The Adventurous Path Ahead

Sibs in Amelia Island.

SarintheCity has been quite occupied lately. In the past month, I’ve traveled nearly every weekend, going to Oak Island, NC (near Wilmington), Nashville, TN, and Amelia Island, FL. Last weekend was Thanksgiving in Amelia Island with the fam bam. Always a great time and too short. We did settle on our Christmas picture, in front of the ocean and sunset. The best part about having 3 siblings is the different and contrasting personalities we have all grown into. We each bring something completely different to the table, and have different interests and goals, but that’s the great part. And being the oldest, I have the pressure to set the good example and lead the way for these youngins. So here it goes…

This fall has almost seemed like a blur. I spent Labor Day weekend in Charleston for a girls weekend before I had to grind down before GRE “crunch time.” I took the GREs in late September after spending three very long, rattling, arduous summer months studying. The studying paid off as I scored in the 73^rdpercentile for math and writing, and still did pretty well in verbal.

Shannon and me, enjoying a drink outside at an Irish pub downtown.

My BFF from home, Shannon, also came to visit around that time, and ironically, while she was here, we also had all 4 Hurds in Charlotte simultaneously. Frank was here for musical reasons to perform, Caroline drove down for his concert and picked up little Bec at Elon on her way, and we had a Hurds night out in Charlotte, which consisted of a spectacular Italian dinner (I think the fun group of us included 12 total), and then group bowling. I was so happy to have all my siblings AND Shannon here all at once, I almost felt like I was home in Warwick, except the difference was, there were so many more activities to do here.

Representing the marketing team out in local high schools. Job perks.

Aside from work (I LOVE my job), I have been diligently focused on applying to grad schools. Once I finished the GRE and received my scores, all my applications were pretty much ready to be sent out. I am very happy with them, I was fortunate to have three fantastic recommenders write some pretty good stuff about me (I paid them), and my final essay came out sounding pretty sophisticated. Are you wondering what I want to go to graduate school for? If you’ve been in contact with me or read my last blog many moons ago, I want to go back for Nutrition and Dietetics. Now, I’ve had this longing for the last three years and it took this long for me to get the ball rolling. The main hindrance I decided that was responsible for this postponement was taking the necessary prereqs, because there were a whole lotta sciences I’d have to take before even applying, and technically, it would be MUCH easier for me to just get a second bachelor’s degree. But who wants to do that when you can get a Master’s degree? Doesn’t it just sound better? So, I’m currently putting in the extra time and effort now with prereqs so I can be enrolled as a Master’s graduate student in the fall. I go all out.

Fortunately, I was an exercise science major in my first year at Umass before switching to Sport Management, so I had a good core of science classes, but still needed organic chem, microbiology and a bunch of blahsadglkjhdaskfjasdbffw8354. However, I am proud to say that I took an Introduction to Nutrition class this fall, and will be taking the remaining prereqs in the spring semester, and I will likely start my graduate program next fall, at the ripe age of 27. Months ago, that scared me, to start grad school so late, but you are only given one life, and there really are no right or wrongs or timelines, and it can always be the right time, so I talked myself into finally going towards my goal, and welp, here I am with four applications sent out and playing the waiting game. Was that a run on sentence?

I know, you’re wondering what schools I’ve applied to. Well, I have already been accepted to Winthrop’s Masters of Nutrition Program, which I am currently enrolled in and taking my prereqs. However, only getting one chance at going back to graduate school (Well, I guess that’s not completely accurate – If I took out countless loans and wanted to be a student forever, I could continually go back to grad school), I’m aiming for the fences and applying to other schools as well. I also sent applications to Lipscomb University (in Nashville), UNC Chapel Hill, Boston University, and possibly UGA.

Caroline and I on the Lipscomb campus.

I have also already been accepted to Lipscomb University for next spring, however, I am deferring the acceptance to the fall. The huge benefit about Lipscomb’s graduate program is that I would be enrolled in a Master’s of Nutrition and Exercise Science, as well as earn my RD (Registered Dietician) credentials. Almost like killing two birds with one stone. And with my huge love for sports and sports nutrition, it’s a major selling point for me. Not to mention, I went to Nashville a couple weekends ago, and almost didn’t come back. I made it back – but not in one piece. Totally fell in love with that city – I love live music, country music, country accents, great food and drink, and a fun atmosphere, and that’s everything Nashville has to offer. The downtown is a site to see, with live music playing at all times of the day, just absolutely amazing. There are numerous quaint areas outside of the downtown too, which is very attractive to me. Lipscomb’s campus was very pretty and well-kept- very small, which would be a change compared to being an undergrad with 22,000+ others, but that’s not a bad thing. Being on a college campus brought back such feelings of excitement at the prospect of being able to almost go through it all over again. I do still want to see what other schools I’ll get into.

Best group of girls ever in Nashville. As you can see, this bar is decorated with cowboy boots.

I’ve been following some professional bloggers and I’m really enjoying stalking these individuals’ whole lives. There’s even one who is enrolled in the MPH Program at Chapel Hill – Master’s of Public Health – the program I applied to, so I totally check her page out like 1,000 times a day to catch up on every experience and opinion she has about the program. Creeper? Maybe. I do think I would like blogging more often (as long as I’m not bound to any grammatical rules), however, I just am not sure my life is that interesting to blog everyday. Plus, I thrive on run-on sentences. They don’t bother me whatsoever. Nonetheless, I love to write, and write all the press releases and blogs for my company, so down the road, could be a potential. I’ve always wanted to tie in Nutrition with Public Relations and Marketing. Also, these bloggers post pictures of like every meal they eat and make and they always look so pretty. It’s a bit intimidating. I have to say, that is not the case with my cooking, but my meals do taste pretty good! Don’t judge a book by its cover, right?

Check out tonight’s dinner: Stuffed pepper with whole wheat cous cous and chicken apple sausage and cheese (of course, a STAPLE in my diet), complete with sauteed mushrooms, spinach and squash, a side salad, and my own version of garlic bread.

Tonight’s dinner.

Today’s workout was a 28 minute run and 30 minute yoga sesh with Coach Jillian Michaels (I hate and love her DVD’s at the same time), but I’m all about getting toned.

My biggest supporter, Eddie Money.

As I’ve aged, grown and matured (tenfold since moving to Charlotte two years ago), I have become very content with my current life situation. I have a great group of friends in Charlotte and still keep in touch with my best friends back home. I have so many people that support me and what I’m seeking to do. I’ve learned to distance myself from those people and situations that bring negativity, and have grown to realize that I’m happy with the effort I’m putting in to the relationships with those I care about. I’m thrilled with the job I have currently, and extremely excited about the prospects for the future, wherever I end up. The most exciting part about it is that for once, I don’t have a plan. Next summer/fall, I could be living in Nashville, Chapel Hill, Boston, Athens (Ga.) or even here in Charlotte, and I’m more than okay with not knowing right now. The fun part about life is the adventure, right!? You can’t always plan everything out, you have to learn to adjust and roll with the punches. Make the best of what life gives you. You only get one go around at this life, and it’s never too late. If you have a dream, go chase it. What are you waiting for?

”So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains,

And we never even know we have the key.”

Make a list of what you love about yourself!

My goal in the next few months is to become more “blog-saavy” and the only way to do that is to blog more! Considering I’m tag-teaming social media in my current job and blogging there, I might as well brush up on my personal blog.

I’ve almost finished my third month in my new position, Marketing Coordinator, for Crumley Roberts. We are a law firm, handling a facet of practices, mostly personal injury, Social Security disability and workers compensation. We have 12 offices throughout North and South Carolina, our main offices being in Charlotte and Greensboro. I have learned so much about the practice of law since working there, and to be honest, I had never thought much about “marketing a law firm” until I started doing it. Challenging but fun! Every day is different and I’m the youngest person in the Marketing Department, which means that I am learning so much. The people I work with are well established and well networked in the Charlotte area, and they are great resources! In the past three months, I’ve been to different North Carolina high schools for community relations purposes to give out awards and scholarships, read 300 essays and applications and chosen 10 winners as scholarship recipients, written press releases, gotten published in local press and the Charlotte Business Journal, been featured on our company’s You Tube and facebook page, attended social media conferences, video conferenced with one of the best in customer service, John DiJulius, sat in on meetings with vendors as well as our advertising agency from Tennessee, and with our national accounts, and sat in our company suite at the Charlotte Bobcats game. I’ve had meetings and been pitched for sponsorships by various sports teams and communities in the areas, and handled some of our local affiliations. I’ve learned to establish relationships with our vendors and distributors and ordered marketing items for our 12 offices throughout North and South Carolina.

