Making Texas Home

I wrote this back in July and never posted it. Opening up about my family's loss was difficult.--- 

When Carly and I started talking about living together our biggest thing was getting the heck away from the airport and being around people our age so we could make friends and really make Texas home. I was already attending Watermark Community Church off of 365 and Carly ended up loving it too, so then we decided we should live closer to church. We could get more involved and really be able to make going to church easier for us and there wouldn't be an excuse, other than work, to not go. We looked at three places around Farmers Branch and Addison. The one we decided on is conveniently the same location as a good friend of mine, the same one that got me to give Watermark a second chance. We are living in a BEAUTIFUL place with one of my closest friends. Our home is filled with love, with Christ, Bath and Body Works candles on every surface and a wallflower in every outlet (it smells like heaven). When I leave for a trip now I can't wait to come home. I can't wait to walk in the door and walk to my room and take in my space.
Now why is my room such a big deal? Back in 2010 my family lost our home. When we moved I thought I'd be moving out within the next few months. I had plans to move closer to the city so this new home we moved into wasn't permanent for me (so I thought), this was space I was just passing through. I never decorated my room. The walls were bare. There was no flow, it was just a hodge podge of stuff to fill the space and make it a room. Just to be clear, this was a personal choice. I didn't want this place to be home. So I didn't allow myself to nest and decorate, that would have meant accepting what was lost. Then I finally moved to Texas and into my first apartment. Being the broke "new hire" that I was I didn't have the money or the time to make my room what I wanted. It was beautiful and my mom helped me set things up and make it mine, but there were a few projects that just never got done for it to fully come together. A year later, my lease was up. Mind you only 3 months before moving I finally hung pictures in my room, ya I know. So this next move was a big deal. I was excited about decorating and making this place mine and ours. So I started planning, and I became so overwhelmed with various ideas, I may have changed my mind with decor once a week. I couldn't figure out why i was so indecisive and why I was making such a deal out of this (at the time I didn't realize what my pattern had been over the last 5 years). It took getting my mom out here (she should have been an interior decorator, she is just incredible at putting things together) and taking my pillow sham and left over material from my headboard to Pier One and taking over a sofa of theirs for everything to finally come together, and it was in a span of 5 minutes too.
Having my mom here to help me put everything together and seeing my room fully come together left me speechless and in tears. My room is my sanctuary. My peaceful place. My space. 

So long 2014, You were a blessing of a year....

Another year has come and gone, but 2014 was not at all just another year for me. 2014 was life altering, and the most inspiring chapter of my life thus far. I can't just go into 2015 without reflecting on some of the BIGGEST moments that took place over the last 12 months.


In January 2014, I got THE call that would change my life forever. American Airlines called me on January 9, 2014 at 2:00 PM to give me Flight Attendant Training dates. Training would take place in Fort Worth, Texas for two and a half months, starting on March 17th and graduating on May 7th. I will never forget seeing my phone light up at my desk and running to a conference room to hear them say, "Cassandra, we have training dates for you..." and dropping to my knees in tears in a conference room at OPM. Imagine going the rest of the day knowing your days in that very space were numbered. After 4.5 years, and spending crucial impressionable years as a teenager fresh out of high school to a young adult in that building and in a matter of seconds that all had an end date. Now at that point I couldn't wait to move on to bigger and better things. Never in a million years could I have told myself just how much I would love and adore my new job. I dropped my notice in February while working at the State Department running my last set of PMF Assessments with a team that I had shed, blood, sweat, and tears and experienced such deep frustration together.


