Getting back to work

These past 2 weeks have probably been the best 2 weeks! A large part was due to the fact that I was working full time which kept myself busy and out of the house. I was nannied for that time for a family with 2 little boys, T and P. Nannying is something I definitely underestimated. It's more than just babysitting, but literally taking the care of kids for the entire time I'm there whether it be to school or on outings. I've loved the time I had getting to know the kids and experienced quite a lot. There was one day when I was called to P's pre-k school to change his diaper. No big deal right? Right... I took him to the restroom to change his diaper and ended up clogging up the toilet and flooding the bathroom. After changing his diaper and rushing out of there flustered, I threw the diaper away in the trash can outside. When I came to pick P up later I realized the trash can I threw the dirty diaper in was actually a recycle bin. Let's just say it was a day of laughing to myself and wondering if I was capable of nannying. It has given me a sense of what it'd be like to be a mom. Overwhelming, frustrating, and extremely satisfying.
T is the 4 year old and is so adorable! He tells me he loves me a lot and we have a good relationship. I don't see him often, but when I do we have a lot of fun.
P is the 3 year old and one I have a harder time with. He is definitely a lot more attached to his mom and some mornings are quite traumatic for him to see me. I've learned how to better handle those mornings and it has taught me a lot of patience.
The thing I love about both of these boys is they LOVE to read! We spend quite a bit of time reading different books and I love it! These boys are so smart!
This past week I had a second job offer that I decided to take. It's being a personal assistant and it adds some variety into my days. I was worried about taking on 2 jobs, but I found out the mom of P and T is wanting to spend more time with the boys. That means I'll be working 3-4 days a week for 8 hours. That leaves me 1-2 days to be able to devote to the personal assistant. The p.a. job is flexible and is part-time for now. The woman I work for is getting a non-profit organization off the ground and if it starts running she wants me to come on most likely full time as the project manager/coordinator. I especially like this part because this is something that's right up my alley of what I'd love to do. It's still in the works so we'll see how it pans out. At this point I'm so happy and relieved to be able to have jobs!
Fred is getting ready for finals this week and we're both so excited to have them done! He just has 1 actual test and the last 3 are papers. I know he is ready and needs a break from school and his internship. Fred has been working really hard in all he does and is doing an amazing job! We're also really excited that he'll be done in May with his Master's program and will be able to work. Most likely we're going to stick around here for now, but it will all depend on the licensing and what not. Eventually we're going to make it back to the west coast.
We're extremely excited this week because Friday morning we fly back to Utah for Christmas break! I think after this semester we both need the break to come home to family and enjoy the time there. We're also excited about being able to spend more time with family.
Well that about does it for us. We hope everyone has a great holiday! Love you all!

