All settled in

Two weeks with no internet is enough to drive a girl crazy. Currently, Panera and I are pretty tight. In the two weeks that I've been in Nashville, I think I've eaten at a Panera at least 10 times--mainly because I've needed to use the internet, but also because it provides a sort of comfort away from home. I love that every location looks almost exactly the same, with only a few differences in the layout of the particular franchise. I always know what to expect.

So far, Nashville is fantastic, besides the unbearable heat. One of my friends from college and her husband live in a suburb about 25 minutes away, so I've seen them multiple times for dinner dates, movie dates, a crafternoon, and even a trip to the lake. Seeing familiar faces regularly has also helped ease the transition.

The first week I spent here, I was staying in a hotel and spending the days working at my new school. I'm helping to develop the curriculum for 6th grade math since it's the first year it will be taught at this school. Last weekend, my parents came in to town to help me move into my new place, and this week is really my only "down" week before work starts again.

Pictures from my new place are below. I have to say, all of the decorating credit goes to my mother, and the building credit goes to both my mom and my dad. Mom did an amazing job picking out a color scheme that used what I already had (purple dining room chairs) and the backdrop that my condo provides (concrete floors, stainless steel appliances, espresso cabinets). And dad was a champ, spending many hours putting together at least a half a dozen pieces of furniture. I could never, ever have done it without my parents' help, and it definitely would not looked even a fraction of as great as it does.

It's a one-bedroom, 1.5 bath condo with space for a laundry room and a walk-in closet. And so far, I have loved every single minute of having my own place and living by myself. I absolutely loved my roommates in Roanoke Rapids, and miss them dearly. But I really appreciate having my own space and only having to worry about ME! It will be a nice escape after spending all day in a classroom with students or in meetings with other teachers. The only thing I don't have a picture of is the view from the rooftop terrace. My unit is on the second floor, and the view is nothing special, but if you go up to the 5th floor, there is a public rooftop terrace that has an amazing view of the Nashville skyline. I'm exactly 1 mile from school and 1 mile from downtown Nashville...doesn't get much better than that!

The on

Hope to have some visitors soon!