Time to get a move on…

Today is the day! Later this afternoon I’ll officially be settling in to my new home in Palo Alto. Eep! I may have a slight spaz attack in the near future (don’t fret, I promise it won’t be too embarrassing).

Saying good-bye to my family and friends has been quite awkward. Although we went out to a “going-away” dinner, nothing felt different about our family gathering. Dinner was quick and then it was back to the house to be attacked by our pups. Same as usual. Honestly I think my best friend’s mother made the biggest deal about my moving away (the woman hugged me four times).

And to say this morning was hectic is an understatement. I didn’t realize how many small items I hadn’t packed. I filled my backpack with random items, shoved my toiletries into my checked luggage, and tried to pack a snack for my extended flight. Six hours with no free food? That seems wrong.

My father was polite to note that my luggage weighs a ton. That is when I started to get more nervous(er). Sidling up to the bag drop I was praying that the scale was similar to the one in my house. My first bag was under the limit but my second bag managed to be 1.5 pounds over. I’m pretty sure the attendant saw the fear in my eyes so she let me slide…

So now I’m waiting anxiously at the gate. As luck would have it, they asked that people “volunteer” to check their roller boards. Thank jeebus! Now I won’t be that obnoxious passenger that attempts to shove an oversize bag in the overhead. And I didn’t have to pay the $125 fee, phew. Things seem to be going my way today, hopefully this keeps up.

California here we come!

Tell me about a new adventure you are embarking on in your life!

Pack it up, Pack it in

Oh man, it is taking everything I have not to break out and dance to Jump Around right now. (My suggestion: you should probably go to YouTube and enjoy it yourself.)

In other news, it is time. Time to get my rear in gear and all of my dreck packed up to make the big move. For those of you who aren’t aware, I’m far too lazy to drive the 47 hours to my new home (Palo Alto, CA) so I’m shipping my car. This has its advantages and disadvantages. Most importantly it means that I will save several days of my life. I’d love to see some of the sites along the route, but I’m not a fan of driving (read: I’m an awful driver with a bad case of road rage). This also means I won’t be able to utilize all the room in my vehicle. I can technically pack 100 pounds in my trunk, but the back seat will have to be empty (note: I packed my trunk until it could barely shut, probably 200 pounds or so…).

I was under the impression that my car would be shipped last week, but the shipping company had other plans. My car is still sitting in my driveway waiting for its chariot to take it away. I’m hoping they will call today and get it on the road so I’ll have it by next weekend.

Next on my to do list – pack my clothing. I’m not sure if anyone was aware of this, but I may own enough clothing that I don’t have to do laundry for a month (yes, I have that much underwear). According to US Air, if I choose to check a third bag it will cost me $125. What is a girl to do?

Since my cheap bone is bigger than my materialism vein, I decided to purge. Again. I was speaking with some lovely bloggers about my attire and they reminded me that it is quality over quantity. If I haven’t worn an item in a year, I probably shouldn’t hold on to it. And if it doesn’t make my body look bangin’, then I don’t need to ever put it on again. So now I have a thirty pound bag to be donated, I’m hoping someone else enjoys that hoochie dress I used to rock…

To be honest, I’ve managed to pack the majority of my items but then I keep remembering things I want to bring. (Yes, I do need that fourth pair of running shoes.) But now I’m almost scared to put my suitcases on the scale to see how much they weigh. (Although  I’m quite excited to see their body fat percentage.)

Alas, I have little time to worry and need to get my sh*t together. Time to go finish this nonsense so I can shake off the stress it is providing me. Two days and counting!

How do you prepare for a big move? Anyone want to be a pack mule and transport some items for me?

24 Random Facts

Today is my 24th birfday, I’m officially old(er)! I strategically planned my last day of work so I had the chance to sleep in and enjoy myself. (Seriously, who wants to work on their birthday?) I woke up to find this lovely someecard from my friend in London, I thought it was very fitting.

Unfortunately I think today is way too hot and sticky to be in the real world, I'll stay inside...

