Another 'Leaf' has turned...

...no pun intended ;) 'Leaf' is my dad's nickname for me...once, when I was about 8 or 9, he was raking leaves in our yard in Virginia and started calling me 'Leaf" because he said that I grew like one. It stuck. Which is fine by me because my other nicknames were 'Lizard', 'Missy Mouse', and 'Chicken Legs'.

Sooooo....this 'Leaf' has turned. Again. I can't believe I haven't posted since March, but there has been a LOT happening. Not sure where to begin. First off....I joined the Army!! I leave for basic training on January 30th, 2011. After 9 weeks there, I head down to Georgia for 12 weeks of Officer school. Both will be grueling, both mentally and physically, but I'm looking forward to the challenges. I am just praying that I remain healthy throughout my training. I won't know what my job is until halfway through OCS (Officer school), but my goal is Intelligence. It's one of the hardest branches to get into, but I'm going to do everything to reach that goal.

I quit my job as a nanny...maybe a little prematurely. I get to spend more time with my family before being 'shipped out' for training, which is always nice :) I thought I was shipping out in October or November, and gave my 2 weeks notice. I went to sign my contract and they told me that I was leaving in January. Oops...

So, I packed my stuff up in Boston and moved it down to Texas! Kim helped me with the move, and was brave enough to make the 32 hour trip down south in my car. It was actually a very nice drive...we stopped in Lancaster, PA to say hi to my aunt and uncle, but ended up staying a couple of days. I love Amish country :)

I arrived back in Abilene, TX on August 31st, unpacked some things at my dad's. Yes, I'm living with my parents again at age 32....but everyone gets along so well that I've been enjoying myself. Except for sharing a bathroom with both my younger brother and my dad. Boys have disgusting bathroom habits...

I spent 3 weeks in September helping my younger sister with her 3rd baby. It was really awesome to be able to help her out! I spent 4 days/3 nights in the hospital with her, which meant sleeping on a pull out sofa and jumping up every hour or less to pick up the baby when he cried. I loved it, though! When you have something as beautiful as a newborn to distract you, sleep deprivation isn't really a big deal :) The 3 weeks went by quickly and then I headed home to get started on my workouts.

I've been working out with an Army recruiter every morning from 6-7 am, and that has helped A LOT. It means I can also ask questions about basic training, which has helped to relieve some anxiety I've been having about it. It's not going to be fun - it's not meant to be- but I feel more confident now than I did a month ago. I also started the Atkins diet about 2 weeks ago and I thought I'd be ready to strangle people by now....but I haven't experienced any moodiness or irritability associated with the diet (unlike my brother...wow!) and I've lost almost 5 lbs. I'm thinking that if I'm lighter, then these freaking push-ups might be easier to do. Also, less weight to carry when I run, better for my knees. I'm no spring chicken, people! I've got to keep up with all the 18 yr olds that I'll be surrounded by!

My brother, Matt, and I will be going to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving...he hasn't seen my dad's family in about 20 years, so it will be cool to 'reintroduce' him, I think. I miss being within a car ride to my dad's family, so I'm really excited to see them all again.

Oh, yeah. Speaking of cars....I totaled mine! It was last May, and it was my fault, but everyone was ok. I was a wreck - no pun!- but driving in Boston is scary dangerous. I'm really glad to be back somewhere where's there's virtually NO traffic! I ended up buying a Honda Civic...awesome car, by the way.

I went to Switzerland in August, for 2 weeks. I had the most awesome time, as usual. Why can't I transport my friends whenever/wherever I move?? I miss everyone over there so much...when I go back, it's like time stood still while I was away. Like I didn't miss a beat. My friends were amazing, and I managed to squeeze in a lot of side trips with them during that time. I'm not sure when the next visit will be, but hopefully not too far in the future.

Well, in case you didn't notice....I changed the name of my blog! I'm tired of always having to change the domain because I'm adapting it to my newest home, so I opted for something a bit more general :) C'est la vie....That's life. It's MY life...constantly changing, turning upside down, inside out. But I don't know if I'd be happy any other way.

So, here's to more changes....BIG ones! You know, I've never been very good at testing the water before jumping in. I find it's better, more often than not, to just close your eyes, jump, and hope for the best.

I hope you are all well...I would love to hear from you whenever you get a chance :)

Must.Write.Blog entry.

February vacation: Me, Larissa and Sylvia - my Swiss roomies for 2 years

Hello everyone...seems like my blog posts keep getting further and further apart! Oh well...it'll just make you guys happy to get my email with the link :)

One piece of 'big' news is that I've moved :) I'm now living pretty much in Boston, in a city called Brighton. I'm extremely happy here...I can walk out of my place (it's a 2-family house) and walk to any number of restaurants, coffee houses, pubs, pharmacies, grocery stores...you name it, it's here. So cool! It feels a little like Europe for me....a little. Not a lot! My roommate is nice, too, and is almost never here. So, it feels like I live alone most of the time. My neighbors are super nice, too, and apparently have tons of BBQs in the summer where everyone is invited. Looking forward to that :)

I've met some really nice girls here through my French club. We get together once a month to do a dinner, and try to organize other things like wine tastings, etc. They've been a positive bunch for me over the last few months :)

I had the most awesome vacation EVER in Switzerland in February. From the moment my feet hit the ground in Geneva, I went non-stop for 8 days! It was so fantabuloso...I miss everyone there so much, and it was definitely hard to get back on the plane to come back. I even met with people that I hadn't seen in years...even while I was living there! It was just awesome to be there...felt like I hadn't even left. My friends all made me feel so special, too. They came to pick me up at the airport, rearranged their schedules (and trips!) to spend time with me...we celebrated the Chinese New Year, had an unbelievable raclette evening, traveled to Vaud to spend the day in the mountains, walked around town, had a great fondue dinner, and laughed so much that I didn't even gain one pound while I was there! Seriously, with all that wine, cheese and bread...I didn't gain ANY weight! I credit that to all the talking and laughing I did, as well as all the walking. I have to go back again in the summer....

Here's a link to my photo album from my Swiss vacation:

The weekend after my trip back to Boston, I had my great friend, Kevin, come to visit me from DC. Little did he know when he booked his flight, but he was 'forced' to help me move :) Kevin and my other friend, James, helped me move my stuff from Framingham to Brighton....I really didn't think I had as much as I did, but I had managed to stuff a lot in my little room! Good thing James had a trailer!!! It was a rainy Saturday on moving day, but we got it all done and then Kevin and I explored my new 'hood a little :)

I recall posting something about how change was the only constant in my life...definitely true at this moment!

Next up: Easter with my dad's family in Pennsylvania in a couple of weeks. After that, I head on down to Texas for a Midwestern State University (MSU) alumni game (if it's still on!) and a visit with the family. Then, for Memorial Day weekend (last one in May), I'm making the drive down to Virginia for a family reunion at my uncle's house. Should be fun! And hopefully, for the summer, I will be able to plan a trip to Europe with a stop in London to see a good friend. Fingers crossed!

Hope everyone is doing well...drop me a line when you get a chance :)