3200+ Miles Later...

I'm here I'm here! Well, actually, I've been here (Arizona) for 3 weeks now. It's crazy to think that a month ago I was getting ready to leave for this amazing new adventure.

Work started 2 weeks ago and so far I've been in orientation and training. I won't be learning about my actual role until the end of September, until then I will be earning my Series 7 and 63 Licenses. So basically, I will be studying and panicking for the next month. But once I get through the exams I will start learning how to do my job!

But really, what everyone is curious about (or what I want to talk about ;) ) is how moving across country went. It's long, I just really liked my trip.

Just a short negative update, moving companies are awful and mine is a bit of a headache. They picked my stuff up 2 days late and I still haven't received on this end (that would be 30 days later). But the last day of pick-up dramatics my friend Amanda (the goddess that she is) waited 8 hours at my old apartment for them to arrive. Thanks to her amazing sacrifice Dad and I were able to start our drive one day late instead of 2! I'm so lucky in my friends, and Amanda is one amazing chica.

Amanda the lifesaver

The road trip was amazing. My dad flew into Boston to drive across country with me and it was one of the best trips I've ever taken. I'm so lucky Dad was willing to drive with me. Originally our trip was supposed to start with a drive to the Canada side of Niagara Falls, due to an unforeseen delay by the moving company we started out a day later than we planned, so we had to take Canada off of our trip list. The first day Dad and I drove from Boston to Buffalo to Chicago to Peru, Illinois where we stopped for the night. It was a long day driving about 17 hours but we drove through MA, NY, PA, OH, IN and IL what a start!

On our second day our goal was to get to Rapid City, South Dakota and we did it! It was a beautiful drive, and in SD we actually got to drive on an interstate with a speed limit of 80! I didn't even know those existed! We also got to drive through IL, IA, NE (because we took a detour to do so), and SD. Side note, as I'm sure most of you know I'm very focused on how many states I have been to, before this road trip I had 8 states I needed to visit, on this day I saw 3 of them (IA, NE, and SD).. When we started driving into Rapid City Dad and I realized something else, we were driving into the Monday of Sturgis Bike Week. It was insane! I've never seen so many Harleys in my life.

NE, we were supposed to be able to see the Mississippi River

 but the trees had grown too much

Speed limit sign in SD, because I wanted photographic evidence

On our third day Dad and I started out by going to Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse both beautiful sights in a beautiful place. Then we took back roads from Crazy Horse to Cheyenne, it was crazy we barely saw anyone and it was just plains as far as you could see, as we got closer to Cheyenne we started to see the Rocky Mountains in the distance, which of course was gorgeous. We drove through Denver and made it to a small town in the Rockies for the night, it was called Dillon. So all in all we drove through a little of SD, WY, and CO and I am officially down to 4 states I need to visit!!! ID, MT, ND, and HI, I think making it a goal to see all of them by the time I'm 30 is completely doable!

Mount Rushmore!

I think this is where a selfie stick comes in handy?

Crazy Horse memorial

Reservoir in Dillon, CO

One more picture of the Rockies!

The night of day 3 Dad and I realized a miscalculation. It was Tuesday and we had until Friday to get to Phoenix...and somehow we were both thinking that we would do the rest of the drive in a day and a half and that would mean Friday. And knowing how hot it was going to be we weren't in a hurry to make that last 2 hours of the drive to get into the Valley, so we didn't want to come early...all of which meant we puttered around in Colorado on the 4th day and spent the night in Durango after driving back roads and visiting Vail for a short stroll.

Vail at the foot of one of the runs

 On day 4 we drove down to Flagstaff and went to Mission Impossible nothing extremely exciting but it was a fun day. And finally on day 5 we got up and headed into the Valley. And we land ourselves here, 3 weeks later training and residing in the Valley of the Sun. I'm living with friends from college and taking my time finding an apartment. I'm hoping to either be in Tempe or near work in Scottsdale, I guess we will see what I find. All I know for sure is that this is a grand adventure and I'm so glad I'm back West!

Laters with love,

Chloe

Here, There, and Everywhere

Hey all!

Soooo, remember that funny joke I told? You might remember...it was over a year ago (bashful look to the side) when I said I was excited to settle down in Boston and I would post more blog entries.

HA!

