Bye Bye Beautiful Gulf...

I spent the past week at Panama City Beach, Fl., with some of my very favorite people. We spent hours lying in the sun, playing in the ocean, and spending money on countless activities. But it was a great week, and I wouldn't change it.

I was sad to leave the beautiful beach, but like every time I leave, I reminded myself I would be back next year. Then a radio broadcast brought me back to reality, and I was suddenly panicked, wondering if I would be able to come back.


The oil spill was then 50 miles away from my breathtaking vacation spot, rapidly flowing straight towards it. Seriously, how bad will this get before more is done to focus on it?

Our country is so willing to help others, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when it comes to our own, we could care less. Why isn't there a "Help the Gulf" telethon going on? Why aren't celebrities donating their millions to the AMERICANS that are struggling and suffering due to the oil spill? Why do you have to be from a different country for Americans to feel sorry for you and willing to help you? Why isn't our President doing everything in his power to stop this and do more to clean it up? Just visiting isn't going to "change" anything, Obama. Get with the program.

God bless the beautiful beaches, sea creatures, fishermen, and all of those who's businesses and profits depend on the sea... praying seems to be the only thing left to do. So God be with us all.

Creative or Old-Fashioned?

I think I may have been born in the wrong era. In this day and time, women work just as hard as men. And there's nothing wrong with that. I have found that I like to work, and I go nearly crazy without a scheduled work week.

However, on my off days, I am the biggest Susie Homemaker you could ever meet. I watch the Food Network and HGTV all day long, scouting for new recipes and DIY projects. I love having a clean house and I don't mind spending all day getting it that way. I am very organized (see: neat freeakk) and clutter makes me insanely nervous and aggitated. Things must be in there places at all times. The laundry basket must never be overflowing. Dishes must never be in the sink. Maybe this all comes from my extremely beyond phobic fear of cockroaches. A clean house is a pest free house.

Few things make me happier than cooking for someone and having them tell me how amazing it is. Does that make me a huge nerd? While I enjoy making nearly anything, I absolutely adore baking. This isn't that much of a good thing, because I also adore eating what I bake. And when you're trying to trim down for a wedding, it's kind of a recipe for disaster!

If money was no object, and I was one of those people lucky enough to never have to worry about living paycheck to paycheck, I would love to open a small bakery and fill my days making treats for others.

Makes me think maybe I was meant to be a housewife? Then I would probably go insane like I did when I lived alone in Carrollton, with nothing but my four walls to keep me company throughout the day. Hmmm... maybe the grass really is always greener on the other side...

Live and Learn

I am so happy to be back home. Although home isn't technically "home" anymore, I'm glad to be back with my family. Before I go any farther, let me get you up to speed.

I lived in the cutest house that I absolutely adored. It was in the most perfect location, in a wonderful neighborhood, and a five minute drive to school and work. I lived with my mama and the love of my life, a black shih-tzu named Shady. Everything was great. Then my mama got engaged, and quickly married, and with that a for-sale sign was plastered in our front yard. Within two months, the house had sold and we began packing.

My mom was moving one town over. I had decided to give up the small town life, and followed my boyfriend, Daniel, to Carrollton, GA, where I enrolled in the University of West Georgia. One of the biggest mistakes ever.

I adored being with my boyfriend. We had been long distance for three years, and it was so nice being able to see him on a daily basis. However, my social life was non-existant. Making friends was tough, unless I was willing to shell out funds every month to join a sorority. I had no interest in paying for my friends, so as a result, I didn't have any. My four walls became my closest companion, and I quickly realized how unhappy I was. Although Daniel was there, we weren't together every waking moment, and I was the loneliest I had ever been in my life. I missed my family, and most of all, I missed the comfort of home.

It wasn't long after I moved to Carrollton that I began my countdown to move home (how pathetic is that?). However, I knew that moving home didn't mean "moving home" because my home was now someone else's home. As depressing as that was, I reminded myself that I would be back around my wonderful family, back to my job as a certified pharmacy technician, and once again able to feel alive instead of like some worthless lazy hermit cooped up in an apartment all week with no human interaction other than my boyfriend (*ahem* now fiance!).

So I completed my year at West Georgia and left as soon as my last final was over. At this point in my life, moving away from my family isn't an option. For that, I will once again be long distance with Daniel as he completes his last year at West Georgia. In a way, I don't think Daniel and I will ever stop being "long distance" ... he has been a baseball player since he was 4, and I honestly believe if the right person sees him, he will be whisked away to some professional training or minor league program, and be on the road to the MLB. If that happens though, hopefully he will have the $$$ to take me with him. After all, he'll be my HUSBAND soon :)

So as of now, everything is looking up. I'm about to be moving once again, as my mama and he husband have just bought a new home. Maybe this new one can once again give me that comforting feeling, and become, well, my home.