Room Remodel

When we got to DC, it was painfully obvious that we needed to re-vamp our bedroom. Not only did we need about twice as much storage space as we had, but our room seemed so.... blah.

Before:



After:
We're still trying to organize the stuff on the top, but I think we did pretty well so far.
The other weird thing about our apartment is that we don't have any overhead lighting in the living room or bedroom. Don't ask me what the architect was thinking... So we added some of these:

Thanks, IKEA!

2nd Anniversary

Something else we did during our trip across the country?

Celebrated our 2-year anniversary.

Yay us!

We didn't really do anything specific... just hung out with my family in Vegas (it was Mother's Day), where we ate at a Korean BBQ and saw Iron Man 2.

Insert gushiness [here].

Our Trip Across the Country

As you might be able to guess by my absence, we have been busy people!

I recently graduated from UVU, (go 'head and dust your shoulders off:)

And then I went to Las Vegas for a week. I didn't take any pictures there, but it was fun. I stayed with my sister, Micia, and we did a lot of eating out and I relaxed a lot (she didn't, she was still in school).

JJ came out to meet me, and we travelled across the country. Here are some pics from the road:



Hoover Dam:


Route 66:

The ultimate road trip snack:

Us:

Largest cross in the Northern Hemisphere:

Flattest land I've ever seen:


Perhaps the biggest bird poop ever:


Memphis!


Other highlights that we weren't able to record?

> Seeing an SUV with a casket in the back
> Having good weather the whole way, despite the storm in Oklahoma
> Driving 5 extra hours to find a hotel room (due to the same storm)
> Finding out that La Quinta isn't a bad chain, after all
> Eating at a restaurant called Stoby's in Arkansas--They gave us free cookies :)
> Breakfast at a Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives restaurant called Sophia's Place
> DIABLO BURGER(!) in Flagstaff, AZ. SOOOOO GOOOD! I could eat their fries every day. And then be obese. And still like it.

THE STATS:

Gas: $294.94 (we have to use premium in our Jetta)
Highest price per gallon: $3.38, Chambers, AZ
Cheapest price per gallon: $2.72, Albuquerque, NM

We somehow didn't see any tolls, and didn't have to rent a moving truck. It was awesome.

So here we are in DC for permanent! More posts to come (today)

It's Official

Grades came out. I'm graduated!

I walked, JJ was able to come! His parents and Jaime came, too.

We ate dinner at Bambara.


I don't think it hit me until after I had walked that I never have to go on that campus again. I never have to take a class again to get my diploma. I never have to try to park in that ridiculous lot, nor walk into class in the freezing cold weather just to find out that my professor is sick and walk right back out. Ever.

I also realized that my life is suddenly going to become so different. I have a job set up for me in DC, which is intimidating, but exciting. I finally will live with just JJ, alone, all the time.

Last summer, when I moved to DC, I knew in the back of my mind that I was coming back to Utah (and it seemed awful). As much as I like all of my friends and family, I never thought I really fit in there. Now, as I'm leaving for good, I realize that I'm going to miss life there, as well as all of the people I know.

The adventure has already begun. Yesterday morning, I woke up at my parent's house in a room that looked like it had for months--I hadn't even started to pack. By 2:30, I was loaded in the car, sitting in the driveway, ready to go.

It took me until I got to Cedar City to realize that I will never be in the same situation in Utah ever again. I'll hopefully never live with my parents again, and only have a rental car (if any) when I'm there. How STRANGE!

As much as I love DC (and JJ), I'm kinda sad to be leaving my home -town, -state, -area.

After all, I'm a legend in Salt Lake ;)