On March 17th, 2014 at 4:00 AM I snuggled my pups one last time and headed to at Ronald Reagan International Airport and at 5:30 AM I hugged, kissed and had a very tearful "goodbye" with my Mom, my Dad and Nicholas. I will never forget going through security and looking back one last time and thinking "This is it. This is what I've prayed for. I'm really leaving home, permanently." Around 9:00 AM Kyle picked me up at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. I ran to him with so much excitement. I was finally in Texas, we were no longer long distance, everything was working out in our favor (cue hysterical laughter and keep reading). I checked into FSU, and upon getting to the hotel I met my soon to be sister and roommate, Alejandra. My first roommate EVER and we were so hesitant about saying "yes" to living together (see we both have strong personalities and have crucial "Resting Bitch Face" so we both knew this could be interesting). We hit it off and became fast friends.


On April 5th, the Easter Bunny came to 14-10s class extra early! And a classroom of 60 some peoples lives changed and we all received our bases. Our classroom was filled with shock, tears (both good and bad), I remember crying hysterically, "DFW" came out of my egg, I was never going back to live in Virginia, that was it. After a year of waiting for God to send me else where, it had all finally happened. Shortly after, on April 8th, I said "enough" to the person I thought to be the "love of my life" in the midst of the hardest two months of my life. This didn't at all make anything easier, but it had to happen. As much as I loved and will always love Kyle, we aren't each others future. He's an amazing person, he's just not my person. With that said I pray for the very best for him and whomever God has planned for his future; and I whole heartedly mean that. He will forever have a place in my heart. I spent three years learning so much about myself, about love, about traveling, what it took to be in a long distance relationship, what it means to compromise, how to communicate, what I do and don't want in a relationship, as well as what I will and won't tolerate from a partner. Not to mention, I will never put my family on the back burner ever again.  Most importantly I met my best friend, Carly Tynes, and so many other beautiful women that have become my friends.


On May7th 2014 I graduated from American Airlines Flight Attendant Training and 2 hours after having my beautiful brand new silver wings pinned on by Kimi Oaks, my family and I drove over to Crest Centreport and I signed my very first lease! And on May 8th I had indoc at DFW while my parents and my brother moved me into my very first apartment. I finally went home to Virginia almost 3 months of being away and I saw my girls and I snuggled the heck out of my pups. IT. WAS. AWESOME.


I started actually flying on May 14th, I was called out with 3 classmates for a Newark, NJ turn (out and back). The next day I went to Mexico and I got stuck there. Womp.


On June 14th, my birthday, I lucked out and had a DCA layover! I wore a tiara during our trip and landed in DC to my moms homemade carrot cake and partied with my crew in my room with my family. Best 23rd birthday EVER.


In September I started a second job at Massage Envy. It was necessary at the time but I am SO excited to announce that at the end of this month (January) I will be blowing that popsicle stand and moving on to bigger and better things. Like traveling for fun! SEE YOU SOON SAN DIEGO (EHHEEEM CAMACHO, I'M COMING FOR YOU) AND EUROPE!




In November I officially made it off probation. Which in airline terms means I am cleared and I am in fact a good fit and I know how to watch my Ps and Qs (bahaha!). So now I wear my hair down and my skirt a little tighter and shorter.
Thanksgiving! I actually had three of them! I spent lunch with my family in Southlake/Grapevine, then I went over to Coppell where my second family, Kaci and her amazing Family (who has now become my own), had another amazing feast going on, and then I spent the night watching what was left of the Cowboys game with another wonderful friend and his family! Talk about a blessing of a day! If I couldn't be home, why not have three with amazing people!?


For Christmas Eve, I flew in at 5:30 and made it over to my families house in Southlake and watched their little ones open one Christmas present each, baked cookies, drank poinsettias, and prepped carrots for the reindeer and cookies for Santa! And then I went home and Kala and I got to exchange Christmas gifts and spend time together before flying the next day. It was wonderful. Christmas Day I flew, we had amazing passengers and I flew with a wonderful crew. I flew with the same girl all month and we had so much fun goofing off in the cockpit. We received so much appreciation from our passengers and had an absolute ball with the Christmas version of the safety demo. I laid over in Oklahoma City, which was fine. I face timed with my family and we had Christmas dinner that way. Well, they had dinner and I ate assorted chocolates. I lead a pretty glamorous life folks! On the 26th I finished up my tried and threw myself on a flight to spend a late Christmas with my family in Virginia. They made Christmas so special, I almost forgot that it was a day late, they literally put the entire day on hold. HOW BLESSED AM I!?


