Hi everyone!

I am all smiles right now and have been since Thursday, July 22nd at 5:30 pm.

The last time I blogged, I was finishing up vacation and although I didn’t mention this, I was nervous about jobs and what my future held. As many of you know, I just graduated as a school psych*logist with a speciality in working with de*af and hard of hearing children (I use the * so my blog isn’t found easily through those keywords).

Anyways, on Wednesday the 14th, while I was on vacation, I received a job offer from a residential school. I had interviewed there but wasn’t quite sure it was for me. My gut was telling me no. Either way, I asked for a week extension because I had a second-level interview the following Monday at another school in Pennsylvania that was absolutely perfect for me.

The second-level interview went SO WELL and my gut was telling me that they loved them and I loved them. I could sense it was the beginning of something special

BUT, I had to make a decision about the first place. After much soul-searching and talking with family and friends, I realized that it just wasn’t for me whether or not I got an offer for the other place. I turned it down on Wednesday the 21st (without another option at that point!).

(On the outside, this is definitely risky with this economy but I had to trust myself!).

Thursday the 22nd, the place in PA called and offered me a job

Finally. All my graduate school work paid off. The all-nighters, the early mornings, the tears, the laughs… everything.

You should have been there. I literally danced around the room! Dan probably thought I was INSANE. I called everyone I could think of for about 2-hours before hitting the wine store and buying my favorite blueberry wine (I downed the WHOLE THING that night along with macaroni and cheese). I mean, that’s what wine is for right?

Regardless, I still felt amazing the next day. And the next, and the next…

So here’s the deal: I will be moving to Lancaster, PA (about an hour from both Harrisburg and Philly) or somewhere around there. The plan right now is for Dan to follow me there eventually once he finds a job. I’m movin’ to Amish country!

I start August 16th which gives me less than three weeks to find a place and move! I’m actually not too stressed… more excited! I FINALLY GET MY OWN APARTMENT. No roommates (although, I do love roommates!) except Dan… Just us. Love.

It just goes to show ya, trust your heart and listen to your gut. If I would have accepted the first job offer, I wouldn’t have this amazing opportunity at my fingertips.

That’s all for now! I’ll be back soon with some random pictures as of recent.

xo

P.S. Since I start August 16th, I couldn’t see how I could go to the Healthy Living Summit in Chicago. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be this year but next year is always a possibility! Luckily, I was able to transfer my ticket so I didn’t lose anything (and someone gained a chance to go!).

Hello!

We are on our way home from South Carolina. On our way we accidentally found ourselves in Charlottesville, VA in search for Subway. What a cool little town!

So where were we?

On the last day, we shopped a little bit at Barefoot Landing which is an amazing shopping area in North Myrtle Beach. We went there last year and had to go again. After looking around for about am hour we decided to try out Dick’s Last Resort.

Ever been there?

It was my first time and honestly, I completely forgot what kind of place it was!

Dick’s has a sports bar atmosphere where the wait staff is SUPPOSED to be mean to you

Examples:

- We sit down, order drinks and the waitress says to Dan’s grandma: “Hurry up! I ain’t got all day, grandma!”

- When we get our food, she literally drops it on the table and screams “Pass it out!” Then we get straws thrown at us.

- We ask the waitress what her name is and she says, “If I tell you, you’ll be screaming it all the time you needy people!” (She eventually told us her name though!)

- I requested ranch dressing after requesting and receiving BBQ sauce. She says, “I just brought you ranch! Do you really need BBQ?!”

The best part was that during the meal, our waitress gives us paper hats and writes phrases on them. Mine said “I braid my butt hair.” HAHA! Dan’s grandma’s said “Will knit for nookie.” Dan’s said, “I miss my boyfriend.”

Obviously it’s all in good fun. Could you work in a place like that? I definitely could I figure it would relieve a lot of stress!

When we {finally because the ride was longer than normal} got back to Dan’s grandma’s house in Spartanburg, we were zonked.

