Two in one day!!

So blessed to have Whitney, my fantastic roommate! She's incredibly upbeat and so relaxed. She is very grounded in herself. She knows herself and what she wants from life inside and out. I have never felt so incredibly lucky to have the kind of roommate she has been! She is perfect! We've become friends and confidants as well as good roommates. She has shown me possibilities I never could have dreamed of.
I am going to miss her a lot! She'll have so much fun in Australia with her bf! I am hoping I'll get to see her someday soon as well!



And it's even cooler because she picked ME to be her roommate!! TY Craigslist! For once you do not disappoint!! :) Haha!!

Blessed to have Ana.

She has been such a blessing. She's one of the best friends anyone could ask for. She's an inspiration, in how she lives, how she thinks and how she acts. If I could be like anyone, I would love to be like her. She is a truly strong, beautiful and intelligent woman. And I feel lucky to call her my friend.

DAY 7

Thankful for Melatonin. Honestly and truly. It helps me get back into the swing of a schedule when I thought I had lost all hope of one. Here I thought maybe I was trying to feel closer to my friends in other countries by adopting a similar lifestyle. As 'Pride and Prejudice' would say though: It is not to be bourne. Haha! Good night!!

Day 6

I'm thankful for a free swimming pool!! Seriously! The weather has not been very forgiving lately! It has been hot and muggy (with the exception of that one day yesterday) and just plain terrible! It is nice to have my bike near so I can ride over to a cool creek that flows through downtown. Thank you for easy access to one of God's great pleasures: water!!

Day 5

(In case no one noticed, these are NOT consecutive days... haha!)

I am thankful for...Scaffolding! Yes, you heard me right. Scaffolding. I am thankful for these seemingly innocuous structures. They remind me of a big city. I feel at home when I walk under them for some reason. I feel at peace. I don't have a big city right now, so I take what I can get and the feeling of being in a big city is always nice.

I suppose you could say that these structures remind me of my goals in life. One of those goals is that I live in a metropolitan city for a little while at least once.

Thank you scaffolding for reminding how close we are to our goals sometimes.

Day 4

I am thankful for the guys in my life: Steve, Sasha, Hassan and Kevin.

Kevin has been a big asset in helping me overcome some of emotional hurdles (well...no one has helped me more than my girls). He has been there to talk to me and watch movies with me on late nights when sleep doesn't come easy. He has opened his home and heart to me and shown me how he has come to know this town. He is helping me to fit in. He has been the perfect person to transition with. He is mature and communicates with me about things. He has shown me light after darkness.

Sasha has shown me how cool guys can be. How laid back, but caring. He has been a good friend to talk to and to hear advice from. His attitude towards life is one of ease and love. I could (and do) learn a lot from him.

And then there's Hassan. A handsom guy who is a liiiitle lost at times, but over-all a good friend. Without him, I wouldn't know what not to look for in dating guys. haha! Hassan makes me smile as only he could. He keeps my mind off of things and onto different ideas about fun.

Then there's Steve. Ahhh... Steve. Steve has quickly become someone very important to me. I value his friendship as if he and I had grown up together. He has shown me what it is to be selfless and he has shown me true courage. He faces horrors only a few people in the US can imagine and he stays strong. Though our struggles are different and equally as challenging, he faces evils of an immediate nature and because danger is lurking so close, he is a hero to me. Through it all he handles himself so well with these dangers present; he deserves so much more than he has. He shows courage everyday. He is always smiling and laughing and never seems to get too down about things. For this, I thank him. I wish him luck back home and pray for his safety.

All of these guys have taught me to hope as I have scarecely thought I could again. They have reversed my doubts and faith in humanity. Without them I would be so much worse off. I am thankful to have these wonderful people to talk to and to share my life with.

DAY 3

The coolest sink ever (marble countertop!) --SEE ABOVE

Ah! The third day, my favorite!

Today, I am being a litttttttle cliche. I am thankful for my apartment! Believe it or not...it's a nice place and costs sooooo much less than the place I had in Ashland. It used to be the manager's place, sooooo....it's all spiffy! haha!

It doesn't look like much from the outside, but this little, two-bedroom boasts a sizeable kitchen, with plenty of counter space, rustic-looking faucets, full kitchen appliance amenities and a good deal of cupboard space.

If I didn't live as close to downtown for as little money as I pay for this place ($337/mo) I wouldn't be as happy. The location is good, I'm in with other people my age, I have a nicely furnished place (and it is WELL furnished too, thanks to my roommate!) AND I have my very own Harry Potter-esque cupboard to store stuff in! How awesome!!