What a difference a year [and a half] makes
Sometimes, there are moments when I feel like we've lived in Oregon forever, like our life has always been like this. Other times, I can't help but see how much things have changed in the past year and a half, since moving to the Pacific Northwest, changing jobs, and going back to school. Let's talk about a few of those:
I allowed myself a Starbucks splurge this past week, and before I did, I made sure to go online and check my gold card account to see if I had any money loaded on it. When I got to the site, I realized it had been two months since I had last checked my balance and used my card. This may sound silly and insignificant (and it is), BUT in my former life, I had a Starbucks-a-day,the baristas at Miramar Drive know my order by heart, $40-50 per month habit. Grande, nonfat toffee nut misto extra hot, please :). Now I have to make sure I get in my annual bare minimum in order to ensure my gold card status.
We got my W2 a couple of weeks ago. I earned a whopping $10K this year. Woo-hoo! It's a fraction of my former earnings. What might be more amazing is that we actually pay our bills, ALL of our bills (my husband works, too, of course, and definitely earned more than $10K this year) on our significantly curtailed annual salary. And somehow, we still manage to have fun! It is planned-out and budgeted fun, obviously; we can't really afford to be super spontaneous, but we make it work. Praise the Lord for months that have three pay periods--that extra January cash is paying for our spring break trip to Sunriver.
I was listening to the news last Friday morning, and the weatherman said, "It's going to be shorts and T-shirt weather at the coast this weekend--high 50s, low 60s and sunny!" And I agreed with him. Whaaaat? Jake and I actually drove the 50+ miles to the coast a couple of weeks ago under the promise of 50 degrees and sunshine (we had been experiencing 25-35 degree temps sans sun for days and days). A promise which was NOT fulfilled, mind you. Although, we did find the sun in the coast range en route. It was enough.
On a more frustrating note, grad school has turned me into someone who really likes to sleep in. I cannot get up early to save my life. I'm exaggerating, but really, I have regressed as a person in this area. Again, in my former life, I got up early to commute to work Monday-Friday (food banking is an early morning business), and then I would get up at 7:30 on Saturday mornings to make it to my favorite yoga class. Now, I consider it a success when I manage to get to my 8:30 AM class on time. Ugh.
Sure, sometimes I miss being an early riser, disposable income was nice, and oh, San Diego, I would be lying if I said that I haven't missed your sunshine and warmer temperatures this winter! And while each of these things is largely superficial, every one of them required an adjustment of some kind. Change is good. Except for maybe the sleeping in part :)
I allowed myself a Starbucks splurge this past week, and before I did, I made sure to go online and check my gold card account to see if I had any money loaded on it. When I got to the site, I realized it had been two months since I had last checked my balance and used my card. This may sound silly and insignificant (and it is), BUT in my former life, I had a Starbucks-a-day,the baristas at Miramar Drive know my order by heart, $40-50 per month habit. Grande, nonfat toffee nut misto extra hot, please :). Now I have to make sure I get in my annual bare minimum in order to ensure my gold card status.
We got my W2 a couple of weeks ago. I earned a whopping $10K this year. Woo-hoo! It's a fraction of my former earnings. What might be more amazing is that we actually pay our bills, ALL of our bills (my husband works, too, of course, and definitely earned more than $10K this year) on our significantly curtailed annual salary. And somehow, we still manage to have fun! It is planned-out and budgeted fun, obviously; we can't really afford to be super spontaneous, but we make it work. Praise the Lord for months that have three pay periods--that extra January cash is paying for our spring break trip to Sunriver.
I was listening to the news last Friday morning, and the weatherman said, "It's going to be shorts and T-shirt weather at the coast this weekend--high 50s, low 60s and sunny!" And I agreed with him. Whaaaat? Jake and I actually drove the 50+ miles to the coast a couple of weeks ago under the promise of 50 degrees and sunshine (we had been experiencing 25-35 degree temps sans sun for days and days). A promise which was NOT fulfilled, mind you. Although, we did find the sun in the coast range en route. It was enough.
On a more frustrating note, grad school has turned me into someone who really likes to sleep in. I cannot get up early to save my life. I'm exaggerating, but really, I have regressed as a person in this area. Again, in my former life, I got up early to commute to work Monday-Friday (food banking is an early morning business), and then I would get up at 7:30 on Saturday mornings to make it to my favorite yoga class. Now, I consider it a success when I manage to get to my 8:30 AM class on time. Ugh.
Sure, sometimes I miss being an early riser, disposable income was nice, and oh, San Diego, I would be lying if I said that I haven't missed your sunshine and warmer temperatures this winter! And while each of these things is largely superficial, every one of them required an adjustment of some kind. Change is good. Except for maybe the sleeping in part :)
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