a good one

i've been trying to find a top notch friend to laugh over nothing with, since my bests do still

insist on living far, far away. a good one i may have found; her drunken nonsense last night reminded me of the love you have for a friend just because you do. that moment, when she's yelling at her highest pitch voices, words that don't make sentences, but you get it, that's the moment you know.

friday love

a few doors down from my new place is a little wine shop. they host various tastings and events a few times a week, and during summer they take the supplies over to the hollyhock house for a tasting in the art park at sunset. i decided this was a mandatory event before summer's end and bought tickets last week. it was dreamy.

up on the hill, with the sun reaching its last reaches towards the green, green grass... we put our blanket in a spot with a view. small, dented glass after another i fell in love all over again. a busy day for us both, but an hour spent just the two of us. plus, we finally used some of the cheese store gift certificate i gave him for his birthday. that was delicious. a perfect 10 moment. smiles. kisses.

i think i've found the place

i think i've found the place that i'll be able to write the words. i always imagined a place of my own, with warm walls and inspiring moments. i think i've found the place.

saturday morning thanks.

it's the kind of peacefulness that slightly leads to pinching. is this really mine and how did i get here? i'm surrounded by my things and my choices and i'm spinning in circles and laughing at myself. when asked how i did it, i said i didn't know. but when i thought about it longer, i realized i only tried. the plan was never a plan, only an experiment gone right. trial and error of course, and plenty of realizations of wrong turns, but never once giving up on myself... i found the good. because i wanted to find the good. i don't want to take any moment for less than what it is; i feel lucky. when asked about feeling alone along the way, i told her i wasn't. each of you loved ones who have been there and will be there have helped me. the lonely struggles are only struggles with the past. i had to stop looking back at those bumps and keep looking for something better. never settling. never tiring. always wanting. always appreciating.

chocolate chip cannoli.

so the bulk of the stress is over. i've moved, officially, and i'm finally right there with everyone else. no more driving the wrong direction after work before heading back towards the fun. i'm excited about that.

last night K and i went out to dinner to one of OUR local restaurants, masa. i loved it the first time we went, and i especially love it now that it's actually near me too! we shared a 5 cheese pizza paired with a bottle of Mauritiushof. $30 special. what a steal. and the chocolate chip cannoli was a perfect dessert. what an amazing night.

tonight we've got the kick off of the next residency. luckily, the only outfit i could pull together from my assortment of boxes happens to work well into night time. cheers to a great start to my new place.

mine, all mine.

i got the apartment! it's my secret hiding spot thus far. no one has been to the new place yet, just me. so every time i've been there it's just been an experience with myself. i spent the entire weekend making trips over there with some of my things - the stuff that's annoying to move - but i can handle with no complaints because it's mine. and no complaints should be had at this new apartment... because it's mine. no roommates. no one to bug. just mine, all mine. even though it's a small one bedroom, i'm going to treat it as a warm, inviting space for friends. i'm excited to finish decorating. design*sponge has been very inspiring through this process.

the hunt

in the past year i've learned a lot. about communication with others. and appreciating what i have. and how to decipher between the good and the bad. i learned how to see what i want and put my energy in what i want, what is worth it, and to quit while i'm ahead with anything else. (that's not to say that giving up is okay, but just that when it's wrong, it's wrong. don't push it.)

so for the past month, the hunt has been on for my new homely dwelling. i knew where i wanted to go, so i searched and searched for every possibility to be found. while there were many, none have been the perfect place. and so i'm accepting that when it comes to apartment hunting, settling is necessary. (i'd never recommend settling to any fellow explorer in search of the good ones, however, when it comes to living situations, avoiding homelessness has to take priority.)

i think i may have found the one. a small little place of my own. it will definitely need some fixing up, and i hope my friends do not judge the book by its cover. it's an odd color green. (somewhat reminiscent of mint chocolate chip ice cream, so that's not half bad.) one of the biggest reasons i fell for this one was because of the manager of the building. she was a good one. willing to help and change anything, and wishing me luck in finding my perfect place no matter where it was. something about her made me happy there.

i go back today to turn in the application. fingers crossed. let's hope my search is complete.