A Dream Come True!

As I've said before, I know I'm a terrible blogger (hence the 3-month hiatus), but I'm truly motivated to write more in order to keep my friends and family updated on the wedding planning. I thought I would first start off by telling you a little bit about my fiance, Andrew.

For those of you who have known me for awhile now, the dating world has been a battle. I dated some pretty bad seeds, had my heart and trust broken, and ended up bitter towards men for several years. When I met Andrew in the Spring of 2010, I have to admit, I was guarded and cautious. Yet he was completely patient with me and relentless in showing me that he was a man to be trusted. Once I let my guard down, I quickly saw the kind, loving, compassionate, God-honoring, funny, passionate family man that I had always dreamed of marrying one day. Not to mention, the most handsome man I have ever seen! And just as my dad had always told me..."the man who wants to marry you, will stop at nothing to get a ring on your finger as soon as possible." And he did just that on September 30! He truly is a dream come true, and each day, I look more and more forward to spending the rest of my life with him.

A couple facts about him:

• He's worked in the sports therapy field for the past 8 years, but is now is back in school to be a Chiropractor.
• He was born and lived in Omaha, Nebraska til high school before moving to Memphis.
• He is a die-hard Nebraska Cornhuskers fan and a lover of all things sports.
• He loves kids (and they LOVE him). We serve at church every week with the preschoolers. It melts my heart seeing him interact with them.
• He's also a major pet lover, and although he tries to be coy about it, adores our little puppy Vinny to death. 
• He knows the most random facts that sometimes I Google those facts just to see if he's right. lol (He almost always is).
• He makes friends WHEREVER we go!
• He's a fantastic cook (lucky for me).
• His crazy goofiness has me cracking up at least once a day.
• Years ago, he had what he called the worst haircut of his life. Ever since then, he cuts his own hair (which is so interesting to watch).
• He is one of the most selfless people I know; always willing to help where he sees needed.
• He gives me the best advice (even when I don't ask for it-haha).

And the list goes on and on. Tomorrow, I'll talk a little bit about where I'm at with my wedding planning.

Some Things I Realized In The Past Week...

I will NEVER grow a fondness for crawfish, cheese grits, pork belly, excessive humidity, frizzy hair, or sticky skin. I will, however, say "ya'll" to fit in, try the fried chicken, put conditioning masks on my hair every week to fight the frizz, and dance to all the incredible jazz music (despite my lack of rhythm). I've also realized that my heart is in Cali, but that doesn't mean I can't embrace this experience for all that it is and immerse myself in the culture; that Drew is way more of an open-minded, less-judgmental, and possibly a more kind-hearted person than I am, no matter how hard I want to deny that, it is true (he doesn't read this, so I can admit these things). Oh, and he needs a lot less to be happy (which, btw, I'm trying to work on).

And one more thing, I've come to the surprising conclusion that I don't like talking about myself that much, hence the lack of blogging. I'm smart enough to know that you guys don't care when I go on a date, eat an ice cream cone, have a picnic in the park, or anything else that connotates bragging or the picturesque "perfect" life. So I won't give you a play by play of my life in TN, yet I'll write when some new things are happening so my friends and family can get the latest. I guess I'm growing up and realizing that it isn't all about me. What a revelation...

Ok, I Confess….

This is the first night I ever hung out with
Becky and JD (on Beale Street)

I’m a TERRIBLE blogger. I only have a couple of excuses for this: #1 I write for my job all day, so coming home and writing doesn’t always seem appealing. #2 Nothing extremely interesting has gone on lately, so I haven’t wanted to bore you. I will work on being better though:) With that said, everything has been pretty great on my end. Andrew and I have spent the majority of our free time laying by the pool, grilling out, trying new restaurants, hanging out with family and friends, and getting involved at church.

I’ve also tried to make a very conscious effort to meet new friends at work and church. I think girlfriends are so healthy, and I know that even though I want to hang out with Drew all the time, I need to make the time to invest in other relationships. There is actually a girl I work with who moved from Malibu to TN 9 months ago to be with her boyfriend, and I just found this morning they got engaged:) We have A LOT in common, so that has been a blessing.