And last but certainly not least New Years Eve... I had NYE off, and I wanted to do something (duh) but I was on call, so I knew I would end up getting called out, so I just decided to pick up my own trip and pick where I would go. I found a trip that laid over in Indianapolis (where moms family is) so I decided to pick that up not even realizing initially that it was with one of my best friends, Grace, WIN! So, I ended up spending my New Years Eve playing Nickle Nickle with my Grandparents and my 93 year old Great Grandmother. It was by far the best, most sober NYE I have had in a while, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. Those are moments I don't get often, and I will hold so close to my heart for the rest of my life.


This year has brought me so much closer with all my family members. Between being able to see them more frequently because of my job, and bringing a whole new meaning to spending precious time together. I've grown in Christ and I have found and become a member of an AMAZING church. Texas has officially become home, I changed my residency in August to the point I've taken up 2 Stepping and Line Dancing! I have become far more independent, those that know me know I've always been in long relationships, I've finally learned how to be on my own and I don't hate it. I've made amazing friends and reconnected with long lost friends. I have learned how to deal with crappy management at apartment complexes (hard side eye at you Crest!), and I have learned the importance of a budget. Most importantly, this year I learned who I am, I've stepped so far out of my comfort zone, what is most important to me, and my self worth. I've never been so proud of myself and who I am, I've also never been so in love with a job, nor did I know it was possible to never feel like I'm working at work.


I am SO looking forward to 2015. I already know this is going to be a huge year of continuous growth and Texas becoming more my home than last year. I am so ready to embrace all that God has planned for me!

Comming Up On 4 Months

....."Well, I have officially been out of Flight Attendant training for exactly 2 weeks today! I cannot believe how fast time is flying. It feels like life is just flying by me and for the last two and a half months I haven't had a second to sit and reflect on all that I have accomplished and be put through and learned.

Over the last two months my life has turned upside down in more ways than one and now that I have the time and freedom to handle it, I am slowly sorting through everything and learning so much about myself and being reminded of who I am and being shown what all God has done in my life and finally seeing how all those things over the last two years have been small things piecing together my journey to where I'm at. It's pretty mind blowing. 

 These last two months taught me that there was a whole different level of stress that I didn't know about. People truly will never fully understand why Flight Attendant training is so hard unless they go through it themselves. When they told us that you will meet your life long best friends in training, I thought I already had with my roommate. 9.5 weeks later, my closest friends are four people I never would have expected, but love to death.

I became comfortable sitting in a cafeteria by myself, because let's be honest, when your with the same 65 people morning, noon, and night, and you eat, sleep, drink and breath with same said people, you become comfortable with your alone time being in public. Think it's weird to sit in a restaurant alone.. NOT EVEN SLIGHTLY. 

I've learned that when you are told in the harshest way that someone thinks you can't do something without them as a crutch, you find a whole new strength you never new you had and you push through unbelievable obstacles all on your own. I have uprooted myself from everything I know and am comfortable with. I have said goodbye to my friends back home for God knows how long. I have gone two months without a pay check of any kind and I have managed to support myself the whole way through without a single melt down (not even kidding). 

I've become comfortable tearing up in front of other people and become more emotional than I ever care to admit. 

I complain far less then I used to. At this point things happen and all I can think is "Palm Trees"....

Almost 4 months ago I wrote the above, some how it never actually got posted. Odds are I fell asleep on a layover and completely forgot....

