Reflections On The First Year

Bryan and I have been married for just over one year (one year and three weeks to be exact) and I can't believe it's already been that long.  Bryan and I have been talking about how quickly the year has passed and how much we have done since being married.  Between getting married, me moving to Providence, then the two of us moving to Tennessee, this year has been a whirlwind.  My dad told me once that as you get older time seems to move faster because you have more and more of your life to compare it to.  I think this is definitely the case. Suddenly we're no longer newly weds, we've been living in TN for almost 8 months, and in January I will have been at my job for one year.  Funny how time flies and how your whole life just seems to be on fast forward when you look back on it.  But when I look back on our first year of marriage I don't think about the lessons I've learned or the kinds of advice I could give other people. I really think about the things that surprised me the most, the things I never thought I would learn or grow to understand. I never thought I would love Bryan more than I did on our wedding day; it's amazing how our love has deepened and changed even in the year that we've been together. I never thought I would be able to know what Bryan's reaction to almost any given situation would be.  I never thought we would have to work on having meaningful conversations instead of just telling each other what our day was like.  I never thought that marriage would come as easily as it has, that I would feel completed and know that this was the way my life was supposed to work out.  I never thought we would end up in Knoxville and be exploring the nooks and crannies of the tiny city. All these "nevers" have come together to make a great reality.  Our reality is amazing and I'm so excited to see what else the Lord has planned for us. Who knows what the future holds, but I hope the "nevers" continue to create a new reality that keeps us on our toes. :) God is good and I'm so thankful for my hubby and the many, many blessings in our lives. 

Look Me in the Eye

Recently, I've noticed that no one looks me in the eye anymore. When I am walking, jogging, getting groceries, etc. I look at the people around me. I observe what they are doing, enjoy my surroundings, and I also look at people's faces. Apparently, though, I am one of few who still continue to try and make eye contact with those around me. I've noticed it everywhere, in the park, at the mall, downtown... No one wants to look me in the eye! Well, not "no one", SOME people do, but really very few in comparison with the number of people I encounter everyday. The first time I noticed this was on campus, I noticed that you just kind of stare at the sidewalk or straight ahead when you're walking to class and you NEVER smile or say Hi to someone walking in the opposite direction. At the time I kind of just assumed it was part of college and that as people grew up, moved on, and lived in the real world they would begin to take their eyes off the ground and look at others around them. Sadly, this is not the case. It seems that we are now expected to mind our own business everywhere we go and it is assumed that you will have no interaction with those around you. Well too bad world, I am going to interact with you! So when I'm running at the park and someone is deliberately staring at their shoes instead of giving me a fake smile, I'm still going to say hi to you. And when I'm waiting in line at the grocery store, I WILL make a joke about People magazine to the person standing behind me. I will continue to awkwardly make eye contact with people I am passing on a walk or in the mall and I will smile and say hi even if they want to be left alone. I understand not wanting a stranger to talk to you for 15 minutes while you're trying to get your errands done, but is a little common courtesy too much to ask? In a word of instant communication, I think a smile and a "hello" can go a long way. So if you see me out and about, look me in the eye, say hello, and give a fake smile. It's definitely better than looking at your feet all day.