In honor of my 24th year, I thought I’d share 24 fun things. Here is a little window into the randomness that is my life:

1. I woke up and was ready for the day at 8am but forced myself back to sleep. When I was younger people knew not to call me before 11am since I was still in bed, these days I’m a morning person and wake up by 8am everyday.
2. I weighed in this morning at my lowest amount in over six years. I’m pretty sure this will be ruined by dessert and drinks tonight/this weekend, yet I don’t think I mind too much.
3. I’m still asking for a pony for my birthday, I think I’m wearing my parents down.
4. Birthday presents are nice, but I tend to purchase the things I want without waiting for a special day. Sometimes, if I’m too cheap, I’ll send my parents an item and drop hints that they should purchase it for me. This is what I asked for this year.
5. In high school I had a pool party every year. I always scheduled it at a fun time like 1:58pm, I’m not a fan of round numbers.
6. On my 16th birthday I went to the shooting range with a friend and managed to get a hot shell down my top. Since then I’ve dressed more appropriately for shooting.
7. For my 18th birthday my female friend took me to a strip club…
8. For my 19th birthday I went skydiving with my father and brother. I was ready to go until the instructor tried to push me out of the plane, then it got pretty hairy.
9. For my 20th birthday I earned my motorcycle license, the next day there was a motorcycle accident in front of my parents house. I have not ridden a bike since.
10. I’ve always looked older than my age. People are often surprised to find out that I’m still a baby, apparently I’m mature for my age (or something like that).
11. It didn’t help that I lied about my age until I was 18. I figured if I could pass as older, why not? Looking back I realize I should have enjoyed my childhood and not tried to speed it up so much.
12. In my first week at college I got a real lesson about drinking – do not try to keep up with the boys. Even though I’m not the tiniest, I’m a light weight. Three drinks and I’m happily hugging everyone in the room.
13. I played ultimate frisbee in college and can’t wait to find a new group to play pickup with in California. I’m not the best player but I’m passionate. That is what matters, right?
14. When I found out I was moving, I spent days at work researching Palo Alto. I had to hold myself back from joining running groups three months in advance.
15. In Columbus there is one Jewish young adult group, in Palo Alto there are about a dozen. I’m already signed up for a few of those.
16. I’m planning to sneak into the Jewish Law Student events so I can meet a nice lawyer. What? I’m Jewish, it would only be fitting to date a lawyer (or doctor, or accountant for that matter).
17. My dad used to tell me that I should marry for love, but if he is Jewish, he’ll pay for the wedding. My mother yells every time I tell this story. Her theory is that a man should worship the ground I walk on. I’m hoping for both.
18. I still call my father for advice, when I’m uncertain of something it is nice to have his “go ahead”. I think I’ll be doing this late into my forties.
19. On that note, my father is coming tomorrow to help me pack. I don’t think I could do it without his assistance, that man knows how to organize better than anyone I’ve ever met.
20. My first love, who I consider to be one of my closest friends, will be living four miles away from me in California. Several people have reminded me not to get back together with him…
21. After graduating from college I spent a month at home, it was dreadful. I may have had a nervous breakdown about starting my new life in Ohio. Hoping that doesn’t happen again.
22. The two girls I consider my best friends are the greatest people in the world, even when I was whiny and freaking out about my move to Ohio they stuck by me. I’d like to believe I’d do anything for them.
23. I’m scared beyond belief of moving and starting life as a graduate student. Some people say grad school is easier than undergrad, but I feel that my program may be more rigorous than I am expecting. What did I get myself into?!
24. I was originally afraid to tell people I’m going to Stanford because I was afraid I’d sound pretentious. Now I’m learning I should be proud of it since I did get in after all. So on that note, did you know I’m going to Stanford next year?

Wow, it was harder than expected to come up with that list. And thank you if you managed to make it through each item, I apologize for being a bit verbose. Hope you are all having an amazing day!

How do you celebrate your birthday? Tell me one (or seven) fun fact(s) about you.

Unemployed and it feels so good

As of this afternoon I am officially unemployed. Wow, it feels odd just to think about it…

Honda has been an absolutely wonderful place to start my career. I was very lucky to fall into such a great position (definitely didn’t expect to be here) and now I’m off to new and scarier things! In honor of my first real-person job, here are a few random things I’ve learned over the past two years.

