The Highlights of my 20s

On the eve of my 30^th birthday, I decided to reflect back on the last decade of my life and the highlights of my twenties. It seems impossible that time went by so quickly. I have been so blessed with a wonderful life surrounded by amazing people.

1)     Relationship with Jonathan (19 – forever)

Technically, I met Jonathan when I was 19— four months shy of my twentieth birthday. Our relationship spanned my entire twenties! I'm so glad we experienced so much together. 

2)     Getting a Sister (Age 21)

My older brother got married when I was 21. I got to be maid of honor at their wedding and I got a sister for the first time!

3)     Years at Grace College/Graduation (Age 22)

I would never say I regret going to Grace. My best friends were there and I met my husband there. But sometimes I think, I went to college ten hours away from home and I went to….rural Indiana? Sometimes I wish I would have gone ten hours south or to a big city. Regardless, it was a good time and I think it had a really fantastic education program.  

4)     Becoming an Aunt (Age 22)

Being an aunt is so much fun. I can have fun with them, spoil them…then send them home! I became an aunt again two years later and now I have a niece and a nephew. I love watching them grow! Being an aunt is one of my favorite things in life.

5)     Spring Break Trip to Ireland (Age 22)

It was cold and overcast most of the time, but it was a fantastic trip. We flew to Dublin, spent a few days exploring there then drove across the country. It was amazing and I met a lot of great people.

6)     First Real Teaching Job (Age 22)

My first job was a 2 long term substitute positions for the same school district. For the first semester, I was the literature and grammar teacher for special education students. I really loved my students and became good friends with my teacher’s aide. The second semester was as a second grade teacher. That definitely wasn’t my favorite class…but it was a learning experience!

7)     Friends Getting Married and Having Kids (Age 22-- ?)

It is weird when friends start getting married. It is even weirder when they start having babies. It was the first time I started to feel old- like I was becoming a real adult. I remember thinking that everything would change. I had the privilege of being in or attending several of my best friend’s weddings.  I sat in the hospital for hours with the first of my friends to have a baby. I have attended wedding showers, bachelorette parties, baby showers and first 1^st birthday parties. They were all very special moments. It will be a blink of an eye and then I will be at Carter, Reed, Theo, and Cohen’s graduations, weddings and baby showers (seriously… one of my friends has to have a girl!) I love when my friends are happy. I am super excited that 2 of my best friends are expecting now and both are due in May! It definitely takes work to maintain friendships once you become adults. I’m so lucky that my best friends have stood the test of time and distance!

8)     Trip to Paris and The Central African Republic (Age 23)  

I remember calling one of my best friends, Jessica, and telling her I had just signed up for a missions trip to Africa. I never expected her to want to come too. That was the most eye-opening trip I’ve ever been on and definitely a highlight of my 20s… and probably the rest of my life. It was icing on the cake that we had a day layover in Paris and got to explore the city. Experiencing it with Jessica made it even more special.

9)     Trip to Vietnam (Age 24)

Yeah, I love to travel. So when the opportunity arose for me to go to Vietnam, I was more than willing. The way it worked out was really crazy, and I’m so glad it did. I met more great people and it was a beautiful country.

10)  First Teaching Job in Sixth Grade (Age 25)

Throughout college I always thought I wanted to teach younger kids. I thought third grade was the highest level I’d ever want to teach. But then, I got another long term substitute position teaching sixth grade. I absolutely fell in love with that age. After that position, I knew sixth grade was where I wanted to be.

11)  Move to Ohio (Age 25)

It took me awhile to decide I wanted to move to Ohio. Jonathan was in grad school in Ohio and I was living in Pennsylvania and the long distance relationship thing was not working. If we wanted a relationship that was more than just a phone call a day, I had to pack up and move. So I did. My apartment in Ohio was the first time I lived alone. No family. No roommates.  It was a small place that was always cold, but it was cute and it was all mine.

12)  Teaching at Mansfield Christian (Age 25-29)

A lot of my MCS friends might not know this, but I was actually first hired as the elementary art teacher. And not because I was good at art. They just needed a teacher and I applied. I was hired the week before school started. While I was packing up to move, the principal called me and asked if I’d rather teach 6^th grade. Uh, YES! I still remember the exact place I was the first time I talked to a woman named June Hagan. I haven’t stopped talking to her since that day! I spent three years in sixth grade and loved every class. I moved to second grade for my last year at MCS and had a fantastic year. I also loved my colleagues at MCS. They were the best teammates in the entire world. I hope I am friends with them for the rest of my life.

