Five Things I've Learned Since Graduation

It has been one year since I finished my Master's degree. Technically, one year and two days. I am certainly not where I thought I would be when I was thinking about this point in my life last year. And to be honest, so many things have gone wrong this past year, but so many things have been sweet little blessings in disguise. Spoiler alert, this post gets a bit heavy. You are allowed to stop reading it if you only come to this space for the flowery and fashionable. Though I hope you keep reading. Here are the top five things I've learned since graduation.

Jeremiah 29:11 Chalkboard Print by Lily & Val.

1) Where you want to be is not always where you should be.
If I had it my way, I would still be living in downtown Pittsburgh. When my lease was up last summer, I cried. Literally. Downtown Pittsburgh might be the pits for some people and others don't understand why I loved it so much, but it was my own little slice of Heaven. However, if I was there now, I wouldn't get to have this experience of living with my brother. If you haven't caught on to this yet, Eric is seriously my best friend. We should have been twins, if only so he wouldn't have had to spend that first year without me. I wouldn't have the freedom to not be paying a ridiculously high rent payment every month on top of my student loan payments. I'm sure for those two reasons alone, I would have started to resent that location eventually and because I'm not there, it's still a little Heaven in my eyes. Do I want to move back? Of course. But now isn't the time.

2) No job is below you.
I recently took on another job of bartending just to be able to make a bit more money with tips and another little paycheck. Why? Because who doesn't want a little wiggle room when bills start rolling in? And while bartending is great, this job also has a waitressing aspect to it, which I have never done before. Do you know how awful people treat waitresses? Yeah, that's why I never waitressed before. Not like retail is much more glamorous, but at least there isn't half-eaten food involved. But not taking a job that most people would say is "below" me is stupid. Does it give me money? Do I technically get a workout in while at work because of how much running around I do? Am I physically able to do this job? Yes. So while I don't need a Master's degree to figure out how to put in an order for Chicken Alfredo and then sweetly hand it to someone, everyone could do with having a job that teaches you how to serve someone. Serving someone else and expecting little to nothing in return is honestly what everyone in this country should have to do for at least a year in my own opinion. I might as well get my year in now.

3) MJ is greater than the man of my dreams.
If you know MJ personally, then you know that he has three things in mind. Career. Family. God. Not necessarily in that order, but that's about it. From the beginning of our relationship, he has made it clear that he wants to be married and have a boat load of children, and I have made it clear that I don't want either of those things until I feel totally set and complete on my own and then after that, I'm all in. If you remember my 25 before 25 list, I wanted to get engaged this year. However, that was with the ideal in mind that I would have a steady full-time job and I would be living on my own before he proposed. Obviously he was on board for this, and we were on this track up until I was no longer employed by Dress for Success because of some unforeseen financial difficulties on their part. MJ told me on Valentine's Day about how he had planned to propose. Way to lay it on thick, right? And to make you love him more, it was going to be at the party for his parent's 40th wedding anniversary, which is the exact same way my dad proposed to my mom. Yeah. That would have been last month. But this man. THIS. MAN. My man has put me and my desires first, yet again. He knows I would not be happy being engaged without feeling complete on my own, so his dreams of a wedding and little family are set aside for my dream of a career. I am selfish and I do not deserve him. But I thank God for him everyday and always will.

4) I have the skills and power to make my dreams come true.
You guys, I am so excited to finally announce what I've been working so hard on! This Thursday, be sure to check back because everything will be explained, I will need your input, and I really hope that you are as excited as I am.

5) God has perfect timing and a plan greater than any of my own.
Thursday's announcement is a big deal for me and I don't think it would be happening if the mess of this year didn't happen. This has been a seriously rough road since graduation. From the high of graduating, to the low of leaving Pittsburgh, high of being employed by one of my favorite non-profits, to losing that job for reasons that I had no control over, to the mess of moving again to Erie, and struggling on the job hunt train, this past year has had it's great moments, but overall, it has just been rough. But through it all, I know God knows what he's doing. He has a plan for my life and while I choose my daily steps, he is guiding them and working in and in spite of them to make things happen. I trust in him to get it right when I am certainly messing it up. Is Thursday's announcement the end all, be all of God's plan? Probably not, but it is certainly his doing. I had this in mind for much, much further down the road in life and it has made it's way to the present. I also want to make clear that other ventures are not being let go because of Thursday's announcement, but they are on the back burner. This has made it's way to the front of my mind and for good reason and I'm putting my trust in God that it will work out.

Chels Wears: Puppies In The Snow!

