2012 in Review

I know it appears as if my 2012 was full of nothing but good times. But for most of 2012 I felt endless sentiments of frustration. I wanted nothing more than to get a job and be able to support myself. I worked my butt off and applied for multiple jobs every single day. I spent endless time editing and catering my resume to every job I applied to. And even then I only got a handful of interviews. Boy oh boy did I feel frustrated, and angry that my degree didn't feel worth anything. But just a few days ago, I got a job offer for my dream position. And in just a few weeks, I will be packing up my life and moving an hour away to start my new career. Its exciting and I am absolutely blessed for everything that happened to me this year. Even though there were a lot of tough times, this year truly put everything into perspective to me. Mainly that I have some very important people in my life and that they have all been there by my side this year. It also let me know that God is there for me, and is so generous and loving.

In January I rang in the new year with one of my best girlfriends and a few of our guy friends. We totally ditched our plans for a fancy/crazy night downtown and instead went to a beachside bar in our party dresses. It was an amazing night! I began my last semester of college and registered to graduate. I started realizing that I needed to get rid of a toxic guy in my life. I started the process of becoming an REHS, but sending in money and paperwork to the state. I also got in a car accident downtown when a taxi ran a red light.

In February I finally signed up for the gym and started slowing getting back into shape. I started attending some gym classes and loved it. I spent valentines day alone (and studying in the library) and realized, that was the last straw with my ex-boyfriend. I also came to the realization that the "funk" I had been in for the past 9 months was depression. One of my roommates (and long time friends) moved out due to her job offered, but the drama that came with paying for rent and finding another person to move in, ended our friendship. My mother also came to visit for a week at the end of the month. She went with me to Church, which was my first time going in years! I loved it and decided to call The Rock, my church.

In March I started having doubts about relationships and love, since I saw all these perfect and long-time couples break up. I applied for orthoptic programs and started getting invites for interviews.  I went to the Drake concert with some good girlfriends of mine. I also randomly invited J out for dinner, and we started dating. At the end of the month I went up to Anaheim to visit my dear friend Sarah. J also kissed me for the first time, and boy was it awkward haha.

In April, I got accepted into my first orthoptic program, but denied it. I realized I couldn't attend the program due to financial reasons. I still spent every moment outside of work and school with J, and started falling fast for him. We made it official on the 20th, and we celebrated by taking a trip down to Mexico for some wine tasting. It was both my first time physically crossing the border, and my first time doing a wine tasting.

In May I stressed out and worked my butt off like crazy to do well my last few weeks of college. In mid-May I graduated college with my B.S. in Biology after 5 long years. My family from all over the country came to support me and see me walk the stage. I started living life after college and enjoyed all my new found free-time.

In June, I surprised J by taking him up to stone brewery for dinner, a tour, and a tasting. I also started my summer job which meant that between both jobs I work 50+ hour weeks.  I started searching and applying to EHS jobs.

In July, I was extremely tired and stressed out by working so many hours and not having days off. My car started having problems again (water pump) and J helped me take it to his mechanic and paid to get it fixed.

In August I got offered a full-time job, but ending up quitting after two days. We celebrated Js 23rd birthday by going out with friends, going to Cinepolis, and having a family BBQ. I bought him his own home-brewing kit :D.  I found out that one of my good friends was pregnant!

In September I started an internship at a local organization, and quit shortly after when I was not gaining the experience I needed. Instead I started volunteering for the same organization, and absolutely loved it. I had multiple friends come in town and had a few girls night out. I decided to pick up running again and started training for a 5k. I turned 23 and J took me out for dinner and drinks. He also surprised me by taking my kayaking in La Jolla for the first time.

In October I started seeing my progress when running and was able to run a 5k without being winded. I started feeling a little down, because J became extremely busy with school and as a result we didn't see each other very much. I also applied for jobs like mad, but didn't hear anything back. My grandpa started getting sick and had to undergo surgery.

In November I started thinking about going back to school to get my masters degree in the future. J made time for me and made me feel loved, despite being busy with school. We went up to LA to watch a Clippers v. Heat game. I registered for my first 5k in 10 years. I got my first big girl interview with the government. I also went home to visit my family for Thanksgiving, and got some new goodies.