My office:

Today, after work, I even attended an event sponsored by the American Advertising Foundation of Charlotte featuring a prominent Ad Agency, BooneOakley. They were just on the show, The Pitch, which is on AMC on Sunday nights. A great show if you’re in the Marketing world, or just interested in advertising in general. Basically, they competed against an advertising firm from New York, Conversation, for a chance to win over a client and develop their ad campaign; in this case the client was Pop Chips. The episode aired this past Sunday, so the Boone Oakley team was at a local Charlotte hangout, the Dilworth Neighborhood Bar and Grille, for a meet-and-greet, where many Charlotte marketing and advertising professionals conversed to watch the episode and ask questions to the Boone Oakley staff. They were so intriguing and definitely showed their creative talents. They should have won the client, but such a cool experience nonetheless. While I was there: free pizza, wine, chips and artichoke dip, and bags of pop chips: check.

Check it Out: http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-pitch/episodes/season-1/popchips-conversation-booneoakley

May has been a pretty great month so far. April was pretty good too. Now that spring is here and summer is around the corner, I’ve been pretty happy. I was fortunate enough to travel to Italy over the Easter break for a nice family vacation. Caroline was studying abroad there so we went to visit her and explored Rome, Florence, and some other little towns and villages while we were there. Such a beautiful and romantic country – I highly recommend going there at some point in your life, especially if you appreciate AMAZING wine and food. I chronicled every meal I had to remember how great it looked and tasted, because I’m such a foodie. When I get married someday, I’d like to take my husband there and just take the country in for its beauty. The language is pleasing to listen to, the pace of life is slow and worry-free. In their culture, there’s no such thing as stress. You close shop and go take a nap in the afternoon. What’s work?

I’ve recently reached out to an old friend, one of my bests, and one that I’ve lost touch with. We’re starting to reconnect and it makes me so happy! She’s accomplished so much in her life and I’m so proud of her and excited to be back in the loop for her future. Do you have anyone in your life like that, someone you may have lost touch with? Reconnect! Call/text/email them! That’s the beauty of our world and technology – nothing can replace old friends, who know you better than anyone else.

I’ve been reading a lot of blogs lately. I’ve become much more active on Twitter, and started following a lot of nutrition experts and food network type things. Also, finally got a Pinterest account and have found great recipes on there so far! Those of you who know me well know that I am extremely interested in Nutrition. I’m still convinced I’ll go back to school and study it some day when the time is right. It’s such a growing and pertinent field in our society today, and I’d love to be able to make an impact and help others in so many ways. Ideally, I’d tie Marketing in to a Nutrition degree and work for Chobani (because their yogurt is amazinggg) and work in product development and PR. Dream job.

Back to my last point, though, of reading other blogs. They have given me ideas for direction and themes for Sarinthecity, which I will start organizing and producing the more often I write.  I need to take an angle, be confident, and write about things that people want to read, or learn about me. I wanted to kind of just describe myself with no boundaries first and say 10 things I love about myself, in no particular order.

1. I am super athletic, and always have been

2. The fact that I can make fun of myself in certain things – like how bad and awkward I dance or sing

3. I have a huge appreciation for friends and family, they come first

4. My yearning to do everything I can in life – Sometimes I know I try to fit too much in but you just never know when you won’t have that chance anymore

5. The Type A/organizational side of me

6. I’m a runner

7. I’ve tried and succeeded in so many different areas of work, and know that no matter what I end up in, I will be successful

8. I give good advice

9. I love and appreciate the little things and gestures

10. I like to SMILE!

I think it is so important to have a list of things you love and respect yourself for. We all go through tough times and periods in our lives, times when everything is hard and everything seems gloomy, it’s easy to see the glass half-empty. I’ve been there. But you can’t let it change you for the worst. You want to stick to your core values, what makes you YOU, what makes you an individual. Make a list of what you love about yourself and look at it every day! Put it on your mirror, start your day off on a good note. Also, surround yourself with positive people who remind you how great you are. This helps.

Though I no longer live in the heart of the city, I’m still pretty close. I recently moved to a townhouse just outside the city, but the area and neighborhood is absolutely beautiful. The pool is awesome, and we have a fresh market grocery store in walking distance with limitless fresh options. I just went there for the first time the other day to get Apple Sauce for a cookie recipe I was making, and I can see myself frequenting there. I really enjoy running around the neighborhoods here; the houses are monstrous, the landscaping is gorgeous. I just love this city. It’s pretty cool with stuff always going on.

My youngest sis, Becca, is graduating high school in just a few short weeks. My brother, Frank, is graduating from Elon this weekend. I am picking Nance up from the airport tomorrow and driving up to Greensboro to meet Chris and Frank for dinner. Family time is so special to me and it always gives me something to look forward to. I’m so proud of my brother for what he has accomplished in school, in music, in his faith, and in life in general. He has really broken out of his box and established himself as a person. I can’t wait to give him my awesome, creative graduation present and watch him flourish as he chooses his career path. And Becca? Well that smarty pants is heading down south, to Elon! I’m so thrilled she will join me as a southern belle, and indulge herself in the acting programs. She is so talented and also has a one-in-a-million future ahead!

Has anyone done a Warrior Dash race? I’m doing one next month, with 18 obstacles. I’m so excited and my competitive mindset is already kicking in. Any advice from those of you who have done one?

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend! I hope you tune in again 🙂

You’ve Gotta Be Wrong Sometimes

I temporarily fell out of my blogging grove for a little while there. I spent a good few months thinking about how to start my next one, rewriting and starting all over again, trying to rid myself of the writer’s funk. Its funny because people have actually been asking me why I haven’t written and told me they’ve missed reading Sarinthecity and I’ve told them: “Well, nothing exciting has really been going on. I feel like people wouldn’t be interested in reading random thoughts if there wasn’t a rhyme or rhythm to them or a drastic change or happening.” However, someone gave some great advice in conveying that no one wants to really read about someone having an incredible life all the time that they can’t relate to. He reminded me that I’m normal and just like everyone else, I have my ups and downs, and that’s what people can relate to. It was a simple thought that I hadn’t really considered but the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was right. Why should I be ashamed of anything? This blog is a way for me to be truthful with myself. I felt that I had to have these abundant, great, unbelievable stories to recount through these blogs for people to be excited about, but I guess if people are interested in reading, then the normal, every-day ups and downs can suffice. Just keeping up with my life is what some people want to read, and I really appreciated that thought. Thanks for bringing some of my writing back!

Through I consider myself often indecisive, I try not to approach that as a negative trait. I have trouble making up my mind because more often than not, I can see the good in one decision versus another, and try to keep all options open. I have all these visions about how to change the world, how to put myself in a new situation, explore something new, etc. Having said that, I do consider myself somewhat spontaneous and free-spirited. I am willing to go out on a ledge most of the time and I can picture myself doing a lot of different things in a lot of different places, sometimes impossibly all at once. My latest thought is moving back home to Rhode Island, but my mind is conflicted on so many aspects of it. I am truly missing my family and best friends and have been feeling very ‘unsettled’ here lately. I think a lot of it may be that of the close friends I do have here, many of them are married or living with their significant others. They are just in different stages of their lives than I am and I can’t always relate.

Charlotte’s a great city with so much to offer, and it’s hard to think about leaving, but lately, I’ve been feeling lonely. I guess anyone who moves away from a close-knit home community goes through stages of homesickness and can maybe relate (and offer out some advice), but I haven’t really lived in my hometown since high school, and the thought of going back to Rhode Island for graduate school and perhaps to start a career offers some sort of exhilaration and stimulation that nothing can quite match – like the Cheers theme, you want to be where everybody knows your name.

If I’ve learned anything about myself since moving down here on my own nearly 16 months ago, I’ve learned you have to put yourself in uncomfortable situations to learn who you truly are. The person you are in high school and then college isn’t necessarily the same person once you start your life post-college. I have definitely changed in more ways than I ever could have imagined, after living for a year in South Carolina, Virginia, and now Charlotte. I’ve been like a vagabond. And life out of college yields an extremely different lifestyle, even socially, I’ve noticed. I’ve seen and experienced highs and lows, met handfuls of new people, tried out varying jobs in disciplines that have nothing to do with what I majored in. But every decision I’ve made has brought me here and impacted me somehow. I’m making my footprints one step at a time, and I’m still learning more and more everyday, and these baby steps are slowly leading me to where I’m supposed to be.  <Rhode Island>?

