Just exactly where is this “aback,” of which I have been taken? May 30, 2008

I have realized that things I experience in this great state of Vermont shock me on a daily basis. I am now compiling a list of these things, to be added to at will. As of yet, I am consistently surprised by:

• My incredibly fast acquisition of certain accented words. As a result of me spending some quality time with S (from New York) and P (from New Jersey), I find myself saying “cawl” and “tawlk” on occasion. It catches me off guard every time, and I instantly correct myself…though I think it’s cute when others talk like that.

• Speaking of accents, the amount of times I’ve heard that I have a southern accent. I just laugh and deny it…and then think about what they would say if they met either of the two Chips I know, either of my last two boyfriends (or some of their family…haha), Jackson, dang, even Chris Shavenasty! I’m SO not the one with the accent.

• The amount of maple syrup I see daily. In the office alone, we have a few jars, tins, or bottles-advertisers send them to us as wedding favor ideas. Every convenience store has a huge shelf for some, it’s just ridiculous. I know they make it up here or something, but wow.

• The fact that there’s not a Target in the entire state. Imagine my despair when I heard this news.

• The sheer amount of times I hear French spoken on a daily basis. Scanning the radio stations in my car, it seems like every other station is based out of Quebec (only about 40 minutes from me). I also encounter people from the area every time I hang out downtown.

• In regards to the radio, how prevalent country music is. When I make mention of how shocked I am to hear so much country music, people around here laugh and remind me that I am in a fairly rural state. Still, country music originated in Nashville, and typically discusses southern girls and the like, so I think I have a right to be slightly shocked.

• The ratio of attractive women to attractive men. There are beautiful, unique women everywhere…and creepy, older guys surrounding them. It blows my mind that there are not many handsome men in the area. I’ve personally only met one attractive man up here, yet I’ve also met many, many gorgeous women. I’m not sure why this is, but it surprises me every time.

• The activity of different generations. Going to the grocery store yesterday, I saw a woman riding bikes there with her young sons…very typical of the area. Downtown, I see men and women in their 80’s and 90’s running or cycling. This is amazing to see, but I’m reminded of just how lazy parts of the south can be when I see this…sorry, guys, but you know it’s true.

• How quickly I began actual magazine-related work. On day three, K called me into her office and handed me an 8-page article to write up…in an hour. It wasn’t all text, and I had quotes provided already, but there was a ton of work that I put into it. After that, the editorials just kept coming. I’ve written and helped put together so much, my portfolio is already huge. I shuttle files between us and a downtown Burlington design firm often, as well as pick up things for photo shoots. Last night, I helped K and another intern create pillows and other things for today’s shoot, and at 3 today, I’ll be leaving for a 6-hour trip to another photo shoot with K and S. This one will require us spending the night in Ithaca, NY. Should be fun, but it’s so hectic! I adore my job, though.

• The way men flirt around here. I was in the grocery store last night, and a tall, kind of burly man saw me as I passed his aisle. Not a minute later, as I was looking at gourmet (read: freaking expensive) frozen food, he decided he needed some as well, and came over to survey the case with me. The exchange is as follows:

Tall burly country man: “Hey, what’s going on?”

Me: *smile a little, while reaching to check the calorie count on a sundried-tomato chicken entree* “Hey, what’s up?”

TBCM: *scans meals with ingredients I doubt he’s ever heard of* “Yeah, just looking for something quick and easy…”

Me: (debating saying, “yeah, that’s not me,” while setting the 750 calorie meal back in its original place ) “Haha, yeah, me too”

TBCM: *looks at me a little more, seems to be contemplating saying something, then smiles.* “Well…um…have a good night…”

Me: *smile, while mentally considering the idea of checking out the selection of organic frozen pasta in the next aisle* “You too.”

I thought it was over, but then he happened to be everywhere else I needed to be in the grocery store…and we checked out at the same time. Once he paid for his stuff, he looked back at me again.

