Headed to My Old KY Home

I am super, super excited to head back home today! I love going back home and visiting KY. Work is bringing me to town but I'll fit in a little play time too ;) And the best part of this upcoming flight- it's direct... thank you Allegiant Airlines! I am forever grateful for no layovers! 

I so enjoy staying and seeing my family and visiting all my spots that only KY can offer! I literally plan my days around all of my favorite restaurants... so sad but so true! 

I of course will miss the hubby and our pups since I'll be gone for a whole week but I'm traveling back  next month and B gets to tag along that trip.  

Stacks of clothes are waiting to be packed and a load of laundry awaits me downstairs- packing is definitely not the fun part of traveling! 

Here I come My Old KY Home- I've missed you! 

On the Road... Day 1

Our move has officially begun and I'm already tired! That's probably not good...

We left bright and early yesterday morning and started our drive to Florida but our first stop was in Kentucky so we could visit some friends and family. 

We were on the road for a little under 14 hours and had an uneventful drive... which I am very thankful for! People always wonder if B and I get bored on our drives home or if we fight on long road trips. Honestly no... we don't get too bored and I don't think we've ever argued while sitting next to each other for 14 hours. (Knock on wood!) We usually find ways to entertain ourselves... we belt out tunes and dance ridiculously, we read each other magazines or books, play games, or just talk. Yesterday we entertained ourselves with this audio book:

Hilarious! B and I love, love, love watching "The Office" and she absolutely cracks me up. A sweet friend of mine from Connecticut gave this to me and it was the perfect thing for us to listen to towards the end of our trip. We have one more disc that we're saving for tomorrow's travels.

We made it in safely and for that we are extremely grateful! It was a long day of driving but it is certainly great to be home. We went to a yummy dinner with my family and came home and ate cake from my favorite Kentucky bakery. 

And then... we crashed... we were so beat! But all in all it was a good first day of travel!

Until next time...

xoxo

Back to Reality...

At this time last week I was boarding a plane to head to Disney to meet up with my sis, my mom, and the rest of the LHS dance team. I've been back in KY since Monday and I just now feel like I'm caught up on my sleep! It was a long, tiring trip but between a scratched cornea

(my sis) and 5:00 am wake up calls, we made it ;)

PS... can I please be a Disney Princess?!?! I was kind of bummed that I wasn't able to see my fav, Ariel :(

After flying back to KY on Monday, the rest of the day was spent running errands. I was absolutely worthless on Tuesday and yesterday was full of work and squeezing in a much needed blonde appointment!

Today starts a crazy 10 days of a couple choreography jobs. I'm super excited to be back in a studio and to be working with some pretty talented kiddos!

Okay... back to work now! Have a great day ladies!

xoxo

Moi's Travel Tips

February is super busy and is jam packed with lots of travel for yours truly. I head out Thursday to meet my mom and sis in Orlando. My sis is competing with her high school dance team at UDA Nationals. ( This is the same dance team that I coached for two years before I moved so I'm super pumped to see my girls!). After Florida, it's off to Kentucky for a couple choreography jobs, some guest teaching, two weekends in Cincy for dance competitions, and, when the hubby joins me, head with him on a couple interviews in the area. When it's all said and done, it's time to pack up and make the long drive back to Connecticut. I just wore myself out thinking about all of this, haha! It's going to be a lot but it should be lots of fun plus it will be great to be back home for a couple of weeks and see family and friends :)

Anyways... the past couple of years have been full of a lot of traveling either by plane or by car and since this next month is filled with jet setting and road trips I figured I would pass along some travel tips that I've picked up along the way.

Packing

I used to be the queen of overpacking! Okay, maybe the princess because I'm pretty sure my mom is the queen. Since I've started traveling more, and especially flying more, I've had to learn that 10 pairs of shoes and a million "extra" outfits just aren't necessary. I've learned to pack only the essentials and to seriously pack light. There is no need to pay extra $$$$ for my luggage to be over the 50 pound weight limit.

~ I color coordinate pretty much everything and choose a color theme that I will use throughout my entire trip. It's usually black or more neutral colors like chocolate or beige. If I can get away with leggings for an entire trip I throw in a few pairs and I'm good to go. Seriously... leggings are my best friend when traveling. Comfy and easy to pack.