Benefits are gggggrrrrreeeeaaaatttt!  (Said like Tony the Tiger)
Honestly, I didn’t realize how important it is to have a good health and dental plan. Many of my friends have to pay the entire fee out of pocket, yet I was gifted with a minimal payment. I don’t go to the doctor too frequently, but I like that the option is available to me.

Sometimes people won’t respect you, get over it
This one I have struggled with quite a bit. Yes, my job involved telling others that their designs were not usable, but that doesn’t make me a bad person. Right? Over time it was apparent that I wasn’t going to make their friendship so I needed to stop being bothered by it. Gotta remember that you can’t please everyone all the time, just be civil and move on.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help
I’m a stubborn perfectionist, I want to do things properly the first time. Unfortunately this rarely happens and sometimes it may be necessary to look for guidance. Often times I didn’t seek out help from my mentor in a timely manner, instead I internalized the issues and became frustrated. I need to change my mindset, getting guidance from another is collaboration and not failure.

Men rarely don’t always know how to act around women
Since I’m a female engineer, this means my working life is surrounded by men. I get it. But sometimes I don’t want to be made fun of or treated like one of the guys. Women take things differently than men and my coworkers forgot this on a daily basis. I’ll be spending my life in this industry, so this is one issue I have to overcome and quick.

Not having to buy, launder, and wear business attire is a treat
At Honda we wear uniforms. Yes, that’s right, everyday I showed up to work in jeans and a t-shirt to put on my white slacks and top. This meant that I never had the need to purchase fancy clothing. So much money saved! Now that I’m becoming a graduate student this is all changing, I have no idea how to dress like a professional. Maybe I should apologize in advance for my clothing selection…

To be honest, even though I often complained about my job, I was very fortunate. I had a boss who adored me and a group that respected me. My boss reminded me a dozen times today how much they’ll miss me, threatening to send me to Japan if I would stay. Somewhat enticing, yet not nearly enough to keep me around. I’ll miss them all, but now I am ready to go back to school! Check out my sweet sendoff gift from my coworkers wife, so cute.

Chebu is trying to steal my cookies! Silly monkey-thing...

What did you learn from your first job? Any advice for someone making a major life change?

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Why I want to date a runner boy

Someone to run with now and then
Perhaps he will be faster than me, but it would be nice to have someone who will take the time to run beside me every so often. We could chat about life, catch up, get to know each other better. Supposedly, the couple that works out together has a better chance of working out in the long run.

Someone to be there when I finish a race
I’ve only had one ex cheer me on at the end of a race, and he was already an ex at that point (don’t ask). I want someone who will run beside me for the final length and remind me to kick it up a notch. When I completed the Boston Marathon the girl next to me had three friends running her in. What did I have? An old boyfriend that showed up fifteen minutes after I finished. I ran the freaking Boston and he didn’t show up on time. Boy am I glad I’m not moving back to Boston for him (again, probably shouldn’t ask…).

Someone to be genuinely interested in my results
To ask questions and listen when I talk about my speed workout or long run. Someone who understands what I mean when I say I ran 8x400s and it was brutal. And I’d be overjoyed to hear about his progress, after all talking about running is one of my favorite pastimes.

Someone who pushes me to be my best
A previous boy didn’t understand my dedication. Why would I want to wake up at 6am on a Saturday for a long run? Why do I have to fit my run in before we go to dinner, can’t I just skip it this once? It wasn’t fair to me that I had to arrange my life to best fit his. I want someone who will respect my routine and motivate me to push through on the days I want to avoid a workout.

Someone to travel with me to races
I’ve picked some races that are a bit out of the way and I need a travel buddy. We can sightsee the day before/after, heck, I’d pick destination races (Hawaii marathon!) if I had a good partner to go with.

Alright, I’ll admit these qualities may exist in a non-runner boy.  For some reason I feel that boys men that run have a deeper understanding of my passion. Either way, I’m not settling for much less in my next partner. As my examples indicate, I’ve had some mediocre relationships in the past and this time I want more (whenever that may be).

What do you look for in a partner? Is your SO supportive of your habits?