UPDATE: I move to NYC tomorrow!!

I have realized that my last 3 posts have been incredibly emo, and for that I am incredibly sorry!! I am a very happy person, but this is the biggest life change I have ever made, so I have needed to vent a little during the adjustment process.

But now that that is over and everything has been taken care of, I AM MOVING TO NEW YORK CITY TOMORROW! Omg omg omg omg omg! It feels absolutely amazing to say that in 24 hours I will reside in NYC. Aside from the fact that I will be taking my huge luggage, which I am hoping will be under 50 pounds, and dragging it around the city to my apartment, everything should be smooth sailing! (Sidenote: I may just take a cab from LaGuardia Airport to my apartment because even just talking about that sounds like a HUGE PAIN. Whateva, I'll worry about that when it happens!)

LITERALLY how I feel right now :)

I just wanted to thank you, my 42 followers, who have joined me already before I arrive at the Big Apple! I promise, the stories will get MUCH better from here on out! I plan on going on a lot of summer adventures and trying so many new things in this place of incredible opportunity. And I will do my best to inform you of different things that happen to me as an entry-level employee! (without jeopardizing the confidentiality agreement I have with my agency, of course)

OH EM GEE THIS IS SO EXCITING - New York, here I come! I hope you're ready for me...

Talk to you from NEW YORK CITY!

<3, Charlotte

Can there ever REALLY be too many cooks in the kitchen?

I have a slight problem: I can't cook for shit. I'm being completely serious, unless it's toast or can go in the microwave, I'm screwed. I've started following some cooking blogs, but anytime raw ingredients are involved in anything, I get totally intimidated! I've never made rice (though I CAN make pasta!), baked anything (that didn't come in a tube where you just lay the dough on a pan and somehow magically make cookies!), and forget about cooking ANY kind of meat (though I do know how to grill, I was part of a grilling club in college). Even my guy friends know how to cook chicken with flavoring and grill vegetables or saute things! This issue NEEDS to be resolved!

*sigh* if only...

Where do I even start? I have tried to look at recipes but everything requires so many small things that I don't have lying around. Do I just buy a bunch of basic cooking supplies and ingredients and store them until I need them? Apparently olive oil is something that is amazing on lots of things - maybe I should buy that to always have and put it on everything...

YIKES, how can I be a real person if I have no idea how to feed myself? AND, no guy wants a woman who doesn't know how to cook. I'm going to be alone forever!

I have a feeling I am going to be forced to survive on takeout, by myself, for the rest of my life.

How lovely!

<3, Charlotte

Eurotrip Shmurotrip

So a lot of my friends are going on trips around Europe right now, or around Asia, and I am conflicted as to how I feel about not going on one. Of course, this could all just be because one of my friends is updating his photostream AS WE SPEAK, and I am seeing pictures of everyone frolicking around Paris having an amazing time. AND I keep seeing their Vines on my feed. While I am stuck doing my vehicle emissions test and packing up my room in Chicago, they are backpacking to places I can only dream of seeing one day!

I had the opportunity to go, but I chose not to because I wanted to start my career ASAP. Thinking back on that decision, it sounds absolutely psychotic! Why would anyone choose to skip a trip to Europe to begin the rest of their life, something they will be stuck with forever?

Because I've been dreaming about this life since I was 15.

I honestly cannot wait for Saturday! This industry, this company, New York City, I WANT IT! I can go to Europe at any time, but this opportunity that I have been given does not come around often. I am so ready and excited for the rest of my life to begin!

T-3 days...or is it 2?

Ugh, I never know how to do countdowns.

<3, Charlotte

Over my head, Out of my mind, Overwhelmed

Shit just got real. Like, it's officially starting to set in. I was going over different things with my dad that he wants to help me with slash double-check before my big move. And it's insane. I am going over 401k's and pension plans and non-compete clauses and new banks and credit cards and rewards programs and it is making me just want to curl up in a big ball and stay there for forever. On Saturday, I am becoming a real person.

How am I going to do this?

I need a system of organization. And NOT like my senior year of college organization where I had ZERO folders and just threw all my papers in my backpack and found them when I needed them (not a complete disaster if I do say so myself, but not a system I plan on continuing in the future).

