2-Week Staycation Starting Now!

Well, I got back from my three days of being a beach bum on Tybee Island a couple days ago and it was amazing. I feel like all I did was swim, walk on the beach, sleep, do my pleasure reading (I am reading The Associate by John Grisham right now and it is SO good), and eat, especially the excellent gelato sold at this little shop right by the beach. This is probably my favorite vacation spot of all, and I always come back so renewed/ refreshed. I've also been feeling so refreshed in general because I have slept better in the last 10 days than I have all summer--no more staying awake till 3am unable to stop thinking, or waking up at 5am from yet another crazy dream, as was the case on a number of nights this summer.

Then bright and early on Thursday morning, I officially got all my furniture and most of my other things moved into my new apartment. I have a few things left to pack up plus I need to clean (and I have a feeling that will take WAY longer than I think--you probably know how that goes), but once it's done, I can turn in my old keys and officially turn over my new leaf. Honestly, I was getting kind of scared as the moving guys loaded all my furniture onto the truck and as I followed them to my new place on Thursday--because moving for me is taking an unequivocal step toward a new life. It's like jumping into the deep end and hoping you'll be able to stay afloat, because there's no going back. It's getting rid of the safety net and just moving forward in faith that you're doing the right thing, even if it freaks you out.

But I really love my new apartment (not least because this is the first place I've ever lived in that I've actually chosen for myself) and I am now in the process of getting settled in. I have all the furniture where I want it and am hanging pictures, unpacking boxes and bags, getting some actual food in my fridge, etc. I will post pictures when everything is more or less in its place. I got the Internet set up yesterday, and I love how 1) it actually works reliably, and 2) I have wireless in every room in the apartment, including my bedroom, so I can write this blog post while laying in my bed on a relaxing Saturday morning. At my old place, the Internet went out all the time and was never available in any room except the living room, so I couldn't write or get work done in the bedroom if I so chose. I am loving that, and that there's a gym and pool right here, and that I can drive five minutes down the road and be at the mall if I want to be. I only go to that mall to window shop because I can't afford anything there, and even if I could, I am one of those people who still can't imagine paying for a designer purse/ designer clothes/ designer anything, but it's still really fun to look.

The gym here is nice and I'm sure I'll use it sometimes, but I'm also going to look into getting a gym membership somewhere so I can have access to more machines and equipment and also go to fitness classes. I'm getting ready to start getting short "trial memberships" at different gyms and going to a couple of free classes to see which ones I like best. There's a few gyms here that offer kettlebell classes, and I really want to try one because I read about them in Women's Health and they sound like a great workout. I haven't really been eating great or exercising too often over this summer with studying and all, so I am really ready to jump back into a healthier lifestyle.

And now, I still have two weeks off because I don't start work till the 25th. I can't remember the last time I had this much time off--probably in college sometime--so I'm excited about having time to get refreshed, to explore and get used to things here, to decorate, to read, to work out, etc. I know that new associate life is very demanding and I'll be grateful for the time of refreshment beforehand as soon as I get started! Next weekend I am going to Florida for "Lauren and Catherine do Tallahassee." (Which should be very interesting . . . my law school BFF and I can always find an adventure).

More to come soon!