Chambray, tights, scarf & tee: WalMart | Skirt: Target | Wedges: Kmart

I took a break this past week because...I moved! If it looks like there is a lot of snow in these pictures, you just wait until my next outfit post. I'm now near Erie and I cannot even talk about how much snow is on the ground and how cold it is outside. I hate winter. Don't ask why I decided to move north in January, it still isn't making sense yet to me either.

This outfit is possibly one of my all-time favorites. When I bought this skirt, I thought I might where it a few times, but I probably wear it at least three times a month, I am in love with it and it's surprising versatility. And when I bought these tights I could have sworn they were grey, but I think I like them better in this blue shade, at least for this outfit! I also think my favorite trend right now is wearing dresses and skirts in winter, even though that sounds dumb, there are so many cute ways to dress them up and still be warm. Hopefully it won't be too cold and I can keep up with this cute look.

Also, because I cannot help but make a PSA for the ASPCA with a post title like this one, please don't leave your pets outside if you are in a severely cold (or hot) area. Just because they have a fur coat, does not mean they are safe outside for any longer than you'd like to be! Bring those puppies inside!

So You're Moving to Pittsburgh?

I've been thinking about this post for awhile, of things I wish I was told and things I found to be helpful when I first moved downtown and sharing all of that. If you are finding yourself getting ready to move or possibly just now getting there, here are some tips about how to adjust to city-life. And while I'm focusing on Pittsburgh, I'm sure some of these can be used for various other locations.

Know Where You're Moving

This is a "before" moving thought, but when you are looking at places, know what kind of neighborhoods they are in and what the area around them is like. While Pittsburghers are pretty similar at the core, the outside and how they like to live is widely different. If you're going to move to Homestead, you're probably not the same kind of person who would move to the Southside. Know the area and if you can actually see yourself there. If you cannot physically get the the neighborhood to see the place you'll be moving to, at the very least look up the address on Google maps and get a street view. If you're someone who wants to go out at night to do things and still feel safe, make sure the area is a place where that is possible. If you have little kids, you might not want to be in a place with a nightlife scene. I'd highly advise you to spend the day and/or night exploring in the area you want to move to and see if you can really fit there if you can, before selecting a space you might be stuck with.

Figure Out Public Transit

Whether or not you're moving to Pittsburgh with or without a car, at some point you will probably use public transit, so figure it out before you have to. You don't want to be stuck one day because your car won't start and you're late for work because you don't know what bus can get you there. T and incline schedules are pretty easy to figure out but unless you have a PhD in graphing calculations or know the system well, a bus schedule will confuse the pants off of you. And while I feel like an advertiser for Google now that this is the second time I mentioned it, just use Google maps/directions for a bus schedule. Also, get a Connect Card, because cash machines in the city are on their way out and if you're not a regular public transit user, you're going to want one so you don't have to buy a pass.

Get A Bike

I highly suggest this if you are without a car, you have the space to store it, and if you are in one of the awkward parts of Pittsburgh where public transit is limited. You need to be able to get places and the bike culture of Pittsburgh is becoming much more accessible thanks to BikePGH. Just please be careful and follow the "ways of the road" because Pittsburgh drivers are still Pittsburgh drivers and you might be over the age of twelve, but you still need to wear a helmet and have a light, and preferably a bell on your bike so everyone else can see and hear you coming by them. Be considerate of pedestrians and drivers and they will be considerate of you.

Consider Investing In A Zipcar Account

I know I'm talking a lot about transportation here, but it's because it's super important and because getting a Zipcar account was probably the best decision I ever made after moving to the city. If you have a car, you can skip over this part, otherwise, hear me out. There will be days when you want to go to an event or see a friend outside of the city and there will be no other way to get there without driving yourself. And because it's smart to live in Pittsburgh without one that you own, because you'll save on gas, parking and insurance, you'll want something every now and then that is reliable and that you can pretty much customize to your lifestyle. They offer different kinds of accounts based on how much you'll use a car, they have different damage fee waivers if you're in an accident, and are very reasonably priced, and you do not pay for gas. There are only a few simple rules about being a Zipcar member and they have a VERY helpful customer service staff if you ever need to call them. I could not recommend this company enough and they are getting better and bigger in Pittsburgh. 

Explore

Take the time to get lost on a day where you have nothing else to do, whether it's by foot or on the bus. I very literally did this throughout my entire first week of moving downtown. Each day I walked around parts of downtown, going on a different route every time, just to see how to get around different areas and where certain things are located. Granted, during the first couple days I panicked a few times because I seriously thought I was lost for good, and an earthquake happened while I was out the one day, but by the end of the week, I had it all figured out. What alleys lead to major roads, where the shortcuts through buildings are and how to avoid rain/snow for a walk to campus based on who has the best coverage over their sidewalks. Trust me, when I was later on crutches because of ACL surgery, I was very thankful for my week of exploring because I was able to very safely get to and from school, my apartment, work and physical therapy, because I very much mapped out my territory and where the safest ways to go would be. 

