Thursday, August 27, 2015

The List

Okay, so, I'm one of those people who likes to act like I have a plan months in advance, but in reality, I'm always just as rushed and panicked as anyone else at crunch time. Actually, I almost always have a plan, a great plan... It's following through with the plan and making sure the steps actually happen that I fail (miserably) at.

Anyway, I have a plan, for this whole college thing. I've been thinking ahead, for when I move half way across the country (totally excited about that, not freaking out at all btw). It involves a casual process of beginning my packing/prepping now. I don't leave till after Christmas, and some people would say I'm kind of rushing things. "Sit back, relax, you've got four months." 

Hahahahaaha, oh yeah, four months, plenty of time..... NO.

Let me put it this way. On a typical work week, I have.... No days off. Yeah, that sounds about right. I do tend to have one or two short days, four or five hour shifts. Four months roughly translates to 112 days. That's 2,688 hours. Take away 896 for the 8 hours of sleep I'm supposed to get every night (lol), and I have 1,792 hours. Take away the estimated 48 hours of work I do in a week and I'm down to 1,024 hours. That's about 43 days (rounded up) before I leave. I'm willing to bet that at least one day a week I will be distracted by friend/family events. Well, sure I need to pack, but so and so really wants to go see that movie and hey, so do I. Not to mention, I haven 't been to my grandparents in months... That's got to happen at least a couple times before I go. 

27 days. Let's get real, when I say one day a week I really mean two (I love my people, what can I say). Also, in about two weeks one of my besties from out of state is going to come stay with me. While she's here I foresee myself getting nothing done (aside from having mega amounts of fun that is) so that's 7 more days I won't have. 

4 days to pack up and take off. Woooooooot. Yeah, I'm starting now. Plus, if I get as much done now as I possibly can, when it comes down to the week of Christmas and my last days here, I can take some extra time to chill.... Right.... Right guys? 

All that to say, I sat down last night and read over some very helpful "what no one tells you about packing for freshman year" articles and compiled a list of things to buy starting now. 

-  good winter/work boots. Waterproof and not too ugly, I know I shouldn't be worrying about fashion, but they're boots and I am female. Plus I don't want them to be too heavy. I hate bulky shoes they make me feel like I have weights on my feet.

- a good winter coat. Every time I tell someone that I'm moving toMinnesota, they all say the same thing, "bring a good coat!" Today, when I was at the park with the kids, I ran into a lady from Minnesota. I told her I would be moving there in January and she laughed... Then proceeded to tell me about good coat brands. She told me about one and followed up with, "it's really warm, you can stand outside for a good 20 minutes without getting cold!" .... 20 minutes? I have 20 minutes outside before I lose a life. This to a girl who lives outdoors. Yay. 

- heated blanket. I hate being cold. I love my bed. Two things that should never EVER mix is being cold while I'm in my bed. Just no. Of course I'll bring lots of other blankets too, but this is for when I'm already under a pile of 10 and can still feel the chill in my toes because I was outside for 21 minutes. 

- twin size sheets. My bed is a double, gonna need some sheets to fit the dorm mattress. Yvonne Estelle's Sferra Milo's sheet set, obvi. 

- earplugs. I'm a light sleeper, breath too close and you will disturb my slumber. Not the best fit for dorm life. 

- shower caddy ... Cause duh 

- rug. This one is kind of optional. Rugs are cool, they add a homie feel but they don't really take up any extra space. 

- "Tide to Go" pen, or any kind of easy on the spot stain remover. I don't want my style to turn from "grunge" to "gross." 

- Clorox wipes and febreeze. Yay, dorms! 

- power strip

- cheapo printer and some ink. Yes, they have printers on campus, but I kind of feel like this will be a cheaper option in the long run. Another optional item though. 

So far that's all I've got. Not too overwhelming, but only if I can start now, that way I won't be spending all the money in one go. Obviously this isn't all I'll be bringing, just the things I don't already own. 

Any suggestions? Advice? I know there are stores in Minnesota (Mall of America, woot) but I want to have as much of it as possible beforehand. The less I have to worry about when I get there, the better.