TBCM: “Hey…you have a great night, *grin*, ok?”

Me: *smile* “You too.”

It was genuinely the strangest exchange I’ve ever experienced. To be half-chased all over a grocery store by a tall, burly country man while he grins at me…just strange. It was almost as strange as the guy who drove next to me on the interstate the other day, blowing me kisses. I mean, seriously…I’m not THAT awesome. No, my point is, this way of attempted flirting (car flirting, frozen food aisle flirting) is not prevalent in the south, and it always confuses me when I am approached in such a way.

• Basements. Everyone has them! The only basements I’ve ever seen were Chip Carter’s and B’s, I think. Here, every single person has a basement. It blows my mind. What are they for, and why do we not have them?!

• How sociable I have to be after work. Seriously…I either go downtown Burlington, get online and talk to every person imaginable, or call people. True story-I was so bored and feeling so unsociable yesterday, I talked to the Mormons that came by the house for almost 2 hours. They were awesome, man…we had a lot of fun joking about Baptists, Catholics, non-denominational denominations, and Mormons themselves. Hey, if you can’t laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?! Anyway, I told them I’d never convert because I can’t have sweet tea or chai as a Mormon. I was serious.

There will be future posts regarding this topic, I am sure. This is all I can think about right now.

An open, slightly satirical letter to a street corner evangelist May 27, 2008

Dear Mr. Evangelist with a penchant for yelling,

Greetings from the fornicating, adulterous, homosexual, hell-bound state of Vermont! I hope life is treating you well. With those Italian leather shoes, high-end designer duds, and extremely expensive bottled water, I’d say it sure is! Anyway, I’d just like to extend my thanks for the great example you set for Christianity this past Sunday. It would seem that the best way to show people Christ’s love is to stand in the most populated section of downtown Burlington, screaming at everyone willing to give you a second glance that they are going to burn in a lake of fire. You sure have that part down, friend. Next time, as you’re yelling at people explicit accusations about their sex lives and just what exactly it is that homosexual men do, please ensure that there are even more children around than the 10 or so you so lovingly allowed to hear the language you used Sunday. It’s fine, as long as it’s all in the name of God, right? Oh, and the “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” bit…very, very clever. No one has ever heard that one before, giving you all the more reason to say it over 10 times in 5 minutes! My favorite gesture you made was the literal and figurative finger pointing, though. As the crowd screamed back at you that you were judging them, you denied the accusations vehemently, and then proceeded to judge each and every one of people before you. Forget informing these people of what the bible says in regards to certain issues! The best idea is to assume each of them takes part in debauchery, and scream in their faces as to their ultimate destination. You, sir, are the purveyor of such first-rate notions, and I applaud you for that.

No matter what, remember to keep reiterating how every single person around you, regardless of if you know their personal relationship with the Lord or not, is going to hell. Seriously, great strategy. It worked Sunday, right? I mean, you must have led…zero? negative 200? people to Him today. Great job! Now the actual, well-meaning Christians have to spend hours with these people whose minds you just corrupted to ensure them that you’re a psychotic man and that what you have to say is not representative of Christianity or the base of Christianity-God’s unfaltering love. Thanks again, buddy!

Sincerely,

The girl in the flowered skirt staring at you with sadness and incredulity in her eyes.

———————————————————————————————————————

“Where one man reads the Bible, a hundred others read you and me.”- D.L. Moody

“Therefore you have no excuse, every one of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?” -Romans 2:1-3

New days May 26, 2008

I’d like to mention first and foremost that I will never again write a blog as long as the last one. Please, post in the comments section if you actually read to the bottom of that thing…you seriously deserve a medal, because I practically fell asleep reading it. Wow.