13)  First Pet (Age 26)

I was never, ever, ever, ever a cat person. I wasn’t really even a pet person in general. But when my parent’s farm cat had kittens they were loveable and cuddly and I was smitten right away. Tico was my favorite from the start, which is a good thing because he is the only one of two that has survived!

14)  Marrying Jonathan (Age 27)

Yeah, it took us forever to get married. But, it was the right time for us and we couldn’t be happier. He makes me happy every day and we have so much fun together.

15)  Trip to Cancun (Age 28)

We took a trip with one of our best “couple friends”. I think it is really special to have another couple that you can vacation with. I know a lot of couples and I love them all. But, vacationing with them takes something unique. It was a super fun trip and we have a pact to leave the kids behind every so often so we can get away together.

16)  Getting Another Sister (Age 29)

My other brother’s wedding was a few months ago and he couldn’t have picked a better girl! I love Vanessa and I love how happy she makes my brother.

17)  The Great Adventure (Age 29)

The idea to go off on an adventure began a while ago, but started to become more serious a year ago. I never expected that we’d be in Maine… but I am glad we are. With the exception of the ridiculous tax rate, we love it here and are glad we escaped for a year or two.  We are only in the beginning- we have lots more to do and explore!

3 Month Maineversary!

Today is our 3 Month Maineversary!

In honor of this milestone, here is a list to summarize the last three months of our adventure:

1) We love living on the coast. Walking on the beach is our favorite activity to do together. We don’t walk the beach as often in cold weather, but we bundle up and take a stroll at least once a week. It relaxes us.

2) We have yet to find a Chinese restaurant that has better general tso chicken then Beijing Schezwan (Lititz, PA) or spring rolls as good as Molly Woos (Columbus, OH). We also haven’t found a local pizza place that will be “our place”. We have tried three places, but none are better than Today’s Pizza (Mt. Joy, PA). Maybe we have too high of expectations.

3) We love Portland. It is the coolest city. We love the culture, restaurants, location, and pretty much everything else.

4) There have definitely been things we never expected. The biggest one being the craziness of my former job that yes, is still an issue (but I can’t elaborate any more right now). It wouldn’t be an adventure without a few bumps in the road, right?

5) For some reason, I thought that living in a big apartment complex would be like living in a dorm. I pictured people leaving their doors open and having people just stop in to say hi. Yeah, it is absolutely nothing like that. I still don’t think I’ve ever seen the girl who lives beside us. But, we do love living in our building.

6) We have yet to register our cars or get a Maine driver's license. If we get caught it will be a huge fine. Apparently they are really strict about it. We definitely need to do it soon., but it is just such  a hassle and super expensive. 

7) We have become involved in GracePoint Church. The church is full of young people and we like going to their small group on Tuesday nights. I got on the nursery and "morning munchies" schedule and Jonathan is on the offering schedule. He even lead small groups last week when the Pastor and his wife were in the hospital for the birth of their 2nd daughter. 

8) We have met some great people. I hope we continue to grow closer and form great friendships.

Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Visit Us In The WINTER!

10.  There is a winter farmer's market in the mill across the river from ours. 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saco-River-Winter-Market/237304256322205

9. We want to go dogsledding and it is cheaper with a group of 4 J

http://www.mainedogsledding.com/packages.html

8. Portland is still a hopping city during the winter. In fact, the locals told us that First Friday gets better in the winter.

7. We will take you snowshoeing! I’m excited to go snowshoeing along the beach.

6. We can get pizza and go to a coffee shop without leaving our building.

5. You can do downhill skiing with Jonathan….or sit in the lodge with me!

http://skimaine.com/

4. Portland ranks among the top U.S. cities in restaurants and bars per capita with over 230 restaurants. Some locals say we are second to San Francisco, but I've never found any facts to back up this claim. (if its not on wikipedia...its not true!) Nonetheless, there are a ton of cool restaurants. We would like to restaurant hop and go to a different place for appetizers, main course, dessert, etc. We have already discovered the best place for calamari!

3. LL Bean has an outdoor school that gives lessons on various winter activities. 

https://100.llbean.com/join-the-fun/

2. Acadia is just as beautiful in the winter!

http://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/winteractivities.htm

1. We are here…and you love us!

It's a Small World After All

It's funny how we have met so many people with connections to home!

