Last Day At OCI

Well its my last day of school, weird. When I first started school in January (2011) it felt like it would never end. Slow moving but fast at the same time. Whats weird is my classes went by fast. I really enjoyed my classes and learning more about baking and pastry. It was easy for me to go to school every Monday-Friday because I was learning about things I enjoyed and wanted to learn more about. But classes where challenging (baking and pastry classes) and I really enjoyed that. I will definitely  miss OCI and the people I have meet here. Its been a fun year. But I am excited to leave because I get to start my new job. A new journey in my life.

Last Day in Oregon!

Well today is my last day in Oregon. Wow! I never thought this day would come. Moving to Wyoming always felt like a dream. When ever I though about Moving to Wyoming it felt like I was on a treadmill. Moving forward but never getting closer to the moving date. Even when I would see the days count down on my phone, I still couldn't get it in my head that I was leaving. Well, I am now.

I don’t even know what to fell right now, excited, nervous, scared, I have no idea. The unknown is so extreme. I will finally be an adult, I guess. Once I get to Wyoming I will start my “grown up” job. That scares me a little bit. Because after living away from my parents and having an apartment of my own I have gotten a feel for being an adult and I don’t really like it. I mean I do like growing up, but I don’t like paying my bills, well, mainly worrying about paying my bills each month. But God has always given me enough money to pay my bills, each month without fail. I don’t know why I worry about it still. God has always come through for me. He has never let me down and He never will. But I still can’t not worry about little things like money and its frustrating. I am tired of worrying. I wish that I would just turn the “worry switch” off.

All Packed Up!

Today we moved all my stuff out of the living room and into the Uhaul. It was fun packing up all my stuff, makes me more excited to move. When my Mom first saw all of my things piled up in the corner of the living room, she didn't think it would all fit into the Uhaul. But it did and I knew it would. 

My Dad packed everything into the Uhaul, he’s the best packer I know. He does a very efficient job at packing. He finds the little nooks and crannies and puts boxes in them or pictures, stuff that just fits. It was fun to watch everything fit into the trailer. To clarify, we didn’t put everything in there because we didn’t want them more fragile things to break. Like my big picture and some lamps. But that is okay we have two cars to fill up, if we need to. Now all thats left is to finish packing up my clean clothes and bathroom stuff and finish my last day of school. It is all happening so fast!

UHAUL

My parents arrived Sunday night to help me move and they brought a Uhaul (they brought a bed for my brother). I was so excited to see them. I hadn't seen them since Christmas. I never liked being two days drive away from them and it will be nice to be closer.

Now I can’t wait to see LaGrange, the school and the kitchen I will be working in. I have always been wondering how God was going to use my career choice for His glory. I always thought, ‘I am a baker, I make food that makes people fat. How will God use that?’ I never in a million years thought that He would bring me to Frontier and to be there kitchen manager. Crazy cool! Sometimes Gods opportunities surprises you, maybe thats how we know its what He planned for us. Something so cool and sometimes out of the blue that it has to be from God. 

I am so thankful for my new job and time to get away from the city and to be around believers again. When you are looking from the outside in on a group of true Christians, its hard to understand whats going on. We have a special bond, before we meet each other and that comes out when we are together. No matter who you are. 

Last Day of Work!

My last day of work was this past Friday. It was an awkward day. Everyone I worked with, well almost everyone, kept looking at me with big sad eyes. It was pretty close to awful. It also made my job harder. Even though it was my last day I still had work todo. Customers to take care of and product to work out onto the sales floor. I had to stop every ten minutes and either say good bye to someone or acknowledge that they were giving me the sad face. Which is awkward and annoying when you are trying to ring a customer up.

I don’t like to say goodbye to people. Mainly because I don’t like to hug people. Now, I don’t mind hugging my family and close friends, but other than that I really don’t want to hug you. It’s not that I don’t like you, I just don’t like to touch people or have them touch me. Yes, I know thats weird (for some people). I also don’t like to acknowledge the fact that I might never see you again. Which I don’t think main people do, so thats not so weird. 

In my case its also exciting to say goodbye. I am on to “bigger and better” things, moving up in the world (if you will). Saying goodbye means that I am leaving. Starting a new chapter in my life. But it is also sad to leave friends behind. Eventually we all move on someday, right?

Missionary

I have always wanted to be a Missionary, ever since I was little. When I was younger I would read books about Missionaries in different countries and would think their lives where so cool and exciting. I never thought that I would be a Missionary and in the States. When ever I thought about being a Missionary it was always in a different country. That's what my brain always associated a "Missionary" was; someone who serves God over seas. But that is not always true. God still needs Missionaries here in the States. Whether its to serve people in need or in my case people studying to go into ministry fields.