A great friend reminded me that choices in our lives aren’t about being right or wrong. Every person is on a different path for his or her future, and a different timetable; that includes marriage, school/grad school/starting a family/choosing a career. You can’t put a timeline on it because it’s different for everyone and what’s right for someone can’t always be tailored for another. She reminded me of this in a time when I was starting to get frustrated about not being settled in a career path yet, and wanting to go back to school for something completely different. It’s also important for me and everyone to remember that it is impossible to know what’s going to happen tomorrow. That being said, I can’t worry about tomorrow, just need to focus on today.

We all need a constant reminder that a good attitude is what distinguishes our thoughts, which will play into our actions. Faith, optimism and making tough decisions make us stronger. Change isn’t always bad and going away from the unfamiliar takes strength, and one has to keep optimism that things will always work out, one way or another. Life just has a funny way of doing that. We all just need reminders sometime, and that’s why we all have special, significant people in our lives to do just that – put us in our place and provide us with an alternate perspective. Whether I’m “supposed” to stay down south or go up north matters not in the big scheme of things because neither would be a wrong choice; just each would yield a completely different future ahead. I always think back to the choice of college because it’s similar to the choice of where to settle down. My life could be a total 180 had I chosen to go to school somewhere other than UMass Amherst. (Amherst was recently voted the nation’s top college town, by the way! Some great memories at that place). Had I gone elsewhere, I would have a whole different group of friends, may have studied or majored in something completely different, developed different contacts which may have led to different internships, and more likely than not, I’d be on a different track or be living somewhere else right now. But does that mean in any way that I made the wrong decision to go to Umass? No.

So in short, this blog is sort of my way of hearing myself speak out loud and remind myself that each choice I make in my life is not a matter of life or death. Life’s not that serious and we all have to remember to ‘take it easy, don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy.’ We make millions of decisions throughout our life and if we had to double or triple-think them all, well it seems we’d never make any progress. Things will always work out. Things will always work out….Things happen for a reason and sometimes going from the expected to the unexpected can bring happiness that one would have never discovered otherwise.

 

“We’ve got more than a lifetime to make it all right, so don’t apologize, you’ve gotta be wrong sometimes” 

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO MY YOUNGEST SISTER, REBECCA, WHO GOT ACCEPTED TO ELON AND OFFERED THE PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP!!

 

Everyone needs a touch of home every now and then

Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end…It’s just my personality that I’m never really satisfied. Always looking for the next “thing” whether it be thing to do, place to see, or opportunity to accomplish. And I’ve taken the next stepping stone in my career in joining the Wells Fargo/Wachovia Banking Team, in Charlotte, N.C., and I couldn’t be more excited! The idea of starting my young professional career with such a strong, established company ignites a fire in me, challenging me to learn each and every thing from the bottom up, to a point where the opportunities are near endless. At least that’s the way I’m perceiving it. I can’t wait to help people one-on-one on a daily basis and learn the ins and outs of the banking world. Who knows, maybe I can eventually tie in the Sports Management degree and strive to move into the sports sponsorship/community involvement side of Wells Fargo.

Another successful 4^th of July in Block Island, the most peaceful (yet sometimes rowdy) place that I know. The time there with the 15+ members of my family is just priceless and nothing but memorable. Every year I start a countdown for the Island Paradise Life and nothing matches it like the 4^th of July; sharing one big house with a loving family is reminiscent of most of our college days, seeing bodies appear at various times in the morning, awaiting a delicious “cure for all” home-cooked breakfast, and banter recounting the night before. There’s just nothing like it.

I’ve been home a week and it’s been a nice change of pace for me, and still going. I threw my first bridal shower last weekend, a successful 30-40 person event. The last minute planning with my best friends was the key to success, leaving nothing uncovered and proving to be show more over preparation than under preparation.  Putting our favors together, carefully, one by one, the night before, was the greatest part. Even though we were rookies, I think it’s safe to say we pulled it off like amateurs. We had a great day for it, a plethora of helping hands, great food, great games, great weather, couldn’t have asked for more.  Speaking of weddings, I’m heading to New Orleans for a July 22^nd extravaganza. I’ve been to NOLA once, for a New Years celebration, and I know that this experience will be right up there in comparison. With the reception being held at the New Orleans Museum of Art, I don’t even know where to set my expectations. I’m already feeling the jazz and Mardi Gras atmosphere, looking at my purple dress and imagining the great time I’m going to have in it, in celebrating a fantastic couple.

There’s never enough time to fit everything in when you’re home or see all the people you want to see, and I think anyone who’s been away from home and returned for a short visit can attest to that. I have been lucky enough to go to a Red Sox Game, go to the zoo, and show the Pennsylvania boy some great Rhode Island traditions so far.  Dels Lemonade, Newport Creamery, Beaches, summer rides in the barracuda, ice cream nights, runs to the lighthouse, sunsets on the deck; all past and present memories I hold with me. Still more to come – Brad Paisley on Saturday, and throw some Pawsox games in there, maybe a trip to Newport, and Providence Restaurant Week. Rhode Island has a whirlwind of things going on, don’t hate! Just missing my brother Frankie, who is in Myrtle Beach for the summer. Frankie will be in Charlotte the first week of August when we go see Train, Gavin DeGraw and Maroon 5.

I’ll be sure to give a more timely update once the new gig starts. Enjoy the summer weather!!

An Epiphany Behind the Wheel

Wow, today was a long day. From the time I left this morning to the time I just returned home, seems like an eternity. Perhaps because the world was supposed to end today, maybe time stopped for a while. More realistically, it’s because I was on the road nearly all day, with the thoughts churning in my head.

Today was a beautiful Saturday in the Queen City as I jumped in the trail blaza for a day trip down to Conyers, Georgia, about 40 min. outside of Atlanta.  Today, you see, was a big day for Ms. Hillary Gibbs, soon to be married in late July. As an honored bridesmaid, I reported to duty and attended her bridal shower. This was my first experience at a bridal shower, so I really had no idea what to expect. A group of people had rented out Pippa’s patio last weekend to throw a baby shower, so I figured the food and opening gifts thing would be similar at the bridal shower, minus the baby talk. The finger foods were impeccable and full of deliciousness. Hillary’s in-laws made it look like a professionally catered event. Of course I showed up bearing gifts; my thoughtful gift, which I found on her gift registry, was a top-notch blender for the new couple. I had told Ed that I got Hillary a blender for her shower, and I got a kick out of the fact that he interpreted it as a waterproof blender to make frozen drinks while “in” the shower. Boys just don’t quite understand. But if someone invented that…

I may have lived a little crazy today, driving 4 hours each way just to spend a total of 3 hours at the bridal shower, but the way I see it, you gotta live a little crazy to enjoy life sometimes. I get joy and satisfaction when coloring outside the lines; live unpredictably. Hillary is a golden friend of mine – we met the summer after my sophomore year on a summer trip in Australia, and we have kept in touch, a true accomplishment to both of us. And to be asked to be a bridesmaid is an honor in itself, so I want to be involved in as many wedding activities as possible. And to say that this wedding will be unique is a major understatement – A wedding in New Orleans with the reception at the New Orleans Museum of Art is probably a once in a lifetime event! And it will prep me for being a MOH, the role I’ll be playing this fall. It’s so cool that I have people in my life who think so highly of me and I can’t wait to make these weddings the best day of their lives.

So I was pondering on my car ride home about growing up because it’s starting to happen to my generation and my friends. I’m approaching the quarter-century mark in just a few short months, and wondering, what is it really that satisfies the heart of life? What is the secret of life, to happiness? And how long does it take people to figure it out? Well, stop losing sleep over it, people, you can thank me because I’m going to give you the answer straight-up because I’m wise beyond my years: It’s the people in it. James Taylor stated, “The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time…” Very true James, A+. But how do you enjoy the passage of time? I’ll tell ya – it’s being loved by others, being appreciated in others’ lives and having them play a role in my own life journey as well.  This is exactly why I spent so many hours alone in the car today, because I know how much it meant to Hillary, and it was worth it to me, for a great friendship I’m fortunate to have.  I would want people in my life to feel the same way about me. PS – don’t think these mature realizations take away from my immature, “kid” side of Sarah Hurd. Ed and I went to Dave and Busters with a good friend from work, Casey, and her boyfriend last week and I felt like I was a little kid at a Chucky Cheese birthday party again – being competitive in all aspects of arcade games, getting excited at the sight of winning tickets, and picking out a prize at the end of the night.

