Part 1- 2012: What a Year!

2012 has been a year of self discovery.

January:

In December I had graduated from Ohio State. 2 days after I discovered I had not landed a job I thought was a sure thing. 2012 started with the feeling of indecision and uncertainty. With no clear path planned after graduation I was faced with the decision: If I could do anything in the world (with in limits)... what would I do? I have trouble deciding what to order at Panera... how on earth would I decide what I wanted to do?


On a surprise graduation trip with my Mom to Atlanta we hashed out many pro and con lists, and decided on my plan:

Go back to Australia and work as a Nanny. A chance to go travel and live back in Australia before I get tied down by anything or anyone. I'd have a pool house to stay in, weekly pay, car to drive, free food, and all I had to do was hang out with some kids. Good deal right?! For the most part it was, but I had no idea how much hard work nannying would be. I became a single parent Monday-Friday. I gained a true appreciation for my parents and all the time they dedicated to Billy and I. I did get to travel, meet awesome people, and experience wonderful things(http://strayaafresh.blogspot.com/). I had expected to go to Australia to escape responsibility and go back to a life of adrenaline and fun, but experienced a trip of personal growth with definite highs and lows. Overall I'm happy I did it! I got to care for 2 awesome kids I miss all of the time, experience living in a new city: Melbourne, traveled to Tasmania, spent my 23rd birthday in Perth with my partner in crime Emma, dipped my toes in the Indian Ocean, watched little penguins run out of the ocean, share Australia with 2 of my best friends from home (Lisa and Liz), caught up with old friends and made new friends, revisited Sydney, went scuba diving on the great barrier reef off of the Whitsunday Islands, and created so many other wonderful memories!

July:

I returned to the USA on July 6th, and stayed with Cory and Morgan for the weekend in Long Beach. Then made the final leg of the trip back to Ohio on July 9th. I spent a week at home catching up with family and friends before moving down to Columbus. My friends Stacy agreed to allow me to pay month to month in her 2 bdrm condo. As I kept my eye out for full time job, I was awaiting to get a professional internship doing corporate wellness going at Battelle, and worked back at Tratoria Roma (The Restaurant I worked at in college) to pay the bills. Living in a limbo, I slept on a mattress on the floor in case I needed to get up and move.

As I tried to be patient, and enjoy the summer of not working too much, I was itching for some security and certainty in my future. The Battelle internship fell through, and I was losing patience in the waiting game of job searching. I spent many days biking to cafe's to work on applications, resumes, and job searching.

August:

I watched a great friend, Morgan marry her best friend Cory. It was a beautiful celebration that lasted a whole week. We kicked it off with a bachelor/bachelorette party at Cedar Point and camping in Sandusky, followed by the shower, and hanging out at the lake house property the week leading up to the wedding. The wedding itself was a statement of natural beauty. Kind of like when you are at the beach...you just stop and take a deep breath and think "this is how it's supposed to be." They shared vows under a tree then we danced the night away! So simple, so lovely, and so fun!

Towards the end of August I decided to look back into an organization, HealthCorps, which I had heard about before going for Australia. The deadline to apply was in March, and I had dropped the ball to apply, but I thought I'd think about it for next year. When I visited the website they had re-opened applications for 6 new coordinators to start immediately in California. I learned that my old lap partner from OSU was now a coordinator in Sacramento. I called her to learn more about the job. She told me that during her training she had thought of me, how I would love the job, and how ironic it was that I was calling her now about it. I was hesitant about California, after just returning from Australia, but thought it wouldn't hurt to apply. I did and got an interview... in NYC. There was an option to do it over skype, but I didn't think I could communicate how much I wanted the job over video. My Mom thankfully took off work and drove with me spur of the moment out to NYC. At the end of the interview, I was told I would hear back in 2 weeks! Mom and I made the most of our day, having lunch in Greenwich Village, walking along the Hudson to Battery Park, touring the 9/11 Memorial, NYC pizza, and splitting a piece of cheesecake in Times Square.

On the way back to Ohio I received a call with an offer for another professional corporate wellness internship in Columbus. The job would start up in 3 weeks. I went from no options to 2 possibilities. Life was looking up :)

 TO BE CONTINUED!

Next up: The rest of 2012....

Yasha

In Hebrew, Yasha means salvation: "to be open, wide, or free." the opposite of tsarar, "to cramp". <-- Yasha-- is what I wish for my life and for yours!

Running

noun. Sports The exercise or sport of someone who runs <-- Yea, if you didn't know...I'm one of those crazy people who loves to run :)

adj. Ongoing over a period of time: a running conversation; a running joke among us. <-- The goal of my blog, to share my adventures and journey as a running conversation, joke, and story.

-- Please come run free with me!