Count Down

I have been counting down the days until I leave for Wyoming. Today I realized that it was bad idea. I will be leaving in a week. I had a slight panic attack, now it wasn't that bad. I started thinking about what I will be doing first and that's meeting new people and having to make friends. Now I don't know about you but I don't like to meet new people. Meeting a new person here and there is not bad. But meeting a community of people. Coming in and being the outsider, doesn't sound fun to me. It wouldn't be so bad if it was the beginning of the school year, because I wouldn't be the only new person. But I am coming in, at the end of the year and everyone there already knows everyone and they have formed clicks. I know that in a few weeks it will be alright and I will have made friends and start to get a hang of how things run around the school, so I can't wait for that.

Its also a good thing that I am counting the days. Because then the 14th doesn't just sneak up on me and then I am not prepared to move at all. But it gets me thinking and worrying about the little that could go wrong or like I said meeting new people. I was thinking that I would only worry about stuff during the drive to LaGrange, then I would have only been worrying a day or two, not a whole week. Not much I can do about that now.

Its also fun to count down the days. It reminds me, everyday that something exciting is coming. I don't really know how things will play out, but I do know that it will be fun and probably challenging. No it will be challenging. But that's okay something to change up my boring life. Now I am getting excited again. Panic attack over. Hopefully I won't have another and I won't worry so much about the what ifs. There is not much I can do about them anyway and worrying never helps.

Moved out...

Most of my stuff waiting to be moved to Wyoming

At the end of February our lease was up in our two bedroom apartment, convenient huh. It was the perfect timing. My roommate got married in October and was going to move out in a month to be with her husband, who is just about to finish basic training for the Air Force. And, as you know, I will be moving to LaGrange, WY on March 14th. And neither of us could afford the apartment on our own.

This was another reason that I knew moving to Wyoming was the right decision. I have found in my lifetime, that when God wants you to do something. Everything works out. All the pieces of moving and traveling falling into place. God works everything out for you. So you don't have a reason to back out. Except for your fear and insecurities. But I can't give into to my fears and insecurities. I have heard stories from different people regretting not taking the amazing opportunities they had in there lives. I know that if I didn't go to Wyoming I would later regret it and I have no reason to stay here. I don't want to work at TRU for the rest of my life and I miss being close to my parents. So, yes Gods plan is ten times better than mine and I know for a fact that His plans will always be better than mine and I will continue to follow Him.

On February 27th our roommate moved back home to Utah for a month. And on the 28th, I helped my brother move into his one bedroom apartment on the other side of the building. Where our old apartment was, on the top floor (funny, huh). I piled my stuff in the corner of my brothers living room and am sleeping on the couch (because my little brother took over my bed). Waiting till I finish school and then I am out of here.

Leaving Work

After putting in my two weeks notice at Toys R Us, I can't have a single conversation with one of my coworkers without them reminding me that I am leaving. They don't need to remind me, I am so excited, that I am counting the days. I wont miss working at TRU because its not the best company to work for. But I will miss some of the people I work with. After working somewhere for over a year you are bound to make friends and I will miss them.

I feel like working a TRU is like working in a black hole. If you don't take the opportunity to get out you never will. Most of the mangers working there have been there for 15 or more years. I couldn't imagine working at TRU for that long. Long hours and angry customers to deal with everyday. Is not my cup of tea. What is even crazier to me, is that I can see most of my managers are happy working there, which is good, you should like where you work.

Deep Cleaning

Depending on how nice you were to your old apartment you have the opportunity to receive most of your deposit back (depending on the apartments rules). Along with that cleaning your apartment helps your mission, to get your deposit back. But who likes to clean? Not most people. And deep cleaning for those people is the worst.

Now I don't mind cleaning. Because I like having a clean apartment and I have been doing it most of my life, so its easy for me. But cleaning a place to leave is not fun. You don't get to enjoy the cleanness of the apartment. All you have to look forward to is getting, hopefully, most of your deposit back. Even then you don't know if cleaning your apartment will help your cause. I think it helps your chances, though.

Cleaning the oven is one of the worst parts about deep cleaning. In my opinion the oven is the most neglected (as far as cleaning goes) appliance in a house, making it vary hard to clean. There are really great oven cleaners that you can purchase to make your job a lot easier. Its still an awkward appliance to clean, especially if you have short arms. But isn't it nice to have a sparkling clean oven? I think so!

I'm Leaving...

Its funny how, when you announce to the world that you are leaving. Everyone you haven't seen in over six months to a year, want to hang out with you all a sudden. It doesn't matter why you stopped talking to them in the first place. Whether you kept inviting them to hang out with you and they declined each offer, so eventually you stop asking if they wanted to hang out and you lose contact. Or in my case you don't really live close enough to hang out all the time. Either each party has to travel 20 minutes (which in the city, this is a long drive) to see each other or make plans, around our busy schedules, to hang out. Which can be troublesome. Or you just get to caught up in your life that you forget you have friends that live nearby, that you can hang out with.

