Crossroads of America

The first day I came to realize I had to change my Michigan ID to an Indiana ID, I cried. I blubbered uncontrollably and had a feeling of sadness I couldn't put an end to. My neighbors in cubicle world at HCCMIS were very curious about my constant sniffles and heavy breathing. They couldn't see me, but they could definitely hear me.

For a day, I struggled to find the happiness in becoming an Indiana resident. The crying was the peak of my struggles, but I was sincerely sad for a couple of weeks. My Michigan ID was one of the only ways I could tell people who I was and where I came from. It made people think "she is a master in snow and doesn't flinch at the cold... she's tough". At least in my egotistical imagination that's what I wish people were saying. That's what I wished people thought about my Michigan lifestyle my whole life. Rustic, camping, non-materialistic, and wholesome. But I have learned a lot since my tears fell. There is much more to Indiana than I imagined.

This past weekend I had some of my best friends from my childhood, as well as college friends, come to visit me in Indianapolis. All of my friends are finding jobs across the country, moving around, and finding where their heart belongs and what they enjoy doing. Being located in Indianapolis, IN allowed each and every one of my friends to be able to meet at my apartment in a decent amount of time. It really wasn't a horrible drive for any of them. If we all had decided to visit Cara in Wisconsin, Kyle would have had a 10 hour drive. If we decided to visit Kyle in Pittsburgh, Kelly would have had a 12 hour drive. It would have not allowed us to gather.

But here I am in Indianapolis, and no matter where my friends and family end up in this country, it will always be a location that is close enough to drive to meet up with friends and family. Indiana is truly shining bright in my heart now that it has the ability to bring us all together again. Michigan may hold my past, but Indiana definitely has the key to my future. And I am grateful.

Handlebar Indy

Cousin Sandwich

Living in Indianapolis has opened up new emotions to me that I never knew I had. I never thought I could be homesick, or miss someone to the extent that I do now. I don't want to say I took my family and friends in Michigan for granted, because I didn't. I tried to love everyone the best I could when they were near me. 22 years I spent in MI building relationships, growing, and finding myself.

Just when I felt I had caught my bearings with finding true friends and balancing my family, I moved five hours away. In this city, I am completely rebuilding and re-connecting with friends to find the comfort and solidity that I use to feel when I was five hours north. The reason it effects me now more than ever is because I have been here for an entire year. I have been here long enough where my friendships from home have loosened their grip, and I simply cannot communicate with my family enough. In the meantime here in Indy, I have not spent enough time here to have made lifetime friends. The friends that are going to where all my clothes and surprise me with bottles of wine after work. Those are the friends I had, and those are the friends that I want. I would be lying if I said it hasn't been a struggle, but I am hopeful.

I do not believe that my boyfriend JJ and I have crossed paths for no reason. I can truly say he is my everything. He is my clothes sharer and my wine bottle giver. Not only has his friendship made this life transition easier on me, he has opened up a new world of family and friends for me to lay back on by default.

Skidz wizdom: I am stubborn and feel I need to find my own friends. JJ is helping me pull back a shell and learn to lean on him.

We took a trip this weekend to Louisville, KY for his cousin's wedding. We gambled at Churchill Downs and then gambled again at The Horseshoe Casino. Again I was surrounded by new faces and a few acquaintances from JJ's family. I have to be honest it is hard to completely open up and act like your are buds with everyone when you can only remember about 5 names. It's an interesting feeling. Probably more uncomfortable than anything. It's tiring to just suck it up and laugh at stories you don't know about jokes you don't understand. There comes to a point when you want to actually be part of the story and make the joke.

Just when I had started feeling alone this weekend, JJ had reminded me to stay patient. I am working through the fact that time is at the essence, and nothing can be forced. After his loving sort of 'slap in the face' I had found myself building relationships the very next day that I had been wishing for. I saw a glimpse of the potential friendships blossoming into something greater. It really put me at ease and allowed me to take control of my thoughts and emotions and open up a bit. And it felt great.

After a wild night on Fourth Street in Downtown Louisville, I had woke up the next morning in a cousin sandwich with JJ and his cousin Olivia in our king sized bed. I am positive Olivia and I danced together more than me and JJ, and I'm into that. It's an awkward way to come upon a realization, but I truly felt part of the clan for once. A cousin sandwich was what I needed.

I never really thought that I would need help finding strength. My independence has taught me and carried me through my life. Listening and learning from JJ's knowledge and strength has allowed me to heal quicker and breathe deeper. I am the luckiest girl in the world.

+J.J. Yarbrough +Sarah Craddock +Megan Wallace +Shannon Kaweck +Elizabeth Camp +Molly Korn +Tyler Schroll +Kelly Toskey

I'm a writer.

I listened to Poor Boy by Blink Pilot while writing this blog, and it made it feel so much more epic than it probably is. You should probably YouTube it and let it play on repeat while you read so you get the same effect.

It's freakin fall. I've spent my entire summer writing. Obviously not for myself, hents no blog since July, but for OTHER people. My experience writing for a personal blog placed me in a position I want to be without even "trying". Writing about traveling and experiencing the world was a hobby of mine, and still is. I'm doing what I love now, just because I had a blog to begin with. I didn't go to school for writing. I graduated with a BA in advertising. The most I wrote for my degree was about 3-4 sentences of "copy" for an ad. Witty copy. Well I tried.

Man so many things have happened. I got hit by a car. My ultimate team made it to regionals. I can't afford shit, even though I'm living like I can. I'm moving for the 2nd time. I've been SUPER drunk like.... 5 times all summer. That's it. And probably most times with my mom when I visit home. My internship was extended for a year. I love the city. I got a new racing bike (WHATUP MONON TRAIL!!). My presence on the internet has grown significantly. I have a brilliant supervisor who I know is going to point me in the right direction. Things are looking up. Things have been looking up for about four months now.

I hope to merge all of my writings into one place, my Travel Blog Facebook page. I acutally invested $1/day for advertising for it, so you may even see it swipe across your screen if you are the lucky 6 people in the nation who get to see it before they take it down because of my cheap investment. But I hope you get to see it pop up on your search in the future organically. It will grow. Keep an eye out for it.

For the peeps:

Home is where you make it

I almost feel like I belong here in Indy. What is it about the place that makes me feel so at home? It could be that I have my own place, it could be there I am working with people that are all my age, it could be that everyone is so friendly, it could be that there is an EXTENSIVE ultimate frisbee community. Everything about this place is begging me to become apart of it. The move wasn't that bad, because I didn't have any furniture. For those who are moving, DON'T BRING CRAP THAT IS BIGGER THAN YOU. Let me tell you about a little friend, Craig. Craig has a list, Craigslist. PALEASE use it, it was save you time, money, and energy. Even though I am only staying for a couple of months (hopefully longer) I have no need to buy furniture, but if I WAS staying, THIS would be mind for $10!! For now, as long as I have a roof over my head, some veggies, and some work clothes, this chica is good to go. The view from my window isn't too shabby either.

Get hired, and travel

Today I am at 2994 page views, and I hope this post allows me to hit 3000. What an accomplishment. I am taking this time to also inform the world of my official job offer at HCC Medical Insurance Services. My mom is driving down tonight, and we are off to Indy early tomorrow morning to meet up with a leasing agent at 1:00 pm to discuss apartments. I am SO excited to be starting my life in a city with bike lanes and markets and activities! There is so much to Indy that needs to be discovered.