Travels and Friends

Over the last few weeks, I've had opportunities to see more and more of Appalachia. A weekend in Kingsport, TN, which I learned is a nice, bike-friendly little town; a work trip to Morgantown, WV, where I saw the new WVU stadium and discovered Original Pizza; the annual Bridge Day celebration in Fayetteville, and last week, a day in Lexington, KY (also for work), which may or may not technically be in the Appalachians. We've been here for five months now and, more and more, I appreciate the beauty of this area.

However, now that our wedding is over, I'm working and back to normal life, it's time for me to find some friends. I've never been good at meeting people; it just doesn't come naturally to me. I have no problem spending time alone, and I'm self-conscious about approaching strangers. I'm working on a few possible volunteer opportunities that may introduce me to cool people, and I'm thinking about checking out my LYS to see if there is a knitting group, or even taking a class there to improve my techniques. I'm also tossing around the idea of buying a package of yoga classes, although I don't want to commit to a studio until I try it out. Excuses, excuses.

It's easy for me to find reasons not to do things, but I have to force myself to do them. I heard a quote somewhere, I don't remember where anymore, that said something to the effect of "you have to be uncomfortable in order to change." I guess, in order to meet friends, I need to cultivate a little bit of discomfort in my life. I'm open to suggestions.

Julie Became an Ironman

One of the first people I met at my job while living in Pittsburgh was Julie. She was also from Wisconsin, so we swapped stories about how "The Pitts" differed from back home. Julie and her now-husband-then-fiance Matt were both marathon runners. I was always in awe of their athleticism.

She moved back to Wisconsin a couple of years ago, but Julie continues to be a source of amazement. Last month, she and Matt finished the Ironman Wisconsin. I read her blog when I don't feel like going to the gym.

Prepare to be inspired.

Firsts

Brad and I have been together for 11 years. We were engaged for three years, and as of today, we've been married for 13 wonderful days.

In all of this time together, we've had a lot of firsts. First date, first kiss, first time we said "I love you." First night spent in our first apartment. The first time we moved out of our home state; the first time we realized we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with each other.

Now that we're married, we get to celebrate a bunch of new firsts. Some of them feel like milestones, like the first time I referred to Brad as "my husband," and some of them are seemingly mundane, like the first time we went hiking as a married couple. For the first time in my life, I probably won't be spending Christmas in Wisconsin. So it will be our first Christmas spent without our families. But I'm OK with this, since we are our own family now.

We have so many firsts in our future: first wedding anniversary, the first time we buy a house, our first baby? I can't wait to celebrate them all!

Married

Life is Good

Flew into the Central Wisconsin Airport last night on the smallest plane I have ever seen. It seemed that all of the large, heavy people were sitting on one side, and I felt like, as we flew, there was a slight tilt in that direction. Maybe not. My parents picked me up and we went to Applebee's for dinner, which is one of those places that I would never go to unless it was with my parents.

This morning, my cell phone rang and it was a job offer. During my job search, I applied, interviewed, and was rejected for a lot of jobs that I am very overqualified for. Every time the rejection came, I felt so bad about myself. The job that I accepted today is in the same industry that I worked in while we lived in Pittsburgh, and I loved my job there. For the first time in my life, I will be starting a new position with directly-applicable experience. The best part about it is this: they were not hiring. When I arrived in Charleston, I sent my resume, thinking that nothing would come of it, really. But they are creating a position for me. That's never happened for me before.

Up next, a WI fish fry, Labor Day, and a week of pre-wedding madness leading up to wedded bliss. Stay tuned.

Little Updates

Our wedding is in 15 days! Next Thursday, I'll be traveling to Wisconsin to do last-minute wedding things and staying there until mid-week after the wedding. I will be there for about two weeks; it will be the longest I have spent in my hometown since I first left, when I was 20 years old.

*****

I've been sick for the last four days with a horrific sore throat and an overall feeling like I was recently hit by a truck. Bad timing. We are due to have a house full of cyclists this weekend, as the infamous WVMBA Black Bear Race in Kanawha State Forest is on Sunday. Brad and several of his Pittsburgh friends are racing, so our house will be full of skinny guys with shaved legs, bike parts, lycra clothing, and chamois cream. I was planning on hiking to the top of the trail to watch people crash on the moss-covered cliffs, but if I don't start to feel better, I might have to sit this one out.

*****

Finally, I leave you with a photo of my dog on a mossy log.

An Actual Conversation

It is 7:45 AM. I just woke up and I am lounging on the sofa, rubbing my eyes while wearing a Guns and Roses T-shirt and cut off jean shorts. Brad sits down next to me with a cup of coffee and his laptop. He is wearing a suit.

Brad: We're really a study in contrasts here, aren't we?
K: . . .
Brad: . . .
K: Can I have two dollars?
Brad: And now you're begging the guy in the suit for two dollars.