See most of my friends in the area I met at Ecola Bible School in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Probably, well so far anyway, the best two years of my life. You create a special bond with the people who attend Ecola. You sort of, become like family with most. So when you go from seeing them each day to barely seeing them (well the people who living near by) at all, it stinks. And getting a chance to see them for a couple of hours before you leave is a blessing. Its a good time reminisce about the old days. It can be slightly awkward. But for the most part I have learned that it can be fun and worth it.

Why Wyoming?

Some of you might be asking, Why on earth would you move to Wyoming? Well I got an amazing job there and my parent currently live there. Its a win, win for me! Plus I didn't grow up in the city and I am ready for a break.

Now you know where LaGrange is.

The story starts in December, about a week before Christmas my parents arrived, to stay for break (my Father is attending Frontier School of The Bible, in LaGrange, Wyoming). The night they arrived we were all talking in my living room. My Mother (works as Frontiers registrar) tells me that Frontier would like me to come and be their new kitchen manager. She was so excited to tell me and I was freaking out! Excited but still freaking out! I didn't know what to think.

My Mother, Oldest Brother, Father and Me.

I asked my Mom why me? She said that the kitchen manager had heard that I was attending Culinary school and that I was also taking management classes and recommended me as his replacement. I was baffled. "Mom do they know that I am only 21 and that I am primarily studding Baking and Pastry?" I asked. "Yes and its because you are taking the management classes that the director of the school asked me to talk to you about the job. Think about it and pray about it. You have time to decide." My Mom said.

A couple of days before my parents arrived I was going about my daily routine and I was tired of it. I was in need of a change. Not only was I working a lot those few months. Because of the Holidays and I was also on my externship. Basically working two jobs at the busiest time of the year. I was stressed out and thinking I didn't want to bake anymore. And here this opportunity came. It basically smacked me in the face. An answer to my prayers. I knew right away that I wanted to take the job, but I didn't know if this was what God had planned for me.

Theoretically I know how to run a kitchen. That's what I have been studying for the past year, but I have very little experience and was unsure if I could. "Listen," my Dad says, "the director of the school doesn't do anything without pray about it first. Not only do your Mother and I think you can do it, but the director does and so does God." This is why I said yes. I knew my parents would be there to help and know from experience that God has never let me down and He has never put me into a situation that I couldn't handle without His help. I knew this was the job for me. The next adventure in my life.

And that is why I am heading to Wyoming. Most of my bags, well boxes, are packed and I gave my two weeks notice to Toys R Us! 16 more days and I am out of the city!

Road Trip Anyone?

Ah... road tripping. What a blast it can be. I have taken many road trips in my lifetime. From Colorado to Oregon, Oregon to Colorado, Colorado to New Mexico, Colorado to New York, and many more.

Colorado to Oregon

When I was younger my parents would rent an RV and we would travel all over the States. Those where some of the best vacations I can remember. Even when we didn't rent an RV we still had a blast. My parents would remove the bucket seats from our van and put blankets in there place. Making a flat spot for us to hang out. We had this tiny TV (I think it was about 10 inches), that we would watch movies on and play our Nintendo 64. Man it was awesome!

Colorado to New Mexico

Oregon to Colorado

This is probably why I crave road trips now, good thing I am moving to LaGrange, Wyoming. What a road trip that will be. Or is it because of the possibilities that road trips hold? It's not like traveling by air, where you only get to see things from above. You can't stop and check stuff out. All a sudden you are at your destination. Which is good when you need to be somewhere fast.

 But it takes the fun out of traveling. You don't get so see all the pretty sites in the air. Sure some places aren't fun to drive through, like Utah, but most will surprise you.

Moving

Who likes to move? No one really. Its hard work. Unless you hire movers. Then you can sit back and relax. But once you get to your new place, its awesome. If you like change. Which every once and a while change is good and needed.

Packing for Wyoming move

Well if you are anything like me you don't like the process of moving, but you love the after effects. Sure the packing can be kind of fun, for a while. But your stuff seems to multiply and you have to get even more boxes than you planned. That's not so bad if you don't have to pay for them. If you have to pay for boxes than it sucks. Its just more money you did think you had to spend. And you need boxes to move. Well if you want be organized when you move. Which, in my opinion is the best way to move. It makes moving your things and unpacking easier.

There are many advantages to moving. You get to go through all your stuff and get rid of things that you no longer use or need and your new place can be clutter free. You can even sell your furniture and get some new stuff, which is awesome. I mean who doesn't like new stuff?

All in all I would say moving is worth it. Sure it's hard work, but isn't it worth it at times. Change up your life and start something new and exciting.