Falling into Place

I’m so darn happy. Every once in a while life just takes a turn for the better. Things start falling into place, self-motivation comes easier, and each little improvement snowballs its way to contentment until it feels like you’re about to explode with satisfaction. Landing this new job has given me a more structured schedule, which has helped improve with my time management with things like going to the gym, which in turn gives me the energy to work hard, volunteer, and socialize. As exhausting as the last few weeks have been, I feel incredibly revitalized. My spirits are back up as I develop new friendships with my amazing coworkers, feel confident that I’ll make plenty of money to live without constant financial stress, and maintain a routine at the gym that increases not only my physical strength, but my mental strength. The better you look, the better you feel!

Linds and me at her bridal shower

Amidst training at the restaurant, I’ve had a great week since returning from Virginia. Lindsay’s bridal shower in Virginia Beach was absolutely beautiful and an exciting reminder that she and Jim are getting married in six short weeks! I can’t wait to officially call her family. The 24 hour trip to Virginia was definitely worth being with her at an event she’ll always remember, carrying out bridesmaid duties since I was the only one of us who could make it. Sadly, I won’t be at her bachelorette party, so the least I could do is write down the gift-thank you list at the bridal shower! 

When the shower was over, my mom and I hit the gym together before I headed to my dad’s house for cocktails/dinner with my grandmother and aunt who were both in town for the festivities. My favorite part of the weekend (besides supporting Linds) was spending some needed quality time with my little brother. We had so much fun building an awesome fort (no adults allowed!), in which I drank wine and he played Mario cart. Great sibling bonding…though everyone made fun of me for bringing my wine with me into the fort. They were just jealous that they weren’t allowed to come in. Drew and I also played a highly competitive game of indoor basketball. Somehow the rules kept changing after I got to 10 points, so none of my “baskets” counted after that. Drew won. And I was left sweaty in my dress. Oh, how I love having an 8-year-old brother!

I worked on Monday and Tuesday nights, loving that both shifts ending with wine tastings. Clearly, this was my favorite part of my server training. Jeremiah, the server who trained me both nights, is a wine connoisseur-as well as one of the nicest guys in the world. Monday, he walked me through all of the whites by the glass, leaving the reds for Tuesday. Both nights I went home quite loosey goosey. We have a lot of wines! Not a problem with me, of course. Tuesday, Jeremiah even treated Andrew (our manager) and me to a cab back to our apartments since we all live in the same direction. Could I work with more wonderful people? Nope. Every single person who trained me went above and beyond to make me feel welcome and confident about absolutely everything I’ll need to be successful. I’m reassured time and time again that I’ve found the best job in New York City, and I 100% agree with that declaration!

Despite the fact that I had to get up relatively early this morning to go to the gym before hopping on a bus (where I am right now) to visit Christian and Ricky (my dog sledding friends) in Connecticut for the night, I went out for a bit last night. After completing my final training test, my coworkers invited me to a free concert in the West Village. One of the waiters is a singer in a great little band that was playing at a bar, so everyone went to show their support and hang out. I wish I could have stayed longer, but responsibility called. Hopefully I’ll get to spend more time with them soon!

In addition to all of the good news in the work department, I also feel so overwhelmed by how marvelous my parents are. Seeing them last weekend was such a treat. My close friend, Geraldine, is staying with my mom for three weeks and told me that my mom got her chocolates, balloons, and a card for her birthday today. Knowing how loving my mom is to my friends makes me miss her even more! On top of it, she is putting together all of my pageant stuff (local in two weeks!!) so that my dad can fly to NYC for just a day next week and deliver it all. The fact that I have a dad who is willing to fly to New York for a few short hours to have lunch and bring me pageant gowns absolutely floors me. He flies for free since he works for FedEx, but the love and time involved in a turn-around trip like that is insurmountable. I have the BEST parents in the whole, wide world. I have the best job in the whole, wide world. I have the best friends in the whole, wide world. How lucky am I?