One of the first couples we were "set up with" was from my friend Tara. Tara and I were in youth group together and were suitemates in college. This is really morbid, but on 9/11 I always think of Tara because she was the one that walked into our bathroom and told me that a plane hit the tower. Anyway, she let me know of a couple that she knew  that moved to Biddeford for Medical School at UNE. The husband is a Mt. Calvary grad, of all things! But, he was considerably younger than all the Mt. Calvary grads that I hung around with so we didn't really swap many stories. He is in his first year of med school so they are very busy, but we did manage to meet up for breakfast one Sunday and hope to do it again soon.

The second time was when we went to set up a bank account. The bank guy, Jason, needed our phone numbers and when I told him mine he was like, "717? Are you from Lancaster?". Turns out he was a Millersville University grad and lived in Lancaster for several years after college. He moved to Maine because his parents moved up here a few years ago. We both agreed that First Friday in Lancaster is amazing but that Portland can give it a run for it's money. He also commented that Lancaster is like a mini-Portland which is one of the things Jonathan noticed when we drove in for the first time. And one of the things that made us excited to move here.

The third time was at a picnic at a church that we attended a few times (but haven't officially decided if that is where we'll land). The church was having a picnic afterwards so we stayed. We ended up meeting another couple that moved up to Maine for medical school. The wife was from Pittsburgh, which is not as close of a connection, but it's still Pennsylvania so it counts. We have a coffee date with them next week so hopefully we can get to know them better.

The fourth time was when I went to training for my new job (which I will have to explain more of in future blog posts). I met a guy named Thomas that is originally from Maine, but went to grad school at Ohio State. We talked about our favorite places to go in Columbus and about the ridiculousness of Ohio State fans.

I didn't officially meet her at the training, but during my first week of work, I met a girl named Heather that was from Zanesville, OH and moved up to Maine a year ago to help her parents start a bed and breakfast. I didn't know the Zanesville area very well so we didn't have many connections that way, but we shared a mutual frustration with how annoying it was to transfer our Ohio teaching licenses to Maine.

It's funny how life and people are so intertwined.

The other day, someone asked me if we had any snow in Maine yet. Um, Maine is not the Yukon. No, we have not had snow. I haven’t even had to scrape ice off my car yet. It has been a very typical fall here. The leaves peeked earlier than in Ohio or Pennsylvania but that has been the only noticeable weather difference.

We tried several times to go leaf peeping but I think it has rained almost every weekend in late September- October. We made several weekend plans to go to Acadia, Franconia, NH and Stowe, VT but they were all rained out. We were going to go up to Camden, ME (which was voted the prettiest small town in Maine) this Saturday—but of course, it is going to rain. We did manage to see some pretty trees, but there is less near the coast. It was disappointing—I love fall weather, leaves, etc.  Maybe next year.  

I think winter will come earlier here. I hate winter. People keep telling us that Maine winters are milder near the coast so I am hoping that is true. But, I figured if I moved north, I might as well embrace the winter. Our Christmas gifts to each other this year are going to be snowshoes and winter gear.  There is a state park about 5 mins from us that has great, flat snowshoeing trails that will be good for us beginners.  Jonathan is excited to do some downhill skiing, but that scares me because I’m really bad at stopping. Every time I’ve gone downhill skiing, I’ve had to fall down to stop. I’m hoping to take a lesson or two. I would also like to try cross-country skiing. We’ll see.  

Sure, I like technology. I grew up with a dad that worked for IBM—which meant that I could use a computer before I could talk and learned my ABCs on a dot matrix alphabet game.  I spent hours with my brothers and neighbors conquering King’s Quest, Police Quest and MYST (to name a few).

I used AOL instant messenger all the time in high school. And even back then I was aware at how much time could be wasted on the internet. But, it was the thing to do. And pre-facebook it was the way to keep in touch with friends when I went off to college.  

So when the IM phase died down and facebook started sweeping the nation I was hesitant to join. First, I was trying to figure out some life stuff and didn’t want everyone in my business. Second, I didn’t want to be consumed by technology again. But alas, I made a promise to Lucy that when I moved to Ohio, I would join so it would be easier to keep in touch. And it was. It was fun. I loved catching up with people and allowing people to see what I was up to as well.  

But other than computers, I’ve never cared that much about the latest and greatest technology.I just don't like how people get consumed with so much "stuff".  I’ve never had an ianything. Wait… I take that back. I do have an ipod nano from circa 2005 but I have no idea where it is. And last year I was an iphone for Halloween so we’ll count that.

 

Up until 6 months ago, I still had a huge tube tv. We got our first GPS right before we moved to Maine. Last week we set up our first blu-ray player and just this past Tuesday, I got my first real smart phone. Which I call my "B Student" phone because it is not as "smart" as an iphone or droid (the A Students).