But in all reality I didn't mean it as a joke. As it turns out blogging just got lost in the jumble that has been the last year of my life. I started working at State Street, learned a lot about the financial services industry and even more about myself. Learned what it means to literally have no plans for an entire weekend and also learned that making friends after college is hard but we can all do it!

I wrote this blog entry for a reason, I sense a trend, I have some news! I will be moving away from Boston at the end of July! Just one week away! I know, I can hardly believe it. But I have accepted a job offer to work at Vanguard, another financial services company, in Scottsdale, AZ. WAIT. I know some of you are looking at that confused, could it be real? That's right my wonderful friends and family, I am moving BACK to a place I have lived before. I KNOW! I must be crazy. I'm really thankful for all the things I have learned while working at State Street and I'm excited to bring that knowledge to this great new opportunity. I figured since I haven't posted in so long I'd give you some highlights of the last year.

Well, it must be mentioned, it is what spurred me to look for work in other places, Snow. Such a small word, and I really thought I knew what it meant, I flaunt that mountain girl title like I was born to it. But I forgot two important words that go before it here in Boston, NEW ENGLAND snow. Completely different animal. It doesn't snow at night or in the morning and then the sun melts it off the roads, no, it falls, and falls, and falls. And then once it has fallen, it falls some more and then if you're lucky it will stop. But then the worst part happens. It doesn't melt, at all. How can that be? It makes no sense? But it is fact, You can go a week maybe even two with no snow, but does that actually matter? Not really, because you car is still buried under 5 feet of snow (and no I'm not using hyperbole).

That would be my car...under all that snow

First day, of first storm, pretty calm...until we hit 2 feet.

In all reality, I have been informed that winters are not all buried in snow and limiting of your ability to walk to work. But Boston managed to have one of the worst, if not the worst, winters on record. And I just picked the perfect time to live here. Surviving this winter and the snow getting dumped on us on a weekly basis may be the biggest adventure I have had in living on my own. But I did survive, with better snow skills (and bigger blankets) than I thought I would obtain.

I have also managed to at least stop and wander around in every New England state. That was one of my main goals in moving here, seeing a part of the country I haven't really seen before. Vermont and Maine are my favorites, they are so beautiful and relaxing, a wonderful getaway from the city. I went to a Darius Rucker concert in New Hampshire, explored a little of Newport and Providence, Rhode Island, and drove through Connecticut. And between these little adventures I explored a little of Boston, I was able to learn more about the city and show what I knew to a few friends and family that were able to come visit me!

Alaina and I went to Portland, ME! (May 2015)

VT snowmobiling (Februart 2015)

Mom and Dad came to visit before Christmas (December 2015)

VT February 2015 

VT Camp July 2015

New Years Eve in Boston!

Water Fires Providence, RI

I was also able to make some great trips around the country including everywhere from Seattle to New Orleans to Atlanta and Asheville (I have to see the nephew!) and a few places in-between. Not a lot has changed, I'm still wandering around trying to find my place and I'm still utterly hilarious (at least to me :D) but I did learn some interesting things.

I had to show at least one, the nephew and I at Thanksgiving!

1. Change, no matter how big or how small, is something you have to embrace or it can crush you.

2. It doesn't matter if you understand why you are learning something, learn it, and along the way it will start to make some sense.

3. Family, no matter how far away they are, will always be there for you.

4. It's not the money you make, or the things you have, it's how you use what you DO have that matters, make decisions based on yourself and not those around you.

5. No matter how desperate you feel or how scared you are, if you force a smile it will at some point become genuine.

6. Laugh at yourself and laugh alone.

On that note, have a happy day! And don't forget to laugh!

Love ya!
Chlo

Boston home of...SPORTS.

Hello my lovely family and friends,

I know many of you are curious what has been happening with me, it has been almost 2 months and I've been pretty silent. Well, there was some reason for that.

In May there just wasn't much to write. I moved in with my friend Michelle and enjoyed some Florida weather, I went to the beach a couple times and I tried not to freak out as I looked for full-time and part-time work.

I did get to see some great people during the month (thanks to my birthday and Michelle's being a great excuse for a trip!) our friends Alaina and Julia came to visit the weekend of my birthday and the following Monday Alaina and Michelle took me to Universal for the first time! I totally geeked out and loved it! I got a Transformers tank top and a Jurassic Park key chain but I loved everything! Well...except I made them go on a ride Michelle said was lame, claiming that I liked the idea but....it was lame. Very lame.