I’ve tried to reach out to many new people since being in Charlotte, and when reflecting back, I’ve really taken on some new experiences out of my comfort zone as well. Never ever thought I’d be a waitress; now I am part time and I’m enjoying it. I love the socialization part; interacting with customers I know now on a daily basis because they are frequent visitors, or meeting new customers and families on a busy Friday night, or serving a party of 30 happily celebrating 75 years of a great friend’s life, or being told I’m a great waitress; all of these examples remind me of why I do it. It’s the appreciation of the simple things in life and great people I have in it that keep my spirits high. The fun part about working in a restaurant is we’re all crazy. I mean, you gotta be to wait on people hand and foot, knowing sometimes you’re not going to get fairly tipped for it. We make it fun and have a personality about it.

To embody the idea of a small world, I recently met the UMass Alumni Representative/Coordinator for the Charlotte area, as she and her husband were enjoying a nice dinner on the Patio at Pippas. Look at that – Umass represent! Can’t get away from the Minutemen. To go off on another tangent, it’s funny that things have worked out on the way they have in my life – being in the right place at the right time, taking advantage of opportunities that come my way and anticipating the next ones…The few degrees of separation has definitely shined through since I took the plunge to move to a new place where I only knew one person to start. Though I don’t quite have the network I’ve envisioned yet, I’m getting there.  Slowly, step by step, because I am “seizing the day.” Check out Frank Hurd’s single on youtube.com, “SEIZE THE DAY”

So Sarinthecity lives on, for at least another year, as I renewed my lease this morning for 12 months. I have really loved living in the city, and hope to experience as much as I can this summer, and take in all the outdoor activities. I ran a twilight 5k last Friday night through the city and finished as the 5^th female in my age group and among the top 25 females overall. My warm up and cool down to the race was simply jogging to where the race started and then jogging home. Very convenient. And I give myself a pat on the back, because I’ve accomplished all this alone. I didn’t let it just be talk that I wanted to try living alone and live a city life. I saved up, got a job (or two), and made it happen. It’s pretty cool to reward yourself and take pride in yourself when you accomplish a goal. If you’re always so hard on yourself, how do you raise that self esteem and compensate yourself? Like I told a customer last night, “get the fries, it’s a Friday night and you deserve it.” This was after he ordered the healthy veggie wrap and was deciding on a side item. After the meal, he told me how helpful I was and what a great suggestion I made, and he said, “Sarah, like you said, it’s Friday. I’m going to go with the dessert.” I was so proud.

For all you Rhodies, I’m returning home the 2^nd weekend in June, and couldn’t be more excited about it! I miss the Ocean State more than ever in the summer months because it is hands down the prettiest and best place to be in the summer.

Back to the trivia question for the next blog:

What was my favorite song in high school?

Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy

Be  Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy

It’s almost been six months since I’ve moved down to Charlotte. And while before I made the big move in my life I had no idea what to expect, I’ve settled in here just fine and I am surely happy. I’m very content with myself and have gotten to know myself even better, gotten more comfortable with certain decisions and even broken out of my shell a little bit. I’m enjoying the ride of life, without concrete plans, just going with the flow. It’s funny – last night at Pippa’s, I met a very friendly couple and got to talking with them. Sidenote- this seems to happen to me at least once a week; today, randomly, one table said I reminded them of a movie star. I was giving some of my strong opinions on the Red Sox/Yankee spring training game that was on and he, shocked that I could talk sports (as most people are before they get to know me), started inquiring on how I got to Charlotte and where I want to go with my life. He told me he’s worked in the beverage industry and is now with Red Bull, and he has some strong connections in sales and marketing. I tried explaining to him that even I don’t know what I ideally want to do because I change my mind daily but he said he’d be willing to try and get my foot in the door with any of his connections. You never know where life can take you, that’s the motto of the story. Never underestimate anyone, because they could play a role in your life somehow.

Week in and week out, I meet friendly people at Pippa’s who are genuinely interested in me. Who knew that working in a bar/restaurant would be so fun and entertaining. The couple went on to tell me that I speak well beyond my years, that I present myself well and I’m “well ahead of most people my age”. I took that as a very hearty compliment, although I do enjoy being naive and immature on a daily basis as well, ask Edwin. Although, I’m not sure if there is a place where anyone “should” be at the ripe age of 24, because I truly do feel that the path for everyone is different. The age at which you experience things, understand certain things, accept things, learn from mistakes, etc; All of this happens at different stages of our lives for all of us, sometimes continuously. When you think about it, life is just a continuous learning process. There’s really no better way to say it than the way Rod Stewart puts it: “I wish that I knew what I know now…when I was younger.” Don’t we all!? But if we did, however, where would the “living” be – the life experiences, the learning lessons, the new friends we meet along the way, the fact that every decision, every curve and every corner in our life, plays a role in how we shape out. Simple thought yet an amazing, boundless process.

I’m sitting here with an Amstel watching the Duke/Carolina game. I’m not a Blue Devils fan, by any means, so I’ll root for the Tar Heels, considering that always was my dream school – (still disappointed in myself that I never applied there, but I do have some beef with them; Ok if you must know, I went to look at the school while visiting family in Raleigh and took a look at the softball field. I introduced myself to the coach and told her I was interested in their school and program and she took one look at my size (I was recruited as a catcher, yeah, I was a little small, but I had as strong an arm as any girl out there, if not stronger) and told me I should consider a smaller school. Whatevsss-because I ended up at UMass and UMass is constantly a top-notch D1 program in the NCAAs and we beat Chapel Hill. Anyway, couldn’t be happier about the Hokie win over Duke last weekend, what a great milestone. The senior class, especially my man Jeff Allen, couldn’t deserve it more. Seems that VT always has bad luck when it rolls down to big games like that and making the Tournament. I worked the day shift at Pippa’s today, and everyone was talking about this game. Huge rivalry (obviously, I didn’t even have to state that). Pippa’s is doing shot specials for both teams and I’m sure the place is a happenin’ spot to be tonight with some pretty intense fans. Pippa’s is a cozy spot, and it definitely fills up almost nightly. We always seem to have a constant wait, people waiting out of the door, for dinner on weekends.

So I went on my run today and it hit me that, “Woof, my race is 7 days away!” I feel much less prepared than my first half marathon last April but it will be fun. I have no doubt that my competitive nature will overtake my mixed feelings of preparation and pain, so there’s not really much I can do about that. My new sneaks just came in so IT’S ON! It’s pretty cool that roads will be shut down for  us runners. We’ll be in the heart of downtown Charlotte, taking over the city. Traffic will stop for us. This is basically the only time this can happen. However, I need someone in attendance to make a sign for me, or a t-shirt. Although I will say that last year, Rachel Perreault did both. And it was just what I needed for motivation at the halfway point…sooo that would be great and much appreciated if I could find someone to do that. I’ll draw a name out of a hat if I have to. Speaking of my girl Rach, she’ll be here in the Queen City in 2 weeks! I plan to eat a steak as my pre-race meal on Friday night, since that’s what I did last year, and I need a filling meal before hand. After the race, let’s be honest, I hope to nap, and eat gallons and gallons of ice cream, and cereal, and throw a milk shake or two in there. Yep, that’s my idea of rewarding myself. And then, I plan to meet up with my girl Emily and celebrate some St. Patrick’s Day festivities because of course, Charlotte has a bunch of fun stuff goin on.

In the final week of March, I’ll be at Spring Training in Fort Myers. Now, I did take a trip like this my senior year of college and had a blast. Hoping to see some great games, make a beach trip, and spend some quality times with my homegirls from Warwick. So, March will be Madness for me. Hope to squeeze in some legit March Madness as well. The last few months have been so busy, and almost a blur. I’m settled in for once and all in my downtown apartment, and I absolutely LOVE it. Nance came about a month ago to help me decorate and Caroline traveled from Tennessee to spend the weekend with us as well. Great times, as always, with the Hurd women, and a nice taste of home.  Also, now that I’m settled in the new spot, I’m trying to learn all the “blocks” and areas of downtown. I’ve gone on a few night runs with Ed, which are my absolute favorite, because we see all the buildings with all the lights, it’s just a cool, exhilarating sight, and I get a better feel for the city actually walking/running through it. And it’s always nice to have a conversationalist on your run with you. I’m so excited to just walk everywhere and enjoy weekends outdoors here in Charlotte. Check out the website, http://www.charlottesgotalot.com/ and you’ll see that there is always so much going on!