~ I pack things that I can mix and match and get away with wearing twice. By doing this I pack less clothes and I am able to pack more accessories like scarves, necklaces, and a hat or two. It's amazing how accessorizing can change an entire outfit.

~ My carry on is jam packed! If you can get away with just a carry on and not checking a bag, more power to you! I just can't but I do utilize my carry on as much as possible. I mean... we're limited to our purse plus one carry on so my "carry on" is a large bag full of things I know I'll need. I make sure to throw in any meds I may need, extra contacts and contact solution, my glasses, and an extra outfit. My luggage has been lost more times than I can count and having an extra cardigan or fresh shirt always helps after a long day of traveling. I also keep my laptop in a case within my carry on, an extra phone charger, lotion (in a plastic bag), hand sanitizer, and any books and mags. And of couse my essentials: wallet with ID, cash, and credit cards, my phone, all receipts for luggage, boarding tickets, etc,...

Airport

Some things I learned the hard way:

~ Get to the airport early. The last time I flew, I literally pulled up to the airport less than an hour before my flight took off. Umm... oops! It was early and my bed sounded so much nicer than making the hour drive to the airport. Lesson learned! If you can... arrive at least an hour and a half to two hours before your flight is scheduled to depart. Those security lines are either way short or way long... usually the latter ;)

~ Check in online! Technology these days is absolutely amazing. Take advantage of online check in. I love that the night before my flight all I have to do is log in, check in, pay for my checked luggage, and then flip my computer closed. It's seriously that easy. When you get to the airport the next day, all you have to do is drop off your bags and head to the security line. Easy peasey!

~ Lay off the heavy jewelry. We all love our necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and watches but just go ahead and pack them in your checked bag or carry on because the chances that you'll have to take it all off for security is pretty high. It makes traveling a little easier on you and I am all about keeping things easy.

Travel & Beauty

Traveling can do all sorts of crazy things to our skin and immune systems. I'm the type of person that always gets a sore throat or dry eyes or some sort of cold when traveling. I've had to learn what works for me, my skin, and my health.

~ Moisturize! I can not say this enough... moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. The night before I hop on a plane I do a really intense moisturizing regiment. It feels great, it refreshes my skin, but most importantly it prepares it for that long day ahead. I keep a bottle of lotion in my purse that is good for my face and hands. My hands always get dry when traveling so I just throw a bottle of lotion in my purse or carry on and try to treat myself every now and then.

~ Drink lots of water! I am a diet coke addict but water, especially before and during travel is absolutely essential! On flights, when we're served our drinks I still treat myself to a diet coke but only if I have water as well. If I have time before my flight, I try to run in and grab a bottled water to keep with me. On road trips, bottled water is always important to sip on. We eat so poorly while traveling (well, I do!) so at least water will keep us hydrated ;)

~ Reapply your lip balm! Just like my hands, my lips tend to get super dry so lip balm is always a good thing to keep handy. If you get dry, itchy eyes, don't forget your eyedrops either!

~ We all want to look cute and like a movie star when we travel but go easy on the makeup when you're flying. It's actually worse for your skin, when flying, to apply tons of makeup. So keep it light. I usually do a primer, foundation with a little powder, mascara, and lip gloss. Clean, simple, and better for our beautiful faces!

~ Speaking of our faces... keep your hands off your face! Think about how many germs we come in contact with while traveling. Do you want that on your face? Didn't think so ;) It's hard to not touch your face but try to keep your hand sanitizer in close reach so you can get some of those germs off of you!

~ Get plenty of rest! The night before I travel is always the most stressful but it is so important to get a good amount of zzzzz's in the nights leading up to your flight or road trip. Traveling is tiring and takes a lot out of you but if you're well rested, it can be a breeze.

What are some of your best travel tips?

Have a great day ladies!

xoxo

And it begins...