So I’ve recently added pinterest and instagram to the repertoire of things that can waste my time. Which on rainy days like today can be very nice.  I still enjoy keeping up on facebook, I’ve gotten a lot of cool ideas off of pinterest, and instagram seems cool so far. But, I just don’t want to become one of those people who is attached to their phone at all times. I don’t want to experience things through instagrams instead of just being  there. A few nights ago Jonathan and I were walking the beach and the sunset was gorgeous. I mean, gorgeous.  At first I was bummed that I had forgotten my camera but then realized that just living in the moment was better anyway (You can never really capture the beauty of a sunset in a photograph, after all).

I want to make sure I am not allowing these things to consume all my time. We moved to have an adventure and we specifically wanted to go to a state with lots to do outdoors.  I want to be intentional with the time I'll have in this beautiful state. 

I’m not swearing off facebook. I’m excited to use instagram and I’ll probably use recipes off pinterest to cook dinner tomorrow. 

I will, however, never get a twitter. Never. Ever. 

"The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people."  --Karl Marx

A Book's Cover

Before we moved many people told us to beware of snobby New Englanders. They told us they were not welcoming to outsiders and we'd never really fit in (to be fair, we might not ever fully fit in because their accent is very distinct and hard to do!). I'm sure there are stereotypes of every region of the United States. I've known people from West Virginia who weren't rednecks or married to their cousins. I had a friend from California who wasn't blond, tan and materialistic.  I can't speak for any of the other New England states because I haven't been to them much, but Mainers have been nothing but kind and welcoming. One shop owner in Kennebunk told us we were locals now and should come in anytime for a discount. Everyone we've talked to has welcomed us and told us all the great things about living here.

I'm sure there are snobby people somewhere out there in Maine. Just like there were snobby people in Ohio.  And probably Pennsylvania too...but you might have to search harder to find them  :)

Red Tape

The boxes are unpacked and we are settling in to real life now. Jonathan started his new job and it is going well so far. He likes his boss, team, etc. Our benefits through his company are really great so that is a huge blessing. Some hobbies we were excited about trying, but weren't sure if we could afford, are included in our wellness package. The company is all about preventative, so we get perks for staying healthy and active.

There have definitely been ups and downs though. Things with my job have been nothing but red tape and waiting. When I applied for my Maine license it seemed that everything would transfer easily since both Maine and Ohio were part of the "interstate agreement". And almost everything did--- except for one lowsy Praxis test. Between Praxis tests in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio and now Maine I think I have more Praxis tests than any teacher ever. I'm not worried about passing it, it is just expensive and time consuming and annoying. I did have an interview with a principal today for subbing and she said that I will be able to stay as busy as I want to be because they need subs. So that is good news. And who knows what subbing will lead to.

At the end of last school year, I printed off a picture of the class I had and on the back I wrote Jeremiah 29:11. And I told myself that whenever I got frustrated or impatient with things, it would serve as a reminder that God's plan for my life is way better and more perfect than any plan of mine. If things last year would have gone MY way I wouldn't have had the best year of my teaching career. Sure, I'd rather be a "real" teacher than a substitute and I'd rather not have to take another test, but it was a sacrafice I was willing to make to have this adventure. I know God's plan for me is the best there is so I will rest in that.

Moving Weekend!

We definitely had our share of labor over Labor Day weekend! We packed up and left Ohio on Thursday, August 30th. I thought that loading the Uhaul would take maybe two hours tops.....uh, not even close. We pulled out almost three hours later than planned, but we finally got on the road.

When we left Ohio on Thursday, we drove six hours to my parent's house in Pennsylvania.... well, it should have taken six hours. It took a whole lot longer with a Uhaul towing a car. We had a lot of furniture and my classroom supplies to drop off in their barn for storage. But because of the way we had to load it, we had to take everything out of the truck to separate the storage boxes from the boxes going to Maine. As if loading a truck once wasn't enough. 

We heading up to Maine at the butt crack of dawn on Saturday. My brother, Chad was coming along to drive the Uhaul and help us unload it. It was nice chatting with him during the ride up, which of course took a lot longer than I expected. Apparently, I am terrible at judging lengths of time. The eight hour drive I was expecting turned into a ten hour drive. Alas, we got there safely but completely exhausted. 