This weekend has been pretty amazing. I went out Friday with S…and it was great. We went to my new favorite hang out, The Red Square. Because I’m awesome like that, I didn’t have to pay the cover charge. Ok, it wasn’t entirely because of my awesomeness, but I digress. So S and some of her friends and I all went and danced to some fun songs for a good long time…talk about a workout! I loved it! Occasionally, a guy would come up and attempt to dance with us, but I’d just push them away and go back to being silly with the girls. They were pretty understanding, which was surprising. I ended up spending the night at S’s house on Church Street…amazing.

The next day (Saturday), I got up and drove back to Milton, where I live. I did laundry and hung out until P called, and we went on a lunch date downtown. We met at Red Square, and walked down to the waterfront, where he took me to this amazing restaurant called Splash. It’s right on a dock on the water overlooking Lake Champlain and the mountains. Dang I love that view. I had a small salad which took me 45 minutes to eat (I kept talking…haha), but it was incredible…(even though at some point the vinegarette must have splashed onto my sweater…how do I get oil out of fabric, moms who read this?!) Anyway, it was really refreshing to spend time with someone such as this guy. Very intelligent, knows what he wants in life, respectful, and funny. So far, the most quality guy I’ve met in Vermont, by far. Sounds great, right? Yeah…he moves back to New Jersey tomorrow? for the summer, then comes back just days before I am moving back to NC. It’s just not in the cards for us to hang out more, I guess. But it was very fun going to lunch, for sure.

Saturday night, I stayed in and made myself an incredible dinner, then watched The Darjeeling Limited with K. Not too bad, but I practically fell asleep during it.

This morning, I attempted church, Vermont style. Apparently Jesus was off today at the church I wanted to go to in Colchester, because I drove almost 20 minutes to find a sign on the door saying “Church canceled for ministry (in some other town).” I wasn’t super happy, but drove back to Milton and attended the first church I saw. To be honest, I wasn’t happy with it at all, for many reasons. Oh well. Next week.

Today I went back to downtown. I truly love the area down there. I watched break dancers, an evangelist (next blog), two very young violinists, a guitar player, and a magician perform. After just walking around for a while, I went to visit P at Red Square again, as per his request via text message. He was working, but there was a great DJ outside, so I sat out on the patio area and read my book while listening to this guy mix the most surprising genres together and making them work. Loved it. I then ordered a drink only to find out that P took care of it for me. It’s pretty nice to be taken care of once in a while. We talked a good bit, but I’m hoping I get to see him once more before he leaves. Selfish? Maybe…but I really enjoy this guy’s company, and who knows when I’ll meet someone so awesome again? Hoping it’s mutual.

MM and I? Fully and completely done. Saw him at Red Square the other night with a…girl? Who knows with that one. I tried to be civil and say hi, but he got all pompous and refused to acknowledge me. That’s fine, exciting, really. He’s the most self absorbed person I’ve ever met, and literally texted me the most immature texts the other day, one of them saying “peace loser!” and another ending in “f*** off.” As everyone warned me, he was bad news, and a complete waste of my time. He was a bike ride, a fellow texter, and someone to tell me about the area. Past that? Nothing.

Tomorrow I’m off, but I’ll probably run into work to get my camera upload cord. I want to go out and take photos tomorrow, for sure. I think the next or next-next blog will be like a photo album…should be nice.

Leave me some comments if you have time. I’m curious as to who reads this. I had 150 views or so on my busiest day, but no indication of who could have made up that number. Oh well.

Love you guys.

Photo: Quick shot, not looking, out of the window on my way to work.

Connecting the new and the old May 23, 2008

How is my life in Vermont going? Wow, how kind of you to ask. You really want to know? Alright.

Vermont is many things, the least of which disinteresting. Rather, I am constantly intrigued by the people, sights, stories, and adventures to be had. Let’s play a little word game here. I’ll give myself 43 seconds to type the words that come to mind when I think about my life and Vermont. Why 43? Why not 43? That’s the question you should really be asking yourself.

Ready? Go.

Cold. Exciting. Busy. Not busy. Gorgeous. Cold. Fun. Downtown. Work. Driving. Social. Happy. Cold. Beautiful. Lake. Mountains. Family.

