Hello again...

Hi there!

I have neglected writing on my blog for about hm...5-6 months, now? Oh, life has a way of weaving in and out in such a way that I chose not to publish or broadcast on the net. Thus, I completely avoided this blog - and partly on purpose.

Whenever life becomes a bit crazy in my life - you know things happen that I do not expect or do not see the end in site or the purpose of whatever small crisis I might be going through...or living in, I tend to put my arm up with my hand spread wide communicating - please, I need space. Distance. Time to think and be.

And so, in those times and seasons in my life, I hide. Strange, right? Outgoing, friendly, talkative Tina NOT talking? Well, it's true. For about a month and a half after I came back to DC, life was hard. And I didn't call my close girlfriends or write emails or texts or facebook messages. I just dealt with it, prayed, cried, talked to my parents and the people directly in my space...and eventually came out on the other side.

After I found a place to live, a job, and life fell into a rhythm, I failed to update all of you lovely people who read this during my internship...and for that I am a little bit sorry. ;) Hope you can take this post today as my "hope" to be better at keeping and staying in touch. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to publicly post on my blog here at least once a month, if not twice a month (preferrably once every 2 week).

So - time will tell. :) Okay - now that I've cleared up this little abscence, let me update you on life in the City for me. First of all, I LOVE it here! This IS definitly the place that I will be for...hopefully forever. I want to meet the man whom I will partner with for life, have kids with him, raise a godly family, work and live in the DC Metro area. I want to build a life here and set down roots deeply. :) This is the place and space that God has called me to, and I am ever so much at peace living and working here.

Is it everything I dreamed of in the 4 years that I wanted to move here? No...but life never turns out the way that I plan it or dream it up to be! Because life is not perfect. It's good and messy and lovely and painful all at the same time. I don't think I'd have it any other way. However, I have grown a lot since moving here, definitly feel older, and know the heart of my Lord Jesus much deeper and better than I have ever known Him before. Life is overachingly and generally good.

It ends up the job I thought I "had" when I flew back to Kansas for one of my close college girlfriend's wedding, I did not get. It was a position as an Admin Assistant at an international financial banking firm with a branch office located in NW DC. Thus, when I came back to DC and stayed with about, oh 4 different couples/single people from my church I furiously hunted for a job and a place to live. After the 3rd week, I discovered an Admin Assistant (AA) posting on a Christian church's job forum. I applied to it (among tons of other job postings) and received a call from them. That Thursday that the previous AA called, they asked me to come in for an interview the same day. I met with two of the engineers from the civil engineering firm located in Fairfax, VA. The interview went well, and the pay they discussed was lower than I had wanted for a job while living in the District, but it was a job.

About 4 days after my interview and a turbulent weekend, I received a phone call from them offering me the job, and hoping that I could start that week on Friday. I accepted after negotiating some paid commuting benefits, and received my one day of training on that Friday from the previous Admin Assistant. The week between finding out I had a job (Praise God! Yay!), I started calling and setting up appointments with various places in the NOVA (Northern Virginia) area. One of the ladies in my community graciously offered to take me around to the different townhouses and houses to search out these "potential homes" where I would rent and live with other roommates. There was one that stuck out to the both of us located in Annandale, VA. It's a town away from my job - and there are two lovely ladies (both older than I) who both know the Lord that I share the townhouse space.

Whew! There you have it. I'm working as an Admin Assistant in Fairfax at a small civil engineering firm comprised of 5 men. We share an office space with another company - a survey company. I answer the phones for both companies and do a little filing for ASI (Alexandria Surveys International - back office co.) and then do random other projects and copying for the company I am employed by. In total we have 11 people (including me) in the office...both companies combined. Even though, I would rather be working back on Capitol Hill or gaining some insight/experience in a law firm my job is good. For now, I see it as a stepping stone to the desired position, a place to grow, and truly a kind working environment. God knew what I needed. A fairly stress-free workplace where I have a lot of flexibility with time. I do not have to worry about coming into work and having people scream because they are upset at whatever is not going right with business or even with work that I am doing. That is a good thing! There are many more stressful places I could be, but I am not. And for that, I am grateful. Thankful for a supervisor who cares about me, my well-being, and who thinks I am doing a good job at my position. Most of the guys are cordial and professional, so it is good. Coming and going to work has been a process!

When I first started, I discovered that with public transportation (which I use frequently b/c of the absence of a car) it would take me 1.5 hrs going to work and 2 hr coming home. Not to mention switching buses 3 times on the way there and home! I did not realize that when I moved to this place...but see it's only a 20 minute drive, so I figured it wouldn't be too much longer taking buses. Boy, was I ever wrong! That's okay, though. The time commuting is used listening to my ipod, applying makeup (if I woke up a little late), reading books, journaling, talking to God, gazing out the window and watching the sunrise, and occassionally trying to talk to people around me. Trying? Yes. I would say that 85% of the people who ride the buses around this area are either Hispanic, Indian, and Korean. That would mean that only 15% or less speak English. Really? Yes - I thought that most Hispanic people would speak both English & Spanish. Eh, after hearing "No english, only espanole'" ...oh, 5 - 12 times, I kinda gave up trying! I took about 2 years of Spanish back in high school and only remember a few phrases. So, whenever a black or white person boards the bus, I secretly get excited, thinking, "I can TALK to that person!". :) Sometimes I choose not to, but the possibility is there - and that is ever so refreshing!

This post is probably increasingly long by now...so I'll save the rest til next time. Happy 2011, dear friends and thank you for caring enough to pray, call, email, send cards, and just be you! Thank you to all who sent Christmas and birthday cards and/or who took time to have breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, drinks, or just hang out with over the short time I had in Kansas. Now - to all of you who I did not see while visiting over the time I was there from Christmas to New Years - my apologies. It was not intentional...there just was not enough time in the day for me to see more people...truly! Even if we had talked (via the phone) about getting together while I was there...I did not have any free time. For real. So - if you want to "catch up" next time I have a bit of time in Kansas, please let me know in some form (text, call, email, facebook message, etc.) and I will make sure that YOU are one that I DO spend time with (however long or short as time allows) while visiting. Okay? :)

Well - may this be a wonderful year with a bright, fresh, clean start! Dream big. Lives will change. God will show up in our lives in ways we never expected, imagined, anticipated, or dreamed possible. And of course, we'll continue to carry one another in our hearts as we journey through this land.

Until next time...
Tina Lou