Why Wheat Free is the Way to Be

It's a rainy day down here in Knoxville, just the way Autumn is supposed to begin. Last night I had to wear a sweatshirt to dinner...and I was still cold! I love the change of seasons and the change from summer to fall is my favorite.
Change is all around in Knoxville, we recently got connected with the Young Life group here and I think it's going to change our lives in major ways. I'm so SO excited to get involved, find a team to support, maybe lead a small group, and just serve the Lord. I think that ministry and service has been a missing piece in my life for some time and I am so thankful that the Lord has lead us to a ministry we believe and trust in. Even better news...UT Young Life has a Capernaum group!! I hope that if nothing else I can support the leaders in their outreach to a forgotten group, the mentally and physically disabled. We went to leadership last night and it was wonderful to see a group of college students dedicated to their high school friends and bringing the word of the Lord into high schools around Knoxville. It was also great to meet parents that support Young Life's mission. I think God wants us here, in Young Life, doing something. We'll see where he takes us from here!
Another major change that has happened in my life is that I was diagnosed w/a wheat allergy about 3 weeks ago. When I got the call from the doctor, I broke down. I was really pissed at my body. I was like, "Really? ANOTHER thing I have to deal with?? Not only can I not have dairy but now I can't have wheat?? No more cookies, cakes, muffins, donuts, and anything else floury and delicious?!" *sigh* I kind of reached a breaking point, between my back issues, food allergies, and every other weird thing my body has gone through, I just wanted to be normal and eat what I wanted and not deal w/aches and pains on a regular basis. But, I soon realized that would not be my hand in life and I should just accept the allergy and learn more about it. Since being diagnosed I've done a pretty good job of not eating any wheat AT ALL, and (lo and behold) I FEEL GREAT!! It's amazing the difference I feel physically. I have so much more energy and awake; before I would be so sleepy after lunch, it would be hard to keep my eyes open! But now I am awake and energetic all day long. It's simply amazing. And that is what makes not eating delicious things like muffins and donuts worth while. If I didn't feel a difference, I probably would keep eating the things that my body rejects, but NOT eating wheat and flour products makes me feel AWESOME! And I don't think I'll ever go back! There are plenty of gluten free products in the Natural foods section of the grocery store (Thank you Kroger!) so I do get gluten free bread so I can have toast with my eggs :) One thing I do have to be aware of is the calorie content in gluten free breads (2 tablespoons of GF flour = 100 calories; 1/4 cup of regular flour = 100 calories), but besides that I think they're great!
Yep, lots of change happening down here in Knoxville, I'm excited to see what the Lord has for us and the adventures we can begin down here!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

Well, there have been a few developments here in the Pietch household. No, I am not preggers (thank goodness) but Bryan DID get a job! He is now employed by Aflac as a sales associate. It's straight commission, which could be great...or really frustrating. But he is excited to give it a shot. He's been training for the past few weeks and has just started going to visit businesses. I'm happy for him, I'm glad he has something to put his energy toward, but it does make me anxious. Mostly it's because I'm not trusting God to provide for us and I feel like we should control the financial provision for our lives. But, alas, this is not so. God wants Bryan at Aflac and he wants me at Shmashmica. It's interesting how quickly my thoughts turn away from God and his plans for our lives and instead are focused on what I think SHOULD be happening. I realized this week that I have not been focused on what the Lord wants for my life at all. Instead I have been worrying about what the world will throw my way. I haven't been praying for direction or guidance, I've been trying to get through each day without hope that the Lord will show me the way. I was chatting with Bryan about this on our way to the Outlet Mall (he was kind enough to take me...and then promptly spent much more than me on clothing ha!) and I was just saying how all the changes in our lives have not lead to a closer relationship with the Lord, but instead I have forgotten him all together. Hopefully, now that we have some normalcy in our lives we can get back to focusing on what the Lord wants for our lives and the plans he has for us.
On another note...I still have not posted any pictures of Knoxville, those will be coming soon! Our apartment is in order and we have some great spots around the city where we like to spend our time.
Work is going well. I still like the job, although managing is a difficult position. Dealing with people (both employees and customers) is always a challenge. Thankfully the Lord has blessed me with control and so I haven't exploded at work. I have been able to remain professional even when I wanted to scream bloody murder. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I have only been doing this for about 6 months and I will make mistakes. The perfectionist in me writhes whenever I make a mistake, but usually I can fix it before anyone else finds out. Oh well, things are going to happen and I'm going to do something wrong once and awhile, I guess.
So, a promise goes out...I will post Knoxville pictures! But for now, it's time for more coffee and breakfast! Good Morning blogger nation! It's going to be a beautiful day!

Saturday Morning Coffee can't be beat.