Thanksgiving

We survived our first Thanksgiving! It was quite an experience since we volunteered our turkey for the ward Thanksgiving dinner. We woke up on the morning of and put our turkey in the microwave to defrost. It took about an hour and then we attempted to season our turkey with most of the inside still being frozen. Fred is not a fan of touching dead raw animals so I shoved my hands inside of the turkey and grabbed out the useless things we were supposed too. We finally got the turkey in at about 9:15. It was only supposed to take 3-3.5 hours to cook so we figured we had plenty of time. As the turkey was cooking we decided to walk down the street (literally!) to watch some of the Macy's Day Parade. It was actually really cool to be able to see some of the huge floats that were there. We weren't there long before we headed back to check on the turkey and finish making the stuffing. We pulled out the turkey a little before noon to check it out and it didn't look good in the fact that it was still really pink in most areas. Not good. We put the turkey back in to cook and started making the stuffing. We made 6 boxes worth and cooked it in the biggest pot we had. Unfortunately when we added the stuffing it proved to be almost not big enough. We were so nervous it wasn't going to fit, but luckily we were able to keep everything in there. 12:30 rolled around and the turkey should have been done. It wasn't which made me so nervous. Fred went ahead and took the stuffing to the church while I stayed at home fretting about the turkey. At one point I took the turkey out and accidentally burnt myself on the pan and spilled some of the juices on the door. I ran my finger under what I thought was cold water, but was actually hot water. Needless to say I was muttering nonsense under my breath. Fred came back home to help me take the turkey up to the church and sadly it still wasn't done! When we got up to the church we let the turkey cook for another hour. While we were there we enjoyed the food and company that was present. For our first Thanksgiving away from home, it was really nice! As we were ready to go we realized the turkey was finally done! So we now have a full turkey carved up and in our fridge for later eating. I did taste some of it before putting it away and I have to say, for our first turkey we did quite well!
Not much else has been going on. I am starting my nannying next week and am so excited! It'll be nice to earn some money and get out of the house and keep busy! I am really really hoping this turns into a permanent position for the new year! We have less than 3 weeks before we're home for the Christmas and we're both so excited! We'll be back on New Years Eve day and walk over to Times Square to bring in the New Year! It's so nice to live where we are and being able to be so close that we can head over whenever we want and not have to fight the crowds so much to get home.
Well that's it from our end. We hope that the holidays find everyone happy and well!

What happens in NYC is too juicy to stay in NYC

I keep thinking that I can do a blog each week and it seems like for one reason or another, I seem to go about 2-3 weeks. The good thing about that is that when I update I have a lot to talk about! The downfall is sometimes I forget things....
This past 2 weeks have been eventful. About a week ago we had a few friends come into town and stay with us. A few of them stayed for only 1 night, but our friend Whitney stayed with us for a week. It was crazy fun! I'm not sure if it was Whitney being here or the fact that I went out and explored the city in more depth. Either way it was a week of interesting stories!
One day Whitney and I went out to start exploring when we ran across "Mustafa". He put a cd in my hand and got me to stop and talk to him. Though that's not difficult to do it proved to be funny. He started talking to Whitney who was 10 feet away from us, trying to get her to come back. Apparently he was worried she was staying far away because he smelled badly and assured her he showered that morning and used Zest. She came over and we talked to him when he said "You two make such a cute couple, let's see you hold hands." We looked at each other and realized what he was talking about. Whitney responded quickly assuring him that we weren't dating and I assured him I was happily married to my husband. It was really funny! After we left Mustafa we went up to Harlem to meet Fred. It was a good story to relate to him.
The next day we went down to Battery Park to check out the deal with the Statue of Liberty and if it was possible to go up to the crown. After we realized they were sold out for the day we went to the WTC site and walked around the Financial District. We stopped by Tiffany & Co. and looked at their jewelery. I almost passed out at some of the prices! We found things that were way over $100,000. We saw the Bull from Hitch and then tasted the food from a local vendor. Delicious! We also went to the Rockefeller Center later that night. The next outing day we went to Chinatown and Coney Island. We were able to see a Buddha Temple and go inside which was really cool. After we left the temple we were standing on a street corner when we saw a taxi coming towards us. It went right across the street and came up on the sidewalk we were standing on. We looked at the driver and passenger trying to figure out what was happening when we realized they were cops. As they passed us Whitney said "Tricky!" and the cops smiled at us and one told us they were undercover. As we were walking around Chinatown we were able to see one of the locals cleaning out his teeth. Or should I more accurately say dentures. It was a good thing we hadn't had lunch or I may have lost all of it when I saw that. After we were done we jumped back on the subway and headed down to Coney Island. There I went crazy finding seashells and watching the ocean. After we were done there I got some cotton candy (it seemed fitting!) and then we headed back to the city.
Thursday Whitney got on the train and headed back home. It was weird to not have a guest at our house last night! After our outing to Coney Island, Fred and I decided that on Saturday we're going to head down there. I'm so excited!!
Good news on the job front, the family I babysat for want me to temporarily fill in for their nanny for a week and need me a few extra days! This is so exciting and gives us hope that they'll offer me the position once their current nanny leaves. I really hope so!
Well I think that is about it for me. I could be updating again soon in case I forgot something so we'll see!!