The rest of the trip, we relaxed, shopped a little, and relaxed Dan made his M&M&M ice cream (Mint, and M&M’s! Plus some Andes chocolates!) and it was good!

Thursday night, Dan and I ventured into Greenville for a mini-date. We went to Pomegranate On Main (I would add a link if I wasn’t posting from my phone) and it was okay. I was a little disappointed in the prices and the food considering all the good reviews. I did, however, get a wonderfully tasty pomegranate martini

Greenville is so cute! My sister (Hi Mel!) lived there for a year a few years ago and then enjoyed it for the time they were there. After dinner, Dan and I walked around and came across a huge water fall called Falls Park. Very cool.

Yesterday, I got a pedicure which I NEVER do. Well, once a year if that. My toes feel pretty and it was much deserved! After my pedi, we went shopping and then to a buffet.

Ugh – a buffet.

Maybe I’m obsessed with fresh food, and maybe I’m a germaphobe (I had PURELL at the table and used it a dozen times), but I hate buffets. We went because Dan’s grandma wanted to go.

I feel like none of the food is top notch, and the point is quantity over quality which I’m not a fan of. It was very difficult to eat relatively healthy. (Not like I ate that healthy this week, but I definitely had a balance).

Now we are about an hour from home. Thank goodness!

I enjoyed posting from the WordPress app this week but did not enjoy having my photos too big and at the end of every post. My computer will be welcomed back into my life with open arms

Xo,

Julie

P.S. Talk to me. What do you think about all the iPhone 4 craziness? I got the new iPhone and have had numerous issues with reception and I’m annoyed that Apple isn’t doing anything more. I realize that a little percentage called into complain about the reception, but I don’t think Apple can play that card. I mean, I rarely call things in anymore. I Google the problem instead or visit forums. And why would I call in if their solution is nada? Thoughts?

I am broadcasting to you live from my bed!

Sounds good doesn’t it?

Well, not really. As much as I love the south and hanging out with Dan’s family, the southern goodness has gotten to me and my digestive system. Ughhh… Anyways, I must push on because I want to show you a food that changed my life this week. Ready?

On our last night at Myrtle Beach, we went to a joint that got rave reviews called Bubba’s Shrimp Shack. One of my readers, Crystal S recommended another seafood place but Dan’s grandma decided on Bubba’s. Thanks, Crystal for the recommendation regardless!

Luckily, Bubba’s did not disappoint and it was very close to where we were staying at Surfside Beach.

Dan and I promptly ordered appetizers: popcorn shrimp and fried pickles.

OMG… Has a food ever changed your life? Have you ever eaten something so good that you will forever be changed? Well, that’s how good the fried pickles were. {See pictures below}.

The rest of the food was amazing as well. I ordered the shrimp platter and skipped the fries. Even though the food was fried, it was surprisingly light and I didn’t feel too weighed down after dinner as I normally would.

After dinner, we went to the Pavilion and played mini-golf and shopped. I didn’t buy much BUT I bought some candy from It’Sugar. The best part? I got to make my own candy bar. I used dark chocolate as my base and added M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces, and chocolate covered pretzels. Yummm

After shopping, and mini-golf, we went home to rest up for the day of traveling the next day. Before bed, Dan and I went night swimming in the pool. It was great because we had the place to ourselves!

That’s all for now. Need to rest my tummy more to get ready for Dan’s homemade ice cream tonight (Hey, I figure if I blog/write about it, it will come true!)

Hello, Hello!

Last night, Dan and I had some time to ourselves. We decided to check out the Comedy Cabana in North Myrtle Beach. We saw two comedians Chris Gay and Pete Lee. They had appearances in places like Comedy Central and Last Comic Standing and they are all around awesome {see a picture of Pete Lee at the first picture.}

I haven’t laughed that hard in forever! .

Afterwards, Dan and I played a little game that we usually play during every vacation. If you have ever been to Myrtle Beach, you will know that there are a TON of beachy-surfboardy-like stores along the main strip and they all sell pretty much the same items. There is a lot of random I-don’t-need-this-but-I’ll-buy-it-anyways-because-I-am-on-vacation stuff.