Ahh, my full cup of steaming hot coffee with hazelnut creamer cannot be beat, especially on a Saturday morning. There's something relaxing about waking up when you want (which is still no later than 8:30am for me) making a cup of joe, and sitting down to write my blog. I hope to write more in the coming weeks. Unfortunately all our traveling makes me feel too busy and stressed to keep up with the blog. But, the most encouraging thing is when someone says "I read your blog, I love knowing what's going on in your life!" How great is that?! I always feel like no one reads this thing, but when people tell me that they read it to keep up with my life, I feel so loved and it makes me want to write more. So as I lazily sip my delicious coffee, I will give a short update on life here in Knoxville.
Work is going well, I am settling into office life. It's very different, sometimes it's hard to balance working and being professional with my personality. I can't joke around as much as I am used to and being sarcastic isn't always appropriate, but I'm adjusting. I do like the job, I still think I'm going to be good at it. I'm learning more about managing every day, it's not an easy job that's for sure. The flooding in Nashville made the whole office busy for a few weeks, and then everyone got backed up since we were dealing with flooding situations, so now everyone is trying to catch up. I just try to take it one day at a time, it's hard not to get stressed when everyone around you is tense and stressed. But, I know that some days will be stressful and other days will pass quickly without a hitch, so I still think this will be a good job for me.
Knoxville is a great city, we still haven't met many people or made many connections, but they're coming! We did meet up with an old friend from High school. He and his wife are living in Knoxville for the time being, in September they leave for a mission trip to Rome. Anyway, they know lots of people in Knoxville and were able to suggest a few churches and give us a few connections to the local Young Life group. We're excited to be in Knoxville this weekend so that we can visit the churches and try to find a place where we fit in. I'm still loving the area, the south is great. It's just a slower pace of life and everyone is pretty relaxed all the time. It's wonderful. And it's hot! It's already hitting close to 90 on a regular basis, this summer should be interesting!
Anyway, Bryan is making pancakes and they smell so good! Thank you for keeping up with my life! I'm honored that you love me enough to read this blog!! Happy Saturday!

Set and Settled

Well, I believe we're quite settled in our new place. Most everything is put away, our donations got picked up today so that freed up quite a bit of space, and I think we're both happy and comfortable with our slightly larger apartment. We've been here for almost three weeks, and now that pictures are hung and I spent some serious time organizing the second bedroom, it finally feels like home.
Unfortunately we haven't been able to explore much more of Knoxville. We've been busy traveling to see family and friends for different occasions. The weekends have gone by quickly, but they've been fun! Last weekend while Bryan was with the guys at a bachelor party, I spent time with many Besties in the Columbus area. It was really refreshing to see everyone and catch up on life. It was somewhat bittersweet, though, because I realized that I have to make new friends in my new city. I can't always be traveling six hours just to spend time with friends and go out and have fun. I love all my friend so much! Sometimes it's hard for me to believe that I will find equally good friends down here, or anywhere else for that matter. But, I've been proven wrong because training in Providence gave me awesome friends, so obviously I can make friends anywhere we end up. I just need to stop dragging my feet and whining and go out and meet some people already!
In other news, work is going well. I'm learning more every day and most days just realize how much I don't know about insurance. I also realize how bad I am at being on the phone with customers and how much better the reps are. Thank goodness they are good at their job! It means I can focus on mine and trust that they can handle the phones. I think that I am fitting in well. I feel like it's going to be a fun office, a good mix of work and laughs.
In marriage news, it's good to feel married again. Providence took a long time to recover from, but things are going well now. Bryan has been wonderful in serving me and taking care of housey stuff, but I know he's ready to get a job and get the heck out of our apartment. We trust that the Lord has something planned for him, but Lord, don't you think you could hurry it up a bit? Bryan's quite bored and a job would be just lovely right about now! I have learned that Bryan will never do things quite the way that I would, it doesn't mean he does things wrong or that his actions are not adequate. It's just not the way I would clean, or put things away, or organize my time. But, better than learning that we do things differently, I have learned not to fret and worry about it, but instead to let things happen as they may and let Bryan accomplish things as he wants. It makes everyone so much happier! If you're in any kind of relationship, I'm sure you've heard that you can't change the other person. While I agree that you can't change someone else, I believe that you can adapt to each other and cope with the differences and it will pretty much seem like you changed the other person when really you changed yourself.
That's about all the insight I have for this evening. Pictures of our Knoxville life will be posted soon!!