Then Katie came to visit for Michelle's birthday, it ended up being a great week of birthday celebrations and was a great way to have an unemployed birthday. I did find a part-time job working for Marshalls as a cashier, I worked for 4 days. But I had to leave because.....I got a job in Boston!!!!

That is right I am now working in the Bank Loan department of State Street Corporation. It isn't a boring as it sounds, the company is really cool and a mainstay in finance (you should google it...) and I have a job! Needless to say I had to leave Florida kind of quickly, I got to stop off in Georgia, I stopped at the family reunion and got to spend time with the most important person there, my new nephew :) he's so cute.

I had a couple weeks of extreme confusion, during my slow move from Florida to Boston I was getting contacted from another company that was extremely interested in hiring me. And for those of you who know me well I don't do well with personal decisions on a timer. I was stressed and confused, it was in VA so I would be close to my parents and closer to Kate, Ron and the baby but...it wasn't right. I love State Street and I love the opportunities I will have here in the future.

I'm sorry I haven't kept you guys updated but I wanted to have some definite news before I told you all something and then changed my mind, like, I don't know, leaving for Africa and coming back a week later. I've been there and done that and learned my lesson, no sharing until I know what I'm doing.

I do have one more thing. Apparently I do not love sports, professional sports to be specific, enough to live in Boston. If someone feels like it, it would be much appreciated if I could be guided to a book, article, website that kinda dumbs down Boston sports for me? I am at a loss...and definitely need some knowledge.

Well, that is all the news I have for the moment, I plan on posting a little more regularly now that I'm in one place but we will see. I love you all for your support while I haven't thanked you all personally I cannot express what it has meant to me to have so many people in my corner hoping for my life to work out. I hope in the future I can help someone out as much as you all have helped me, it is definitely owed.

Love you!
Chloe

Laugh a little

I have had a small life epiphany. Now, I am sorry to say but nothing exciting has happened to me, I don't have a job part-time or full-time and I'm still searching for both in lovely Florida. But at this moment I am extremely happy.

There are a lot of things we all assume are necessary to be happy. A loving family, a job we love, a person to share our lives with, and many other small things. But really, isn't happiness all about the journey to find those things? Really happiness is a decision we all make every day. And I am deciding to be happy.

And the sign that I can make that decision is, in my eyes, being able to laugh with no one around. When you're laughing because it's funny and not because you're around other people, well, then at that moment you must be happy. And I have spent all day alone and laughing and have to say its been a great day.

Just thought I would share my new goal with all of you, and if you need something to make you laugh here's a video that is...HILARIOUS.

Hopefully soon I'll be posting about a new job or something but until then, don't forget to laugh!

Best,
Chloe

It is all OK

Hello World!

Well, I know many people thought this blog would, in all reality, end when I came home from the Peace Corps. Sorry friends, I seem to think I'm more interesting than that. Now don't worry, I don't actually expect a lot of people to keep reading but I think this is important. Because I think a lot of people my age, even ones with jobs, and apartments and all that other awesome stuff I want to deal with are still wondering what life means and feel like we are supposed to have the answers to the rest of our lives. And the truth is, we don't, and we never will. But you know what, IT IS OK.

I started reading a new book yesterday, courtesy of my parents and their helpful friends at church who have had kids who had to reevaluate their plans. It is titled I Just Graduated...Now What? and it is by Katherine Schwarzenegger the daughter of Maria Shriver. I know, I know, the title kinda gives the point of the book away. But I've only read the introduction so far and it has already changed my outlook. The most important part is, I am not alone, most people my age question their plans, their life, and their futures even when it seems like they are the ones who have it completely together. And honestly, for the first time since I started caring what other people were doing I'm really happy I'm not different, I'm actually the norm.

I came home from Madagascar, for my own reasons, thinking I would start applying to jobs and POOF I'd get a job in about two months. Well, it's been almost three months and I've only had a couple phone interviews and a lot of rejections and that two months is just not going to happen. I know that I was thinking this would be too easy, but I don't think I realized how defeating being unemployed can feel. Some days you want to apply to any job you can get your hands on (that can lead you to bad decisions like taking phone interviews for a call center even though you know it is absolutely the wrong job for you) and some days, getting up and doing anything seems pointless. And while I am in this limbo, I slowly watch my savings disappear. Not the most fun experience ever.