Take Time To Find Your Favorites

This goes along with exploring too, but don't take Pittsburgh for granted. There is so much around to be explored. Take the time to really check out the restaurants, shops and bars around you until you declare one your favorite. And while I'm very guilty of just running across the street from my apartment to get Subway real quick on multiple occasions, it was certainly not my favorite sandwich place downtown. It took me a couple months to settle on my favorite places downtown to meet friends for drinks, get pizza or gyros, order Chinese and Thai, sit and sip coffee, or which shops I knew I could find exactly what I'd want for great accessories or greeting cards (because if you know me, I'm picky about my cards haha). But seriously, take your time with this one, because when your 'out of town' friends come to visit, you'll want to show them the best your area has to offer, not just another Panera. Though I do love Panera.

Enjoy It

Pittsburgh is a unique place to be and this is a great time to be there. So much is transforming, we're being recognized for sports and entertainment, health care and education, and this is certainly not the smokey city that it once was and is becoming more energy-efficient and "green" everyday. Enjoy your time living in the 'burgh!

Although products, services, and places were mentioned, all opinions are my own.

My "last" Pittsburgh weekend

I am one for the (over) dramatics. If you didn't know that by now. But as I have hinted at recently on Facebook and Twitter, I am moving soon. My lease (which I have held for two years now) is over on the 31st. And since this building only rents to students and I am no longer, I am giving up this prime location in downtown and moving back in with my parents to save up some money while I start my career. I haven't lived with my parents for longer than a week since I moved out six years ago to start my undergrad at Seton Hill...wow.

Since my brother is graduating with his master's degree on Friday, I plan to be out of here on Thursday so we can just enjoy his day. So this past weekend was my "last" Pittsburgh weekend. And it was fantastic! Thankfully, I had off everyday this weekend so I could really enjoy it, too! (I say last in quotations by the way, because it is silly to say I'll never be back, my parents do not live far from Pittsburgh and yes, I still plan on keeping up with blogging since I will be back fairly often.)

Here's a look at what happened during this wonderful weekend:

Friday - My beautiful friend Heather and I headed to Station Square for a late dinner and drinks to kick off the weekend! We stopped at Houlihan's first for yummy pulled pork sliders and fries and half prices mojitos. Then we realized we were the only locals and the only people under 30, so we headed to a "lesser known" place that is technically called Dirty Hairy's but that everyone really calls Ref's (is it's old name). Which is much more local bar scene and one of our favorite places.

Neapolitan style restaurant in Market Square.

Saturday - Sleeping in for the first time in months (!!!!!!!) and then MJ surprised me by sending me on a mini- scavenger hunt to figure out where we were going to have dinner. Which I assumed from the start was Il Pizzaiolo, a new restaurant in Market Square, where his friend Spencer works. You can bet your bottom dollar that you will soon see a review about this place because it was fabulous! Then we just soaked in each others awesomeness (10 points if you can name the movie I stole that line from) and walked around downtown for a bit, and hung out in my apartment talking for awhile. And then we took a drive around town until we decided we were hungry again and of course, agreed on Eat 'n Park's midnight breakfast buffet in Squirrel Hill.

Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community - logo on one of the church's windows.

Sunday - Eric and I went to church at Hot Metal, as usual. It was PACKED since it was the first week for summer service, meaning only one service per Sunday, instead of the usual two. So many people that it was standing room only. And I was sad that this will be our last service there for awhile, since this church is just indescribably awesome. Afterwards though, we went out for lunch in Aspinwall to use our Chili's gift cards and saw a flea market, so we stopped there on our way back into the city and found some great deals, even though most people were packing up by the time we got there. Eric and I both snagged some vinyl and I also got a great vintage purse and two bracelets.

My flea market finds - vintage purse, Queen Elizabeth coin bracelet, wooden beads bracelet, Frank Sinatra record.

Monday - Appreciation of the freedom we have thanks to those who served and continue to serve our beautiful country and the packing of my apartment went into overdrive and mostly everything is packed up and sorted by now.

I plan on tackling the last bits of my room and the kitchen today, and I should be all done. And later tonight, I am heading to the South Side for dinner with a couple friends and to see Eric perform at an open mic night...the adventure just never stops in the city.