Apartments

Who knew that finding the right apartment would be so time consuming? In school you pretty much just took whatever place was decently clean and you could actually afford. Now that we're in the real world we have options and different prices and amenities. We spent most of Saturday visiting different places, trying to decide what will work best. It sucks that the nice, affordable places aren't near anything fun. And the places we can afford in fun areas are only slightly better than campus housing. But, as with anything, we just keep looking and hopefully we'll find something worth spending half our income on. I hate the idea of renting, I feel like I'm just throwing money out the window. Of course, we need to save in order to purchase a house but we have to spend most of our money on living in an apartment. Oh the complexities of life.
On a better note, Knoxville is pretty great so far. It's a really beautiful area. Right now it's still wintery, as in the trees haven't bloomed and the grass is not yet green. It's actually pouring down rain outside right now. But this weekend has been beautiful, it got up to 70 on Saturday and it was clear and sunny. We've been finding our way around town, we did some exploring and found a good shopping center with a Target, Best Buy, and tons of other shops and restaurants. We've committed to eating out once a week so that we can try all sorts of eateries. I have my first day of work tomorrow, I'm feeling fine about it. I feel pretty organized and ready to start. The office is probably a ten minute drive from our temp housing so it's not hard to get to. And not it's thunderstorming outside so I'm going to end this blog post and sit by my husband instead. Much love to all and to all a good night!

Home Sweet Move

I'm HOME! And I could not be happier. I didn't realize how much I missed the apartment, our bed, and my Kuerig coffee maker until I got back here. It's so wonderul to be back. Bryan and my family came to get me from the airport last night. Getting those hugs was awesome! I didn't realize how long 7 weeks would be, but it was definitely time for me to come home. I was litterally giggling as we went to bed because our bed is so much more comfortable than the one I was sleeping on in Providence. So yeah, it feels good to be home!
But it won't be home for too much longer. On Tuesday we start our move. We'll be packing up Tuesday and Wednesday and then we're driving down to Knoxville on Friday. I haven't thought too much about the move yet, I've been too excited to come home. But now I know that I have to start thinking about it. I'm really excited to get down there, I think it will be awesome. But now that I'm home, I don't want to leave so soon. I want to hang out here and just enjoy being in the comfort of a place I love. Oh well, the insurance business has called my name and I must continue to work for them.
Overall, trainging was pretty great. Good friends, lots of fun, lots of learning, and seeing a different part of the country were all great. I'm really glad I went. I definitely grew up lot while I was out there. I feel a lot more independent and capable of dealing with whatever comes at me. So I'm pretty sure I can handle Knoxville and whatever craziness comes with it.
I'll enjoy my little apartment for the next few days and I will do my best to get excited when those movers come. So, here we goooo!

T means Test

So today we had our test over Auto Policy, well the first test of two. It went well, we all passed, but I'm not sure exactly how well I did. Hopefully I didn't just shave by or anything. I think that I did okay, though. Bryan would say that I need to be confident and just know that I did well! We did the test first thing this morning, had a few more sessions on how insurance is priced, and then we did the most fun thing we've done so far...PRACTICE NEW POLICY PHONE CALLS! You have no idea how exciting it is to have something that is interactive and not just studying policy or learning computer applications. Our trainers said that we all did well, it wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be. I really liked feeling that I was accomplishing something and that I am continually learning more and more about what my job is all about. The more I learn about the job and the more I feel that it's a good fit for me and that I'll really enjoy it. Even though we're learning lots it's not that exciting to blog about. Insurance isn't exactly thrilling, but it's better than doing case studies or arguing the finer points of the US Constitution so I like it better than my polisci classes, haha that's a good thing! I don't have to sit and argue about how long "promptly" is, I just have to know that they have to report the claim to us promptly. It's great.
My roommates are still great, Lauren and I are extremely similar. We're starting to talk like each other, which is only slightly annoying. Haha, just kidding. But we have a lot of fun together. Jackie, my literal roommate is great! She's super encouraging and so kind. This weekend we went out and explored Providence, it was so fun! We went out to a local bar on Friday and then for my birthday we went to a Chinese place and to a different bar that had live music and pool. Both nights were really fun, the people in my training class are really great. Getting to know everyone has certainly been interesting, but it's pretty cool that we're all so different but can have so much fun together! I love meeting new people, so this is great. (I know, I am definitely over using the word "great" the next post I'll do my best to vary my adjectives)

Well anyway that's about all I have right now, nothing to exciting but I did have a great birthday. My new friends made sure I wasn't too lonely. I love and miss you all!!

