Idaho, here I come!

Yep, that's right: I am 90% sure that I am going to move to Idaho in the next few weeks. It will probably be only temporary, but we'll see how it goes. I'm going to enroll in either a phlebotomy or health unit coordinator course through the workforce training program at North Idaho College. Both programs end in May, so I will have the option to go to Skagway again for the summer (if I can mannage to find a job on such short notice) and be ready to start college in the fall!

So I'm feeling pretty hopeful for my future, which is nice since barely a week ago my total bliss was abruptly shattered by the love of my life.

Hi, my name is Cassandra and I am a shopaholic.

Since returning from Alaska to the lower 48, I've developed some really bad shopping habits. My first shopping spree was a week or so after coming home and I spent less than $100 and everything I bought was on sale. I thought hey, this is not too bad. It's only $100. But now, after $2,000 + has seemingly vanished from my bank account, I'm realizing that $50 here and $80 there really adds up. I went shopping today and spent about $60 in one store. I don't even worry about adding up all the prices before I check out anymore. Kind of ridiculous, I admit. But I think the reason why I've become addicted to shopping is that I have been saving my money for so long and now I finally have enough that I can spend some and not be broke. Except for the fact that I don't have a source of income at the moment. That is troubling. And now I am nearly broke. And there's also the fact that I don't know where I'm going to be living in week. Wow, I am incredibly, recklessly, irresponsible.

Shabby Chic/Cottage

Yesterday, while Austin was at work, I got caught up on hgtv.com looking at interior home make-overs and video clips from shows like color splash and divine design. I also took a quiz to see what my "design style" is. Apparently it's "shabby chic"/"cottage"...who knew? I seriously never would have guessed that. I always thought my style was contemporary or something, but I looked at pictures of what "cottage" actually is and I have to say, I love it! It's described as cozy and comfortable. Here are some examples:

I always thought of shabby chic being old and rustic, but it can be clean and sharp too. I like mixing the comfortable and old style with new elements like stainless steel appliances and cool wall colors. Everything looks crisp and clean, but it has character too.

Day 1 in San Diego: Alone in Downtown

So Austin had a doctors appointment today (my first day in CA) and I was gonna go with him so he could show me around the city when he got done. We were about to go out the door when I realized I still needed deodorant so I went to the bathroom real quick. Austin kept bugging me saying, "Come on...come on...come on." every ten seconds. So less than a minute later, we walked out the door and I accused him of being impatient.
"I just don't like being late," he said.
"Well one minute is not going to make a difference when you set out to be 15 minutes early every day."
"One minute late is still late, Cassandra."
I rolled my eyes and we set off. We were almost to the naval base which is approximately 20 mins from Austin's apartment when he asked me,
"You have your ID with you, right?"
I didn't. All I brought was my phone. I didn't think I would need my purse for anything. So there we were, I couldn't be allowed on base because I didn't have any identification and we didn't have time to run back home to get it. The only option was for Austin to drop me off somewhere on the street and leave me to fend for myself for the next few hours in a strange and very large city. I told him I would be fine. We were driving around for a few minutes; Austin was looking for a good place to leave me. Finally I told him just to pull over anywhere so he could go and not be late. When I got out of the car I had no idea where I was going and I had no money. So I just kept walking straight, hoping for a cafe or something and then I saw the familiar starbucks sign! That's where I am now. Sitting alone in starbucks writing a blog from my phone, waiting for a call from Austin saying that he's ready to pick me up. Suddenly I get a text from him:
"I was one minute late! I told you it makes a difference!"
Austin has never been late in his whole navy career! I actually made him late for the first time. This stinks :/

It's been a while

I know, I know. I haven't written a new post in....FOREVER! But, Marisha, I'm pretty sure you're the only person who reads this anyway, so...yeah.

So I'm going to start updating more often :)

Choices, choices, choices

I don't know what to do next fall!

Part of me wants to move away from the Tri-cities to somewhere I've never been (or at lease somewhere I've never lived), but I also want to work at Stevens again next year as a Gear-Up tutor.

Here are my options:

-Stay in Kennewick

1. Live with my mom
2. Go to CBC and work at Stevens
3. Work somewhere else but still go to CBC
4. Work for AmeriCorps again (not favorable, but I could get another scholarship)
5. Get a studio apartment
6. Continue being a leader at South Hills Church

-Move to Coos Bay, Oregon

1. Go to Southwestern Oregon Community College
2. Be independent in my own apartment
3. Find a job somewhere (maybe they have a program like Gear-Up)
4. Find a church where I can be either a High School or Middle School leader

-Move to Bend, Oregon

1. Go to Central Oregon Community College
2. Maybe be roommates with my cousin, Loni
3. Same as 2, 3, and 4 for Coos Bay

I really have no idea which to choose. I'm kind of leaning more towards Coos Bay because, as far as I can see, it has everything I want right now. But I would also love to be roommates with Loni! And I don't really want to leave my church and my friends. And also, it would be more affordable to just live at home because I don't have to pay much for rent at my mom's and I don't have to buy my own food or pay for utilities or anything. But it's also pretty crowded, and it's about to get even more crowded. *sigh* I don't know.

Fed Up

I'm feeling pretty frustrated right about now. I'm frustrated with myself and I'm frustrated with my job. When I filled out my time sheet for January, I noticed that even though I worked my butt off, I only gained 5 hours. That's so discouraging. So, being depressed about that and worn out from working so hard, I decided to sleep in today. Except I did more than just sleep in. I stayed home the whole day! There goes the 5 hours I worked so hard for and then some!

UGH! I just don't understand how that is possible! I will never get all my hours at this rate! I'm actually seriously considering quitting. The only reason why I don't want to is because I will miss the kids SO MUCH.

But seriously! I feel like crap. I feel like no matter how hard I work, it's not hard enough. And they just keep piling on more and more expectations of us. Now I have to plan the award ceremony for a poster contest. That means finding a place to hold the ceremony, writing the script for the MC, getting food donated, recruiting volunteers to judge the posters, getting people from the community (such as the mayor) to present the awards to the winners, designing the invitations for the event...and the list goes on and on. I have to do all that on top of the fifty million events I volunteered for to get more hours.

I'm honestly feeling like just giving up...