Whit and I at BBQ Fest

But…my BEST friends, confidants, and support has come from Drew’s family; I honestly don’t believe I would have done very well without them. I miss my family a lot (my parents are coming in Sept!), so they’ve given me a piece of home. His sister, Becky, and his sister-in-law, Whitney I’ve grown very close to. We are all the same age, and although we are in such different places in life, we connect in so many ways. Becky is a straight shooter with a heart of gold. She’s one of the most honest, even-keeled, positive girls I’ve ever been around. I know if I need advice, she’s going to be thoughtful and truthful in what she tells me. And, if it isn’t obvious on Facebook, I’m absolutely head over heels in love with her baby…he’s my little angel. Whitney and I are one in the same when it comes to being complete DORKS! She literally cracks me up every time I’m with her, whether it’s breaking out in random dance, or  just her natural Southern innuendos (she’s from Arkansas). Whit is beyond sweet and maintains her Southern manners (we crack up because she calls her in-laws Ms. Kathy and Mr. Mark-haha), but I definitely try my darnest to make her throw that politeness out the door and to give me her honest opinion when I need it.  I love them both very much and can’t imagine my time here without them.

Becky’s longtime best friend is getting married downtown at the Peabody (a prestigious and very elegant hotel), and the entire family is invited, so I’ll have to post pictures from that next week…wish me luck; I’m still trying to find a dress:-)

It’s Hot…

And not the kind of hot where you bask in the sun, get your tan on, and rush to get outdoors just so you can enjoy the day; hot like you stay inside, are miserable outside (unless you are in a pool), and where your skin and hair are deteriorating as a result (ok, I’m overexaggerating). But really, I’m finding I have to work extra hard to keep my skin clear and my hair healthy because they sure aren’t responding well to this climate change. So in the last few months, I’ve experienced one of the busiest tornado/storm seasons, and some of the hottest days in June that Memphis has seen in awhile. My dad says that this experience will build character…we’ll see Frank:-)

Enough Complaining

In all seriousness though, I’m extremely blessed here – I’m loving my job, the new church we’re getting involved with, and the new friends I’m making (Really weird... I work with two girls from Southern CA who moved here for boyfriends-so random!) Not to mention, the money I’m saving because of the huge difference in cost of living. When you are born and raised in CA, you don’t realize that you really do pay for location; it’s crazy how far your money will go in other places and how much extra is left over for saving.

And the obvious blessing…getting to know my boyfriend on a whole new level and actually having a “normal” relationship. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little worried how this transition would affect our relationship because the time together would be so new to us, but it seriously could not be better. The biggest hole is not seeing my parents like I used to; I miss them very much – sometimes I crave a huge daddy bear hug and a big Italian kiss (mom, if you’re reading this, don’t get sad, I miss your kisses too…and Rileys’, and Sams’). But again, Andrew’s family is amazing – I couldn’t feel more supported and at home with them:-) It’s kinda scary how much our families are alike, so I definitely feel a piece of home when I’m around them. Many of you have seen the pictures I’ve posted of baby Owen on Facebook – he is Andrew’s four-month old nephew and I absolutely adore him. My family is yet to produce any babies, so spending time with his nephews is very special to me. I sign up to watch Owen as much as I can; he is the sweetest, cutest little angel and is such a happy little thing. Tony is 9 and has recently became very aware of females, so I’m learning a lot about that subject lately:-) Lukey bear is 6, extremely high energy, but also very loving and sensitive. On Easter, we were all playing baseball (boys against girls) and of nowhere, Luke bursts into tears. His mom asked what was the matter and he said, “Katie said the girls are the best and the boys are going down.” Of course I felt like a jerk, but we all couldn’t help but giggle at how cute and sensitive he is. So all in all, things here in TN have been fun and eventful.

Lesson Learned

I think each week I’ll share a learning tidbit from my experiences here. This week, I learned that if you are over 50, born and raised in one place, and have never left there before, you can become quite ignorant to the outside world (believe me, I’m guilty of this as well).   So on that note, Andrew and I met a lady yesterday at the beauty supply store and we got into a conversation about hair products. This somehow led to me telling her I was from CA—this usually elicits a good response, but not with her. She practically gasped and said, “Oh my, my son lived there and I just worried about his safety every single day; I just hated when he was out there.” “Why?” I asked. “Because of all the transients and crazy ideologies running ramped there! And all the diversity.” I obviously was immediately irritated and angered by her ignorance, trying hard not to be nasty back, but the best part was when I asked where he lived. “Beverly Hills, you know, like 90210?” WOW, really lady?

