Where Is Erin?

Did you ever read Where's Waldo or play Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? I feel a little like it's been "where's Erin" in the social media world lately. Well, I have an answer. Deek and I moved!

Again? Yep. And this time, we're staying in one place for a while. Putting down roots.

via GIPHY

You may remember that Deek and I had no interest in ever owning a home again. We love the footloose and fancy-free renter's life...BUT we have dreams of a vagabond lifestyle in the future. While we would love for our writing and my editing business to foot the bill for that future life, we are realistic and understand we need to plan for it. Enter homeownership (ie: our savings plan for the future).

via GIPHY

Since we were reluctant to dip our toe into the homeownership world, we decided to go halfsies and get a town home. It's part renter life, part home owner life. And it provides us both financial and time freedom. We are active and like to do and explore, and the low cost (less than rent--woot!) and low maintenance of a town home allows us to really live like we want to.

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So, where has Erin been? Moving! Is she still surrounded by boxes? Nope. Deek and I worked hard and got everything set up. We've been here approximately a week and have already had an overnight houseguest and thrown a luncheon for Deek's work friends. So, we've already started living in this home we've purchased together. 

You'll likely see Deek and me back on social media very soon. We have some exciting adventures lined up in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Until next time, live out loud!

The New Normal

Wow. So, we moved across the country, found a place, found a job, and now we're settling into life. It's kind of amazing how you get into a routine, but when you move, it's all upended. Now, Deek and I have to establish the "new normal."

Queen Trinity was ready for everything to be put away. ;)

Dinner of champions

Otherwise known as "moving in survial 101"

Examples of our "new normal," Deek used to work from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but now he's in the office all week. I miss him terribly when he's away. But we've worked out a plan where I meet him for lunch every Tuesday and Thursday. It's not the same as having him here all day, but at least I get to see his handsome face in the middle of the day. :)

Here we are taking a walk during lunch. Deek works near a gorgeous lake, so we take a nice stroll around it sometimes.

Also, necessity requires that I wake up much earlier than I used to. It's a blessing and curse. It's a blessing because I'm like a super productive little tornado but a curse because I'm sleepy as I don't know what all the time. In fact, last night, Deek and I planned a nap date for today. LOL!

Sleepy all the time...

But I've FINALLY found time to read for pleasure instead of work (notice the coffee cup because...sleepy).

Since we traveled across the country and lived in a hotel for weeks, we haven't been as keen on doing adventures. We're enjoying the comforts of having our own place (in a complex that has a saltwater pool, state-of-the-art gym, 24/7 FREE Starbucks, and more--who would even WANT to leave??). But we have managed to visit a few local goodies.

We went to see Star Trek Beyond with my soul sister and her hubby. They even sprung for us to go to a recliners-and-food movie theater. It was my first time in a joint like that, and wowsa! 

Free posters!

Ginormous "Tower of Fries." Oh, so good!

Deek and I had a mini-date at the local stores.

Datin'

Doesn't this hat look like the lady in 101 Dalmatians?

World Market's version of the Iron Throne!

We attended the local Harry Potter event when the Cursed Child released. 

These are our "nice wizard" pictures. We have some "crazy wizard" ones too, but we look a bit deranged in them. LOL!

And, of course, we worked on decorating our room some more. My soul sister took the photos above our headboard, and she and Deek conspired to frame them and create an amazing Christmas gift for me. But we needed a little something below them to fill the space. When we saw the Mr. and Mrs. stickers, we knew we'd found just the thing!

In other news, we live next to a used bookstore. I *may* be in trouble...

And Deek's work bought him a pair of headphones for the office. I think he likes them. LOL!

I adore this man!

Now that we're starting to settle in, we're thinking of adventures we can go on, but for now, we're enjoying the calm of home and our new normal.

In our years together, Deek and I have been through a lot of wild rides--some good, some bad, some just plain crazy--and we've not only survived but grown stronger and flourished. I am beyond fortunate to take this life journey with a man as wonderful as Deek. There aren't adequate words (and I'm an author!!) to describe just how great his is and how incredibly much I love him!

I wish this kind of mind-blowing love and happiness for all of you! 