I also saw a great friend, and actually my roommate from freshman year, Maggie recently. She was in Charlotte for the weekend with her parents, who were like my second parents in college, and “adopted” me on all the weekend softball trips that my parents couldn’t make it to in college.  Had a great time catching up with Mags, she is doing great things in grad school out in Arizona. We’ve both learned how much you grow in a new place, new environment, out of your comfort zone, and it’s soo true.  I’m all about trying new things, no matter what the realm. I’m here to experience all that I can. Ed and I went to the Billy Elliot musical last month and thoroughly enjoyed it. Musicals aren’t really the top things on my list of things to do but it was something new. And cool. Who knows, at this rate, maybe I’ll see an Opera some day? I was always the clumsy, girl with no rhythm, but now, there’s no better way to say it than, I’m a pro at hot yoga. I’ve mastered the balance poses and core strength. Combining fish and tacos was a big step for me, but I tried something new, enjoyed the thrill, and I’m now a fan of fish tacos. Speaking of, I tried this new recipe the other day.; made a Hurd chili bean burger. I told Ed what I envisioned combining and he looked at me with a confused look, like he was unsure of where I was going with it. Sure enough, we mashed up some chili beans, added some bread crumbs, spices, mushrooms, garlic, and fried it, and had a delicious bean burger. I also made a quiche that was pretty good. So my New Year’s resolution of cooking is going quite well actually. Maybe I’ll start my own recipe book and be the next Julia Childs. I mean, I already have the blogging part down. Just need to get more followers…thoughts…?

So I’ll end this blog with a great story. Hopefully, these writings help my readers to get to know me more, that’s what I’m aiming for. And it’s also a smortgushboard to throw my thoughts at. My sister is a hugee Brad Paisley, and I mean Huge. I can’t even recall my how many concerts she’s been to. She went to one last weekend at Knoxville and one of her life long dreams came true, she held his hand. I saw the video she posted of this experience, and you have to decipher through all of her screaming, freaking out, yelling and “oh-my-god-this is really happening” moments commentating it. It really made me laugh, but I totally know the feeling to be star struck.  Obviously, I had this “aha” moment when I met the one and only Ken Griffey Jr., my all time idol.  My best friend Jess got me tickets to a Red Sox/Reds game one summer, I believe it was after freshman year of college, and I was wearing a Griffey jersey and she a Delaware State jacket. We were minding our business, trying to get autographs before the game. These people are telling me it’s pointless, that Griffey doesn’t sign autographs before the game..blah blah blah! Low and behold, I feel a tap on my back and think, Ok here’s the guy who is going to ask for his seats. But, it’s an usher. He thinks we’re not from the Boston area since Jess is in a Delaware jacket and me in a Cincinnatti T, so he asks us if we want to hold the flag during the national anthem in front of the Green Monster for the pregame (Note: They try to get a variety of people from all over to do this). Of course we accept, giddy with excitement, but you have to understand, this stuff always happens to Jess and I. We live very crazy lives. So, we’re in the meeting spot we agree to near the visitors club house around 6:30, waiting for our usher friend. I totally lose concentration (and I’m not exaggerating, Jess tried talking to me and I was totally zoning her out) because I saw Griffey from afar, talking to some people he looked familiar with. This was no obstacle to me, nor did I really care, all I cared about was meeting my idol. Nothing stopped me. I went right up to him, and to this day, not exactly sure what I did. Probably/definitely stuttered, handed him my camera, eventually got a picture though he joked about it, and I stammered something like this was the best day of my life. And he said something like, “Oh yea? Are you happy right now?” Totally lost control of myself. Something similar happened when I met Jason Varitek. The only words that I could form were “I play catcher too.” Not your best sentence, Sarah, nor your best introduction. Hahahah. I’m totally one who gets star struck though.

If anyone knows the Fort Myers area well enough, please feel free to offer up suggestions! Happy March!

Carolina In My Mind

Lush, you’re priceless in this picture by the way..

 

As I write this entry, I’m jamming to Frank Hurd, the one and only. Check him out at www.myspace.com/frankhurd. It’s a very much acoustic style with powerful lyrics that he writes himself. I only wish I could be that talented. I really did always wish I could sing or dance. Really, either one would be fine with me, just to have a little bit of rhythm or a little bit of pitch. But, alas, fail. Also, currently listening to my boy James Taylor, and before that, loving the song, “I’m almost ready” by Pure Prairie League.

 

So I had an instant craving for Dunkin Doughnuts Iced Coffee the other day, since they are far, few and in between down here (one of the very few things I’ve actually had trouble adjusting to). So I get in line and I’m initially shocked at how long this line is at 7:20 am, it’s really like a Dunkin in Rhode Island, which all northerners depend on to start their workday.  Anyway, Friday is dress down day for the Accurate Group, so I typically wear my Red Sox Tee, especially since there’s one Yankee fan in the office that I usually go back and forth with. The guy in front of me in line asks if I’m a Red Sox fan and I give an obvious facial expression saying “Of course I am, why else would I wear this shirt” and we get to talking. Andy is his name and he turns out to be a very friendly guy, turns out he moved down here in ’87 from Bristol Connecticut. His father was a die-hard Yankee fan and his mother was a hard-core Sox fan, so he resorted to liking the Mets so he wouldn’t increase the tension in his household or get the silent treatment from either parent. Probably a good move on his part. So we chatted for about 10 minutes until we got to the front of the line; him telling me about his son getting Reggie Jackson’s autograph, how much he adored Carl Yaztrzemski seeing Roger Clemens play in double A immediately after leaving Texas and before getting called up to the Sox, etc. etc.. We talked about the Pawtucket Red Sox, Bobby Orr and the Bruins, meeting my hero Ken Griffey Jr…. you name it, we probably covered it in that 10 minutes. We talked about working at Pippa’s, and how I typically work Friday & Sunday nights, and he said he and his wife would love to come in for dinner when I’m working. And then, he bought my coffee, thanked me for the conversation, and said he’ll see me at Pippa’s. It was a great start to my Friday, and even the weekend. It’s funny how just a short exchange of conversation, or meeting someone new, or having someone make you smile can really enhance your day. To me, this encounter was fascinating enough to mention in my free-for-all blog, Andy was a friendly guy.

 

So exciting news…I finally moved into my new apartment! I really am now yours truly, Sarah In The City. Big thanks to the roomies Jesse and Shivers for helping me lug my belongings here. Hey, why not offer the guy in the elevator a free seat on the couch you’re holding? Or maybe he’ll just ignore the offer. Anyway, the new place is close to the heart of downtown and close enough to walk nearly anywhere. I’m so in love with it, and I’m not even done decorating it, which is the fun part. The location, size, and personality of it are so perfect for me and I couldn’t be happier about it! The only thing left for me to do is figure something out about this cable situation – I’m completely out of my element not waking up to Sportscenter and doing my pre-work routine in the am catching up on the usually-negative morning news and Sportscenter headlines. Although, I’m not missing the Superbowl hype. I think I’ve seen enough of Big Ben Roethlisberger to last a lifetime. I tried to stream some live stuff from my computer this am to bring my life somewhat back to it’s normal routine but it just wasn’t the same. The only other thing that I could compare being on the same level to watching ESPN/Regis & Kelly in the morning is Michael Scott on the Office. I’d be completely satisfied with those re-runs every day, and would probably be a lot more cheery throughout the day. Today was pretty cool though. I live right across from a gym, so I got a morning workout in and then just took a moment and glanced up at the big buildings all around me. I’m surrounded by them now.

 

I finally decided on my New Year’s Resolution! For one, I want to learn to cook more exquisite meals. I mean, I can do the general grilled chicken, meat, stir fry, etc., but I’m talking planned meals with matching sides and whatnot, maybe bake my own bread, etc etc etc. As much as I do ENJOY having cereal for dinner which I’m known for doing occasionally (I am OBSESSED with cereal!), I figure I should learn to enhance my assets and add great cook to my resume of qualities. Shoutout to my work gal, Emily Healy, because she cooked an amazing dinner for us last Thursday night for our little dinner date and inspired me with her multi-tasking and great tasting grub.

