Home

Wow. A lot has happened in the last month. I got a new job (yay!) and spent over two weeks in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Going home for as long as I did was amazing. I got to see my best friends on more than one occasion and spend quality time with them instead of just catching up over lunch once while I was in town. Two of my college friends got married, so having those groups of friends together was reminiscent of our college days. It really made me miss them and wish I lived closer so I could have those times more often.

My sister was home while I was, so our whole family was able to be together. We rented a cabin up north and relaxed for 4 days. I turned off my phone for 2 1/2 of those days to get away from the constant checking of email, twitter and facebook ...and instagram. Whoops, I'm pretty addicted to my phone.

Anyway, the whole trip home was great and really got me thinking about the definition of home. When I left to go to Minnesota, I told people I was going home for 2 weeks. When I left to come back to Austin, I told people I was going back home on Sunday. It made me realize that I have really started to make Austin my home. I have developed friendships in Texas that I know will stand the test of time. I have been here long enough to have left a job and gotten my second one with a wonderful non-profit. I have moved in by myself for the first time in my life. Austin really does feel more like home as the months go by.

I have come to the conclusion that most people in their 20's start to have that home-y feeling in a city or house different from their childhood home. We have more than one place we call home. More than one place with best friends who feel more like family. More than one place where we plant roots. Austin is becoming that second home for me. I love you, Minnesota, but I am starting to feel the Texas girl in me.

Moving

Today I moved into a new apartment and I want to give a HUGE thank you to Kyle, Lyndsay, Nea and Matt for helping me move all of my things to the new place. It only took a couple hours because they were there to help and I am forever grateful.

I haven't even been in this new apartment for 12 hours yet, but I already feel at home and love it so much more than my old place. I am excited to be within walking distance to Torchy's, the Packer bar, the library, and some cute shops on Burnet Rd. I'm ready to explore this new area of Austin!

Visitors Welcome. :-)

Positive Relationships

Over New Year's last year I remember reading a resolution article about making an effort to get rid of the negative relationships in your life and really focus on the positive ones. Well, it's a little late for a New Year's resolution, but I'm beginning to see the light. Last week I had the pleasure of visiting Christine, a friend I worked with at Sopra Sotto. She moved to DC last year and I went to visit for Fourth of July and her birthday. Christine is such a wonderful person! She and her roommate, Corinne, welcomed me into their apartment (and their lives) for four days and by the end of the trip, I felt like I had been living there for a month. Christine is the type of person who will do just about anything for anyone. One example: When we were out for her birthday, she took a blind man by the arm and helped him walk to the subway. It wasn't on our original route, but she took the time to help a stranger in need. Just one small example of why I love her so much.

This weekend I went to Waco to visit Megan and Brooke. For some reason when I'm with them I feel like we're old friends just catching up, even though I've only known them less than two years. We didn't do anything extravagant and there was no specific reason I made the trip, but just hanging out by the pool, getting a drink and playing cards was perfect. It's those types of friendships I want in my life. Ones where you just want to sit on the couch and talk for hours. 

Seeing these friends over the last few weeks and knowing that the relationships are positive ones makes me crave that in every relationship I'm in. I'm slowly learning the difference between toxic relationships and ones that really make you a better person. I'm not saying I have a lot of people in my life who are negative. I'm just realizing what type of person I want to spend my time with. Positivity is contagious and I want to be surrounded by that positivity. Cheers to recognizing the negative relationships and fostering the positive ones!

Christine and I eating some delicious crabs on the Fourth of July.

Me, Brooke and Megan relaxing in Brooke's pool this weekend.