Job Searching As The Follower

I have been VERY honest on this blog about career struggles and I have mentioned before that when I got married I thought my career would be the one that would accelerate faster than my husbands. WOAH was I WRONG! Not only did Kyle get promoted at UGA before me, but this move to UVa was like two steps forward for him and one step back for me.
As I mentioned in my last post, I had a little struggle with our relocation and searching for a job. What does it mean to be a "trailing" spouse, and how can I turn that to a positive?! What about my five years of professional experience and my masters degree?? I want to use them!

There were a couple of considerations for me in this search. First, I wanted to be in higher education, particularly student affairs/ student services. While Residence Life was my first love, I knew I had transferable skills that would allow me to apply to different function areas in higher ed and still be a great candidate. Second, I wanted to work at UVa. I didn't want to commute to and from work. I wanted to convenience of working at the same place as my husband. As a married couple, working together is all we know, and it works so well for us. So with all that in mind I set off on the search and I learned some good lessons:
1. Reflect- I took awhile to sit down and reflect on my experiences and how to best represent them on my resume. I shared my resume with several colleagues and got advice. I made different versions of my resume that focused on skills that would fit different areas; Human Resources, Student Advising, Housing, etc.
2. Activate your network- As soon as Kyle signed his contract I posted our good news on Facebook. The first person to comment was my NHTI faculty member who told me that she knew someone and would pass along my resume. Several of my colleagues at UGA asked for my resume so they could pass it along to people they knew that might be able to help me. Just knowing I had people to rely on and help me made me feel comfortable. When I was offered a phone interview for my current position I emailed an acquaintance from undergrad that works in the same career field and asked for advice. even though I hadn't seen or spoken to this person in almost seven years, she was happy to give me advice and encouragement.
3. Be flexible and open to new opportunities- Saying you are open to new things, and actually being open are two different things. I struggled a little bit with this at first. I had always seen myself working in a college residential setting. The average person changes their career something like eight times. I needed to be ok letting go of the comfort that went with my planned career path and EMBRACE the opportunities in front of me.
4. No past experience is too small- When I was interviewing I pulled examples from across all facets of my life; from career to volunteering, no experience was too small. If it related to the job, I used it!

I have been in my current job for over a month so far, and I am really happy. I think that everything worked out the way it was supposed to. You have to have a little faith in the process, but also position yourself to be able to make some decisions about what will make you happy in your career.

Are you there blogosphere? It's me Megan.

It has been so long since I posted on here that I am not sure if anyone is actually going to read this! Oh well. I think it is important to continue sharing what has been going on. Life is finally settling down, so maybe I can get back to posting on a semi-frequent basis.
First thing first, we left our beloved Athens, GA. Kyle applied for a position at the University of Virginia back in November of 2013. At the time I was seven months pregnant and not entirely excited about the idea of relocating, but he said he would regret not applying so I supported him. Thankfully the process lasted four months and he officially accepted the position in late March. I was so proud of him and happy to move back to Virginia. Charalottesville is two hours from my parents and to say they were excited their grandson would be so close is an understatement.

Then in June I accepted a position at U.Va. What a miracle! I was nervous after Kyle accepted his position about what I would do. I was trying to remain positive and looked at positions in Charlottesville, and also in Richmond, even though the idea of commuting hours a day seemed HORRIBLE. This wonderful position posted on the U.Va. website for an Athletic Academic Coordinator. In grad school I did an internship with academic support for student athletes and absolutely loved it. Working in athletics has always been an interest of mine, so this job was a little like a dream come true. And the process went fast. I applied and was hired all in two months. I was so focused on closing up shop in Athens, finding a place to live in Charlottesville, finding a daycare in Charlottesville, and temporarily living at my parents that I wasn't obsessing over my job future. Luckily it all worked out and I am so thankful. I started my job a month ago and we officially put down or roots in Charlottesville July 4th weekend, after living on grounds in temporary housing (insert: one bedroom, one bathroom hotel room with a five month old for two weeks, kill me now).
I grew up in VA, but in the 10 years I lived here I never once went to Charlottesville. When we told friends we were moving to Charlottesville they said it was like Athens, but classy. So far, so good. We are loving our new college town. Even though I will admit I put JSD in UGA pajamas last night and started missing Athens and my friends. Athens was so great for our family, I feel like I grew up there. it will always have a special place in my heart.

