So I moved to Maryland!

I'm sure quite a few of you are going to be caught off guard by this blog post. . and if you aren't I'm sure you were caught off guard by my "Holy Hell I'm moving" status on Facebook last Thursday. . So let me provide y'all with a quick explanation on why I'm now living in Maryland and how it happened so quickly. .

I applied to transfer to Towson University in the spring and was admitted but only given a week to move. I couldn't find an apartment fast enough nor could I just up and move that fast. So I waited to see if I could start in the summer and could. While this seemed easy enough we ran into an apartment disaster. Apartments up north are nothing like they are at home. To make matters even worse I was moving around Baltimore which means prices were even higher and the looming fear of possibly moving into the ghetto grew even bigger. I quickly learned that washer/dryers are not standard in every apartment, getting any apartment that slightly resembled all of my friends from home that I feel in love with was impossible, and pictures/websites are extremely deceiving.We sent Nic on what could be called a needle in a haystack hunt. The poor kid went to countless apartments that looked promising only to find they were ghetto. It's not a big surprise that I wouldn't do good in the ghetto. I have terrible street-smarts (mom says I have none, slightly true) and I scare easily.

Now enter my apartment complex. It's 30 minutes from school which isn't terrible since I drove 45 minutes to high school for four years. Quite frankly I didn't want to be right in a "college town" anyways. I'm over partying and I don't think I could stand living in a complex with a bunch of partying kiddos. Not to mention I feel a lot more comfortable with older people than kids my own age. Everyone here is amicable but not overbearing. And sadly most college kids -- especially boys -- are obnoxious and living on my own by them would get annoying. Mind you that's just my own opinion, I love all of my college friends who are boys, but y'all aren't typical. . Anyways back to the point: the complex is built by a little creek, there is a dock for fishing (and tanning in my opinion), and I have a balcony.

The only one bedroom in the complex was open for move in April 21st (my golden birthday) or June. . classes start May 29th so I had to take the earlier one, hence my ultra quick move.

I promise a post with pictures of the apartment, and a birthday post will be up soon! It's just been a wee bit hectic!

Ciao darlings! xoxoxoxo.

Mayo Clinic Adventures

Exactly one week ago today I was getting my blood drawn at the Mayo Clinic is Jacksonville, wanting coffee, and trying not to cry because I had just found out that our “quick visit” was turned into a three day trip full of tests. Contrary to my last post about my visit to the Dr.Phillip’s Hospital, I actually had a really good experience at Mayo. The patient rooms at my gastrointerologist’s office were FABULOUS. You sat and talked to the doctor on a couch, they had a little changing room for you to get into an awful outfit, and there was a big window which looked out into the fountain and trees. Relaxing-ish.

I do have to vent about barium and how atrocious it is. I had assumed (dumb move) that after my last batch of tests in Orlando I would never have to drink that nasty chalky liquid again, but I was mistaken and got to chug two fabulous glasses of it. If you’ve ever had it you know my pain, if you haven’t, well, it tastes like chalk. On top of that I am a baby when it comes to any medicine or foul tasting drink, I have been since I was a wee little one, and it shows.

I hate that because I am twenty all of a sudden I am supposed to be feeling-less or at least portray myself as so. It’s nearly impossible for me. Mom was allowed to go into more areas than she was at the Dr.Phillip's Hospital but I was still left to fend for myself once the tests started. One of the doctors instructed me to take two “big gulps” and you would have thought I was being given tequila. It was a tiny sip, gag, and another tiny sip, and tears. Being twenty means nothing, I’m still that little five year old who has her mouth clenched shut to the awful drinkable medicine I’m supposed to take.

