Well, we have made it! The move from San Diego to Pensacola has finally arrived. It has been a long road trip (28 hours), but a successful one. We were fortunate enough to not encounter any car trouble and minimal road construction. It is time to sign our lease tomorrow and then, of course, head to the beach!
Rodriguez take over the South!!!
Well after a rough week last week, Michael and I decided to have a little getaway to clear our heads. We packed the car and headed to Palm Springs! It was gorgeous! If you ever get the chance to go, take it!
Palm Springs is a small (population 43,000), desert town that is perfect for a relaxing, resort feeling. There are golf courses galore, restaurants, cute shops and calming pools. When we first got to town we went on the Aerial Tramway which was amazeballs! This is a tram that takes you on a 10 minute ride to the top of the mountain at 8,500ft elevation. It was 84 degrees at the bottom and 40 degrees at the top where we enjoy hiking in the snow and a breathtaking view! That adventure alone was worth the trip.
We didn't go just for the snow, we went to blow off some stress and have some fun together. Well, we definitely did! We went out that night, met some locals, met some Canadians, and watched a 50 yr. old bartender spit fireballs from her mouth. It was the distraction we needed.
After a great weekend together we are back to reality. Planning our move is consuming most of our time, but we are also enjoying planning out our "Lasts in San Diego. We have already thought of a few restaurants we, for sure, want to have one last time and we look forward to all the other "Lasts" we are going to experience.
Things in the Rodriguez household are starting to get busier. I have been fortunate enough to have been attending a class for the Navy for the last couple months. It has been incredibly less stressful than being on the ship, but now things are starting to pick up. Michael and I are moving back to Pensacola, FL in April so planning the big move back is in full swing.
Job changes, moving all of our belongings and leaving our Cali friends are just a few of the stressors that are coming down the line, but as much as I hate moving and all the stress.....I love change. I love exploring new places and new things and although we have been to Pensacola before, this time will be completely different; we have different jobs, two cars, a little money in the bank and will be there for years so we can really settle in.
I am not sure if I am ready for the people of Pensacola, but I sure do miss those beaches!! And mellow mushroom (our favorite pizza place)!!! I think one of the things I will enjoy most is strolling down memory lane from the first time we were there. Pensacola is really where Michael and I built up our relationship and actually got married there so thinking back to the day as we stand on the beach again will be special. :)
We will see what this round of Pensacola livin' will bring us.
Holy Shit! So I leave in one week from tomorrow! Kind of crazy....wait..no....REALLY CRAZY! Time as surely flown by since I first enlisted back in July.
I took a very big step today towards this new life.....I cut my hair. It's incredibly short. I'm not sure if I like it yet or not. I know it's just hair and it will grow back. My hair grows fast too so it shouldn't be too horrible. I also need to remember how nice it will be to not have to worry about dealing with it while I'm at basic training. *sigh* I think it will just take some time to get used to.
On the up side....the weather up here in Fargo is absolutely horrible which makes me really look forward to being in Florida in a couple of months. So glad I will have a short, 2 month winter in chicago then off to a land with no snow! :) :) :)
Starting the count down......7
I will never cut my hair that short again! So many people loved it, but after a couple weeks I wasn't so crazy about it. Haha
It is definitely summer in San Diego! It typically doesn't get cold in SoCal, but it is not hot during the winter months. The sun isn't as close to us so the air is pretty cool in the evening/night. Well, February is the new June! It has been a gorgeous 85 degrees all weekend and I plan on spending another afternoon relaxing by the pool. I always think about going to the beach but it really isn't that great of an idea. The sand is usually covered in seaweed, depending which beach, and there is always a 10 degree difference between inland and the ocean, so while it is nice and hot at my house it is cooler and windy on the ocean; it is just best to walk the 1 block down the road to the pool.
Here's to getting my tan on!
Living in Fargo seems like forever ago!
So as I was driving to work today, rocking out to the radio like usual, the DJ's starting talking about a man who was hit by a train earlier this morning. Its quite sad but then it gets even sadder. There are eye witness reports that this man purposly stepped in front of the train. There was a woman in her car waiting for the train to pass on Broadway and Main Ave, which is directly in the middle of downtown, when she saw this man standing on the sidewalk watching the train come in their direction. She said she thought that he was just waiting for the train to pass so he could cross the tracks but then watched him step right in front of the train right before it got to the crossing. That makes this story even sadder! I don't know why it struck me so much but I just can't imagine standing, waiting for a train to come so I can step in front of it. And the poor train conductor who, i'm sure, felt horrible and completely helpless as this man was hit. I just feel bad for this man and his family and friends. Just some news today that saddened my heart.
On a much happier note.......I GET TO GO HOME TOMORROW!!!Erin is leaving for school the end of next week and Joe a few days after that so I'm heading to Alexandria for some fun in the sun with my siblings who i love oh so much! It's kind of weird to think that once they leave for school i'm only goign to see them one more time at Ben's wedding in the middle of October. Then i wont see them until end of December when they come to see me graduate basic training! So crazy! I'm going to miss them so much!!! My family meansthe world to me and their support through all of this has only helped me stay positive about my decision. Wooty Woot!!! A few days full of swimming, boating, tanning, movies, gossiping, delicious food, laughs, relaxing, Great Hunan, erin's awesome puppy chow, Go! with Joe, and tetherball!!!
work can't go fast enough tomorrow!
I am bringing my old blog entries back to life. :) my original blog was started when I first enlisted, my 2nd blog was started when I first got married and I just kind of dropped my original one. I reread some of the original posts and thought it would be good to share those. Those posts are a small glimpse into my first few months of the biggest turning point of my life. Enjoy!:)
Well I figured the best way to share my newest adventure was to start a blog. I think writing all my thoughts and feelings out will help me keep any stress or anxiety down and any excitement and happiness up. With my newest life changing decision the best way for me to share what's going on is to blog. :P
Well I am officially in the Navy. I enlisted 3 weeks ago and just had my first DEP (Delayed Entry Program) meeting last night. Its a monthly meeting to discuss expectations and worries we may have, work out a little bit and get tested on all the things we need to memorize. It's to help us prepare for basic training. Whenever I'm around my fellow recruits I get so motivated to leave and start this new journey but then I come home or head to work and this whole new life is put on the back burner. It's starting to get a little frustrating. I don't really like being inbetween being a civillian and a sailor. I'm ready to just get going and dive right in. People ask if I'm nervous or excited and it really depends on the day. One day I will be dreadfully nervous and wondering what I got myself into because i'm usually thinking about missing my family and friends. But then the next day I'm can be so pumped to go because my job is going to be awesome and I hope to see the world. I love to travel and try new things and this is going to be amazing. The waiting is starting to seem like the worst part.
Let's see...i only have about a month and a half left in Fargo!!! I'm tired of being here. While I've met some great people that I will truely miss, Fargo is just dreadfully boring. Let's not even talk about Fargo winters!! I will be moving out of my apartment at the very end of September and moving home for the month of October. I'll spend some time with my grandparents and friends (Krista, Ryan, Jess) down in Minneapolis and then my brother's wedding will be middle of October. Then shortly after I leave!! While each day feels like it takes forever, the next 3 months are going to fly by!!
Anchors Away!