 

Superbowl weekend…I think it should be a good game. Rooting for Aaron Rodgers all the way. It’ll be a busy weekend at Pippa’s for me, working all three days. I’m sure we’ll have tons of to-go wing orders and people will constantly be coming in and out.

 

Half marathon training is going okay. We had some glorious 70-degree days here in Charlotte last weekend, which made running so fun and much easier to look forward to. I love being outside and seeing countless other people with the same idea in mind, playing with their kids, walking their dogs, what have you. I want a dog SOOO BAD. I know that I’m not ready for that yet, but every time I see one, I swear it’s calling out to me that I need to get one!

 

I have some upcoming road trips in mind that I plan to put into more of a plan of action that I’ll fill you in on next time. Any of my northern friends want to come see Jimmy Buffet in Charlotte? I believe he will be here in the end of April! My mom is coming to visit in the next few weeks, can’t wait to see you Nance and show you the new place!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOMO on February 4^th. Man, it must be tough to be reaching 45 🙂  Miss you, wish I could be there!!

 

Ready for Spring?

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome back to my random rambling and mottled thoughts…Does anyone have any good resolutions? Honestly, I was kind of stuck in forming some. I did make a personal pact to go to church more consistently, and Ed and I are 2-2 so far this month/this year. Throw some ideas at me people…And no, that picture is not from here, but it was pretty. I’ll add some personal ones later.

Sooo, how about these record snowfalls. Respect for up north, 2-3 feet this week I’ve heard. WOOF! Down here, frankly, the threat of snow scares me. People freak, schools are cancelled days in advance, and I just don’t trust the roads or the people on them. The snowplow system is not as powerful or abundant as it is up north, where you can expect the streets to be cleared shortly after it snows. Here, it takes days. I worked from home on Monday, after our little storm, which was a nice change of pace, but the frat house was going crazy, like little kids after school is cancelled. UNC Charlotte was closed, obviously, so they spent the day sledding and then playing wii jeopardy all day. When I say all day, I mean it. You people have no idea how big trivia is in our household. The guys go to Eastfield Monday nights and Pippa’s Wednesday nights and watch real life jeopardy and play in on the wii every day in between. I swear they know the most random facts, but they can rack up points in trivia. Oh yea, and we probably consumed gallons of hot chocolate, and extra marshmellows. Just a day in the life…I am more aware of the ice here now after my devastating fall last month. So, check, lesson learned.

I feel as if the recent news has been VERY depressing. Where’s the praise and good word? Haven’t seen/heard much of it yet this year. From the floods in Brazil, to the floods in Australia ( now those personally affect me because I have been!), to the millions of home foreclosures (which I’ve learned so much more about!) to the recent congresswoman shootings. I think it’s time for something positive to happen!

This was the first New Year’s Eve I spent “out” in quite a few years, since I’ve been 21 actually. I remember two years ago, Poppa Chris and I spent it in watching countless episodes of Lost, it was so addicting and I had just gotten the season DVDs for Christmas. And I had a 14 hour drive to Spartanburg, South Carolina the next morning, bright and early, so I wasn’t too active on that New Year’s. This one was definitely memorable; Ed and I went to Charleston, S.C., a place I have wanted to go to for YEARS! Although we were there for less than 48 hours, I can now understand why people swear by it, it’s an amazing place with so much to do in such a small vicinity. We took a horse and carriage tour ride around the Market Square downtown area which was very informative and fun. It was a mild day too. We got a run in at a course where the Citadel XC trains. We stayed at Geoff’s bungalow aka house near Folly Beach, which is another cool little area, but unfortunately, we were missing Geoff! We debated going out around Folly Beach for our New Year’s celebration but it’s more of a beachy, casual atmosphere, so we eventually settled in the King St/Market St area. We had a nice early dinner reservation with a fabulous meal, and then set off to explore some of the nightlife. We ended up walking in somewhere with a Red Sox bartender so obviously I was content, and in the hours we were there, I became a dart pro. No modesty there.  

I am so excited for baseball season to start, especially with the new faces on the Red Sox. I’m starting to have trouble containing my excitement. I was looking up the spring training schedule and prices, and I think I may try to get down there for a weekend in March. I went to some spring training games my senior year of college for spring break and spent a week in Fort Myers and had a blast! I hope to make it down to Atlanta for a game this year, and hopefully Ed and I can get up to Philly to watch his team play. I’m all about seeing new stadiums and competitive baseball outside in the spring/summertime. What can be better??? I’m also on a mission to get tickets for the Celtics/Bobcats game next month, the best part about being down here is supporting all my northern hometown teams, especially when they come to town. I love sticking out like a sore thumb (even though it probably embarrasses Ed) or making friends with fans of my hometown teams and hearing their stories. I really try and think how different my life would be without sports and ….it would be devastating to never have a big game to watch or look forward to. Next week, I get to bring back the Minutemen spirit when UMass comes to play Charlotte in men’s basketball.  Next month, my goal is to get tickets to the Celtics at Bobcats game (which hopefully, I’ll be moved in by then and can just stroll up to the game). I’m beyond excited to work at Pippa’s this Sunday for the Patriots-Jets game. With all the hype going on between the 2 teams, and me being a big time Pats and Brady fan, and my boss/owner being a big time Jets fan, it’s sure to be an animated atmosphere. Let’s just hope my customers are not Jets fans….Also, I hope the Steelers lose as well. No terrible towels.

I think not working in sports has been an adjustment for me, but in a good way. It’s nice to be able to watch them whenever I want, since I work a regular M-F schedule. When I do have to work my other job on the weekends during the big football games, I can just watch them at work. I mean, what’s better than that? And now I have the flexibility to attend games and leave right after, rather than having to write a recap, game story, compile stats or work a press conference after the game ends. I do miss it at times, but who’s to say I’ll never get back in to working in sports? Just the thrill of life, never knowing what comes next.

Speaking of being active, I recently just signed up for my SECOND half-marathon, clap clap. Almost a year to the date. The first one I competed in was last April in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the downtown UVA area, actually a scenic and really cool course. This one is in downtown Charlotte, so another course full of intriguing scenery but much bigger buildings. And I’m sure a little more hustle and bustle. I will strive to break 2 hours again, but I don’t think I’m in the shape I was in last spring. Not yet at least. Maybe I’ll have to beg Ed to make me a training plan. The best part about the race is that my company, The Accurate Group, is sponsoring it! So that means a tailgate after the race, and a free entry for me 🙂  Life is Good. I’m a fan of trying to promote exercise in the workplace. It reminds me of that office episode where they’re trying to lose weight to beat the other branches, and Stanley takes it so seriously, and Michael insists that everyone stands in the same exact spot on the giant scale on each weigh-in to make sure everything is extremely precise.

So perhaps the best news of all is that I’m just a few steps away from getting my OWN apartment DOWNTOWN. I’ll be so close to the nightlife, restaurants, concerts, Bobcats arena, Panthers stadium, parks, museums, etc. But at the same time, there’s a quiet park area and local greenway right near me too, so it’s the best of both worlds. It’s what I’ve truly envisioned since moving here and I can’t wait to make it happen! Everyone keeps asking me, “Well what about the frat house, aren’t you going to miss them?” OF COURSE I will miss them, but they are like my brothers, and I’ll see them every time I work at Pippa’s probably! And I think they’ll actually want to spend more time at my pad on nights that we go downtown. No more paying for parking. For me, it’s an opportune time as well because the weather should be starting to warm up soon enough here in Charlotte, the days are getting longer, and I’ll be able to walk around and explore the area. Visitors are WELCOME 🙂

I went home for a short 3 days for Christmas. It actually turned out to be 4 because of the storms we got. I cherished every minute of it. I arrived home late Thursday night, the day before Christmas Eve, where my best friend Shannon picked me up from the airport after midnight. What a trooper. The dogs attacked me when I got home, and my WHOLE family was up waiting for me. Just shows how special they are. On Christmas Eve, I met up with some old softball friends for our yearly brunch at Gregg’s, which in the short amount of time, there’s never enough time to eat because we have so much to catch up on.  It’s pretty obnoxious. The fam attended the Christmas Eve worship service and then played some board games and watched some family movies. Christmas morning, we volunteered at a shelter and cooked up and served some breakfast, similar to a soup kitchen, before celebrating as a family. Later that night, I hung out with my best group of friends from high school and enjoyed Nicole and Dave’s new house! First to get married and first to buy a house, how exciting! The place is absolutely adorable, I can’t wait to visit in the summer where we can utilize the deck outside.