Halloween and more!

SO I have a bit of catching up to do! I hope I can remember everything that I want to say so we'll see how it goes! The week of Halloween was one of fun and gaining wisdom! A week and a half ago I decided that I was going to go and do our grocery shopping. I had picked the rainiest day of the week to go and that proved to make my first trip of grocery shopping alone a lot more interesting. I walked to the store without an umbrella and was soaked by the time I got there. First mistake. I honestly thought it would let up or not be that bad! The rain here is a constant drizzle that will get you soaked in no time. I knew that, but still thought that I'd be just fine. I had my little cart to carry all the groceries back with me, but for the life of me, couldn't figure out how to get it on the front of the shopping cart correctly so I walked around the store with the smaller cart hanging off sideways. I ran into more people and objects than I care to admit! When I finally got done I checked out and realized that the amount of groceries that I had was more than my cart could handle. A big "Uh oh" crossed my mind and apparently my face. The kind cashier helped me to tie the extra onto the cart so I didn't have to carry anything. Realizing the rain wasn't letting up I felt my best choice was to go and catch the subway that was just a few blocks away and had an elevator. I booked it as fast as I could go in wet clothes and a full overflowing basket and made it to the subway station. If there has been anytime that I have had "Hey everyone! Look at me! I'm new and have no idea what I'm doing!" this was definitely it. People stared at me on the subway and when I got off at the Port Authority it proved to be quite a lesson. The place is big enough that getting turned around in that place takes almost no effort and I was looking for a way to get out which meant I was walking back and forth in the same place. Thankfully a very kind man took it upon himself to help me out. As I left the Port Authority after the man graciously led me out I have never felt so thankful for a stranger helping another complete stranger out. He laughed and made the comment he has never seen anyone pushing a cart around in there with groceries. I laughed and replied with "Is it obvious I am new to the city?"
Last Friday our ward did a Fall Fest which consisted of a variety of food and us being able to decorate a door and have little trick or treaters come by. We weren't really sure how everything worked so we decided to come with our own supplies and idea. Well Fred had the idea I just nodded in agreement. The outcome is the picture above. We felt pretty cool when everyone kept raving about how cool it was. Needless to say a lot more people know who we are now! After the Fall Fest we left with some friends to go downtown and catch the Halloween parade. We waited around for about 30-45 minutes and as the parade was going it started raining.... Again.. Of course Fred and I had changed out of warm clothes to something less warm because it seemed too warm earlier. Thanks psycho weather! Anyway we were soaked by the end, but we loved it! At the end of our blog is a video I took at the parade of a group doing the dance to Thriller. I couldn't resist!!
Now on to this week.... I had the chance to meet with a girl to talk about possibly taking over for her as a nanny! I know, I know.. I swore I'd never do that, but after striking out so many times I need something! After talking to her about the family and how she too didn't want to nanny, but now loves it, I got so excited! On Saturday I met the family and got to babysit the two cute boys! It proved to be crazier than I thought it would be, but I loved it! The family is so amazing and nice. The boys are too cute and love reading. They responded really well to me which helps out so much! It felt good to be working and doing something plus making some money! I talked with the mom more about the position and what I was looking for and things look very promising. The job wouldn't start until January, but that would be perfect for us! We are now able to go home for Christmas and really want too! If I were to get a job that started beforehand, we wouldn't be able to go. I am hoping and praying so much that this position works out!
That's about it from our side. Nothing too exciting planned in the next week, but maybe that'll change!

Rubbing shoulders with the stars.......