So I had to make some decisions.
1. I can't expect to just get a job and be financially secure.
2. It is time to get a part time job and stop hurting my savings.
3. Living with my parents is nice but I'm using it as a crutch so I need to go elsewhere.

So because of these decisions I am leaving Alexandria to stay with a friend in Orlando, FL (in her spare room) and get a part time job while I continue to job search. I know that it is not what I expected and no one who knows me thought I would be here, they all thought I would be in Africa right now. But I am figuring out my life, and doing in a way that will make me feel so proud of myself and secure in my independence when the right job finally comes along.

 I am going to keep updating this blog. I hope you all enjoy it!

Best,
Chloe

It's always my choice

Life is never as simple as you can make it out to be in your head. That is the lesson I've learned in the past week or so. You can make decisions and even if they are the right decisions they don't make things afterward easy and simple. I think as we grow up it always seems like if you make the right decisions then everything will work out and it will work out quickly but life isn't a Boy Meets World episode.

I have come to the conclusion that I was absolutely correct in deciding to come back to the US, find a job, and start my career on the same continent as my family and friends. But man, finding a job is hard. I have three different resumes, two cover letters that I change for each job, and a job speadsheet that makes me wonder how long this is going to take me. I mean, I didn't think I would find a job in a week, I'm not an idiot (although that would have been very nice). But I'm starting to wonder how long it will be before I DO find a job. And how long before this gap between graduation and my first job will actually negatively effect my job search.

I've applied to 13 jobs and gotten 1 rejection and have 5 more jobs that I'm waiting for advice before I apply. And that is just the start, I probably won't be lucky until I am far past 50 job applications, probably close to or even over 100. And the hope is that by May (wince) I will have a job and know when and where I am moving. It feels so good to have plans and know that my plans should end up working but I have started to realize something else. The job market kind of sucks.

Its not that there aren't jobs, there are. In fact, there are a TON of jobs that would be great second or third jobs but not a lot of people want new graduates and there are enough unemployed people that they can be picky. But how do you get the experience required when people don't want to hire you without experience?

I have to say, that I am nervous and hoping that it will all turn out right, because I am where I need to be. Worst case, I have to reevaluate and figure out a new plan. And I know how to do that now, how to look at my path and figure out how to make a new one. And that's the best part really, I am DETERMINED to make it work and when you have that as a focus, and know you want it to work that's a large part of the battle.

But if any of you know of an entry level job for a recent college graduate with a degree in Management, a concentration in International Business, and a minor in Anthropology. Please, let me know.

I found a few more quotes this week, I am using them to motivate myself.

"Even if you fall on your face, you are still moving forward."~Victor Kiam
"Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice." ~Wayne Dyer
"Change your thoughts and you change your world." ~Norman Vincent Peale

Love you all,
Chloe

New Adventures

Hello my lovely family and friends.

Big news, I am writing this from my parents' home in Alexandria. I know, SHOCKING and honestly not what anyone was expecting. I did go to Madagascar, and I did spend time with my host family and then I realized something. I am not ready for this.

Please do not mistake me. I was physically even more prepared than I thought. I could eat the food, take the bucket baths and deal with all of the requirements for healthy living. It was surprisingly easy in most cases, to the point where two years of doing those things wasn't something I was even worried about anymore.

What I was not ready for was the emotional requirements to going to Madagascar for two years. I have a lot of reasons why I came home and for me they are the right reasons. But most of all it just wasn't the right decision for me to stay in Madagascar.

I have a few other comments to add. First of all, the Peace Corps is a wonderful organization that really gives you great opportunities and if you realize it is not for you they also support you through your process of leaving and returning home. And I hope, in the future, I can help other people make the decision to join the Peace Corps and make a huge difference. Second, I am so excited to start my life here at home so I look forward to trying to see some of you in the near future.

Finally, I really would rather not talk about it more than I have to, it was a difficult and personal decision. But if you need to talk to me about my decision to leave Madagascar please feel free to let me know.

I think, at least for a while, I am going to try and still update my blog. I know some of you will be extremely curious as to what happens with my life now. But as of today I am searching for a job and figuring it out for myself.

My mom sent me a quote recently:

"As one goes through life, one learns that if you don't paddle your own canoe, you don't move." ~ Katharine Hepburn

Well, today I'm taking some of my first paddle strokes because it really is time to get my canoe moving.


Love,
Chloe