Memphis In May

Right off the bat, I need to make the point to any of my friends here in the South....please don't think I'm a complete snob when I talk about my experiences in this blog-I promise, I'm a really nice person:). Yet the title completely encompasses this move for me - meant to be a simpler way of like, yet based on the fact that I've lived a sheltered, comfortable existence for the past 27 years, I see things very different and more complex (I blame my parents-haha).

So with that comes Memphis in May. At this time last year, I remember Andrew telling me how May is the best time of the year to be in Memphis because of two major functions-The Beale Street Music Festival and BBQ Fest (the largest BBQ cooking contest in the country). We didn't make it to the Music Festival, but we did attend BBQ Fest. The event is usually on the Mississippi River, yet due to the flood, it took place on the Mid-South Fairgrounds. The contest works like this: people sign up for a space and are given an allotted area where they can set up their tent. In the end, hundreds of white tents are lined up back to back, filling up the entire grounds. For four days it's like a big party, where people are barbecuing, drinking, dancing, etc (people literally take work off). The key is to know people because that's the only way you can try their BBQ. The last day is the actual BBQ contest. I'll tell you what, I didn't fully get it; I definitely felt like a fish out of water. Now, I won't get in detail about everything I saw and thought, but I don't think I made many new friends:(

We went on a Friday night and made our first stop at one of Andrew's patient's tents. Smoke filled the air from some of the largest grills I've ever seen in my life. We walked over to the line to get food and she said, "Let me get you a plate." I said, "I'm fine for now; I really don't eat BBQ." As the words left my mouth, I wanted to quickly grab them and stuff them back in. What was I thinking? I felt like I was in a movie - her eyes glazed over, she stared for a minute, and Andrew looked at me with complete embarrassment. "Oh, well then, bless your little heart; you came to the wrong place tonight sweetie pie, didn't you?" (said with the thickest accent). I seriously thought for a moment I was either going to get thrown out or I was gonna throw up. I was so embarrassed that as I was trying to walk away, I tripped, fell over into a man, causing his beer to get knocked out of his hand and into my hair (the tripping isn't abnormal for me). Needless to say,  I'm learning more and more to think before I speak, keep an open mind, and embrace traditions that I might not understand or be accustomed to. Otherwise, Andrew might put me on the next flight out of here. haha

But I'm not a complete foreigner...

Anyone who knows me well, knows I've always been a die hard country music fan. Although Andrew isn't, he agreed to go with me to all the concerts that come into the area. So last night we got to see Kenny Chesney and it was absolutely amazing. I think he really saw a side of me that he didn't know existed (a dorky, sing all the words at the top of my lungs, dancing, sentimental fan). But truthfully, he hasn't seen anything yet!

 

We're Definitely Not In Kansas Anymore...

I've been telling people for a long time that I'm going to write a blog about my new experiences, and yay, I'm finally doing it! The last couple months have been a whirlwind - I've moved across the country (driving almost 40 hours) with barely anything (see picture), started a new job in Corporate Communications, and now I'm trying to settle in and get to actually know my surroundings, make friends, and get connected. Anyone who knows me knows I don't sugar coat anything, so to say that everything has been as smooth as butter would obviously be an exaggeration. Growing up in CA has made me spoiled (I definitely won't lie about that), so all the new things I'm experiencing are shocking, humbling, and have allowed me to mature in ways I never thought needed growth.

I can truly say that Andrew has made it easier and FUNNIER than ever. We have a joke now that anytime he sees me being prissy, he says, "Chill out on the California Convertino." It's been very comical so far and I will be sharing many of these stories. One major thing that Andrew forgot to mention before I came here was that April and May are tornado season, and it just so happens that I came at a time where this area is enduring some of its worst weather seen in years. hmmmm-funny I never was told this. So far, I've been through four warnings (this comes through sirens going off all across the county) and I believe two or three tornadoes have come close but not actually hit ground (Andrew, correct me if I'm wrong about any of my stats). One night his sister and I (along with her 4 month old baby) sat in the hall near the bathroom for hours just waiting for it to pass. Other times I've been at work and had to gather at certain points of the building. Needless to say, I hate it and want them to go away. As I write this, there's another warning going out today-scary stuff. Continue to pray for those you have actually been hit and are trying to rebuild their lives, and pray that this would be the end of any tornadoes causing destruction.

In my next couple posts, I'll fill you in on a few other things that have been going on since I moved and some fun things we have coming up.