JSD

If there is one thing about motherhood that I have learned in the last two months it is, expect the unexpected. And that is exactly how the birth of our son went. My due date was February 8th. Everyone I talked to kept saying "you always go past your due date for your first baby!" I was silly enough to believe this.
I had my 38 week ultrasound on Wednesday January 22nd. The baby was measuring in the 97% for length and estimated at 8 pounds and 4 ounces. The doctor suggested that we might need to induce February 3rd because he was getting big. We left that appointment with the 3rd in mind as his birthday and I got to making lists of last minute things to do. Wednesday night I had some very random pain (what I know now were contractions). They were very irregular and stopped before I went to bed. I really didn't think anything of it.
Thursday night Kyle made his famous meatloaf, I was exhausted and fell asleep on the couch at 7:00pm. Kyle put me to bed and when I woke up in the morning I laid in bed to wait and feel the baby move. He normally would kick like crazy when I woke up, but I wasn't feeling anything. I got out of bed and got ready for the day. Still feeling no kicks, I drank a huge glass of cold orange juice and laid on my side. Still nothing. I was getting worried. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt him move. I had fallen asleep so early that I missed his normal active time. Kyle decided we should go to the emergency room.
When I arrived I was quickly taken upstairs and a very nice nurse got me situated in a room. She put the fetal heart monitors on me and quickly found the heartbeat. I started crying, I was so happy to hear that heartbeat. The nurse also hooked me up to a monitor that check for contractions. My doctor came to check on me around 9am and said that I was 3 centimeters dilated. WHAT?! My doctor said she would come back and check on us in a couple of hours to see if I was making progress. Kyle and I decided to walk around the unit and see if that could get things moving. Honestly, I was a little shocked to think that I could be in labor. I still had so much to do, and I hadn't finished my maternity leave plan at work. At noon my doctor came back and said I was 4.5 centimeters dilated and officially in labor. OH MY GOD WE ARE HAVING A BABY!
Kyle quickly called my mom. My mom hopped on the first plane to Atlanta and began her raced to Athens. I prayed that she would make it on time. My dad went back to their house and packed up their stuff and started the drive to Athens. Kyle went home to get our stuff and arranged for Gigi to be boarded while we were in the hospital. I was moved up to labor and delivery. My nurse asked if I wanted an epidural. Honestly, I wasn't feeling much pain. It was more like annoying cramps. I told her I wanted to wait and see what happened. I tried to sleep, but was too anxious. I couldn't even focus on watching TV. My doctor came back to check on my progress around 4:30pm and I was 8 centimeters dilated. HOW WAS THIS HAPPENING SO FAST?!
She wanted to break my water and see how I would progress from there. I agreed. Breaking my water didn't hurt at all, but soon after my contractions started to hurt like crazy and were very intense. After trying to walk and move around to get comfortable without success, I asked for the epidural. The procedure was quick and didn't hurt a bit. The contractions were more uncomfortable while I was sitting up, but as soon as the anesthesiologist was finished my legs started going numb and the pain started going away. The epidural seemed to slow down my labor, because I progressed from 8 centimeters to 9 slower than I had been progressing. I was actually kind of happy because it allowed my mom to get from DC to Athens in time. She showed up at 9:00pm and by 9:30 it was time to start pushing.
Because of the epidural the actual pushing part was harder than I expected. I couldn't tell what I was doing, I couldn't feel anything past my belly button. Everyone in the room was very encouraging, but I felt like nothing was happening. I was getting crazy heartburn each time I pushed, and felt like I was going to throw up. Kyle and my mom were holding on to my legs and telling me to keep going. There were a couple of times I wanted to stop and didn't think I was going to make it. But the amazing nursing staff and my doctor just kept encouraging me. After three hours of pushing, John Scott Dailey was born January 25th at 12:21am weighing 8lbs 8oz and measuring 21 inches long.