Until next time, catch some extra zzzzzz's for me. ;)

The Great Move East

Hello, everyone! Whew, it's been a CRAZY month, but I'm so glad to be getting settled into our new home and life and to be getting back to writing and blogging. Let me catch you up to date:

When I first moved to the Pacific Northwest to live with Deek, we knew we'd only be there for about 2 years (though my family and friends were convinced I was never coming back--LOL) before he moved with me to my home state. At the time, 2 years seemed to be a long way off, but boy, they flew by.

Here we are over 2 years ago before we set out on our journey to the west!

Deek and I started prepping for the move back in January. We scanned pictures, pared our stuff, laterally traded our compact car for an SUV with a tow package, etc. But when we stared inside that 6x12 U-Haul trailer, we realized we hadn't pared down enough. So, we sold more than half our remaining belongs on Craigslist and at a yard sale with the intention of getting new things off Craigslist when we arrived. We shoved everything we could into that tiny trailer (thank goodness Deek is the master packer and got way more stuff in that U-Haul and on top of our vehicle than most people ever could have) and headed east. Deek wrote all about our adventures in his blog post here!

Since Deek had several job interviews lined up, we had to book it across the country. We didn't do our normal leisurely pace, nor did we get to do that awesome route we'd planned. But don't worry, we will go that route soon, and you'll get to see all the pics. LOL! So, weirdly, because our days consisted of 12-13 hours of driving, we didn't take many pics. Wut the wut? I know, we're just as shocked as you are.

Here are a few we managed to snag:

The red rocks of Utah

The open road and my smiley face socks

Gorgeous sunsets

As soon as we arrived, Deek hit the ground running on interviews and received 6 offers (I'm so proud of my super intelligent, charming man!!). After we selected the job, we hunted for houses nearby. Since Deek's used to walking to work, we didn't want to live very far away. With the job and house selected, we began the waiting process--waiting for the first day of work and waiting for our house to be ready to move into. And while we had to wait and live in a hotel, we decided to live in a hotel at the beach. My favorite beach, to be exact--Myrtle Beach, SC. Deek has heard about Myrtle Beach ever since he met me, and he finally got to go!!

From sea to shining sea! Deek made it coast to coast!

Myrtle Beach is called the "Las Vegas of the South." Here, everything is "go big or go home." There are so many wonders to feast your eyes on as you drive around. And, you know I have to say it...it's a warm beach! Hallelujah! I have missed a warm beach. There's just something about feeling the blazing sun on your skin and getting the good ole suntan sweat going that makes me smile. Ahhhhh...

Wait, is that King Kong??

Deek and I had a blast walking around Broadway at the Beach. There's so many crazy things to see and so many interesting restaurants and shops!

Wonderworks, the upside down building

Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville restaurant

My superman! <heart eyes>

The leg lamp!!! A Christmas Story is one of my favs!

I don't even know what to say about this one. LOL!

My vote for 2016!

Hard Rock Cafe. 

For some inexplicable reason, they're tearing down the pyramid and making a regular, boring old building. Glad Deek got to see the cool one before it got torn down.

Heehee. Not biased.

So true!!

The gorgeous, warm beach!

View from the pier

Skywheel and fireworks! What a great way to end the night!

We decided to give the upside down building, Wonderworks, a try. Such a fun place!!

Experiencing hurricane force winds. 

Deek compared to Shaq. 

My hand compared to Shaq's hand.

Bed of nails!!

Astronaut Deek

Laser tag. Watch out! Team Tenacious in da house!

We decided to eat at Margaritaville and got selected to help the staff dance during the Margaritaville song. OMG, it was so amazingly fun!!! 

That night, we went to the Carolina Opry. I haven't been there to see a show since I was a teenager. I'm so thankful to have gotten to share a piece of my younger life with Deek! 

More walking around Broadway at the Beach

Last weekend, we moved into our new place, and the following Monday, Deek started his new job. We're still unpacking boxes and getting settled, but after nearly three weeks in a hotel, we're beyond thankful to have our own home. And Deek LOVES his new job. We're so glad we selected that one out of the bunch. He even gets to wear shorts and flip flops every day! Wut? 

PS. If you ever need to live in a hotel for a while, LaQuinta offers exceptional weekly rates, and they allow pets to stay for free.