This makes me laugh, so at least I still have that ability at this time. (Credit to http://myjourneythroughindiewood.blogspot.com/ for this awesomeness!)

I need a plan. And not just any plan. It needs to be the most organized, anal, OCD plan that anyone has ever seen in their lives. My savings, work documents that I can refer to, different things I need to have for everyday life. The wheels are turning, car is in motion, and I need to figure out how I am going to get the car to where it needs to be. (WOAH, cheesy metaphor alert, sorry about that!)

But really, I am getting my life together STAT. Hopefully this organization system will be in place by tomorrow. My life will be lined up and ready to go...if I don't have an anxiety attack before that happens.

WOWZA.

<3, Charlotte

Working out the workout

If I looked this cool while running we wouldn't be having this problem!

I've officially failed way too many times at this.

Working out.

Ugh, even hearing the words makes me wince in pain. Being an ex-swimmer, I have definitely worked out more than one should in a life time. Recently, though, I have realized that when I am not training for something, I lose all motivation. Why? Working out just to work out SUCKS. News flash: no one enjoys sweating a ton and feeling like they are dying just for the heck of it. Sorry, even if you say that you love that "runner's high", I say you're full of shit. (Really, sorry if that is offensive, it's just my own lazy-ass opinion). You look gross, you feel nasty, it's just not a good time for anyone.

There have been countless days when I've been like "Okay, starting tomorrow, I'm going to get in a morning run 4 days a week." At the end of the school year, I was decent at starting and sticking to this. Once I get into a routine, I actually don't mind it. It's just getting to that routine that is difficult. I was going to go run this morning, but I am not feeling that well (classic excuse, I know), and with starting a job in 6 days, I do want to rest up. But now that I am feeling a lot better today, I want to start tomorrow.

Which is why I AM PUTTING THIS IN WRITING. It is officially out in the universe. World, tomorrow morning I am going on a run or to the health club!! (Depending on what the weather allows me to do). Quote me. Push me. Hold me accountable!

Tomorrow. I. Am. Going. To. Go. For. A. Run. And. That. Is. That.

<3, Charlotte



PS: JUST found this link, which totally justifies my laziness for today: http://www.buzzfeed.com/erinlarosa/27-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-workout-today

Sweet home Chicago

We made it! DC to Chicago is always a struggle, but this time I slept for a decent amount of the drive. Success!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="448"] An extreme exaggeration, but this is what my life is right now. YIKES[/caption]

It will be nice to be able to see a few of my friends who are staying in Chicago for their careers, but I also have a lot of cleaning and throwing-away-of-old-clothes to do (my parents are going to sell our house and I need to eliminate a lot of extra crap that I no longer need). I honestly don't know how I have become such a pack-rat, but I am really a simple person and don't need a lot of the clothes that I think I may wear one day. NO. Newsflash: if I haven't seen a piece of clothing  in more than a few weeks, chances are I'll never wear it. This maybe mentality is going to one day lead to me becoming a hoarder - I CANNOT let that happen!!

So that is what these next few days will amount to. Oh, and I need to start working out again. THAT is the first thing I will do tomorrow morning! OY, I'm going to need all the luck I can get.

<3, Charlotte

UPDATE: Move-in Part 1 = Success!

Today, we officially moved all of my things into my summer apartment! I'm so happy that my parents approved of the place I picked out ALL BY MYSELF. Big girl moment over here!

We drove up to NYC  today, moved everything in, then drove back to DC to end the night. So, there you have it, it is my last night in DC. Right now. I'm feeling so many emotions right now it's unreal. Sadness mixed with excitement mixed with nerves - I'm just trying to take it all in and appreciate the opportunity I have been given (sidenote: the job starts in a week!).

Tomorrow, we are DRIVING back to Chicago from DC. KILL ME NOW. My dad claims it to be 10 hours but bullshit, it's 11 or 12. Ugh, it is going to be rough. Over the course of today and tomorrow, I will have been in the back seat of a car for 20 hours. Yikes, should definitely not have verbalized that!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Oh, the back seat of a car. Why do I have to spend so much time here?[/caption]

Welp, getting up at 5am tomorrow morning for the drive, so I'm turning in early (of course, not without watching a few episodes of Dexter first, streaming online now - I LOVE HAVING INTERNET AGAIN!).

Wish me luck!

<3, Charlotte