Unloading went better than we anticipated and we finished with time to spare. It was fun having Chad along and I'm glad it worked out for him to come up. Does he count as a visitor if he arrived the same time we did? I think he counts as our first official guest. We dropped him off at the airport in Boston on Sunday night. I think he should have stayed until everything was set up and put away! :) 

I don't think it hit me that we were alone in our new state until we dropped Chad off at the airport. It was a feeling of homesickness even though honestly, I've never considered Ohio to be "home". Chad was the last person I had to say goodbye to so it felt more real once I watched him walk away. Suddenly, it was just us coming back to our apartment with boxes everywhere. I am ready to get everything put away and organized so we can get on with regular life, explore the area,  and hopefully start meeting people!

Before...

Our apartment in Ohio was decorated with dark, warm colors. Which I thought I wanted at the time but I quickly realized that it wasn't my style. Our apartment in Maine has an open floor plan with tons of natural light. I want lots of cool colors- light blues, greens, yellows, white, etc. You need to have light colors if you live by the sea, afterall.

We can't afford to buy everything new so we're thinking of ways to bring in more colors. We found this hideous chair at a thrift store for $15. We liked the bones of it, so we bought fabric to get it reupholstered.

After contacting several places, we realized how expensive it is to reupholster! But, at least we got to pick the fabric. We also had a friend from Jonathan's work make us pillows as a goodbye present. I'm hoping it will add some color to our couch. 

Stay tuned for the AFTER pictures and more craft projects. T-minus 3 days!

Stuck in the Middle

It is a very weird feeling not to be starting school. How is it possible that every close friend of mine in Ohio is a teacher? It’s not just the friends I made at Mansfield Christian School- Jonathan’s guy friends married teachers and all the friends I’ve picked up along the way are teachers.  I guess it proves that teaching is the greatest profession on earth! Anyway, they are all busy starting new school years and I’m left without my swimming and shopping buddies!

It all adds to the feeling of being stuck in the middle right now. We’re still a week from moving and it feels like we’re cutting ties here but obviously, we haven’t started any in Maine yet.  Ohio isn’t home anymore, but Maine isn’t home yet.

Today Jonathan came home to a dozen craft projects strewn across the floor. Without having a classroom to set up, I needed a creative outlet! At least I have pinterest!

"Why Are You Moving to Maine?"

The other day, I was telling a friend that I missed journaling and should pick it up again when I move to Maine. After journaling for much of my childhood, I stopped a few years go. I know myself enough to know that I would not find the time to actually write in a journal. So I thought I would give this a try. We’ll see how long it lasts.

The most common question I have been asked lately is, “Why are you moving to Maine?” or “Do you know anyone in Maine?” Well, let me explain.

When Jonathan and I got married, we often talked casually about moving somewhere different for a temporary adventure. Back then, it seemed like something we’d put on our “leap list”… but not something we’d actually do. But in the last year, we started talking about it more seriously. We started talking about places we’d love to move to-- our first choice being Colorado Springs, Colorado.  We wanted to be somewhere with lots to do outdoors. We wanted to explore a part of the country that we have never lived in.

We decided that Jonathan would lead the job search since he makes more money and I could be a substitute anywhere. Jonathan started applying to places in Colorado in February, but nothing was coming out of it. There didn’t seem to be very many opportunities for him there. Our decision became more real in April when I needed to decide whether I was going to sign my teaching contract, or resign. I labored over that decision for days. I loved my job, I loved my school and I loved my colleagues. But, I was dying for an adventure. 

So I officially resigned in April. That decision made everything more real. There was no going back now.

But, Jonathan still didn’t have a job. We decided to expand our search to North and South Carolina. He had a few interviews- but still, nothing came out of it. I was anxious at times, but for the most part I had a peace that we would end up somewhere we would love.  At the end of June, he found an opening in Biddeford, Maine, which is a few miles south of Portland. I google mapped it and as soon as I saw all the blue on the screen I made him apply right away.

A few weeks went by and he hadn’t heard anything. But, that whole time I just had a feeling. Like I knew we were going to end up there. I even actually told someone we were moving to Maine- and he hadn’t even had an interview. I was doing the dishes on July 8^th when Jonathan came running into the kitchen yelling, “Maine called! Maine called!” He ended up having a phone interview that afternoon, which was really weird since it was a Sunday. Three additional interviews and a weekend visit later, Jonathan officially accepted the job!

Do we know anyone in Maine? No. Not a single person. But, we’ll have each other. It will be a time for us to meet new people, step out of our comfort zone and lean on each other when things get hard.

So, why are we moving to Maine? Because it’s beautiful. Because it’s by the coast. Because we can hike, ski and kayak. Because we want to learn the New England accent. Because we're young without kids. Because we love new experiences. Because lobster is cheap. Because we want an adventure.