Well that was fun, though I did go over by .4 seconds. I just had to finish “family.” I didn’t want to upset my readers by typing only “fami,” as that could mean a number of things. Within a matter of moments, the thoughts would begin racing through their minds. “Did she mean familiarity? That doesn’t make sense! Famine? Is she starving to death?! I need to send her money for food (as an aside, always appreciated). Familisaurus? Is that even a real dinosaur, and if it is, are there dinosaurs in Vermont? Jana’s in danger!!!” Obviously, the results would be unnerving, so please forgive me for the .4 seconds I took over my self-allotted time. I was merely looking out for my viewers, attempting to spare them mental anguish.

I can hit each one really quickly, just to explain my thoughts on the issues.

Cold. I realize I wrote this three times, but I promise that the sheer amount of times I am found shivering allows me to be a bit ruthless with the word. Every morning, I wake up under my six (not a typo) blankets and have to will myself out of bed. So far, I haven’t figured out what exactly it is that motivates me. I love my job a lot, but I am hard-pressed to find a good reason to climb out of a perfectly warm cocoon of heat and amazingness and step into a cold marble shower with a very lightly pressured stream of warm water. I’ve attempted to devise a way in my head to keep my feet warm constantly, but I don’t think wearing socks in the shower would solve anything. Supposedly, this weekend is supposed to be a warm one, but I am skeptical.

Exciting. My life is exciting, what can I say? There’s so much up in the air in regards to what I could possibly be doing today, tomorrow, next week. As of yet, there’s been a lot of spontaneity, and I love it. I anticipate more fun times in the coming future, especially with a few awesome girls I work with (future blog, for sure). I think that even when I’m not doing anything, no plans, the idea that I can do whatever I want is exciting enough. It’s definitely the life.

Busy. Work has been crazy this week. I go in at 9am and work until we decide that the rest can be left for the next day. Usually, it’s around 5, but last night we stayed until about 8. K bought us dinner from an amazing restaurant called Tiny Thai, though, so it wasn’t bad. My cousin took me there a few weeks ago, and I loved her Pad Thai that she ordered, so that’s what I got this time. Jess would be so proud. All day, though, I am jumping from one project to the next, running errands (usually taking files downtown to a design firm), and yet still having a blast. Once I get home, I’m usually beat…but it’s very worth it.

Not Busy. When you take into account work, yes, I’m busy. My social life is the least busy I’ve ever had, though I think I just lied to you right there. Have you ever realized that what you’re saying isn’t true as you’re saying it? That just happened. No, during school this semester, I led a fairly boring life-not much social interaction at times. It’s Friday and I went out 3 or 4 times this week, and I’m going out tonight with girls from the office. So yeah, I lied. But the few nights spent at home chilling make me want to run to the nearest convenience store and chat up the cashier in exchange for good conversation. Pathetic? Exactly.

Gorgeous. I have never been to such a breathtaking place. My drive to work alone involves rolling hills, pastures, and red barns everywhere. Only a few feet from the house I’m staying in is a beautiful lake, bordered on one side by a highway and trees on the other. Burlington itself is incredible. On one end of the downtown area, there’s Lake Champlain. Across the lake, the Adirondack mountains form an amazing skyline. There are also mountains surrounding Burlington, almost in a U-shape, with both tips hitting the lake. It’s enough to take my breath away just driving to my cousin’s or downtown. I truly enjoy every view, every minute in this area. In the interest of time, I’m including beautiful, lake, and mountains in this category.

Cold. See above.