I have learned while being here in the city that you can see stars in the oddest of places. Fred saw Jeff Goldblum on his way to the priesthood session outside of the broadway show theater just a few buildings down from us. One night as we were walking around town Fred swore he saw some guy from the Godfather movie, but couldn't remember his name. Then last night as we were walking back from Central Park we turned the corner on our street when I noticed a man walking beside me. It was Peter Gallagher! He played the unconscious brother in "While You Were Sleeping" who Sondra Bullock was in love with. I tried not to stare and quickly made eye contact with Fred while giving him the look of "Holy crap you need to see who is next to me". We wanted to say something so badly! We have decided that next time we see a star, we will just play it cool and say "Hey (insert first name of star), how's it going?" It'll be interesting to see if it actually happens!
Things have been going well for the both of us besides just rubbing shoulders with the stars. Fred just finished most of his midterms this week, but has one more paper to go before he is completely finished. Thankfully his last paper is supposed to be quite easy.
I had 2 interviews this past week, both of which made me hopeful. I am hoping for something to come around soon! Even if it's just the notification that I am hired for a job, but won't start immediately. The end would finally be in sight!Until then I will just keep looking!
Though we didn't have much time to do things during the week, we were able to spend our Saturday doing fun things! We helped clean the church in the morning and later in the afternoon we went to Central Park to see the Pumpkin Festival. It was mainly for little kids, but we enjoyed walking around and getting drenched by the rain. We didn't think we would need the umbrellas, but as soon as we got there it rained cats and dogs! Once we got home we were soaked to the bone and took showers to warm up and clean off.
We had out friends, the Ricks, come over last night and we watched the BYU football game. Well the guys mainly watched while Erica and I talked. It was a lot of fun! Except for BYU losing horribly....
Not much going on this upcoming week except for Halloween. We have our ward party followed by the possibility of going downtown to see a parade. Sounds like fun! We are thinking about dressing up as Jacob Black and Bella. It's the first time since I was a kid that I actually tried thinking about dressing up for this holiday!I'm actually excited for it.
Well that's about it from us. Hope all are doing well and Happy Halloween!

Fall is here!

There is something exciting about fall in New York. For me, the smell changes along with the general look of the city. I know it sounds odd, but just the way the sun shines off the buildings it seems to reflect differently than it did before. It's such a great feeling!!
We got back from Utah about a week ago and we absolutely loved it there! We got to be there for Chance's and Sessely's wedding which was so wonderful! That night at the reception they had ice cream machines with lots of different toppings, sprinkles being one of them. Needless to say I was one of the first to grab a cup, fill it up with some ice cream, and then dump on the sprinkles. I'm pretty sure that was the best reception ever! While we were there we were able to see all of our family which was so great! One of the things we discovered is that when we make another trip back there someday we are going to have plan out our time more wisely. We were constantly going from one place to the next and not getting home until way past our bedtimes. Despite the craziness and the exhaustion that ensued once we returned home, we loved seeing our families. Something we have missed terribly while we have been out here.
It has taken time for me to get adjusted to things since we have been back. Fred is doing well in his schooling and his internship. Right now he is working on midterm papers that are due this week and finding trouble with keeping motivated with school. We both look forward to Christmas break when we can play and not have school to worry about. Hopefully we just have a job for me that prevents us from spending too much time playing. Fred is loving his internship and all those he works with. He comes home with such funny stories from the day that it makes me look forward even more to his homecoming!
Job interviews are starting to happen more frequently for me which helps to lift my hopes about finding a job here. I have interviewed at a few places, but had a promising interview today with a prominent cancer institute. The interview process took about 2 hours which consisted of me filling out an application, waiting, taking tests, waiting, and then being interviewed. This is a job I want so much with how much they focus on patient care and the opportunity it gives me to expose myself to different areas that may sway my choice of what I go back to school for. They offer great benefits and even a tuition reimbursement program!! Once I saw they had the tuition reimbursement I was pretty much sold! I was told they would contact me soon for whether or not I qualified for the 2nd round of interviews. I hope to hear soon so I can rejoice or go back to looking for more jobs. Keep your fingers crossed that I make it to the second rounds!!
As of yet, we have no big plans for Halloween. Our ward is doing something festive so I know we will be going to that. We aren't quite sure how trick or treat works around here, especially in our apartment building. It will be interesting to see what happens and if we actually get any trick or treaters!! I figure if all else fails I go around trick or treating. Yay for a season of candy!
While being out here and paying more money for groceries, I have come to a great appreciation for Wal-Mart. I never thought I would get so excited over getting so many groceries for so little! We don't have a Wal-Mart here in the city so we hop on a bus and travel across the way to NJ to do our shopping out there. It's about a 2o minute bus ride which is nice, but you pay $6.30 each person round trip so needless to say we don't make the trip very often. However when we do it's something I get so excited about that I tend to talk about it for the next few days. Ok maybe not that long, but longer than most normal people probably would.
Good news! We, meaning Fred, finally did a video walkthrough of our apartment! Sadly enough it's still on his camera yet to be put up on the blog. It should be done soon hopefully so those who would love to see our place can feel like we, again meaning Fred, are giving them a personalized tour! I featured briefly and am more worried about making it to the airport that I just wave him on while hiding my face. Lovely!
Well that is about it from our side of the country. Hope all are doing well!