In December I got offered a part-time position working for the state. And a day after I got an interview for my dream position, and a few days later they offered me the position!! J went to Guatemala for two weeks, and I went home for the holidays. I also ran my first 5k race in 10 years.



2013 is going to be exciting and full of some big changes. I couldn't be more ready!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all are having a lovely day. I just woke up, and am taking in all the christmas goodness. I am a sucker for all the christmas specials, including watching the 24 hour marathon of a 'Christmas Story'. We only have "big kids" in my parents house, since me and my sister are now in our 20s. But I am so excited to see my niece and nephews! I haven't seen many of them since my graduation back in May. I am so blessed to have so many cuties (my names for them) in my life, they just bring smiles to my face. But I am also a little bummed that there are two people missing from my christmas. The first being my grandpa, who has been sick since October. My poor grandpa has gone through multiple surgeries since then and recently just had one a week ago. Unfortunately, he is still feeling sick. But I am hoping he really starts to feel better, its been hard for him. But I know he is getting the proper care he needs in the hospital so thats where he must be right now.  The second person being J. He has been in Guatemala for the past week, and he won't be back home until a few days. But he called me yesterday at midnight in Guatemala to wish me a merry christmas which was very special and cute. Overall, I am so excited because I have everything I want for christmas and couldn't be more blessed. Therefore this has already been the best christmas.

But I am even more blessed because of a very special gift this christmas; the birth of Jesus Christ. This is the reason we celebrate Christmas, because of the birth of our savior. This is the biggest gift we could be given. A gift of a hope,  a gift of eternal life, and the gift of forgiving our sins. His birth changed the world forever. This christmas I am trying to focus more on Jesus than I have on the past. I am trying to remember to thank him not just for what I have in my life, but for his love and sacrifice for me. I hope many of you also do the same this christmas.
             

Have a merry christmas everyone!

A Dream Come True

I have some pretty exciting news to share:

I GOT MY DREAM JOB!

I will finally start training to become an environmental health specialist. I am still in shock, but it is such an amazing feeling. I truly feel like all my hard work has paid off. I started applying for this position all over the state right after I graduated back in June. With government positions, its a loonnngg process. You apply, fill out supplemental questions, get approved that you've met the minimum requirements for the position, get scored based on your supplemental questions, get ranked compared to everyone you applied against, and then if your ranking is high enough you get invited to an interview. This process can take up to months! I got offered this position earlier this week even though I applied for it back in September!

The first job I applied for I scored a 70....which is a passing score but of course not very high. After that I realized I had to do more if I wanted to get a high score and get invited to an interview. And man did I do everything I could and not all of it worked out smoothly like I hoped. I started and ended an internship within a week. I reached out to some people in the field asking them for advice. Some of the advice being helpful, but other parts still leaving me confused on what to do. I started volunteering on the weekends doing some environmental field work to build up my resume. And I guess it worked, because it all paid off. This position is not in San Diego.....so YES, I will be moving. Luckily, I will not be that far away. I will be living an hour and a half away and plan on coming back down to San Diego on the weekends to see my boyfriend and friends. 

I truly believe in that the quote "nothing worth having comes easy". Every mistake I made, everything I tried, every hour I've been volunteering has paid off. And it has all been worth it--I've learned something from each and every situation. I also believe in God doing everything in his time. I see why he allowed certain things to happen (or not happen)  these last few months. It has brought me to this moment. I feel so blessed, so happy, and so proud. I can't believe I get to start my career at age 23! I will also finally being able to fully support myself and start paying off my student loans. God has been so good to me.

My lovely little weekend

I had such a great week followed by a great weekend. Things were absolutely perfect, and I had a smile on my face the whole week. .  But I am thanking God for these opportunities, and asking him to continue to open more doors for me.

In terms of this weekend, I ended up working both Friday and Saturday. But Friday evening we ended up heading out to December nights at balboa park. I couldn't believe how crowded it was and it took us a good half an hour to find a parking spot. But once we were inside we got some delicious food, headed to beer garden, and walked around. It was a great double date night! Oh and I forgot to mention they had the best Saturday was a relaxing day where we just stayed in and watched TV.

