can i have a weekend please?

life. is. crazy. well, at least right now it is. i've been working non-stop and hanging out with new and old friends whenever i have free time. work is good. between the mission and the coffee shop, i'm exhausted though. i haven't had a day off in a month and a half. but, TOMORROW is my day off...it's also known as labor day, so it's most people's day off. the day is so needed.

the month of september is super busy for me. i'm preparing for many visitors and celebrations. this thursday my friend Andy gets here. he's staying for just the weekend. it should be fun since it's my first weekend off in so long, and i'll have good company. next weekend i am supposed to go to vegas with my friend ashley to celebrate our birthdays. and the weekend after that, my entire family is coming to see me and celebrate with me. my dad's and my brother's-in-law birthday are on the 15th, my bday is on the 21st and my sister's bday is on the 27th...so, we're celebrating all of them together when they come out here on the 19th. i'm so excited for my family to see my realm and to understand why i love this place so much.

besides preparing for people to come visit, i've also been juggling people here in SD. for some reason i've had a handful of people interested in me recently. i'm enjoying being single but i'm really trying to decide what i want right now. i don't just want to date around, but at the same time, i'm in no rush to get married. and right now, i'm presented with a lot of different options. i thought i knew what i wanted, but now i'm not sure. i'm just enjoying my time getting to know new people. this is a very fun and exciting time in my life and i am enjoying it thoroughly. i am blessed by so many people and just the opportunity to be out here.

when i look out the window...

i'm in a really good place right now. this has been a long week, and it's not over yet, but i am loving my life right now. this new job is just what i needed. there are so many things i am thankful for with this job. one of them being its location. not only is it 5 minutes away from me, 5 minutes away from one of my favorite places (balboa park), and not even 5 minutes away from downtown, BUT when i look out the window of our office i see sailboats in the bay. even if i was getting bored with this job, all i'd have to do is look out the window and remember how beautiful this place is.

another thing i love about my job is that i have a balance of being in my office alone and seeing our clients (the homeless). every time i walk downstairs or ride in the elevator, i see someone who WOULD be on the streets if it weren't for the Mission. today when i was walking in, i saw a mother and her two young children. i greeted them with a smile and kept walking. then it dawned on me, those beautiful children would be on the streets if God had not provided the mission for them. it almost brought tears to my eyes just knowing i am taking part in something that really matters. regardless of what my tasks are, big or small, i know that i'm actively working for those who are in need in this city. i feel so blessed.

tonight i am having GNO (girls night out) with my neighbors. it is something they started--once a month we get ready and go out for dinner and drinks. i need this tonight because i've been working so much this week. i work 14 hours tomorrow, so i won't be out too late, but at least i'll be able to kick back for a bit. i work all weekend at the coffee shop (fri., sat., sun.) but saturday night i'm going to a concert with kirsten and i'm pumped. god is good. he is providing all i need and so much more. i finally feel like i'm 'starting' my life after college. it's so hard to find a place once you've crossed over from student/dependent to career/independent. i've found my place for now. ; )

say what?!

well...today was my first day at the new job. if some of you don't know, i got the job at the San Diego Rescue Mission--the one that i had originally interviewed for when i was still in Nebraska.
i really feel like this is where god wanted me in the first place, but it was all in his timing. i had to trust and come out here and wait patiently for him to provide.

today was good. i am not overwhelmed at all, but i am potentially freaking out about the fact that i might be working 14 hour days with both my jobs now. i love the coffee shop job and don't want to quit, but working 8-5 and then 5-10 every night might get a little obnoxious. i'm going to burn out quickly, not to mention miss the joys of cali, which includes the sunshine. BUT all is good. i am so thankful that i now have two jobs instead of none. i'll be able to pay some of my bills now;)

everyone is super nice at the mission and i feel like my transition into the position is going really smoothly. i start full time on monday already and i just found out that i got the position on tuesday. i fear that since this is an office job, which has a lot of monotony, i might get bored with this. but i also know that this position has a lot of potential growth and it could easily become a career. i eventually want to start my own non-profit so learning the behind the scenes is so important right now.

as for life outside of work, things couldn't be better. i love it here (obviously) and i feel like i'm really thriving. i've been running lately and i'm thinking about running a marathon or half marathon sometime in 2009. i ran 4 miles with Beau the other day. we ran along sunset cliffs/the beach. then yesterday i ran 5 miles. my legs are hurting today but i'm starting to get into a schedule. i might even go tonight. it's kind of becoming my outlet. i might just become a runner after all.

i love my church, i'm growing, i'm learning, i'm meeting new people, and i'm finally making a place for myself. god has blessed me so much. i can tell i'm in his will and i can't wait to see what he has next. i can hardly believe this is my life some days.