Things I have learned....

I have learned a lot of things while living in the city. 1) This is a fast paced city where if you have to keep up or get out of the way. We have gotten better with being able to keep up a fairly good pace, however we live in a tourist filled area where most people aren't used to walking fast and enjoy stopping every so often to look around. Needless to say there have been instances of running into people and more close calls. I like to think that by the time we leave here I will be an expert in dodging people.
2) Dodging cars isn't a game here. Just because you are a ped and have the signal to walk across the street, it doesn't mean the car is going to slow down and stop for you. If they don't try to hurry and turn without hitting you they will get close to make sure you are aware they are waiting for you and in dire need of getting to their destination fast. One day I was walking home from the post office and as I walked across the street I had 2 cars that turned and narrowly missed me. This leads me to 3.
3) You have to be brave here. I was a law abiding citizen who got so mad with those who crossed the street when it wasn't their turn and so on. It's a norm here to walk across the street when you don't have the right away. You have to be prepared to face cars turning onto your street and coming close to you. I have gotten used to this quite quickly and don't seem to notice them as much anymore.
4) Despite where you go, food is expensive. Fred and I have tried to be good when we go grocery shopping and getting as much of the generic stuff as we can since it does help to save money. A gallon of milk here cost us $3.99 if I remember our last trip correctly. It's a price to pay to live in the city.
5) Coming across areas that have been used in movies or t.v. shows is one thing I don't think will ever get old for me. I hope to run across a filming of Law and Order: SVU. I have become so addicted to that show it is ridiculous. I seen the house from "I Am Legend" which was cool. There are others, but they have fled my memory.
6) Subways are still fun to ride.
7) I will never look or act like a New Yorker. I met some of Fred's co-workers this week and the consistent reaction I heard from them was "Oh how cute!". I don't think I have been called cute so many times in such a short amount of time. When I tried explaining I could be tough they said the smile on my face pretty much was my downfall. You can't be nice here. I told them that sometimes when tourists walk in front of me and are slow or stop without warning I want to push them. They laughed at said it was cute that I thought about that. Apparently here, they don't think about it. If someone is in their way they really don't make an effort to dodge.
And that is just part of what I have learned while living in NYC.

