of the summer before college started. It seems like everything has been a little chaotic. Trying to fit everything in. And the future looming...not quite sure what is ahead.

This summer has also been like a puzzle. Trying to figure out all the pieces and getting them into the right shape. Interviews, evenings with friends, looking up apartments and what to do in little Eden. Moving and getting ready to teach. The cool thing is when you get to take a step back and look at the puzzle you've made. The pieces somehow magically fitting together.

It's all becoming real to me. And by real I mean very scary. I'm scared about teaching ON MY OWN and living ON MY OWN. I'm finally that 'grown up' I was always aspiring to be when I was a little girl. The students aren't my stuffed bears anymore and my co-teacher isn't my little sister or neighbor playing for the afternoon. Playing 'house' has a whole new meaning. It's real...

It's gotten here fast. The end of summer. The reality of life. I still have a couple nights with friends and a couple weeks of 'freedom', but then...the show begins!

An Entry from a Journal

I wrote this a few weeks after I graduated...

And here we go. A new life...so much has happened in the past four years. I couldn't even begin to list them. I've made new friends and stayed close to old ones. I've lost a family member. I've cried, I've laughed. I've driven thousands of miles. The crazy thing is...it's only a blip in the big picture of life. There are going to be lots more tears...lots more laughs. There will be more miles put on Roonie or whatever car I might have. There are millions of memories yet to be made. I'm scared, I'm excited, I'm ready. ...And I will try to write more :)

Loving the Unexpected

I never expected that I would be living in Eden, NC. Until college I had never even heard of the small town northwest of Greensboro. However, when job opportunites were slim in the mountains, I was encouraged to send out resumes all over NC...and I did. About a week after I sent the resumes I got a call from Rockingham Co. High School. I took the call...took the interview...and took the job.

Preparing for the move has been quite a process and the actual move was a bit crazy. Preparing to live by myself for the first time has also been a little scary. For the past 2 years I've lived with 2 of my best friends. Going from 2 best friends to just me is a daunting thought. After setting up the apartment and making it a bit 'homey' has made me feel a little better.

I still haven't gotten totally used to the thought that I will be alone. Several hours from friends, from home, and in a new town. But I also have friends close by and everyone I have met in Eden has been amazingly nice. (I love nice people)

This is a new chapter. All my friends, it seems, are starting new chapters in their 'life books'. It's fun to begin life in a new town. How it all goes down is anyone's guess, but it should be a fun ride. :)