When we moved to Connecticut last summer, we knew we would be here for at least a year and that anything after B's fellowship was, well...something we would deal with later, haha. Y'all... "later" has arrived! B began his job search right before the holidays and started getting in touch with practices that may be hiring come summer 2012. He got a few leads, submitted his CV to quite a few different places, references were called, and our hopes were up. By the middle of December we kind of hit a wall. The holidays are always a busy time for everyone so we figured people were in and out of work and it was time to set the job thing on the shelf until the beginning of the year. I don't know if any of y'all have an issue with this, but being patient is super hard! I am such a planner and love to be somewhat organized. Last minute plans drive me crazy and not having some sort of "agenda" to follow puts me in all kinds of disarray. You can imagine my excitement when B told me that he was offered an in interview! And you can imagine my OCD kick in when he told me that they wanted to meet with him in 2 weeks and gave us no further travel info or definite dates.

Between all of our excitement, bewilderment, and more patience, everything has been set and all travel arrangements are to be finalized Monday morning. Our first stop on my hubby's interview tour is...

Tampa, Florida!

B has had his eye on Tampa for so long so I know he is super pumped for this opportunity! I am so,so,so happy for him :) I have never been to Tampa but B has and he loves it. Now we all know that I'm a southern girl at heart so getting back south where warm weather reigns supreme is fine by me. I remember when B first introduced the idea to go to Tampa. I was totally hesitant but the more reading I've done on the city, the more excited I got about adding it to "our list". Yes... we have a "list" of places we'd like to be and possible settle down. Tampa is high on that list ;)

All I've been thinking about since last night is being to able to get away and escape to some warm sunshine for a bit. My spring/summer clothes have been packed away for a few months now but it looks like I get to pull out a few numbers for our little visit. I can not wait! I love experiencing a new city and traveling to new places but I'm really excited for B to learn more about this awesome opportunity.

These pics from Pinterest have definitely sparked some Florida love in my heart:

I posted something about the start to our new journey on FB and I was so pleased when one of B's aunts commented about how I am an "amazingly adaptable woman". I take a lot of pride in being a supportive wife and truly making myself adaptable to where my hubby needs to be for his work right now. Carol...thank you for your sweet comment! It made me smile :) It is not always easy to put someone else in front of our own wants but this gal has a few business ideas of her own and I know that in God's time everything will work and that B will be there for me. For now, I just gotta keep being patient!

Have a fabulous Friday ladies!

xoxo

Unlikely Places

I knew when I married B that I was in for some traveling around and a few years of having to be adaptable. I knew he had to finish his residency and I knew that he wanted to go outside of my home state for his fellowship. Well, here we are... a few months into the fellowship and another job search has begun. God led us to Connecticut for a reason and I am positive it was to surround B with the best training possible. B has had an amazing experience since his fellowship began. He has excelled in performing procedures, he has thrown himself into awesome research projects, and he was nominated to be chief fellow. If he had chosen to go into another program, these things may not have happened. Only God is responsible for the blessings we have had since we moved here. We have grown comfortable with our group of friends and we have finally "settled in". Will we stay here? Who knows... a potential offer is there. We're interested in keeping our options open. We love the south but there is a part of us that would love to travel out west. Resumes have been sent, calls have been made, and now interest in B has circulated. He had a phone call, from a group out west, and I was proud as I sat and listened to him talk with such ease and confidence. I love that he loves what he does. I am certain that the right group will recognize this and will want to scoop B up in a hot second. Jobs right now are hard to come by in this economy so we've had to expand our horizon a bit and look into places that maybe we wouldn't have looked into otherwise. Hence... some practices out west ;) But this is such an exciting time! Not really knowing where we're headed but trusting that God has a plan for us. After B got off the phone tonight there was such a "kid like" giddiness between us. The fun of having a potential offer in a place that we may not have considered otherwise. When I saw the quote above, I felt such a sense of joy. It's so true... "secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places". I so look forward to unwrapping the secret that God has in store for us... no matter where we may be!

Have a great night ladies!!

xoxo

My Ol' Kentucky Home...

Ahhh... home sweet home!

This past month has been CRAZY!! After spending a week with my mom and sis, in CT, the hubs and I had a week together and then I was headed back to KY to go to my dance studio's nationals... lots of fun but this gal is TIRED!!

