The Hills Are Alive

     Welp, it's after Thanksgiving so I guess it's time to pack.  But first!  I went to my sister Rachie's yesterday with Mom.  We saw The Sound of Music sing-a-long at The Music Box theatre in Chicago.  We all loved it, it was super fun since I've grown up watching it.  Mom almost lost her voice from singing and from barking at Rolfe.
  

      (props from the sing-a-long now in my photo album) 

     Anyway, the point is that every time I go to Chicago I feel a little more at home.  I love the bustle of the city; I want to bustle!  The only place I have to bustle around here is the grocery store and ironically it's called Pacemaker.
     It's a whole new life I'm starting.  If you had told me a few years ago that I was going to go to pastry school I would've been ecstatically surprised.  But! If you had told me I was going to school in the city, I would have said you were crazy.  Because not only did you think you could tell the future but I wouldn't have thought it possible for me to get out of here.  I thought this was it for me and I am really proud of myself for not settling.  Time to move on!
     No packing tomorrow though, it's a date day.  Brett's going to miss me so much when I go off to the big city without him, that I have to give him as much attention as I can now.  I've definitely been thinking about what I'm going to pack at least: my bed, some clothes, winter outerwear and such. Yeup.
(35 days)

I'm Outta Here!

     In 18 days I'm leaving my job and starting my move to The City.  Jen, one of my awesome sisters, is nice enough to let me move in with her for about nine months.  I dragged the boyfriend to the city a couple of times to try and get use to the place.  I study my map every once in awhile and day dream about where I want to live when I finish school.  I've even looked at available apartments online.  I have a BIG fear of the public transportation system but I'm just trying not to think about it.  I get lost now all the time but I've managed to survive thus far.
     Moving to the city is one thing but school is the reason for my life finally having a reason!  Okay, so maybe it seems like that's a bit extreme but it's really how I feel.  It all started when I moved back home.  I definitely didn't want to move back in with my parents but I didn't really have a choice.  As soon as I came back here I decided I had to make the most of it.  I've never had any idea what I wanted to go to school for, that's one reason why I never went.  It stressed me out a little bit thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, especially since I was oh so nicely handed a do over.
     I was getting in the shower one day (I do my best thinking in there) and I told myself I wouldn't think about school.  Maybe I would make cookies or something instead.  It was like a mini lightbulb went on in my head.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I tend to lack in self confidence.  I don't think I would have taken my pastry school dreams so seriously if I hadn't just made myself a birthday cake a couple weeks before.  It was covered in my home made fondant, was pretty, super tasty and reeked of my awesomeness.

     So, after I got out of the shower I googled "baking school."  I think The French Pastry school of Chicago was like the third link I clicked on and I fell in love.  I'm uber pumped and I've never been more excited about anything in my life.  Twenty-thousand dollars in school loans later and here I am, starting school in just 58 days.