It has been awhile.....

Since my last post I traveled down to Los Angeles to visit John for his birthday. Wow, we stayed in some super nice hotels. John had an idea that we would stay at a different hotel every night so we could experience a few different areas of Los Angeles. We stayed at The Mondrian in West Hollywood, The Ritz-Carlton in Pasadena, and Casa Del Mar and Shutters in Santa Monica. I liked them all for different reasons, but my overall favorite was Shutters. We had an amazing view of the beach, and the room just seemed like we were staying in our own little beach house. It was a great weekend, and I'm even more excited to move down there now!! I really miss John and would like to get down there as soon as I tie everything up here in Seattle. I will be taking a week off of work in January to study for the California exam, and hopefully hear the results by mid-February. Ideally, I would like to be down in California by the end of February. I think once I'm down in California, I will make more of an effort to keep this blog up to date! For right now, I have so much to do as far as preparing for the exam, quitting my job, packing up the house, and moving myself (and Frank!) to Los Angeles.

Fun, new gadgets!!

I am sooooo excited! I have been wanting a new camera for over a year, ever since I started taking scrapbooking a little more seriously. I finally took the plunge this weekend and bought a Canon Rebel xTi. I can't wait to use it to document the move down to LA, and all the LA adventures. I'm hoping it will take my scrappin' to a whole new level as well:) I subscribe to a couple scrapbooking magazines, and it seems quite a few of the contributors use a digital Canon Rebel. I should be getting it in the next week or so, hopefully in time for my trip down to Los Angeles to visit John.

Gadget #2 is my new Garmin Nuvi 200. It is an early Christmas present from my parents. I wanted it for trying to figure my way around LA with as little effort as possible. The last thing I need is to get lost in LA, that might scar me for life. I think my parents were onboard with the idea as well. John and I used it on our way up to Sedro Woolley over Thanksgiving, and it did a great job until we hit a seriously wooded area.

Wow, I can't believe I'm moving to California!!

When John told me he had been offered a really great job in Los Angeles, I was speechless, to say the least. I was quiet for like 2 minutes. Totally and completely floored. What was I supposed to say? I couldn't even begin to imagine leaving Seattle, not to mention my family and friends. And LA? I never pictured myself living in Los Angeles. San Francisco, sure, but LA, no thank you. What do I think of when I think LA? Ummm, let's see.....Dr. 90210, fake boobs, face lifts, traffic, smog....why would this down to earth girl from Seattle want to throw herself in to that? I am soooooo not LA. I'm obsessed with scrapbooking, and I drive a Subaru wagon.......doesn't really scream "LA" to me. So why would I want to move down there? Love, that is why......sounds totally cheesy, but true. After a few days, and a load of tears, I came around to the idea. I can't imagine my life without John. I have lived in Washington my entire life, and I have always wanted to live somewhere else. I know quite a few people that have taken a chance and moved out of their comfort zone......from hundreds of miles to thousands of miles away from home. It will be an adventure that John and I can experience together. It has been over two months since John broke the news to me, and I have *seriously* come around. I'm actually super excited about moving at this point. Nice weather, close to the beach, lots of outdoor activity possibilities, new job opportunities, the list goes on. And all of LA can't be obsessed with celebrity, fame, and fake boobs, right? I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I decided to start this blog as a way to keep in touch with my family and friends back in Washington and other parts of the world. I'll be posting pictures, and writing about my day to day experiences. John has already moved down to LA and started his new job about three weeks ago. So far, he loves it, which is awesome!! I am so proud of him. I will be moving down to Los Angeles as soon as I become licensed to practice in California. Hopefully by the end of February!!