Fun. I’m having so much fun. Work alone is fun, especially because of the people I work with. One girl, S (yes, we’re continuing the initials game), invited me out with her last night after work. I met her at her amazing downtown apartment, and we drove over to a house where a bunch of people were getting together. Call it a party if you wish, but know that I was responsible. It was great to meet so many new and interesting people, though once it got full in the basement ( yes, a basement…they really don’t have those in the south) I ended up just hanging out and talking with the guy who was kind of like a DJ there. We had fun, and have plans to get some lunch sometime this weekend before he moves back to New Jersey. I’m looking forward to it, for sure. I’ve decided that the best way to see Vermont, to begin to feel like a local, is to take people up when they ask you to go to lunch or dinner, and ask them to take you to their favorite place. This way, I’m able to see a range of places and hang out with new people that I may have never considered otherwise. I did the same with a girl at my office the other day, Ky, and that was fun too.

The people around here are much different than those I’ve interacted with my whole life. For instance, the gorgeous girls who dress up and go out at night are the same ones who can kick any man’s tail in snowboarding. Unreal, right? It was a fun night last night, and I’d love to go out again. I think I must have met about 20 people, and all were cool, interesting, and very unique (at least in my opinion). In the interest of time, I am going to categorize the word social with this one.

Downtown. Burlington is an amazing city. It’s small enough that you get a feel for where you’re going fairly quickly, but large enough that you could spend every day down there and never get bored. I’m really loving it. Downtown is where it’s at, really. If I do move back here, I will be very tempted to move near Church Street, though the rent is ginormous. There’s so much to do and see, though, I feel like it’d be worth it. I went to a great lounge-type place the other day called The Green Room. It was very chill, very beautiful, and very expensive…but it was definitely my kind of place. I also have been to a few other places down there in recent days. I love the live music and the friendliness of everyone. It’s truly an incredible place to go.

Work. My job is amazing. For the first few days, I was working on the website, which is an incredibly tedious job that seemingly has no end. After a while, though, K started sending me articles to write, people to contact about quotes and the like, and other fun magazine-related things. It’s definitely a lot to do, especially with deadlines, but this is what I love. I am enjoying giving the magazine some of my own writing, and I’m excited to see it in print. I’m not sure when the first issue comes out, but some of you will see it as soon as it does! I’m really loving everything I do, and I could easily see this in store for me in the not-too-distant future.

Driving. This one’s quick. Everything is about 20-30 minutes away, so I’m driving a lot. Thank God for my dad allowing me to use his GPS, thank the devil for the gas prices. Seriously…only satan could wish that upon us.

Happy. I am so happy right now, really. I’m loving my life. I really appreciate every new thing that comes my way while I’m here in Vermont, and it’d be a difficult task to find me without a smile on my face. I’m doing what I want to do, for the first time ever. It’s amazing, really.

Family. I’m close to C and CH, which is awesome. I actually went over to their house Tuesday and watched American Idol with them. C is really amazing, I feel like she could seriously become one of my closest friends. CH is cool too, with his dry sense of humor that always leaves C and I laughing really hard. I really love both of them a lot, and I’m so lucky to be in such a close proximity to them! This weekend they’ll be out of town, but I hope to hang out with them very soon. Also, the rest of my extended family are all within a short drive. I’ve never experienced living so close to family…it makes me smile.

Oh, and in case you thought I hadn’t devised an (actually truthful) plot to make my readers all roll their eyes and shake their heads, think again.

MM and I were at the mall at the same time randomly the other day(I’m telling you, small town), so we grabbed coffee together, hung out a bit. Then lunch the next day as I left my ID in his car. There’s a good chance that could be our last time hanging out, for a number of reasons.

Other than that craziness, I’m pretty much man-free. Parents, breathe easy.

Thanks for reading. I’ll write more later.

Photo: Slightly altered (saturation-wise) bridge on my way to work. Click for full size…it’s worth it.

The irony of an ending on a day of fresh starts. May 19, 2008

It’s unfortunate when two people fall under the assumption that compatibility can be forced, molded, and applied at will to their relationship, regardless of the white elephant in the room trumpeting warnings of the obvious.

When I met MM, I quickly realized that the list of things we had in common was far shorter than the list of ways we were polar opposites. We were decidedly cavalier about disregarding the aforementioned lists, and began to jump headfirst into what could only be described as a whirlwind of time together, plans, and emotions. As invigorating as this was, it was obviously a poor decision on both of our parts.