 

They put him on my chest immediately and he looked right at me. The first thing my mom noticed were his dimples. I was just in awe. He kept picking up his head and looking around. I didn't want to let him go. We stayed in the labor and delivery room for awhile, my dad was about an hour away and we wanted him to meet JSD before we were moved to the mother baby unit. My mom and Kyle went to get food, I was starving. My dad finally made it to the hospital at 2:00am and got to hold his grandson. Kyle then went with the nurses to give JSD his first bath. My parents went back to our house and I was moved to the mother baby unit.

 

There was a huge gap in time between his birth and the first time I attempted to nurse him. I was so exhausted from pushing and the lactation consultant on shift was not the greatest help. The first try did not go well. Kyle and I decided the first night that the baby should stay in the nursery so that we could get some rest. After a couple hours of sleep the new lactation consultant on duty came in with the baby and we attempted again to nurse. JSD was a little slow on the uptake. When our peditatirican came to check on him Saturday she mentioned that his bilirubin levels were rising and he might have to be treated for jaundice. Because of the high bilirubin levels JSD was a little more tired than normal and would fall asleep while trying to nurse. The lactation consultants were great and tried to help in as many ways possible to get his to latch and stay alert. They also showed me how to use my pump and get me started so that hopefully I could get my milk to come in and establish a supply.
By Sunday morning I really just wanted to go back home. Sunday after my doctor visited and said I was doing well, and the pediatrician made our follow up appointment for Monday we left to go home. The first night home was good. I kept attempting to nurse him, but it wasn't really working. At the pediatrician Monday his bilirubin levels were still high and we were sent back to the hospital. JSD was put on blue lights and treated for jaundice.  We had to supplement with a bottle and formula.

 

Thank god for my parents. They took care of things at the house, including Gigi and brought us food while we were in the hospital. It was miserable being in the hospital again. They kept taking JSD's blood to test his bilirubin levels and he had to stay on the blue lights. I couldn't hold him and snuggle him. After two nights on the blue lights and more visits from the lactation consultants we finally got to go home again.

 

I continued the nursing, pumping and supplementing schedule and was becoming exhausted. Kyle was so supportive and would sit with me while I nursed and pumped, but it was starting to take a toll on me. I wasn't getting much rest at all. I was miserable and not enjoying any part of motherhood. I cried and cried and cried. All. Day. Long.  JSD was not gaining weight quickly and I was feeling like a failure. After two weeks we decided to quit breastfeeding and switch to formula. This was for my mental health and the health of our baby. It was a really hard decision, but after talking with my OB and the pediatrician we decided it was best for JSD. As soon as we switched to formula he quickly began gaining weight, but my feelings of inadequacy and failure continued. It has taken me awhile to reconcile our decision to bottle feed.

 

I will admit that around the one month mark I started to feel more confident in my abilities. I felt comfortable going out in public with JSD alone. I attended a new mother support group and mama and baby yoga classes. The last three weeks of my maternity leave were amazing. I love our little man and being a mom, but it took me awhile to get there. I couldn't have done it without the support of my husband, family and doctors. You can read and "prepare" as much as you want but nothing truly prepares you for a newborn. You just have to experience it and know that it gets better!

 

What I Will Miss v. What I Will NOT Miss

I was talking to a colleague the other day and she asked me what I liked about being pregnant. That got me to thinking about what an incredible journey this has been. I am truly amazed at what my body has been able to do/ accomplish in the past nine months. I thought I would share what I have and haven't enjoyed about this experience.