Now, it has been almost 6 months since I left Virginia to set out on this crazy adventure, the not so glamorous life of a flight attendant. Haha, 2 weeks after graduation I hadn't had a meltdown yet. I'd say the meltdown came when I had to call home to ask my parents for help financially. Something I have always prided myself in never having to do. But when you have bills to pay and you can't pick up anymore trips because you are required to have 10 days off a month and you've eaten the last box of Mac n Cheese, THAT is when you officially have to suck it up, swallow your pride and call home and admit defeat. My parents have been amazing doing what they can to support me through these last few months. It has absolutely been an adjustment. I went from being able to spend money and not having to worry about anything to literally counting pennies and praying I can make it to the 15th or the 31st without calling home.... that hasn't happened yet. Mom and Dad have had to swoop in multiple times at this point, but I've gotten to the point that sometimes you have to ask for help and not that I'm at all okay with it still, but things could be so much worse and would be if I didn't call home.

In the last 4 months since FA Graduation I have learned the hardest of lessons, cried the hardest because I miss home and being broke ROYALLY sucks, cried because of how hard I was laughing with Grace and Kala, my jaw has dropped straight to the ground hearing some of the trash that has happened to us, I have learned to appreciate the simple things in life, I have gotten back in touch with the girl I once was that just enjoyed not having to spend money and instead enjoys the outdoors and venturing to new areas, whether it be a park on the other side of Dallas or Lake Grapevine, and I have made some of the best most unforgettable memories with my best friends... all because we are so broke and having to entertain ourselves in the most creative of ways.
One day when we are all hanging out and reminiscing of the "post graduation" days our kids will be so mortified and embarrassed at some of the things their moms did to A) entertain, B) threw together for dinner on a layover or even at home (because that's what was left) or C) how much debt we racked up in such a short period of time and how fast our credit scores tanked because of said debt. But we will be able to laugh at ourselves because all of this ever even happened and at some point we finally made it out of this forever deep hole we have dug. We still aren't there. The light is at the end of the tunnel, we just still can't see it, but we know its there.... somewhere. And that's what we are holding onto at this point, because quite frankly we can't afford to hold onto anything else. HA!

At times I really do miss my old job, but really if I'm completely honest with myself, I just miss the paychecks. I can honestly say if I absolutely adore my job and that's all that keeps me from running home... how much I absolutely love what I do. Not many people ever experience a love and a passion for their job. Most people spend there lives working because it's a means to an end. I wake up every morning and I'm happy and I look forward to going to work and I can't wait to see who I will be working with and I can't wait to interact with my passengers. At work I am 100% myself, that's probably both a good and a bad thing to be totally honest. I get a little too bold sometimes, but all the time I am having an absolute blast, and I always ALWAYS come home with a story.
I have met some of the most interesting, stubborn, rude, awkward, amazing, friendly people I could EVER meet, and I could have only ever met them by being in a tin tube. For example, I had an older lady (and by older I mean my grandmother older) compliment me on how I do my make up last month. So we got to talking about make up and various brands. She told me she would give me the name of a lipstick primer she swears by. And she did, she wrote down her name and phone number and the brand and offered the extra to me, because she always carries an extra in her bag. The SWEETEST passenger I have ever encountered. In June I had a little girl named "Elise" come up to first class with Kye and I and she wanted to help serve the fresh baked cookies to our First Class passengers. Before she did the last row I pinned on my wings and told her she was now officially a junior flight attendant. Nothing will warm your heart like seeing a 7 year old beam with excitement when she gets her first set of wings. It was absolutely precious and that is a moment I will never forget.

I've been coast to coast and have figured out where I never want to go again and where I would love to go back and explore some more. At some point I've going to enjoy my travel privileges more than Nicholas gets to enjoy his... but until then I'm enjoying going back and forth between my two homes and going home with Grace, where we can hangout and enjoy knowing the roads we are on and the free things that there are to do.
Aside from work and traveling! I am officially a Texan, as of August 6th!! Everything has been switched over to Texas. Doing everything I can to not come down with big hair. Yikes.

The Highlights While at the Charm Farm

Well, I have officially been out of Flight Attendant training for exactly 2 weeks today! I cannot believe how fast time is flying. It feels like life is just flying by me and for the last two and a half months I haven't had a second to sit and reflect on all that I have accomplished and be put through and learned.