My slight interest in MM was confusing to me at first. He was different than most of the men I’ve ever been interested in, and again, we were polar opposites.He was older, in the military, very intellectual, driven, almost brutally honest, and had a bit of a wild streak. Then I realized- the reason why I was interested was for the very fact that he was different than most of the men I had ever been interested in. The extremity of the differences left me feeling intrigued and always wanting more, so I sought after it. Through my short dealings with him, I saw qualities that I found incredibly attractive, which are now on my (ever growing) list of things I want in a man.

This morning, MM and I decided to not see each other anymore. It was the most mature and easiest break-off I’ve ever experienced, and it left me feeling relieved. In recent days, the questions and frustrations far exceeded the fun that we originally had been having. When a relationship becomes more of a struggle than anything, it’s time to go. I feel the decision was made at the perfect time.

MM was a good thing for me, though, as unlikely as it may seem. For one thing, he constantly encouraged me to speak about myself more positively. I fall often under the spell of making disparaging comments about every flaw I find in myself, but he helped me out of that, for the most part. He consistently reiterated the notion that confidence is sexy, and no one wants to pull up someone with low self esteem on an hourly basis. For once, I began to feel very confident, largely as a result of MM’s compliments, but also in his urging for me to speak more highly about myself.

Another lesson this situation with MM taught me is that compatibility is either present or not. With the amount of eligible single people in this world, there is no excuse for attempting to force anything in regards to working together properly. I believe there is someone out there for everyone, and neither party should have to make extreme sacrifices just to make it work.

It’s my first day alone in Vermont, and I came to all of these realizations before eight in the morning. Yes, I envision a summer full of lessons learned, and I am thrilled about the prospect.

Thanks for the great time, MM, and thanks for all you taught me.

And so it begins. May 18, 2008

How do I possibly introduce myself? There is a very large chance that the only person to visit this blog throughout these next few months is my father, but you never know with the internet.

Me? I’m Jana. I’m 21 at the moment, but feel content describing my age as being, “Oh, I’ll be 22 this year.” The greatest compliment that I receive on a regular basis is that I have a good head on my shoulders. I’d like to believe that it’s a true one.

I’ll be going into my senior year this fall at a small college in North Carolina. I’m a communications major, with an emphasis in public relations. I’m also minoring in psychology. College is a fun time, but I’m ready to start the next chapter of my life.

I have been in three relationships in the past five years. In high school, I dated a guy for two years. As soon as I got to college, I broke up with him and dated a new guy, B, for another two years. A few weeks after I broke up with him, I started dating another guy for six months.

Hello, my name is Jana, and I’ve been sober from the relational commitment lifestyle for three months. Please, hold your applause.

Interestingly enough, the breakup with the last guy, J, triggered the adventure that I am currently on. Looking back, he and I weren’t incredibly compatible in the first place. I’m only a year older than him, but the maturity levels revealed something else entirely. Also, J is from a very small town in North Carolina close to where I attend school, and I could never be sure that my future didn’t entail living there for the rest of my life. This is relevant because you need to know that I’m never content with status quo, with living in the same place for longer than necessary, with settling for second best, or with a lack of culture or adventure in my life. So J and I broke up. It took me only a week to get over it, because I was well aware of the fact that I was in for a much more exciting future.

After the breakup (March), I began researching my options for the coming months. To be honest, I was continuously making plans that proceeded to fall through days later. I settled for taking classes in the one-stoplight town that is home to my university, but soon realized that I wouldn’t be able to for a number of reasons. I was only a few weeks away from moving into an apartment with a girl I know when she had to back out. The disappointments kept coming, and summer was soon approaching.