What I will miss about being pregnant:
1. Getting to go to the front of the bathroom line
2. Maternity clothes with no zippers, buttons, waistbands. I love my maternity clothes. Yes, I am a little bored with selection, but the comfort beats the hassle of actually buttoning your pants after going to the bathroom.
3. My afternoon strawberry pop-tart treat
4. People touching my tummy. Yes, I am one of the weird people that likes when people touch my tummy. Maybe it is because no strangers have ever attempted it, but if the baby is moving I will grab the closest hand and make them feel too!
5. The shameless feeling of eating two desserts :)

What I will NOT miss about being pregnant:
1. Forced sobriety
2. Feeling like a whale out of water
3. Not being able to run/jog. I know some women run throughout their pregnancy. I stopped during my first trimester because it always left me feeling icky. I had to miss the half marathon I was registered for this October and I am itching to lace up my running shoes.
4. Not being able to bend over, pick things up off the floor or carry Gigi. My big midsection is constantly in the way. I was at the sorority house for chapter last week and completely ran into a house boy setting up chairs when I turned around and hit him with my stomach. Embarrassing.
5. Feeling so tired all the time.
6. Strangers making comments about my size. From about the sixth month on everyone looks at me like I am about to go into labor. They always make comments like "Looks like you are about to pop any minute now!" and I would reply "Well, actually no sir, I have about 16 weeks left."

This has been such a great experience. I am now just excited for my son to arrive and be here!

2014... the year of the present.

I hope everyone is having a WONDERFUL new year. Kyle and I spent NYE at home. He made a yummy dinner, I got some movies from Redbox. Very low key. That's how we like it and I wouldn't have it any other way. I feel like working in education I get the chance at a "new year" twice a year. Once in January and then again in August when the school year starts. I have always appreciated these opportunities for reflection and renewal.
Last year I set goals for a bunch of different areas of my life for my new year resolutions. I was really proud that I followed up on those goals a couple of times (every three months) to report progress and remind me what I had set for myself. This year I am taking a different approach to the whole resolution thing. I am going to try and live by the motto, be in the present.

 

I feel like so often I am dwelling in the past, or even more frequently looking to the future. Not only is this futile, but is causes anxiety and stress. Two things I really don't want or need in my life right now. In five short weeks there will be a new human on this planet that will be relying on me and I don't want to miss one moment with him because I am stuck in the past or future. I want to be present, with him.

 

Thinking about the transitions that will happen with our family, my job, my body and my life it will be very easy to get stuck in the past or future. I want to remind myself to stay in the present moment. Enjoy the little moments, be grateful for what is happening in my life and take it step by step, day by day.  I think this motto will set me up for a great 2014.

2013, you were good to me.

Wow 2013 you were more then I ever expected:

Kyle got a new job in January and I got a new job in July. We moved into a townhouse and bought all new furniture.

We traveled to Colorado for a vacation

 

I watched my brother graduate from the Navy's Officer Candidate School

I attended NHTI

 

We found out we were having a baby!

You can read this post to see the original goals that I had set for myself. I could never have imagined accomplishing all that I did.

Wellness- My goals focused on running and exercise, which I maintained the first six months of the year. I was really proud of myself, I lost weight and was feeling great. When I found out I was pregnant I tried running and it just made me feel like crap. I have enjoyed pregnancy, but I miss the ability to move.

Spiritual- My goals focused on getting involved at church and focusing on daily devotionals. I joined and then quit (for lack of time) a Bible study and did not read any devotions with consistency. But I did keep up with my volunteering as a greeter.

Career- I applied and was accepted to NHTI, the most inspirational moment of my career. I believe that this experience gave me a huge confidence boost and helped me land my new job in July.

Relationships- My relationships with my friends have had ups and downs. It hasn't been easy and I have failed more than I have succeeded. Distance, careers and family have definitely taken a toll on maintaining friendships. I feel like my relationship with Kyle is very strong. Of course we have moments but at the end of the day we totally support each other. This baby will surely test our communication skills.