For the game, we gave each other 10 minutes and a 10 dollar limit to buy each other whatever we want to buy the other person. This time though, we made it so the person could USE the selected object in someway.

It’s a fun game and you can really get a lot of stuff for under $10 or whatever price you use.

- I bought Dan: 2 Myrtle Beach t-shirts, and a kids small shovel and bucket to build sand castles with

- Dan bought me: Some saltwater taffy (love the stuff), a small card that looks like a credit card titled “Official Reasons for Being Late” (you check the reason. Yes, I am a “late” person but I’ve worked through it I swear!), and some of those “silly” bracelets that are all the rage with the kiddos these days.

See? It’s a fun game. You should try it too.

Tomorrow, I will post about how we spent our last day Hope you’re enjoying following along!

So, where were we? Oh yes! Sleeping boyfriend.

I woke Dan up last night and we went to Benito’s in North Myrtle Beach which is a favorite of ours. I mean it’s not like we frequent the place often since we don’t live here but we went there last year and loved it so we decided to go back.

{Pictured below} I ordered the Grecian Pizza complete with feta, mozzarella, and olives. I’ve never been a huge fan of olives just by themselves but I love them in combination with other dishes. I hadn’t tried them on a pizza so I decided, “Why not?”

It was delish!

Afterwards, we went back to the condo and chilled out with some watermelon and wine. Great combo right? We bought a gigantic watermelon the way here and cracked it open last night. It was so sweet and juicy.

Then I may or may not have had too much wine. I only had three glasses! But since I don’t drink a lot, my tolerance is low. It was a fun time with Dan.

This morning, I woke up with the realization of how much I drank. I wasn’t hungover but I could tell I had wine the night before. I WISH I woke up at the crack of dawn to run but I didn’t have it in me. So at 9 am, I went outside for a run that only lasted 10 minutes because my body was blinded by the intense humidly! I called it quits and went back to the room and did some walking lounges, sit-ups, leg lifts, and push-ups. Not too much but just enough for that kind of morning

All day, Dan and I hung out at the beach and pool. Right before lunch, we walked probably a little less than 2-miles along the beach plus played in the waves per usual.

Now we are on our way for a date. Dan’s grandma and her friend let us have a night out alone with the car

Moreeeee later!

Hello!

I am back for another iPhone mobile post straight from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina!

I’m posting from the WordPress app and it won’t let me move around my photos so they are forced to be awkwardly positioned at the end. Strange – anyone have any solutions for this? Also, do you know how to resize them?

Anyways, where was I? Oh yes. We were boarding the plane! Obviously, we arrived safely and on the ride to Dan’s grandmothers house all I could think about was South Carolina peaches. I think I screamed “Peaches!” every time I saw a sign for them.

We got my peaches at Abbott Farm because it was right there along the highway. They have a TON of other food too. It’s my dream place complete with apple butter (I hate apples but love apple butter and other apple flavored items). I picked up a total of 17 peaches because that was the “small” container. Woah. The peaches are just how I remembered them

That night, we were invited to Dan’s aunt’s and uncle’s (he is in the picture with me below) house. They had an array of amazing goodies and they requested that I bring over some peaches. Ask and you shall receive

We made peach cobbler COATED in butta… Not normally my thang but I went with it and had a little with some vanilla ice cream. Soooo good although my tummy was mad at me later (see a picture of the cobbler below).

This morning, I woke up super early and got a run in (!!). I am SO excited that I got in a run! The weather was a PERFECT 70-degrees right at 6 am so I had to take advantage.

Running this morning felt like a long lost friend who I haven’t talked to for months. Only every now and then we’d meet at the treadmill, but never for real. This morning changed all that and tomorrow, I’ll be running along the beach

After my run, we loaded up the car and left for Myrtle Beach. The car trip was uneventful and we arrived around lunch time. Our little condo is awesome!