With Love,
Trishelle

Saturday, August 15, 2015

In the mean time...

So, roughly five months before this kid packs her bags, takes one last glorious Oregonian hike (at least for awhile), waves goodbye to friends and family, and takes off for the land of 10,000 lakes. I rounded it up to five months to save my sanity, because, yes, I am completely freaking out.

Five months left in Central Oregon. What do I do? 

Well, obviously the main answer to that question would be, save money. In order to save money, I have to make it. Thus, I work two jobs. I work in sales, and I'm a nanny. 

Sales is a lot of fun. You hate people most days, and just when you think you're nearing the point of throat punching the next person to literally ignore the overly friendly words coming out of your mouth, someone always walks in to make you believe in humanity again. Sometimes it comes in the form of a grandma shopping for the granddaughter she's raising after having six kids of her own, telling you her story and giving you book suggestions because you make her think of "my Ellie." Sometimes it comes in the form of a five year old kid telling you you're awesome. Either way, humanity always seems to pull through in the end. Plus, my coworkers are awesome. 

So, I'm a nanny. I watch two kids, three days a week. Obviously, I'm not going to tell you their names (cause let's get real, this is the internet and you're probably just a weirdo anyway), but I will call them Why and Hi. 
                         

Why, is three. I have chosen this nickname for her because, well, she's three and apparently "why" is your favorite word at this age. She seems to say it enough anyway. Some days it tests my patience and I say things like, "why do you think" in response (I mean, even when you're three you know why your baby brother gets mad after you sit on him, come on). Other days, I love it. I could explain the whys of life for hours to that kid. She's a sweetheart who has an endless supply of curiosity, and a brain smart enough to understand the answers. 

Hi, is one. I chose his nickname because, well, he's one and hi is the only word he knows how to say. He is able to say that one word pretty adorably though, so we'll forgive him. He's the chilliest baby I have ever cared for. He goes down for naps with a smile on his face, and he wakes up from them with a smile on his face. Seriously, how does he do that? He can turn anything into a toy and be completely content as long as he knows where you are at all times, and has something entertaining to watch, such as big sister running around trying to keep up with all the boys at the park.

When I'm not working I've been trying to enjoy one last Central Oregon summer. I've found myself not only cherishing the moments I have with all the dear people in my life, but also moments when I'm alone. Even the air here (when not filled with smoke from forest fires) has a way of making your entire life feel like an adventure novel, and you're just the young main character, waiting for your story to explode into 20 something chapters that make you want to hold on tight to whatever happens to be within reach. I sit by the river, or on my best friends back porch, or I walk one of my favorite trails, and I breath. 

I breath because I'm alive, and while I may not be where I was expecting to be at this point in my life, I will still live each moment to the fullest.

With Love,
Trishelle

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

"Wait"

It's taken me awhile to write this post. For several reasons. The first and always the most obvious, I have been busy, as usual. I feel like I barely have time to breath, let alone find a little spot of wifi to update the rest of the world on how busy I am.

The second was because I didn't want to. 

In my last, and first post, I informed the internet world that I would be attending Bethany Global University this Fall. This is no longer the case. 

While still planning to attend BCOM, I have had to reset my arrival date. As of right now I am looking to start 2016 Winter term. 

Why? 

The easiest answer to give is a lack of finances. While I could have looked into several loan options and made it work, I wanted to take a few extra months to set some more money aside.  This is what I tell people when they want the brief answer. 

To get a little more in-depth though, there was more to it than money. I felt the need to wait. While I'm still trying to figure out where this feeling came from, it was there, and it was very present. I felt no peace when I thought about leaving at that time. In fact, I would have been leaving any day now. I took long walks. I prayed. I ran. I slept on it. I walked some more.  

"Wait." 

That was all I heard. 

I don't know why. I don't know if it was the right choice. I don't know if it was the wrong one. Either way, my goal is still set. My mission still stands. The timeline has simply taken a small remodel.

With Love,
Trishelle