So first let me officially say, I am a flight attendant with American Airlines. I know I verbally told a lot of people, but throughout training I had to keep an eye on my posts to make sure I didn't mention American Airlines directly nor mention specifics of what was going on in training, which made it really hard to write any blogs.  So now that I have free time, I'm going to catch up on all the highlights of FA training.

Work Trips

In my last post I had mentioned my base visit and how I had just gotten Dallas as my base. Right after that my girlfriend Gabby and I went onto do our very first "Work Trip". Basically, that's our opportunity to observe what it is we are learning and put what we have learned into action. It was pretty incredible, we went to Ontario California, which I had no idea existed until we found out that's where we were going. We both had a wonderful time working and getting to work together. Not only that but our crew was AMAZING and we couldn't have asked for better people to be with on our first go round.

For my second Work Trip I went to Las Vegas with two more incredible and beautiful people, Melissa and Tiffany. That is one trip I will probably never forget... Talk about how stressed out we were. We worked a 757, it went great. But we ran into some struggles getting on the aircraft, which wasn't exactly the best way for us to kick off our day. BUT IT ALL WORKED OUT! Not only was that morning stressful for all of us, but the night before I spiked one heck of a fever and ended up sitting in class for 3 hours with uncontrolable chills and just all around nastiness. The WORST place to be when your sick is in a classroom, thousands of miles away from your mom and her homemade soup... Just sayin. Luckily, I had an angel in my class that stood in for my mom and got me all kinds of stuff to kick the bug that I had. I more or less broke the fever the night before and then spiked a more mild one the next day. I got crafty and turn my bathroom into a sauna... best idea ever actually, and quite relaxing. By Sunday I was golden and laying out by the pool for 7 hours. Any vitamin C I had missed out on, I made up for that day.

So Saturday was our second Work Trip and Sunday we all had off, and that Monday was Cinco de Mayo but we had our third and final Work Trip Monday so we celebrated Cinco de Mayo a day early by the pool. The hotel staff was the best and helped us get all set up with all kinds of goodies and ice and what not. They really did become our family (since we've moved out of SpringHill, a few of us have gone back to see everyone). Cuatro de Mayo was probably the most laid back day of training any of us had had since we had been there. We had so much fun together on our last weekend at "home" together."

Then Monday came around and I got to go on my third and final trip with my roommate and wonderful friend Grace. We were beyond excited to get paired up together and our trip and crew was AWESOME and absolutely hilarious. All three of the flight attendants were new hires that were still on probation. Which was great because all of their tips and tricks we can actually use on probation, that was extremely helpful. And again, HILARIOUS crew.
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After my first Work Trip I had decided I really prefer flying FA 1 and 2. FA 1 is that Flight Attendant that works first class, and FA 2 is what we jokingly refer to as "The Galley Goddess". The "Galley Goddess" sets up the galley in main cabin and works the cart with FA 4. FA 4 is referred to as the "Princess".
Really I just like how busy those two positions stay. In first class you're always going. Your service starts the second people board and you are doing something for your passengers until you take your jumpseat to land. There's no time to be board or look for something else to do. Not to mention you don't have to use your tablet, which really is a plus. As FA 2 we stay busy for the most part, we have the responsibility of having everything stocked and ready to go. If we run out of anything during the service we run to go restock.
The tablet is a great tool to have, I just don't enjoy using it like other seem to. It's kind of a pain and I feel like it slows you down during your service. Just my opion :)

Easter Away from Home

This was my second Easter away from home. Still not a fan of being away from home for the holidays, however, this year I still spent it with family and my family at home still managed to make it extra special away from home.

My amazing little brother sent me the most gorgeous flowers and the sweetest card a big sister could get.  

And my momma sent the best Easter Basket, Lilly P and wine themed! I mean what gets better than that?! 