Soon after arrival, we went to the beach and played in the waves. I always wonder how many calories it burns because I’m always so hungry afterwards!

Speaking of hungry, we are having pizza tonight (as long as we can convince Dan’s grandma and her friend but but I doubt that will be a problem! ). So I have to go and wake up my sleeping boyfriend (see below).

Have a GREAT night everyone!

<3

Hello!

Greetings from AirTran!

Dan and I are on our way to Charlotte, NC to meet his grandmother. Then we are driving to South Carolina for the week. We are excited because we rarely have the opportunity to travel and in the 4 and almost a half years of dating, we have never been on a plane together! Weird, huh?

So of course, we had to celebrate by having beers before 8 am (I had Miller Lite and Dan had Sam Adams Summer Ale – yum!). I mean, that’s what everyone else does right?

I may or may not be a little loopy right now Clearly, this isn’t a regular thing.

Oh dear, some guy on the flight just cursed out one of the attendants and is now being asked to leave…? Drama!

Anyways, here are some pictures for your enjoyment.

Okay – almost time for life off! See you in South Carolina!

Julie

P.S. Please notice Dan’s shirt… Feel free to make fun of him in the comments section.

Hello!

You ready to be jealous of me? Well, right now I am sitting on a couch, remote in hand, surfing the internet, and getting paid for it. The family I nanny for wanted to go on a hot date tonight so I am “babysitting” aka, sitting here and if the girl screams, go get her. She’s already asleep so I have nothing to do. Life is good

You wanna know what makes life even better than tonight? Tomorrow, I’m going on vacation with Dan! We’re getting up super early, flying to South Carolina and spending the week with his grandmother. We are even going to Myrtle Beach for a few days! (See last year’s vacation recap here). I’m so excited to get away for a few days. Mostly, I’m excited for peaches. Is that strange? There is nothing like South Carolina peaches in my book.

Luckily, I downloaded the WordPress iPhone app so I can blog on the go. Oh, you better believe I’ll be taking advantage of that.

Tonight before I got here, I quickly did a 20-minute workout courtesy of Jillian Michaels. I’ve had the 30-Day Shred for awhile now and absolutely love it. In my opinion, it’s a “no-excuse” workout because it only takes 20 minutes and you can do it in the comfort of your own home. I did Level 2 and I think I did well. It’s amazing how much my fitness level has changed since I started incorporating strength training.

Anyways, I’m going to go watch the latest episode of The Bachelorette via online! Have a GREAT Friday night! I know I will

Julie

So, since the weather decided to play a nasty joke on us and provide up to 105 degree heat in Washington, DC, I haven’t been running. As much as I want to be all hardcore and run in this heat, it just ain’t happening. Instead, I’ve been hitting up the gym on a pretty regular basis doing interval work on a variety of machines. This week, I’ve played on the elliptical, treadmill, stationary bike, and I’ve walked outside.

It’s actually pretty nice to workout without the pressure of getting miles in. I love running but this summer, it’s nice to sit back and relax at the gym for a change. I’ve even been continuing my strength training. I think I’m seeing results because one of Dan’s friends at our 4th of July party told me I had “guns.” Oh yes, my friends I have guns. Then the dude challenged me in an arm wrestling match. At the beginning of the match, I thought I had a chance but my “guns” had no chance against his testosterone I suppose.

The 4th of July party was a great time. There was a ton of food which I ate happily. Currently, there is leftover cookie cake in the dining room that entices me every time I walk by. Cookie cake is by far my favorite dessert ever. I always request it for my birthdays

Anyways, here are some super fun 4th of July pictures. Please note the lack of fireworks pictures. They were shooting them off outside and I was terrified. Yes, I’m lame.

And this, my friends, is what happens when someone tries to take your picture while you’re eating a potato chip:

Awesome.

On a serious note, today is the 4-year anniversary of my car accident. Read the post here. I don’t want to make a big deal out of it but I thought I’d mention it today anyways. A lot has changed since that day and yet it still affects me every single day.

I hope you all are doing well.

xo

Testing from my iPhone…