I’m in the process of making my spring/summer list of get-away places, which so far include Vegas for Shannon’s 25^th bday, New Orleans for Hillary’s wedding!!, and obviously Block Island for the 4^th of July. I’ll keep ya’ll updated. If you read this before 9 pm tonight, tune in to watch the Hokies vs. Tar Heels on ESPN. Number 00 on VT, Jeff Allen, is my boy. And will I watch Jersey Shore tonight? Probably. Because that’s the way the frat house rolls. And it’s entertaining. Have a good weekend everyone! Wear red, white and blue on Sunday.

 

 

Tis the season

The Thanksgiving cruise was a delightful trip, a nice getaway from the working life, and some precious time with the other five Hurd members. The boat was humongous with endless activities to do. We saw a comedy show, an opening night play, did some gambling in the casino, read by the pool, relaxed in the sauna, hit the fitness center, saw a movie at the movie theatre, checked out many of the 18 bars; the sports bar, the piano bar, the bar with Michael Jackson and Billy Joel trivia, the champagne bar, and the Irish pub, just to name a few. The eating schedule brought me right back to college. While we had dinner reservations a few nights at the sit down restaurants on the boat, most of our breakfasts and lunches were in the buffet-style cafeteria. All you can eat, endless choices, everything you can imagine, just like the dining commons at UMass offered. It’s a good thing we were only there for 4 days because the freshman 15 wouldn’t have been out of the question. I forgot I was at sea the majority of the time, but rather felt like I was in the biggest shopping mall of America, as the center of the boat was modeled like a European village.  All of my fears about being stuck in the ocean and having to eat Spam like those poor souls who were stranded the week before we left, fortunately, didn’t have to worry about anything like that. There were a few instances where we could feel the waves and choppiness of the ocean, but it was a very cool thing. Caroline, Rebecca and I witnessed a sexy leg contest the final day by the pool, as men of all ages got their dance on and showed their leg muscles (if you can call them that?) off to the judges, hoping for the ultimate prize. Let me tell you, it was entertainment to watch these random men come out, because they wouldn’t know what song they would have to groove to, and they had to let the female judges feel their legs so it was just a thing to watch. They had us all laughing the whole time.  Also, as part of the cruise, we got to spend a good majority of a day in Cozumel, Mexico. The Hurd clan all went snorkeling in the clear, blue water, where we saw colorful coral, schools of fish, starfish and other neat things. Also, a good form of exercise, swimming for an hour, but my expectations were high after snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Not much can top that experience. Another thing that made that trip so great was that the group I was with, while we spend hours checking out the various sea life and colors in the GBReef, we also played our own game of charades under water, one of the funniest performances ever. Good times.

We had some friends in town from Colorado last weekend, so we set out to take advantage of what Charlotte has to offer. Since the cross club championships were Saturday, many of the bars downtown let the runners in for free for the post-race party. Everywhere was packed but we had a good time.  There was also the Thunder Road marathon and half marathon in downtown Charlotte on Saturday morning. Actually, Ed ran in the half and without any training (he decided to run it 2 days prior), finished sixth. The little nugget he is just is fueled by his competitive nature, proofing he’s still got it. Before we went downtown that night, I got to witness the big cross-town rivalry game of Charlotte and Davidson. I think Charlotte’s team is down this year, and they’re in a rebuilding stage with their new coach. Davidson won pretty easily. But the crowd atmosphere was fun, fans chanting against each other in the cozy Davidson arena. We went to a sports bar before the game, owned by an alumni of Charlotte, and all of the 49er fans were there chanting beforehand.

Well, tis the season. This past week was fun-filled with many Christmas party appearances. I went with Ed to the Charlotte athletics department Christmas party, where I watched Judy Rose, the athletic director, down a free margarita. The free wings were a plus, but nothing compares to Pippa’s wings. In not just being bias, it’s the truth. Customers at Pippa’s have told me that we should advertise that we have the best wings in Charlotte. It’s a well-known fact, so sorry Picasso’s, but my wing expectations are high. I think all the frat boy roomies would agree. But, I digress. Last night’s festivities were highlighted by an ugly sweater party, which Shivers accompanied me to, hosted by a wonderful co-employee, Emily, from work. It was fun to hang out with lots of work friends, not to mention the holiday spirit, cheer and costumes. I found the greatest set of tacky Christmas pajamas at Target, so I couldn’t help but purchase them and wear them to the party. I won the best costume award, although I couldn’t help but think it would have been so much better had they been onesies or zip up pajamas like I loved to rock when I was little. Oh well. Tonight is the Pippa’s café holiday party, so we’ll close a little early and celebrate with free food, beverages, and probably some karaoke.  With less than a week till Christmas, I’m a little out of the jingle this year. The weather has definitely been cold down here, so it’s not due to that; I guess Christmas has just snuck up on me.  I will say, however, that this year was the earliest I finished ALL of my Christmas shopping.

I’ve been a little crippled the past week. Don’t laugh, but Thursday, Charlotte woke up to massive amounts of ice and freezing weather. I went out to start my car to defrost it, like I normally do about 10 minutes before I’m going to leave for work, but I didn’t realize how icy it was. I slipped on the front steps, feet up in the air and everything, and landed on my back and smacked my head.  I’ll admit that when I witness someone fall, my immediate reaction is to laugh. I know it’s mean, but it’s just a funny thing to witness. However, when you’re the one falling, the tables have turned. If it’s just sheer embarrassment you have to experience, that’s one thing. But when it’s excruciating pain, well that’s a horse of a different color. It was not a pretty moment, to say the least. I had to lie there for a minute to regain my composure, check out my battle wounds, and use the railing to get back to my feet. Long story short: I didn’t go to work that day…and I’m still in massive amounts of pain from it. This week I think I’ll be making a trip to a walk in clinic, maybe get some x-rays. Word of advice: Be more careful! Down South, the post-snow and ice procedures are not as dominant as they are up north. FAIL.

Anywho, this past Friday night was very exciting. A few of us went to the Tennessee-Charlotte game, which was at the Time Warner Arena, downtown, where the Bobcats play. I was not expecting a close game by any means, considering Tennessee was ranked 7^th and Charlotte didn’t even put up a fight against Davidson last week, but it must have been the psyche and atmosphere that proved me wrong for this game. Charlotte won, 49-48, in a game that went down to the final second, and it was a thriller. Before the game, we went to Whiskey River, a well-known bar at the Epicenter of downtown Charlotte, where they were letting all alumni in for free appetizers and drinks. We went back there after the game as well, to check out the atmosphere. Before that though, I enjoyed a meal at Five Guys, for the first time in my life. I very much enjoyed it, and I couldn’t put the fries down. Sometimes, fast food is just what you need.

I fly back for a short trip to my homeland on Thursday night. Sometimes, being an adult just stinks. This will be by far the shortest amount of time allotted to go home for Christmas break in my life. Even the last 2 years as an intern, I got a decent amounts of time off, but this year, since I have a full time job and I’m all responsible and stuff (probably could argue that one), I have limited time. I already have so much packed in those three days that it’s far from a vacation, but that’s what happens when you leave home and return every so often. There are always so many people to see and so much to cram in for the short amount of time. I am very much looking forward to going home for the holidays though, and I haven’t seen my doggies Lucy and Addy in 3 months, so I can’t wait to see those crazy pups. The third annual Vets alumni basketball game is high on my list as well. Love getting back on the court with all my homegirls, so that will be a blast as well. Also, my best friend Nicole and Dave just moved into and purchased a new HOUSE, which is so exciting. I can’t wait to see it and get together and catch up with them in a new house, which is all their own. I’m so proud of you guys!

While I was debating for a while what to do for New Year’s, Ed and I finally decided that we’re going to go to Charleston, S.C.! This is major news because I have wanted to go to Charleston my whole life. Yes, I will have to go back in the spring, summer when I can actually go to Folly Beach, but I’m so antsy to see the culture, history, nightlife, ghost tours, and atmosphere of the city. Cousin Geoff was kind enough to allow us to stay at his place, and I have a few friends who know the city well, and are going to tell me exactly where to go. Can’t wait!!