Time flies by so quickly

As this week approaches there are a few things that have been on my mind. First is that Monday marks 1 month of being married. Readers beware, this is going to get sappy. As I think about the short amount of time that we have been married I look at how much my love for Fred has grown and how much better and happier my life is because he is in it. Every weekend we try to do a date of some sort whether it's going to the movies or going out and exploring the city. Last night we went and saw "Love Happens". Amazing movie! I think that is definitely in my top 5 favorite movies of all time! Anyways back to my point. After we got done with the movie we walked back home and stopped for ice cream along the way. When we got home we sat down and watched the Office season premiere together and laughed/felt awkward together throughout the entire thing. It was one of the best times I have ever had. There are times when I am traveling on the subway or when we are together that I think to myself "How did I get so lucky??" Being with him I can't ask for anything better in life. He encourages me to do better and when I get discouraged or down, he is there to understand and help. He is my better half and I love him more and more everyday.
Okay on to the second thing! NYC is really starting to feel like home which is so nice! We have been here for almost a month and I have loved this city the more I am here! When we first moved here I felt like we had this huge label on our foreheads that read, "Hey we're new! Come take advantage of us!" or something resembling that. Now I stick my earphones in and walk to my destination and feel like I blend in with the rest of the city. I am starting to become familiar with various routes between the subway,buses, and just walking. It feels good to start knowing where I am going exactly. One of the best things that I have started getting the hang of is shopping here. It's tough to find a place that is somewhat inexpensive and not having to take a 15 minute bus ride to get there. We have found a market that is about 20 blocks or so away from our apartment which is so nice! Here the big thing is to have a cart that can pretty much carry what you want, but is mainly used for groceries. Last weekend we finally found one and bought it. I was so excited to finally have one that I felt like it was a new member of our family. It's so exciting to be able to fit all your groceries in something that doesn't require you to carry it on your arms or your back. Yesterday I found a place that sells produce and spent $7 for 2 lbs of grapes, 4 kiwis, 4 peaches, and a head of lettuce. Needless to say I was beyond excited for this new discovery!! Finding the little places that can save you any sort of money is exciting to me at this point.
The job search is going better. I had 2 interviews this last week which was a huge boost and motivation for me. The first interview I had was with a in-home nurse/CNA staffing agency. The people were so nice and it seemed like such a great place to work! They have people who speak Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and a few other languages that work there because there are so many people who are from other countries. I knew I lived in a diverse place, but there are times when I realize how little I know about how diverse it really is. The second interview I had was with a huge law firm. It seemed to go fairly well, but I was so nervous and intimidated before I went in. Thankfully the agency that set me up with this interview had me come in beforehand and had me go through a few examples with them. I figure since I didn't pass out or start sweating uncontrollably I did fairly well! I have to say it's quite the change for me to be going to interviews in a business suit. I am sticking with the skirts since I feel less awkward in them, but it's still something that is going to take some time for adjustment. It seems like such official and big city dress!
Fred starts his internship this week. I am so excited for him and I am pretty sure he is excited as well! He'll start getting into working with kids at a local high school that have slipping grades or change in behavior that isn't so good. It seems like such a great opportunity and we feel like this is the better choice than with the previous internship. Though he won't get paid, he will have normal hours during the day and be able to get his required hours. I feel it's worth it especially to be able to have him home in the evenings and on the weekends.
One of the cool things we have been able to do was being able to spend 9/11 here in the city. Fred and I went down to the area where they were having the ceremony for those who perished. It seemed a fitting day since it was raining and cold with a strong enough wind. We never were able to get too close, but the feeling there was so solemn and respectful it amazed me. It caused me to reflect on what I had been blessed with and my heart went out to those who had lost a loved one. It was quite a sobering moment to realize the tragedy that took place here and all those who were affected and still are. It made me wonder where all the unity went that was so prevalent after the attacks. What a tragic historic moment it was and how too quickly it was all forgotten. People remember the event, but don't seem to remember the unity and the compassion that was felt everywhere after the event took place. It made me sad to think that we forget things like that all too quickly because we allow ourselves to get absorbed back into ourselves and what we are doing. One day I hope to see that sort of attitude and behavior everywhere with everyone. Not simply because something tragic took place to evoke those emotions, but because people honestly care more about the people around them and realize the blessings this country provides for us and others.
Well I think that is about it from our end. Hopefully I won't take as long to post again, but can't make any promises. Sometimes things are hectic and, let's be honest, I just get too lazy. I hope to post a tour of our apartment soon with some pictures!