Our instructors even went out of their way to leave us with a smile and encouragement before dismissing us for the weekend...

Kiwi Ceremony and Graduation

The Kiwi Ceremony is a small ceremony with your classmates and your instructors. We are given a needle, a penny, and a button and then we polish the wings on the monument. These three items are then placed in a basin and represents the start of our new life and a wish that "We may never be caught poor, unkempt or with our hemline down." 

Graduation and the Wing Pinning Ceremony was obviously very emotional. After 7.5 long weeks, numerous tests, hard goodbyes, stressful and panic filled mornings and nights, the unknown of what was to come after a test, and the sheer bliss of knowing that you just finished the very last test and all sorts of other emotions just kind of exploded as we exited the auditorium. My friends and I all found each other, ended up in a big huddle and we all proceeded to lose it in front of 10 other classes and tons of guests. It wasn't until then that I had actually allowed myself to cry over anything in about 5 weeks. I had told myself to lock it up and get it done. 

For those that know me well, you know I am an emotional person. I will bottle up my emotions for a moment, but at some point I get it all out. However, I've never waited over a month to allow myself a moment to cry. But in that moment, I was with the 5 people I grew closest with, I was saying goodbye to one, and we had all made it through together, and all of it was finally over...

The night before I finally saw my parents for the first time in two months! Graduation day I finally saw Nicholas! I about lost it all over again seeing the three of them and being a family together for the first time in two months. I really couldn't believe how homesick I got while in training, it was kind of ridiculous. 

Not only did I graduate and get my wings on May 7th, but I also signed my very first lease! THose pictures will come later when that part of my life is in order :)

I have officially been out of Flight Attendant training for exactly 2 weeks today! I cannot believe how fast time is flying. It feels like life is just flying by me and for the last two and a half months I haven't had a second to sit and reflect on all that I have accomplished and be put through and learned.
Most people probably think its kind of a joke, "Why does it take 7.5 weeks to learn to pour a coke, run a credit card, and bake cookies??" Really, it's so much more than that. We are trained to be nurses, bakers, salesmen/women, flow control, direct evacuations, and how to protect and provide security to our passengers and even more behind the scenes. It's pretty intense.

Being a flight attendant has always been something I wanted to do. I'll never forget my trip to Uruguay in 1999 for New Years, the Delta FA was absolutely amazing to Nicholas and I and from that trip on being a FA was something that always tugged at my heart, especially because of the travel. Now I may not have worked my entire life to be a flight attendant, I got that, but I have worked my tail off to get to where I am. I really couldn't be more proud of myself for taking the plunge like I did. I gave up everything that was familiar an comfortable. I left a job that paid extremely well, I uprooted myself from my home and I dropped myself face first in Dallas, Texas. And I can say without any hesitation, this was the best decision I have ever made. I've supported myself 100% and I have received incredible support and encouragement from my family and friends. The only crutch I've left myself to lean on is my faith and in doing so I am in a place that I adore, doing a job that I love and I am surrounded by the most loving supportive family and friends. It has been hard, and it has been stressful and exhausting and emotionally and physically draining, but I truly wouldn't change anything. I have never been so happy on my own and with who I am.

Where Do I Start!?

Well, last I wrote I was about to head into uniform fittings... Not much to say about that except, Oh My God. The worst experience, ever. Nothing like someone basically calling you fat in a variety of different ways. But that's whatever. Luckily, I didn't cry that time... At least not that anyone saw haha.

I am OFFICIALLY based out of DFW Airport following graduation. Our instructors were amazing and had the Easter Bunny come in early and tape Easter Eggs under our chairs and apparently they were there all day long! So after dinner we were finally told and our airport codes were inside and tons of screaming, squeal, crying and laughing happened all at once. I was in tears and everyone thought I was upset, haha. One of my instructors came up to me and attempted to comfort me and said "look at this as an adventure opportunity, Dallas is great to be at!" Haha so I told her, "Oh no these are happy tears!" I am so excited to be close to family and incredible friends out here and have people I know I can turn to I case something comes up. I start indoc on May 8th, I'll spend a few days moving into my new apartment (once I find one) and then I'll be heading back to Virginia on May 11th! I cannot wait to graduate and come home and see my friends and my puppies and my bird! Haha, it's the little things. Never mind the fact that my room with be empty and I'll end up on an air mattress.