I flew in last Saturday and we just got back a lil' while ago. I'm so proud of all the DESOD kiddos... they were awesome and it was so great to be back around my second family :)

After 5 days of being holed up in the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, it was finally time to spend some time on the beach. Sun, sand, the smell of sunscreen, a good read... that's the life!

I'm happy to be back in KY but I'm really looking forward to seeing my hubby! We've only seen each other 6 days this month :(

So sad!! I miss him lots.

I'm headed back to CT in a couple days but in the mean time I'm going to enjoy some home cooked meals and time with my friends and family.

Here's the new book I'm reading:

I just started it yesterday and I'm about halfway through... so far, I LOVE it!!

Have a wonderful Sunday evening!!

xoxo

And... I'm Back!

Oh... My... Goodness...

The past week has been so so so busy! In a good way but for the last 24 hours I have been one lazy lady.

I am now officially in CT... B is about 75 miles from being here (I can not wait to see him... I have missed him SO much!) and my mom and sis flew back to KY yesterday so today I've been able to upload some pics and get some stuff done around our new apartment!

I was very thankful that my mom and sis were able to help me get our move started. I had to be up here to finish paperwork while B finished his last couple days back at UK. Us girls drove up last Thursday... all we did that day was drive... and drive... and drive... for 14 hours! The next morning we woke up early, grabbed our Starbucks, and headed for the apartment. We set up camp and went to Ikea and Crate and Barrel for an afternoon of scouting out new furniture. Some purchases may have been made along the way ;) More on that in a later post! That night we walked Yale's campus and of course, leave it to us, we found a Frozen Yogurt place. Score!

Saturday was a day in NYC and I could not have been more excited! It was my sister's first time ever visiting the city... I knew she would love it. We got tix to see "Phantom of the Opera" in the afternoon and had a yummy dinner following the show. We shopped 5th Avenue and drug our tired lil' feet back to CT late that night.

Sunday and Monday were pretty relaxed days... mom surprised us with delicious donuts from a bakery around the corner, we looked at more furniture, we found another ice cream shop, and we enjoyed 4th of July fireworks from the comfort of my humble abode. New Haven had their fireworks display at East Rock Park this year and that is what our view is of, at the apartment... thankful we didn't have to get out and fight traffic!

Tuesday was another day in NYC... and it was AWESOME! We got tix to see Harry Potter himself (aka Daniel Radcliffe) in his show " How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying". If you are planning a trip to NYC anytime soon, you MUST go see this! One of the best shows I have EVER seen... he is amazing in it... the whole show is amazing! We ate lunch at Serendipity's, took the subway to Ground Zero, and did more shopping. Hmmm... imagine that haha ;) After the show, later that night, my sis and I went to see if Harry would be exiting from the stage door... and he did! And there was a HUGE crowd filled with lots of teenage girls. It was fun though. He quickly went through the crowd and signed a number of Playbills and other items... my sis and I got a Playbill signed by him. She was floating on a cloud and I'm pretty sure that was the highlight of her trip. She called all her friends to tell them haha!

After a day at the beach it was time to pack up my fam and send them off to the Bluegrass. I've been keeping busy cleaning and getting things prepared for B's arrival tonight.

I had an awesome time on our girls trip but I am definitely looking forward to seeing my sweet hubby :)

Here's some pics from the trip:

{Yes...that is Harry Potter!!}

{Will be seeing this show again... LOVE!!}

{My yummy treat at Serendipity's. I may or may not have eaten the entire thing... don't judge!!}

{Our apartment building}

{My sis in front of Yale's library}

{Getting ready to see "Phantom"}

Have a great weekend ladies!!

An American in... London?

Ladies, Ladies, Ladies...

I have never traveled outside of the US. So sad but unfortunately so true.

{tear}

I have made B very aware of my desire to visit France, England, Italy, Spain... my list could go on forever and ever and ever...

Well... we have decided to mark one of these places off of our bucket lists next year and I am so so so excited! It's still quite a long ways off but I'm already anxiously awaiting our first international trip to.... LONDON!

{via}

I can't wait to put that first stamp in my passport :)