Financial- Ha! Unanticipated job changes really hit this goal hard. With the move off campus and having to buy furniture, there was a major hit to our savings. On the bright side, at least there is still money in the savings account!

Random- The only books I read involved pregnancy, birth and raising a newborn. Which is better than nothing. My role as a volunteer is evolving. I quit my position as General Advisor, and will now be working with the Judicial board and Philanthropy board. I have dropped the ball with my advocacy work, and hope to pick it back up. But I am continuing with Junior League.

All in all, 2013 was an amazing year. It started off with a little rough patch but by May I had hit my stride. I couldn't have asked for a better year. I think the biggest lesson I learned was to roll with the punches, not an esay task for someone so Type A. But when I let go of trying to control the outcome for everything, things just fell into place. Life is a series of ups and downs, joys and sorrows. You have to be willing to take the bad with the good, eventually it will work out.

Birthday Wish List

I'm turning 29 this Saturday. I'm about to enter my last year "in my twenties." My age has never really bothered me and I am actually excited about getting closer to 30. I had a friend I used to work with that said when she turned 30 she took a whole new approach on life. She stopped caring about what others thought, and found satisfaction in her choices and what she wanted. I remembering her telling me this and thinking, man I want to turn 30 now! I hope with a new year comes new perspective, growth and happiness.
On a completely different note, I threw together a quick list of some items I want.

 

Michale Kors Large Selma handbag in pearl gray, on back order until December!



 

Target or Old Navy PJs. Gigi has a tendency to chase my pants. I don't know why. She has DESTROYED all my pajama bottoms and I need some new ones!

Duck Boots!

 

Camel Coat

 

 

Monogrammed necklace

 

Green Hunters

Ohhhhhh we are half way there!

 

How Far along: 20 weeks! Half way there!

Maternity Clothes? I tried to zip up a dress on Wednesday of last week and it wouldn't zip. So I tried to get Kyle to help and he zipped it, but I could barely breath! So I made my first maternity purchases from Old Navy. We will see how they work out. I got a couple of dresses, some tunics, leggings, jeans, a pair of work pants and a bunch of tops. Some of my favorites:

As you can see I am loving stripes. Let me just say maternity skinny jeans are the BEST THING EVER INVENTED! The look of skinny jeans with the comfort of an elastic waist. I'm in heaven. 
I am going though my closet and pulling what I think will work for the next couple of months. I also got a BeBand from Target and I am loving that. It allows you to wear your pants and skirts unbuttoned but still holds them up for you. I've worn it twice, and it think it is great!
Gender? We had our 20 week ultrasound on Monday and found out that we are having a..... BOY! The ultrasound tech asked if we wanted to know, Kyle and I both said yes at the same time. She hovered over baby and said "Can you guess what it is?" Kyle said "That is a penis!" And sure enough, there it was. We have four nieces, so I think it is time for some testosterone in the family!

Sleep?  My amazing husband bought me this:

And let me tell you it has SAVED me. If I don't use it I am so uncomfortable and I can't sleep. Gigi loves to cuddle with me all night, right up against my belly, which is making me really hot, but she is so cute and snuggley I don't want to move her.

Food Cravings? Dairy! I can't make it through the day without eating at least three pieces of string cheese. 

What I Miss? Coffee. I have totally cut myself back from multiple cups a day to maybe two cups a week.

Symptoms? This week I have been having jaw pain. I'm not sure if it is pregnancy related, but it was so painful and I couldn't eat, which is an awful scenario for someone that is 20 weeks pregnant and starving all the time. I ended up going to the dentist because I was so miserable. The dentist thinks I am grinding my teeth at night, or clinching my jaw because I am stressed. Normally they would give you muscle relaxers, but I can't have those. So the doctor recommended this sexy mouth guard that I wear at night and heat compresses. I must admit I am feeling better this morning, but my jaw is not 100%.

