Asheville

After a week of stressing over bills, putting together our wedding invitations, addressing them (which surprisingly took forever), and realizing we're not going to be able to leave the house next week (Chuckie is having surgery), I decided I NEEDED to get out of this city for a little while. We didn't have enough extra money to take a weekend trip so a day trip was in order, and decided it was the perfect time to finally visit Asheville. 
The weather was perfect. It was incredibly sunny but cool enough to walk around without breaking a sweat. We headed straight to Sunny Point Cafe in West Asheville for brunch, where I had savory french toast (stuff with a mixture of cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and sausage).

It sounded too unique to not try it and my god, it was absolutely delicious. We were going to walk around West Asheville but it felt really cluttered and crowded, so we drove by some (adorable) house and went straight to Hendersonville to a crystal shop to get a feel for the spiritual businesses around. 

We headed downtown where we stopped by the Dripolator, a coffee shop Niec has been talking about forever. We sat outside in the perfect weather soaking it all in, feeling the energy of the city and the mountains and the people. 

We walked around the city and I just have to say again how amazing it was to be in a downtown area that is filled with spiritual shops, hippie stores, and alternative medicine practices. It was fantastic and more than I expected. 

We decided to drive through some neighborhoods in North Asheville, where we would probably live, and oh my god. OH. MY. GOD. The houses! I DIED. Some of the most beautiful houses I've ever seen. I wish I snapped some pictures but I was too busy being wide eyed-mouth open to function. Here's an inn from a google search which was just one of the many gorgeous places (although not all gigantic like this) 

Now that I found the most beautiful neighborhood in the city my day dreaming is going to be out of control.

Anyway, we ended the night with the most delicious meal at Homegrown, a restaurant serving all local food. Country fried steak, pimento cheese with flatbread and veggies, the perfect salad, a gigantic brownie. It was to die for. And again, gone before I could manage to snap a picture. 

I'm still trying to talk myself out of loving Asheville, I have a list of cons (expensive real estate, no jobs, scary roads, far away from my nieces/nephew) but it's going to be tough. I really think this could be a place I finally settle down and buy a house (you know, when money just falls from the sky). I just need to feel connected to a place and with all the nature and mountains and lakes I could really see it happening. Fingers crossed.

Ch-ch-ch-changes.

I am a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad blogger.  It's just that... life hasn't been that interesting.  My new manager is a mega douche.  Chuckie hasn't been able to find a job in two months and it's taken a toll on our fun side.  So I decided it's time for some changes.  I had been toying with the idea of moving to Nashville when our lease is up 11/1, but I would only have a very, very part time job, we wouldn't know where to live/anyone/where to find jobs, and flights home would still be $250+.  So I did my new moon wishes and begged for a damn sign on what to do.  I woke up the next morning and was like ....Atlanta.  Yup.  We're moving to Atlanta.  In three weeks.
I had kind of pushed Atlanta from our options a while back because I'm not in love with the city.  Sure, it's a cool city and his family is there, but it has never been somewhere I really wanted to live. But then I realized all of the pluses to it-
The winter is pretty mild, and I'm just not ready for a full winter yet/ever again.  We'll be near family, we'll be able to celebrate the holidays with people and delicious foods and happy get togethers.  We can drive home if we need to.
But most importantly, Atlanta has the busiest airport in the WORLD.  Yes, it sucks, yes they always fuck up the flights, BUT the flights are cheaper than pretty much anywhere else.  It'll be less than $150 to fly home and see my nieces and nephew, which is really the main reason for moving.  We'll also be able to fly to other places for so much cheaper ($350 for Costa Rica! Europe!) and we'll be able to take road trips again!
I'm super excited about it.  I love Austin, I love my friends here, and I don't think I'll be quite as happy there as I have been here, but I'll have so much more opportunity to do the things I love to do and see the people I love to see and I'm just really ready for it.  

crushed dreams and babbies

This week has had its fair share of ups and downs.  I found out Jetblue cancelled all you can jet (I will never get over it and I will hate them forever).  Maybe I shouldn't have put so much thought and excitement into something I wasn't sure was even happening, but I did.  The worst thing about Austin is that it's tiny.  The airport is tiny which makes it impossible to get anywhere for a decent price.  Even driving an hour to San Antonio doesn't make it much better, and the fact that there isn't anywhere to go for a weekend getaway that isn't Texas is starting to crush my soul a little.  After my mental breakdown, I bought a ticket to go home in August.  I am finally ready to go back for a visit.  

Yesterday we found out Jessica is having another girl!  I am so, so excited.  When she got pregnant, we all swore it was a boy, but after a month or so we all started to lean towards another girl.  When she told me what her name would be if it were in fact a She, I just knew it.  Jolie Blu, I am so ready for you to be here! Sorry for thinking you were a boy, but now we know why... Monique found out a few days ago that she is pregnant as well.  And that WILL be the boy we were feeling around us.  

I just.. I can't believe both of my sisters are pregnant.  I especially can't believe both of them are pregnant and I'm 1500 miles away.  I knew it would happen eventually and I would want to be closer to them, but I was NOT expecting it to happen so quickly.  

So with all the baby talk and the mental breakdowns, I've decided I'll be ready to leave Austin next year.  I can't go back - I can never go back, but I need to be closer.  Chuckie has always wanted to live in Georgia to be close to family, and Atlanta is only a ten hour drive from home (not quite as short as I'd like it to be, but if I was having a manic episode and needed to be home, I COULD do it) not to mention there is a direct flight to Dulles in under two hours and less than $200.  Chuckie rolls his eyes at me every time I mention moving again, but he's finally on board with this one.  How could he not be?  He can stay with his job and he'll be where he wanted to be.  I know I won't love Atlanta nearly as much as Austin, but I think it'll be just fine.

Sitting Duck.

I was born restless.  I've always had a constant feeling of being stuck, like I'm not living my life to the fullest.  Blame it on my gemini rising and moon, being unsettled is one of my most dominating character traits.  I've left every job I've ever had around the one year mark, I've moved to a new apartment every year, I crave change constantly.  Since moving to Austin, 1500 miles away from all of my friends, family, and everything I've always known, it's definitely calmed down a bit.  It's been eight months and the itch is starting to come back.  I love it here, there is so much I have left to explore, the people are more genuine, it's always hot and sunny.. but still, the desire to GO GO GO is creeping up in full force.