First official week in NYC

Today marks the first full week in New York City. We have enjoyed ourselves so much in this city! Last week Fred had orientation for school that starts tomorrow. He is excited to get back to work and, I think, he is excited to be that much closer to being done. We found out last week that the LDS Family Services could take him on as an intern which was really exciting! However as things progressed, we found that they may not be able to give him his required hours and he would have to go to conferences on the weekends. As things have unraveled we aren't sure this internship was what we thought it was. It's not a bad thing since Fred wanted to come here to gain that different cultural experience. We aren't entirely sure what is going to happen now, but we trust the Lord does and we know that whatever will work out will be what is supposed to happen.
Our first Sunday in the ward went quite well. We were greeted by the members of the ward warmly and we even made a few friends! Last night we had the opportunity to go over to another couple's apartment where we sat and chatted with them for a bit. It was really nice to find another couple that we can have fun with and be ourselves. I have to say though Spencer, the husband, looks just like George Michael off of Arrested Development. When we were sitting in Sacrament meeting before it started, I looked over and noticed him. I was instantly nudging Fred and excitedly whispering "Fred look!! That guy looks just like the kid off of Arrested Development!!" We were really fascinated by this and apparently he gets that comment a lot. Spencer said that people will come up to him and tell him he looks really familiar, but they can't figure out from where. It's really funny! It's interesting too because I saw this woman at church that looked so familiar, but I couldn't figure out from where. We got to talking and come to find out she was my TA that taught one of the sections in American Heritage! It was a huge relief to feel like I knew someone in the ward, even though I don't really know her.
My job search is going. I am just applying to as many places as I can in hopes of something being available and right for me. Erica, the wife of the previous mentioned couple, said she has been looking for about a month now, but has an interview with a possible job. It helps me to know that getting a job here is possible, but it just may take some time. Who knows with Fred going back to school, I just may find one sooner with all the sudden motivation I will have with all my free time!
Well that's about it from the east coast end. All is going well and so many new things are waiting for us in this week!

Getting used to things here.....

Moving to a big city, especially New York City, is so exciting and thrilling!! Things are always so busy here and even in the early hours of the morning there is still so much going on. It has definitely been quite a change from Provo, but we are taking it into stride quite well I think.
On Monday we just returned from our honeymoon in DC where we spent most of the time walking from place to place, but loved every minute of it! It was especially nice for us since we have been running around like mad since we have gotten married. It gave us the time to sit down and really enjoy each other before coming back to the city and trying to get ready for things, such as shopping for groceries, looking for a job, and of course school for Fred. While we were in DC we went to the Spy Museum, Ford Theater, Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial. I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but only having 2 full days there I think we did quite well!
When we got back from DC we tried our hand at grocery shopping. It wasn't bad until you realize how expensive things are here! I always hoped people were exaggerating a bit when they talked about the price of food, but as we soon found out no exaggeration happened. Once we finished we had to carry all of our groceries about 5 city blocks back to our place. Not too far which is so nice!
Today we tackled Target to get some needed essentials and I have found that as much as I love shopping there it is quite the journey to get there! It's about a 30 minute ride on the subway and then another 5-10 minute walk before you are in the store. We brought a huge suitcase with us since there was no way we could carry all the stuff we needed back with us. It was actually really nice and convenient to have it there! We packed almost everything away and then just rolled everything back with us.
We are loving everything about the city, but I think, at least for me, it is going to still take time to get adjusted too. Being so far from home and in a giant city is still something so new and unfamiliar to me. I am dealing with things well so far, but that is definitely due large in part to having Fred around all the time. I think once he starts school I will be pretty diligent in finding a job so I can have something to keep me busy as well.
Well that is about it from our end! We are both loving the married life more than anything and enjoying our new life together!