Anticipating? Starting to work on the nursery and getting furniture. My parents have volunteered to buy the furniture and my mother in law wants to get me an awesome glider. I now just want to decide how to make the room look: theme, colors, etc. I wish I was good at that sort of thing!! If anyone wants to come help you are more than welcome, I am at a total loss!
Best Moment of the Week? Getting the diagnostic ultrasound, seeing our precious baby, then being able to share it with our family!

The Anti Bucket List

So I came across this article on the Huffington Post about the Anti- Bucket List and was intrigued. I've tried to sit down and make a Bucket List but I feel like there are so many things I want to do it is hard to write them all down. However, coming up with things I know I will never do is a little easier.

1. I will never leave the east coast. All of our family is here. It is where I have spent a majority of my life. I have lived in the midwest and on the west coast, but home is the east coast.

 



2. I will never compete in an eating contest. I just don't get why you would want to eat a ton of food really fast. I would be so afraid of choking.



3. I will never sing/dance/preform in front of a large crowd. That is just not my style. Plus I have no singing or dancing ability.



4. I will never scuba dive. As an avid swimmer growing up, I am very very comfortable in the water. I love the ocean! But the idea of being under water and relying on an oxygen tank freaks me out!



5.  I will never go rock climbing. I'm not a huge outdoors, nature person and the idea of my life depending on a rope doesn't give me much reassurance of my safety.

6. I will never own a cat. I am allergic, and I think they are gross.

 



7. I will never work at a school that doesn't have a football team. Yes, this may sound ridiculous and very career limiting, but it is a perk of working in higher education. Football to me is synonymous with the fall season and working on a college campus.

This was a little difficult because I feel like I am open to a lot of new and different experiences and trying new things. My mom always would joke and say that I was so brave as a little kid, always willing to participate (like the time I volunteered to fly in the circus). I don't think we should let our fears limit us, but there are just some things I know I will not do/try and that's ok.

So.... the last four months.....

To be 100% honest I haven't opened blogger since I wrote my last post in April. A lot has happened in the last four months.

1. Kyle and I took a vacation to Colorado in May! We visited friends of ours that are stationed there. Kyle hates, hates, hates flying. So I was surprised when he said he wanted to go to the other side of the country for vacation. I'm glad we did. It was a great trip. 

 

 

2. I went to Rhode Island to see my brother graduate from Naval Officer Candidate School. And I am so proud of him. Newport is a super cute town, and time with the family was just what the doctor ordered. I hadn't seen my brother since Christmas. 

I could watch this video EVERYDAY!

 

3. I attended the National Housing Training Institute. This institute is actually hosted by my department for the Association of College and University Housing Officers- International. It is a great opportunity to work one on one with some awesome housing professionals and really focus on your goals. I am going to write a specific post about my experience, because there are things I want to reflect on, but the time I spent with my cluster and cluster leader was so valuable and transformative, this was definitely a highlight of my summer.

 

4. I got a new job! Funny story, the position I interviewed for in December actually opened up again, I applied again and interviewed again. This time I was offered and accepted the position. I started in July and have been busy ever since. My new responsibilities include coordinating the search process for professional staff and we have had some turnover the last couple of weeks that has had me busy, but I couldn't be happier.

5. We moved!! So, when I accepted my new position it meant that we needed to move off campus. Thus began the house hunt. we looked at apartments, townhouses and homes. On the east side, west side and in the center of town. It was exhausting. I have lived in Athens for four years, but never actually thought about living in the community. I was most worried about commuting to work, I know that sounds silly, but I have never actually had to do it before. We ended up finding a wonderful townhouse that is close to campus in a great part of town. I love it. And my wonderful sister-in-law came to Athens to help us move. I don't know what we would have done without her.

It wouldn't be a complete blog post without a picture of Gigi.