Sunday morning was a big deal for me, I completed the Retro Run. It was my first 5k in 10 years, and I finished in 28:17. It was a big goal for 2012 and I am glad I finally did it. But now its time to start training for a 10k and 15k. Its been a hard leap, but I know I can do it. I am going to start little by little, so that I can run the hot chocolate run in March. And hopefully I will be completing a few more 5ks and at least a 10k in between that time.  After the race we decided to celebrate with a champagne brunch. I can't even explain how nice it feels to catch up with the girls with a glass of champagne in hand. I'm turning into quite the champagne lover lately (bye bye wine), I've been having it at least 2x a week.  In the evening I headed to church for a great service, and then I came home to J and his friends grilling. We had such a good time eating, drinking, sharing funny stories, and just relaxing on a wonderful Sunday evening. I couldn't have ended the weekend on a better note
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My hipster glasses + Good News

Happy hump day lovelies! Who ever said hump days had to be horrible? Because mine has been absolutely excellent. I woke up this morning next to my hunny. He never sleeps over during the weekdays, so having him sleep over on a Tuesday night and waking up to him the next morning was beautiful. I spent the first part of my day running errands and got them done so quickly. I was then able to squeeze in a 3.75 mile run. I can't wait to get new running shoes! And I also can't wait for the retro run this Sunday! Time to start stepping my game up for a 10k, 15k, and half-marathon. Yes, there is a lot of training to do.

The second half of my day was spent being pampered, and boy was it so amazing. My mom bought me a living social voucher for a shellac manicure. I've had it since September so it was time to use that baby. I ended up going with a dark dark navy, almost black color for my nails. I'm excited to see how long it lasts, since I've heard nothing but good things about shellac. I also decided to get a pedicure, regardless if its winter...because I live in San Diego. Its still acceptable for me to wear sandals in December due to lovely 75 degree weather. Yes, be jealous. I also got my hair done! I get my hair chemically relaxed every other month, so it was time for me go see my stylist. I decided to chop my hair again, as I am secretly addicted to the a-line. But I think this will be the last time. I think next time (hopefully) I will be going with extensions. Quite extreme huh? I guess I can't be in the middle of anything.

As if my productive and pampered day wasn't enough, things got even better

1. I got a job offer!

2. I got an interview for my dream position!

3. I got an exam date for a similar dream position!

Yes, all three of those things happened today. I just couldn't believe it! I pretty much screamed at all the good news. The Job offer is for a scientific aid and although it is part-time, its definitely a great opportunity and a step in the right direction. And I can't wait to interview for my dream position. It is outside of San Diego so I would have to move. But I wouldn't be that far away and would be able to come back on the weekends. I am so thankful for all of these opportunities, God has been so good to me. 

Winter Red

I've finally jumped on the bandwagon and have started wearing red lipstick. I feel like its been "in" for a while now, and every girl I've seen wear red lipstick looks absolutely fabulous. I don't know why I've waited until now to try it, but I am glad I finally made the leap. After the first five minutes of putting it on I thought I looked weird. But then it started growing on me. I can't wait to wear it more. Its putting me in the mood to get fancy and go out more. I'm usually in a rut of being casual all the time due to my job. Its not that I cannot dress up, its just not practical. My clothes usual get stained, destroyed, and worn by the end of the day. So I make sure I wear clothes that I don't care that much about. But I definitely notice a difference in my confidence when I make an effort to do my make-up and dress up.

Since my red lipstick got me feeling great, I decided to make some other great purchases. I bought a new purse from F21, and I absolutely love it. I've been using an old beat up one from charlotte russe that I've had for two (most likely three) years now. That purse has been through a lot and to be honest it made me feel immature. I feel like I outgrew it and needed something more mature to make me feel more like an adult. The only reason I haven't boughten a new one is because money has been so tight. But I finally caved in and bought a new purse and its crazy how much of an impact it has had on my confidence. I feel grown-up, mature, and like a lady. In addition, I've also added some new leggings, pants, sweaters, and tops to my wardrobe. And I've added some new eyeliner and lashes to my make-up bag. I feel amazing, so much more like a 23 year old and not like the 20 year old college girl that I used to be.

Now I think its time to do a little organizing. I think its time to go through my closet and toss the old and make room for all the new additions.