A much overdue update

This post is about a year over due, but I just couldn't bring myself to blog about my life for the last year. It was a difficult year with lots of challenges that I just didn't feel like sharing with the whole world. However things are MUCH better and I have started a new adventure and I am committing myself to more frequent updates to my blog. (Can't really get less frequent, now can I?)

First, after 15 months of looking for a job (some months more diligently than others) I was offered a two jobs in the matter of weeks. The first offer was with a company that I knew well and with people that I consider to be like family. It was close to family and friends and would have a nice big salary, good benefits and an impressive title. The other was with a large company (on the Fortune 150) in a lower level job, way less impressive title and FAR away from family and friends. I was ready to accept job #1, but felt really unsettled about it. So after some prayer, a trip to the temple, and a good cry (not the happy kind) I turned down job #1 and took job #2. After I turned down job #1, I felt peace and that I made the right decision.

There have been some definite bumps in the road and I have questioned my decision a few times. Relocating has been a bit of a hassle. There were some problems getting my background and employment verification completed but despite the two week delay getting that taken care (which had be finished before we could start the relocating proceedings) they wanted me to start only 1 week later than anticipated. It made for some crazy times, especially since we had a family reunion of sorts when Asa got home from his mission that took up one of the weeks. The day after everyone went home from the reunion, my mom and I hopped on an airplane and headed for Georgia.

Apartment hunting didn't start off very well. Nobody had any availability (not that you can blame them when I needed a place to live in just a week and a half) and those that had availability were not in my price range or in a location where I actually wanted to live. At the last minute a place opened up and was available in my time frame, so I didn't have to push my start date again (after 15 months of not working I was anxious to get back to work and earning some money!) Mom and I flew back to WA and got home early Friday morning (the 19th of August). I had 3 days to figure out what I needed to take with me, sort stuff for the movers and head out to drive across the country with Reubs to my new home. I will blog about our driving adventures soon.

Driving from Washington to Georgia (2, 775 miles) took 5 days, driving between 8 and 9 hours in each day (except the last day and it was only 5 hours!). Reuben was a trooper for hanging out in the car for so long and for keeping me company for my first weekend in Columbus. It wasn't very exciting for him I am sure, especially since I didn't get internet until yesterday afternoon and I only have two camping chairs, a couple of air mattresses, some clothes and my kitchen stuff for the next 1 to 3 weeks.

I started work on Monday and it has been really great so far. Working for a large company is different the working in smaller firms but experiencing both will help me to know which I like better, plus having a big name on my resume will help my future career. My coworkers are fantastic and everyone is SO nice. Friday morning my coworker, who had been out traveling for most of the week, sent me an email that included a list of things to do in Columbus for the weekend. It was SO thoughtful! Another coworker invited me to go with her and her friends to watch football games on Saturday. They are trying to help me feel welcome and a part of the community and it is wonderful. There is a lot to be said for southern hospitality! Of course living in the south has lots of different things to get used to, but change is good.