Last week we got our uniforms! And this week we started wearing them! I'm sure everyone has seen the selfies posted all week lol. We pretty much feel like Ms. Trunchble from the movie Matilda, our only redeeming qualities are our hair and make up haha. But such is life and they are slowly growing on me/us I think.

This last weekend was AMAZING. Lilly, Kala and I got to enjoy all that Uptown has to offer, pretty much love the Dallas night life. Lilly and I spent Saturday looking at apartments and exploring Dallas. We found our favorite Sushi spot! And took 3 other girls with us on Sunday. What's better than getting out of your hotel for sushi and shopping!?
As of right now I am Super 80, 737 and soon to be 757 qualified! On Saturday I will be going on my very first work trip. My girlfriend Gabby and I will be heading up to Ontario, California for the afternoon. We are so excited to finally see it all in really life and hopefully even get a chance to help out!

We had base visits yesterday! All the bases, DCA, LGA, MIA, DFW, ORD, and LAX, send out representatives and they talk about the base and what to expect, where to live, the different programs available for new hires. It was a wealth of info and their presentation left us all tears eyed and full of excitement to join the DFW family. Seriously, cannot wait!

Being here has been incredible, incredibly stressful, incredibly exciting, and emotionally draining. I had NEVER experienced being homesick before this, and I have had the worst case of it. But accepting the job offer and taking a chance was the best decision I have ever made. Seeing so many people come back to say hi to instructors and old friends, and hearing that people have been around for over 30 years just blows my mind. One of my instructors just celebrated her 38th anniversary this week and she brought in her best friend that she met while she was in training. It was so special to see them together and see what the job does.
The various opportunities a flight attendant has to branch out is so overwhelming and exciting. I can't wait to see where God takes me after training. There are so many possibilities, I'm so anxious to see what awaits! 

What a Whirlwind ( I will add pictures later!)

Hi EVERYONE!!

So sorry I haven't posted in weeks. I wrote a post on the 16th when I left for Dallas but then I never had time to post and since I've been here I haven't had any time to write and post for you. The only time I have is devoted to studying, commuting (yep, still commuting), and sleeping. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous. It's actually Spring here, I don't miss DC weather one bit. If I never come home, I'll be okay with that! Everyone is welcome to come visit! Haha.
Where to begin...

First of all, I have to say thank you to all of my beautiful friends. My girlfriends for taking me out to a going away dinner! And, spending so  much time with my niece Ava and having her come out for her first girls night with all of her adopted aunts!

My favorite Life Group girlfriends for being the incredibly beautiful women they are and making me the sweetest going away card and the most adorable and delicious cookies!

The last two weeks I was home were an absolute whirlwind. Between packing boxes, and suitcases, getting rid of junk, donating, errands, seeing people last minute and of course snuggling as much as I could with my puppies, I was literally all over the place. But because I have the best brother ever he helped me keep my head on my shoulders and get it all done, how incredible is he?!

So 2 Sundays ago, I was on a plane at 6 AM and I was in Dallas, TX by 8:20 AM CST and I have been here ever since. Kyle picked me up from DFW and we went to church and then spent lunch time with my Uncle Dick and Aunt Lucy and Steven and Brandy and their girls Olivia and Sophia. We had a fabulous lunch and I cannot wait to go see them again! I love being here!!