The First Four Days

I'm here in Providence! The job has begun!
I arrived here on Sunday around 1:30 and met my roommate, Lauren. She's great and hilarious. Soon Jackie came and she's really laid back and easy to get along with, too. Jackie and I are sharing the back bedroom, we have two twin beds and an attached bath. Lauren got a room to herself and she also has her own bathroom. The apartment is nice (and expensive! thankfully I don't have to pay for it) and since we don't have to pay for heat we keep it nice and toasty. As with any rental, there are a few little hitches. For instance, we have a very small hot water heater that does not have a thermostat on it. We can get through one hot shower and one lukewarm shower. Then we have to wait about a half hour until the hot water heater fills again. Also, our living room is drafty, but it's not like I haven't lived in cold drafty houses before (remember the Patterson house? BRR!). Lauren, Jackie, and I get along well. We're still getting used to living together and our work schedule, but I think we'll all get along throughout the training. We'll make it through 7 weeks!
Work is going well. We're learning all about auto policy right now. I'm much more knowledgeable than I was just four days ago. If you had a question about what was covered under our Part A liability, I could answer that. Sometimes the classes are repetitive, but for the most part it just helps engrave it in my brain. Our trainers are a good blend of professional, kind, encouraging, and hilarious. We laugh a lot together which I love. There are only three other girls in my training class, Lauren, Amber, and Hannah. (Jackie is in the adjuster class and so we don't' see her during the work day) It's pretty great, having a small class. I really like it. I'm glad that there aren't many of us, I don't feel bad asking a question every step of the way.
We haven't done any exploring around Providence, yet. But I'm hoping that a few people will go out with me on Saturday for my 23rd Birthday. I think I can convince a few people to go out with me. There's a great area called Federal Hill that is supposed to have amazing Italian food, so maybe we'll go there. I'll write an update when we go out and explore!
Anyway, keep praying and thinking about me! I miss everyone, but I"m loving making new friends and learning my job! Woohoo! The Ocean State is Great!

Almost gone

So there are only about 4 days left before I make my move to RI. I was visiting with Abbie last night and we were saying how quickly time passes. After all, weren't we just preparing for a wedding and having bachelorette parties and bridal showers? And now all of a sudden it's time for me to pack up and move out east. I flutter between being extremely excited and very very sad. After all, I'm honored and proud that I got a good job that truly wants me to succeed, but leaving the comfort of Cincinnati will be very difficult. Leaving Bryan has become more real and more unbearable as I've been dwelling on it. I didn't think that it would be this difficult after only being married three months, but I think it will be one of the hardest things I have done thus far. Of course, once I get there I'll be so busy learning the insurance biz I doubt I will have much time for missing anyone. But I know that when it's time for bed and I have to fall asleep all alone, I will really really miss being in my little apartment in Cincinnati. I have to celebrate my 23rd birthday with strangers, which will be fine. I plan on using it as an excuse to make everyone go out and celebrate with me. But it is still sad that I can't be with my husband or my friends on my actual birthday. I think leaving is going to be more emotional than I originally anticipated. I always knew it would be hard to leave Bryan and my family, but I didn't really think about leaving all my friends. The weirdest and hardest thing is that it's not like college when you know everyone will be home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and probably part of summer break. I really have no idea when I will be back in Cincinnati again, hopefully sooner rather than later. And hopefully we'll move to a cool city where everyone will want to visit. But who knows? I think there are just many more questions than answers at this point in time. Thankfully, the Lord is sustaining me and providing me with peace and calmness while I pack and sort and get everything organized for my move. I hope to make the best of the little time I have left here and see lots of friends and spend time with Bryan and my family.

It's weird thinking about making new friends and sharing my life with people that I don't know at all right now. Thankfully, my training class consists of just three other people and it's all women. I'm really looking forward to making some new friends in my new colleagues and just getting to know different people from around the country. But, being really horrible at correspondence , I'm worried about how my friendships will fair. Hopefully people will be forgiving and realize that I'm awful when it comes to simply calling or writing e-mails. Not having a computer will make it pretty difficult as well. Hopefully I can make some blog updates from the company computers or find a local library. Or maybe we can just save enough money to get a laptop for me. Anyway, I'm rambling now, so I'll end with this: I'm excited for life's next adventure and I cannot wait to start to figure out what it means. And hopefully the excitement of what's coming next will get me through missing Bryan, friends, and family so I can truly enjoy the experience at hand.