Now that the big move has happened, it's time to figure out our "normal" routine here in the South. This morning, I'm writing a blog and Deek's editing, so we're starting to ease back into it! 

And of course, we have our "wall of us" up in our bedroom. We're representing both weddings and both coasts! 

Let me just brag on my husband for a minute: Holy cow, y'all, he's the most chill person I've ever met. Even with all the heightened stress of moving, living in a hotel, interviewing, house hunting, and all that craziness, he never lost his cool. He constantly joked and kept me laughing too. Every day, he made sure I felt loved and cared for. I appreciate him more than I can ever say. There's a reason my dad refers to Deek as "the saint." He's the best man I've ever known, and I'm beyond blessed to call him my husband!  

Thanks for taking this amazing journey with us! We are officially Southerners! Yee haw! 

The Great Move and A Simple Life

So, Deek and I are up to our elbows in boxes and cleaning supplies as we prepare to move across the country. It's been a little hectic, but we're working on it like a boss. I'm beyond grateful to have such an amazing, involved partner.

Since we've moved 3 times (this will be our 4th) in 2 years, we've learned two important things:

1) Purge. Get rid of the junk. Stuff is not important; it's just stuff. Pare down until you're at the necessities and give away the rest. You'll feel better for having done it, and your house will look better. Also, it's easier to clean without the clutter.

I'm in a bandana with paint-spattered pants and a beat-up shirt. It's technically my cleaning outfit, but I'm calling it a "Bohemian" look. ;) 

2) Prepare in advance. We've been in a 2am-still-throwing-mess-in-boxes situation, and we don't want that drama this time. So, we started prepping for this move about six months ago. And we started with pictures, of which we had boxes and boxes. We sorted them by year and person and scanned them all into the computer. Ah-mazing!

I recommend this little scanner; it's so easy to use.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XDGY0S6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And we totally recommend Google Photos. We tried to use Amazon Photos, but the organizing in that thing was a total nightmare (and it took forever to open when you tried to access the pics). Google Photos has it down. Everything is well organized and easy to find. Plus, you can make collages, animations, and movies right from the program. It's really genius. And you can share the folders out with other people. When we went to Mt. St. Helen's with Deek's parents, I uploaded all the pics to Google Photo (simple to do with an app--just open the app when you're on wifi, and Google Photos takes care of the rest), made a folder, and shared the photos with them. Easy peasy.

Mt. St. Helen's

Here's an example of the animations it does.

Now, instead of carrying boxes and boxes of photos with us, we have them all safely stored in the cloud. It eliminates my answer to the hypothetical: what would you grab if there were a fire (assuming all people and pets get out safely). I always said my photos, but now I don't have to! WOOT!

Blast from the past-- Little Erin

Graduate Jay back in the day 

(I'm a poet...)

I will miss the Pacific Northwest. It has a lot of things going for it: the beautiful scenery, interesting people, mild temperatures, and no biting snakes. But I won't miss the cold beaches (they're pretty to look at but not very functional to enjoy) or the crazy traffic. 

I'm really ready to see my family and friends. I haven't seen them in a year, and that's the longest I've ever gone without seeing them in my whole life. In fact, before I moved, I don't think I ever went a month without seeing them! But I will definitely miss the wonderful friends and family we have here. So, it's a bittersweet journey we're on. 

Me and my soul sista!

Can't wait to get back to these ladies and all my other friends!

You up for another movie night?? 

But we'll miss our friends here.

And this amazing city!

And all the weird contained within

Deek is leaving everything he's ever known and heading to a totally new place. Aside from some moving around when he was too little to remember, he's mostly lived in this same area of the Pacific Northwest. But he'll be coming down South to be enveloped by my big ole loving family and my slew of amazing friends. He's definitely sad to leave, but he's also excited to experience something new! 

Goodbye lush, green, beautiful PNW

Hello the hospitable, fun-loving, gorgeous South

In truth, I would follow Deek to the ends of the earth, through the Mists of Avalon. Wherever he is, that's my home. HE'S my home. I'm ready to start this new adventure with the love of my life. No matter what, it will be fun because I'm holding hands with my best friend for the journey!

Word

Peace out, my friends! The next time you hear from me, I'll likely be blogging in another time zone, clear across the country. Until then, take care of yourselves and each other. Live out loud!