With a month to go until classes let out, I made a decision. I would not allow myself to go back to the smallish, southern town that I had lived in all my life. I was tired of the same people, the same roads, the same entertainment, the same everything…I had seen it all, ever since I was very young. I was ready for a change. My life was not going the way I wanted it to go, and I decided to take it upon myself to fix that. When my adviser told me that I needed an internship for the summer, I set out to make it happen-and so the adventure began.

I took out a map of our great United States of America, and marked where I knew people that I wouldn’t mind spending the summer with or near. The places ranged from Florida to Georgia, Michigan to Maine. I zeroed in on one spot, though-the Northeast. I have an aunt, uncle, and 3 cousins in Maine, and my grandmother lives in Boston. I have visited my family in Maine almost every year since I was about 12 years old, so I am fairly familiar with the area. I began researching internships in the area, and I found a handful. None were paid, but I anticipated that, especially considering I was applying for these jobs only a month before I was available to start working. I created a resume, and began sending it out, but to no avail.

As all of this was going on, I remembered my favorite cousin (C) who lives outside of Burlington, Vermont with her husband (CH…cousin’s husband). I actually went to their wedding with B in Vermont last July, and fell completely in love with the area. I remember looking over at B and saying, “one day, I’m going to live here.” If only we knew at the time that we weren’t going to live there, I was. Could have saved ourselves a lot of time, but I digress.

I immediately put a listing on Craigslist:

Hello,

I am a rising college senior from North Carolina studying communications with an emphasis in Public Relations. I am at a place in my life where I want to explore and see new places, and as I have family in Vermont, I feel it is just the place to spend a summer. I am looking for an internship in the world of communications, marketing, or public relations. I am very motivated, focused, and flexible, and feel I can offer a great deal to your company. If I obtain an internship, I will be able to move to Vermont from North Carolina mid-May, and stay until mid-August. Of course, a paid internship would be ideal, otherwise I’ll have to get a second job, but I am understanding that acquiring a great, paid internship is very rare. Please email me back through this listing if interested.

Thank you,

Jana

I didn’t think much would come of it. After all, even if someone was interested, I probably wouldn’t be able to interview before I was available to move. It was a shot in the dark, but I’m glad I fired. A few days later, as I was starting to give up hope, I received an email.

Hi Jana:

I would love to speak with you about a possible internship with my company (she proceeded to list the magazines she owns).

K

I was incredibly excited, but I kept a cool head and wrote her back. We ended up hitting it off pretty well, and I found out that she runs two wedding magazines, one for Vermont and one for New York. They are incredible, and very reminiscent of the style of the magazine Real Simple.

In between finishing school and everything else I had going on, I found a weekend to fly up to Burlington to meet K. I stayed with C and CH, and had an incredible weekend.

• K offered me 40 hours a week.
• C and CH showed me around Burlington.
• Fell in love with the city and surrounding areas.
• Approached a guy downtown and hit it off (we’ll call him MM-motorcycle man, as he has a nice bike, and taking a ride was kind of a first date for us.)
• Spent the remainder of the weekend seeing Vermont through the eyes of C and CH, riding on the back of MM’s bike, and going to yard sales with K.
• Was offered a place to stay with K for the summer, in the gorgeous hundred-something-year-old house she’s restoring. Right next to a lake. With a gym. And a pool I can use.
• Noticed I’m only about an hour away from Montreal.
• Found out that through this internship, I will have the opportunity to visit and work in the Hamptons and/or Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.

To sum up? A perfect opportunity. I came back to North Carolina missing Vermont already, and seemingly counted down every second until I got back.

A few days ago, my father and I packed up the car, and drove the 21 hours from South Carolina all the way here to Vermont. I moved in to K’s house, spent time with C and CH, got to see K and her mom a few times, and hung out with MM for a while.

I’m here to stay for the summer, and I’m loving every minute of it. My internship starts tomorrow at 8:30am, most likely prompting a new blog.

This summer is going to be an adventure. I am becoming the type of person who searches for excitement and new experiences, and I plan to blog about it all. I do hope you’ll stick by and watch it all unfold.

-J