If I haven't used the word "love" enough, I'm IN LOVE with my new career choice. I couldn't be more in my element. I haven't been so happy or felt so fulfilled like I do here. I realized in the last couple of years I really lost myself and being here I feel more and more myself. It's so hard to explain. Just know there isn't a second of the day that goes by that I am not sitting with a smile on my face. After all that I have been through in the last year, I can vividly see how God had his hand print in every step that I took, and as hard as some of the thing were that I went through it was for a greater purpose that all led me here. And I wouldn't trade where I am right now for ANYTHING.  I have made friends quickly and I am pretty much in love with my roommate.

Speaking of roommate, her name is Alejandra, and if you haven't seen any of our pictures... your missing out. I swear it's like we've known each other for, well always. Everyone in our class was sure we knew each other before coming to training. Nope, just two peas in a pod, lol. My other girlfriends are all amazing, and I love them. I can't believe how quickly and how easy it was to make such great friends being myself, no holding back. Yes, I mean the loving, loud, obnoxious, sarcastic, sassy pain that I am... people tolerate me and some of them are just as sassy as me, it's fantastic.

Our Room:
We are sharing a really nice sized room at a hotel off campus. It's working out really well... especially since you have two girls sharing a two foot pole for closet space... yes, two feet for TWO GIRLS... We make it work tho!

As for training itself, I got a 100% on my very first test!! GOD IS SO GOOD! From here on out we pretty much have tests every day now. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to go into detail about training and what I am learning, but just know it's intense and Flight Attendants go through way more than way the passengers see.

Well, I am off to UNIFORM FITTINGS!! Crazy that I am already being fitted for a uniform!

An Empty Cube

Over the last few months (really in October when I received my tentative offer), I've been slowly weeding through the last five years over paperwork I have carefully organized and hoarded. As of today... everything is either in the trash or neatly placed in a single box. I limited myself to one box for a reason, really what am I going to do with boxes filled with paperwork I will never look at ever again and am I really going to pay to relocate this stuff and have it sit in the back of my closet for months and last, Mom will kill me if I inundate her house with one more box.
Shout-out: Thank you to my sweet and patient momma and my dad for allowing me to keep an entire apartment worth of furniture and stuff in your basement! I love you both!

Going through all these drawers was bittersweet. Bitter because I weeded through documents of my very first PMF Job Fair. I had NEVER expereinced such an event, the planning and prepping and the managing. OH MY GOD. No one will ever truly understand the amount of effort that goes into events such as that one.

The very first local event I ever spoke at at George Mason, where I almost tripped over a cord in front of 50 people.

 My first out of state outreach event in Detroit, MI where I met the Director of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Secretary Shinseki, stayed in a gorgeous casino and had the opportunity to experience what it really meant to be a public servant and how passionate I am about working with people. I'll never forget sitting with my buddy George who was a former veteran for two hours and helping him go through his resume and helping to make himself marketable.

 I found my files for NOVA and the first official form I ever filled out that would pay for one of my college classes, instead of pulling out a loan (because of the graciousness of my office and my agency I was able to pay for my associate degree out of pocket), WOOOP! NO DEBT!

 I found pictures from various team building events, pictures at EMDC and the Orientation we held in Gettysburg; my very first a three day event (out of state) I will never forget. I'll never forget singing Karaoke with my team or leaving the training center and attempting to go to the near by outlets to pick up a birthday present for a colleague because I felt bad that they were celebrating away from home and I knew I personally would have appreciated the gesture, in the end I just turned back around because I was scared I'd lose my job if anyone found out I had left the site for too long (Hahaha!).

So many memories, blood, sweat, tears and hard hours put into the last five years. And now it is all coming to an end. HOWEVER, the sweet part is knowing that although I spent a good number of hours, days and sometimes week, even months frustrated and tired I loved all that I have been privileged to do.
 Second, I know that I am making the right move. Although I love what I have been doing, going through everything just excited me even more. I am excited to see where God takes me in the next month, the next year and I am anxious to see where I am at and how I look back at things in the next five years.

On Monday the 24th my paperwork was processed confirming my resignation. I can't pick the words to describe how it felt to open that email.

Only 3 days to go... No turning back now.