This week’s trivia question:

What is the biggest selling Christmas single of all time? No cheating ya’ll! Hope you were all able to follow my random rambling. HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT HOLIDAY! WARM WISHES AND SAFETY!!

I’m Thankful For…

Chapter 4: I’m Thankful For…

This blog will be a little different; it’s more of a personal reflection but I still hope you find it enjoyable. Well, as I was enjoying the night, prancing along the Skybrook neighborhood golf course, thoughts flooded my head and mind about how grateful I am for so many different things, and I wanted to describe them in this entry.

Firstly, dating back to last week’s trivia question, I proudly earned the nickname “Beany” through Little League Baseball. For some reason, I was a target for pitchers. I don’t think I crowded the plate too much, so I could never understand why I always got hit. But, one instance, I got “beaned” by one of the hardest throwers in the league, and my helmet cracked. No harm done to me, just a little shake up, but after that, I became Beany.

Keeping with the cheer of the season, I’m a little out of my element in anticipating Thanksgiving, mainly because, the past week has been in the mid 70’s and just completely gorgeous. The leaves look wonderful, though, reminding me that it is, in fact, fall (can’t think about it almost being winter). Thanksgiving was always my favorite family holiday, growing up. We’d have a chance to get together with our northern family, enjoy the time with nine cousins, aunts, uncles, and two wonderful grandparents, Momo and Pop Pop. Not only does my family produce a wonderful, tasty feast year in and year out, but I have really learned to embrace the holiday for what it’s worth, and reflect on what I’m grateful for. Like many other families do, I’m sure, we would all gather together, say grace and go around in a circle and say what we were thankful for that year. Well, here goes mine for 2010:

1. The best family anyone could ask for. With one brother and two sisters, and two wonderful parents, I am constantly surrounded by so much love and support. Whenever I need to turn to someone for help, my family is there.  Though we’re scattered for the time being, I’m so thankful that we can still make it together, all six of us, to celebrate Thanksgiving.
2. Friends. I have an amazing group of friends, and my favorite thing about them is the random assortment of people I’m drawn to. People in all different states and countries, from different backgrounds, childhoods and universities, some athletes, some the furthest thing from, some years older than me and some years younger, some loud and outgoing and others on the quieter side. All in all, I’m a lucky person to have all these wonderful people who appreciate me for who I am, and people whom I can pick up with where I left off, even without talking for months. I’m so thankful for these people that provide the spark in my life and provide me with companionship. I’m honored and thankful to be the Maid of Honor for Nicole LaChapelle’s wedding next fall, and a bridesmaid for Hillary Gibbs next summer. And I’m exited for the new friendships I will continue to form.
3. A great boyfriend. Though he’s got a few years on me in age, Ed really understands me as much as anyone could. If I never took a chance and moved down to Spartanburg, South Carolina, one of the most random, on a whim decisions I’ve made to this point, I never would have met him. And things have been wonderful since then, knowing I have someone looking out for my best interests at all time. Today he spent six hours with me looking at a variety of different townhouses and helping me with finding the right area and the right price. Thanks for everything Smallz!
4. Two wonderful, successful jobs. I’m really enjoying my first “out-of-sports” job so far, as I’m nearing the two-month mark. I’m happy with what I’m doing. I’m interested in the real estate market right now, especially since I’m in the market for searching for my own property, and my job is teaching me so much by the day. And Pippa’s is a fun place to be a few days a week. Last night, all the tables I had were great. I had a fun time interacting with them, making the job very enjoyable for me. One family was there for the Virginia Tech game and decked out in Hokie gear, so I had a great time sharing my love for Coach Beamer with them as well as last year’s working experiences with player interviews and press conferences. And now, the Hokies are in the ACC Championship on December 4^th in Charlotte, a game I’m going to! I also served a cheery couple who was out celebrating their anniversary, and I had a great time learning about them as well. I also met a new friend, Chris, a Pippa’s regular who works for ESPN U down in Charlotte and seems like a cool guy willing to help me try to network.
5. Being happy and healthy. It’s common for young people to go through ups and downs in the process of finding out where they belong in life, and enduring the experiences that get them there. I’m so thankful that I’ve ended up where I have, with all the experiences I’ve had along the way. I’ve grown out of the sleeping problems I had, and I feel better than ever. I’m grateful that I appreciate food, as eating is one of my favorite hobbies, and that I have food on the table for five meals a day, as often as I eat.
6. Life. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to be L I V I N. This is what it’s all about. So take a step back and see the bigger picture. It’s not about working as many hours as you can, or making as much money as you can. It’s about the experience, the people you meet, the relationships and memories you form, the family you’ll have someday.

Onto a change of subject; This weekend, we had some familiar faces in town. Rachel and Moeller came to visit the Queen City. Rach was my roomie last year in Blacksburg, and turns out, she went to UMass and was a Sport Management major too, but we didn’t know each other in school. Still blows my mind how that happened, but it turned out that we both did the Virginia Tech internship, and now she is one of my great friends. She’s probably one of the funniest people I know and together, we’re pretty intense. Moeller works in marketing at VT, so since they finally had a weekend free from events, they came to visit Shivers and I at the frat house for the weekend, and it was great to see them. They got the full frat house experience, and all the five roomies were finally home at the same time and we were all able to hang out all at once.

I’m getting pumped for the ACC Championship game, since the Hokies clinched a spot in it with the win over Miami yesterday. I think what I’m going to do is work most of the day doing an event promotion for Dr. Pepper, and then stick around for the game and maybe hit up downtown after. It’s nice to have these endless options and freedom on the weekends being in the City. Speaking of…I found THE place I want to live today while searching for properties. At this point, I’ve seen between 30 and 40 places and this is the only one where I knew right away that I could picture myself living. It’s located in the uptown area and has a patio view of the city and Bank of America stadium, where the Panthers play. I can totally picture myself there, and it would totally complement the “Sar in the City” living as an “Uptown Girl”. I don’t want to get my hopes up yet, but I’m definitely interested. I hope I can call it home, but time will tell. I’m complacent about it either way because I think that if it’s meant to be, then it will work out, if not, then there is somewhere better for me. 🙂

Sometimes the warm, cheery attitudes down south can make one feel very welcoming. For example, I was sitting down in the waiting room, waiting for my oil change to be complete, and was actually scrolling through my phone reading some of my awesome blog comments. A strange man (at the time) said something along the lines of, “How can you read that small print on your phone?” And I responded by saying that I wrote it, so I knew what it said, I was just proof reading it. Then we got into a discussion about what I write about, which led to where I’m from, which led to where he’s from, which led to his visits to near where I’m from, which led to why I moved here, which led to him willingly telling me when and why he moved here, etc. The short of it was that I was not blogging about politics (he asked me if I was—if only he knew me, he would have known better than to ask that question). I firmly said no and that I had really no opinion about them and would definitely not choose to write about them in my personal blog! I’m not here to bore you guys, and I’m sorry, but writing about politics would probably put me to sleep. Anyway, after we shared a few stories, his car alignment was near complete and my oil change was just about done, and our conversation ended with a firm hand shake, an exchange of names, and he said, “Well, Sarah, Welcome to Charlotte. We’re glad to have you here.” Little things like that can make a day, and it was definitely a positive spotlight, worthy enough for Bob to get a shoutout in my “non-political” blog!

I’m off on a cruise for the Thanksgiving holiday and I’m really excited about it. It will definitely be a nice get away from the many many hours I’ve been working, and a breath away and back to the norm. I’ve been looking forward to seeing my family more than anyone could know! Although, I was living on the edge and JUST found my passport while packing tonight before leaving tomorrow. Could have been a close call. I could have been subject to all these new security measures times 1,000. With my luck, I always get called out anyway, but I would have been denied any admission on the cruise to Mexico without that booklet. How embarrassing. So, I’m THANKFUL that I found my passport! I hope you all take the time to think about what you’re thankful for, and remember that Thanksgiving is a time to appreciate what you HAVE, not what you don’t have. I’ll check back in with everyone after the holidays, enjoy your TURKEY! Eat up, I know I will.

And my blog wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t give some birthday shoutouts. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HILLARY GIBBS, you’re awesome! And my forever idol, Ken Griffey Jr. I’m fortunate enough to have met my idol, and I almost feel like ‘we’re boys’ aka friends now. And Happy Birthday 26.