 

6. I found out I am pregnant!!! It was actually in the beginning of June, the night I got home from NHTI. I was in shock. I couldn't believe it. I took two tests. Kyle was so excited. We called our families immediately. My mom didn't believe me, she made me send a picture of the tests. It wasn't until we heard the baby's heartbeat at our first appointment that it really sunk in for me. And my second appointment the baby moved on the ultrasound, which was probably the coolest thing I have ever witnessed. I am so excited for this journey.

 

All in all this summer has really been a blur. And I haven't really thought about baby related things yet, which is fine because it is still early. But my attention has just been pulled in so many directions. Classes at the university started this week, so I am ready for things to get in a routine. I feel so blessed for all the wonderful things that have happened over the last couple of months and for having such a wonderful summer!

A little more about me...

Awhile ago a friend (and fellow Hokie alumna) Manisha at Hokie, Esq. tagged me in her Liebster award post. Because I was on my blog hiatus I didn't get around to it, but I figured better late than never. And this is the perfect opportunity to share more about me.

Below is what I copied from Manisha's blog about the criteria for the post:

The Liebster award is given by bloggers to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

RULES:

1. Each person posts 11 things about themselves
2. Answer the questions the nominator made for you, and create 10 more questions for the blogs you nominate.
3. Choose nominations and link them to your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.

My answers:

11 facts about me:
1. I have lived in six states and overseas in Australia.
2. I NEED coffee every morning and sometimes in the afternoon. I buy my K-Cups in bulk!
3. If I could stay in my pajamas all weekend I would.
4. I've driven across the US twice, and seen the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Devils Peak, Old Faithful and a lot of other landmarks.
5. I was supposed to be born on Halloween, but was late and my birthday is November 2nd. To this day it bothers my mom that I wasn't born on Halloween.
6. I love karaoke,  but the situation has to be just right in order to get me to sing.
7. I'm an extrovert, but sometimes I get really nervous when I am meeting new people.
8. I have never had a Big Mac. And don't plan on ever having one.
9. I'm not a morning person; thank goodness I married someone that is and helps motivate me in the morning.
10. I have a tattoo.
11. I wear dresses to work almost everyday, I just think they are easier.

1. What is your favorite tv show (past or present) and why? Currently I love Walking Dead. In the past I didn't watch much TV because I hated getting into a show and then missing an episode. But then I got TiVo and my life changed!
2. What is your ideal/dream vacation spot, expenses be damned?  I would love to do a tour of the UK; England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, etc.
3. Why did you start blogging? I started right before I got married. I was reading a bunch of wedding blogs and I thought "Hey, I love to write. Why don't I start a blog?!"
4. How many different countries have you been to and which was your favorite? I lived in Australia for three years when I was younger and it was a great experience!
5. What was your favorite part about college/grad school? I loved all of college. I went to Virginia Tech and was pretty involved in extracurricular activities and held some leadership positions. This inspired me to pursue  grad school and my current career in higher education. It's like I never left college :)
6. What is #1 on your life bucket list? I don't have a bucket list. But maybe I should start one :)
7. With which family member are you closest and why? My whole immediate family; Mom, Dad and brother. Growing up as a military kid you move around a lot and your family becomes your constant. I would say we are abnormally close. I talk to all of them almost daily. 
8. What food item could you eat for the rest of your life and never get tired of it?? Pizza. Pizza. Pizza.
9. What is your favorite movie that you could watch over and over? Steele Magnolias. I can quote the whole thing.
10. What is your favorite cereal? Anything super sugary.

I am going to tag my friend Brianna at peace, love & brianna.

Questions:

1. If you could meet anyone famous (dead or alive) who would it be?

2. What's your favorite memory with me in it? :) 

3. What's your favorite book?

4. Number 1 characteristic you look for when dating?

5. What's your favorite quote?

6. Why did you start blogging?

7. If you could change careers what would you do instead?

8. Favorite concert experience ever?

9. Favorite adult beverage?

10. Favorite restaurant?