3 Month Review

Dear Friends, Family, Unknown Readers and Picture Seekers,

Three months ago today, Jak and I moved into our apartment and officially started a new chapter.  In an ideal world the above picture would be an award worthy, self portrait depicting the life of a girl and her dog living and learning by the sea.  In reality I'm performing some sort of wrestling move on Jak to get him to look even remotely in the direction of the camera.  In my glasses you can see my arm holding the camera and in the background, a sani-can. 

I think the picture has charm and since we don't live in an ideal world, I also think it is an honest representation of how life really is here.  On the other side of the above mentioned picture qualities, the sky is blue, the sun is shining, I've got the makings of a grin on my face and Jak is well enough to be back at the beach.  All things to be thankful for.

If I were to rate my time here on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being epic fail and 10 being on top of the world, the first number that came into my head is 8.  Sure everyday hasn't been an 8 but I'd say most days range in the 6-8 bracket with only a few being a 4 or 5.  And those weren't even whole days.

Yesterday I was enjoying this (you're welcome to those who received this picture individually - I do wish you could have been at DQ with me!)...

A hot fudge milkshake, my favorite!  While I was indulging I was thinking about when I first arrived here and Dairy Queen had a help wanted sign out which I saw and ignored it because I thought I'd be employed in no time.  So there I sat wondering how life might be different if I had been working at the DQ for the past few months.  I am qualified, I paid my dues scooping ice cream in high school.  They don't call me Scoop for nothing! 

It would be a fair assessment that the job search has been my biggest stressor here.  I just didn't anticipate it would take this long.  However, as previously stated, this is not an ideal world and things take time.  I am doing okay financially, I live frugally with or without an income.  It is tough to watch my savings go, although I knew it was possibility going into this.  The thing about having a game plan or a Plan A or whatever you want to call it, is that life happens.  There's just no way to anticipate what or who might show up on our paths.  And when the unanticipated does happen, I'm not so sure it's about having a Plan B but maybe more so having the flexibility to go with the flow and bend with Plan A as necessary.

Bottom line, I'm glad to be here.  The job will come.  There will always be good days and bad days so the lesson is do what you love or be in a place you love to be.  Everything else will work itself out.

Here's a couple more pictures I took today.  So much natural beauty to be grateful for and I am!

Next review at 6 months.
Until next time...
Peace & Love,
Hope

P.S.  This was the best I could do at getting him to pose.