A word of advice for anyone ever going to an appointment where you could possibly be kept. . . or have to take tests. Wear comfy shoes, and by comfy shoes I mean comfy after a long amount of time not just an hour or two. We hadn’t intended on staying so my bag was packed with a bathing suit, pj’s and one outfit along with my gorgeous gold sparkle Lindsey Phillips flip-flops.  During one of my tests in which my colon refused to accept the barium I was instructed to pace a tiny portion of a hallway from 9 to 1.  In my head I was cursing those shoes with words only a sailor would use. I would also like to warn anyone with a short attention span and knack of twirling to keep yourself amused: just because you’re pacing a hallway and haven’t seen more than 10 people in an hour you do NOT have "permission" to start twirling down the said hallway to try and amuse yourself. That is when the doctor will randomly come out, will yell out you because it’s “dangerous”, and threaten you could have to redo the test because “twirling isn’t your daily activities” and therefore not mocking daily ongoings of your intestine. Just because I’m twenty doesn’t mean I don’t twirl on a regular basis, doc. Give me a glass of Moscato instead of barium and I’m regularly twirling around.

The nurses were all absolutely fantastic (the doctors were too). They sat and talked to me, joked around, and were sympathetic. One day I was getting a migraine because I hadn't had my coffee, the other it was the barium, freezing rooms or rolling veins -- in every situation they tried to make my experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible and it really made a difference. On a more serious note about a diagnosis SMA is one of the hardest things to definitively diagnosis. In addition the fact that I am skinny, and always have been, doesn’t help to get a definitive diagnosis hence the three days of tests. We’re waiting for the results of a last test to figure out what we can do but minus some bad nausea and a wavering appetite I'm doing pretty well.

Ciao. xoxoxo.

Seashells and Rainbows

Spring break has always been important. It marks the quickening arrival of summer, is the beginning of the season of living in a swimsuit, it’s a well needed break from the hustle and bustle of school but most importantly it has marked the week of Nic and I’s anniversary, March 15^th. This year it marked our sixth year together. Yes, six. If you do the math we’ve spent a third of our lives together. Absolutely bonkers.

The main highlights of the break were the discovery of The Walking Dead, Eevah's adoption birthday and our anniversary. As far as The Walking Dead if anyone has season 2 on DVD and would love to send it to me so I can watch them I’ll gladly return them with some cookies. Also if anyone thinks of spoiling anything from season 2 or 3, I will smack you on the head with a pool noodle so for both our sakes I really beg you not to. Eevah’s adoption birthday was March 11^th so we’ve had her for a whole year! I had a doggy party planned in my head complete with a birthday cake and frilly dress for the little princess but it just didn’t work out. Instead Nic got her a pigs ear from Petco (disgusting) that she loved. Not the frills I had envisioned but she seemed happy enough. It’s crazy to look back at how small she was when we first got her.

The Florida House Inn

The main event of the break was our anniversary trip to Amelia Island. Nic got to experience his first bed and breakfast. Well more of the bed than the breakfast part because we never made it to breakfast in time (in our defense it was between eight and nine which is ridiculously early for a vacation breakfast).

Six year sunrise

We spent our anniversary waking up to see a beautiful sunrise and riding beach cruisers around the island for the day. Every one of us has something that can make us happy no matter what, one of those things for me are riding bicycles. I adore bikes, especially beach cruisers and few things can take me back to my childhood faster than feeling the wind blowing through my hair as I peddle and laugh. Therefore just riding the bikes was perfect in itself but we got to ride them to the beach. . which is another thing that can make me happy no matter what. Add the fact that I was with Nic and I was a happy camper. If I could have eaten the fried pickles that were on the menu at the beach restaurant we ate lunch at I would have been disgustingly happy. We ended the day by catching the tail end of a beautiful sunset and having a great dinner on the harbor complete with blueberry crème brulee. It was a simple but meaningful anniversary. No ribbons and frills, just spending time together doing things we love.

Beach Cruiser Happiness

Even better? I love stealing Nic’s shirts so as one of my presents he gave me one of the shirts he wore throughout his SEAL screener. It’s almost funny how meaningful it was. And I got a locket. And have his combat ring on my Pandora bracelet.

I’m happy. The end.