Day 44: My Mind is Blown

Well, I successfully completed my first day of orientation at my new job! I will admit that I'm falling in love. Although only one of these pictures is from the building that I will be working in, it gives you a sense of what the whole property looks like. Actually, our multiple properties. As much as I learned today, I can't even imagine what I will be learning over the next few months. This place is so wonderful to work for. I've already met some great coworkers and I can't wait to continue to be introduced to even more along the way. I will admit that this is a lot to take in. If you asked me 6 months ago if I could have even imagined being where I am now, I would have told you that you were crazy. Hell, half of the time I'm the crazy one!


My view from lunch!

The view from the room where orientation was held! (This is also my view from work!)

Day 42: Signed My Life Away

Well, NOW my job is super official! Today I was given my Official Offer Letter, which has for sure made this whole thing feel real. Now I'm even more excited than I was when I was just getting the job offer by word-of-mouth.

I met with the 3rd and final manager this morning, he helped me cross all my t's and dot all my i's. Every single piece of paper is signed and I'm in the system! I swear to sweet baby Jesus if I have to sign my name ONE MORE TIME in the next week, it won't even be legible. Now, I'm just waiting for the food trying part of the job. They still do that stuff, right? I do love food...

Did I mention that they have already given me homework. HOMEWORK?! As soon as I thought I missed school, I was told that I had to memorize 3 of the longessssttt sentences E.V.E.R. in less than 48 hours. Not only do I have to memorize them, but I have to read them, out loud, at orientation. You know, in front of a ballroom full of heaven only knows how many people. Let's just say that I'm surprised I haven't typed those 3 sentences in this post yet because it is the only thing running through my mind. Yeah...I may or may not have already memorized them...

I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to things like that. Then you challenge me with the whole time limit thing? Oh, it's on.

Day 37: Simple Sunset

Throughout this whole project, I always wake up every day and ask myself "What the heck am I going to take a picture of today? What if I don't do anything worth documenting? How is that going to help me to remember this day, a year from now?" But, when I walked out of my house today, I quickly realized that nature is the best backdrop for anything worth looking at. I know we can get creative and take pictures of something we did, something we bought or a cool object at a place that we visited. But, we forget that the location and the landscape itself often provide us with the most beautiful pictures.


Now, I know that I can't take a nature picture every single day, because goodness knows that I for sure won't remember it a year from now. But, for today, I couldn't help but capture this scene that I saw, and I will forever remember the 'light bulb' moment I had as I was taking this: although we all see the same sun every day, we see a different sunset. The scene that is painted for us is interpreted differently in each persons eyes. Just that thought it worth capturing, but I am so glad that I have an image to couple with it.

Day 36: Frozen Yogurt Addiction

I do have a frozen yogurt addiction and I don't care who knows it! When I lived back with my mother, just outside of Orlando, I used to drive about 35 minutes to get to my favorite frozen yogurt place, Menchies, even though there were two places less than 10 minutes from my house. But, as I've said before, when I find something new, I fall in l-o-v-e with it. When I moved in with my father, a Menchies had JUST opened less than a mile from my house, so you know where I was at least once a week. But, when this new place opened up, I had a change of heart.


Thanks to my wonderful friend Lauren for giving my Father and I a giftcard to Earth Fruits Yogurt! She knows us all too well; it's one of my Father and I's favorite places to go for a little late night sugar craving cure. I am so grateful that this place opened up right down the street from our house just a few months ago. I have to admit that every single time I go in there, I fall in love with a different flavor of FroYo. However, my father always defaults to the vanilla flavor, with some chocolate toppings. He's a simple man. This time I tried a blend of their Peanut Butter FroYo and their Oreo FroYo, topped with 2 vanilla wafers, crumbled graham crackers, granola (they have THE BEST), oreos and Cinnamon Toast Crunch (we'll discuss my cereal obsession at a later date)!! This has to be one of my best combinations to date. I know there are not too many Earth Fruits around, but if you have one, PLEASE go try it. You won't be disappointed.

Day 35: Just Be Yourself

My morning started off with the best advice you can ever hear, and it came from my wonderful Mother: “Just be yourself!”

Without going into TOO many details, because I don’t want to get excited just yet, I will tell you that I had a job interview today! When I find out the ‘results’, you know I will for sure spread the word! Until then, I will tell you that it went really well, I was in a super great mood for 10:00AM and the view from the interview spot was spectacular, sunny and bright. I’m praying that those same words can be used to describe my mood in a few days when I get the call!

Until further notice, I’ll leave you with these pictures from my day! I was super excited about this adorable, sheer peachy-colored shirt that I got for my interview, which turned into a casual shirt with shorts for my post-interview coffee and Skype date with a great friend!

Day 33: Take Your Pick, Wineo

Again, I realize I'm continuing on my adult beverages trend, but I still don't mind. I have also realized that I have become a wineo, yet I am still not well versed on wine knowledge. Mainly because the knowledge isn't the fun part, right?

Have I ever mentioned that I have some pretty great friends?! Two of the girls that I hang out with in town are two people that I have grown to really respect because of the way they have 'taken care' of me since I've been in this town. Tonight was nothing short of the great things they involve me in. We all three ventured to a wine bar in downtown called 'Sarasota Vineyard'. Having been to an actual vineyard, I know this place fell short of being anything close to the actual thing, but it was 100% one of the coolest places I have experienced. Upon walking in the doors, you are greeted by the most anxious wine-giver-outers ever! First, you have to put a personally selected amount of money on a plastic card, which you'll use to pay for the endless samples of wine you'd like to try. Once you fill your card, you are given a wine class and free reign to sample anything they have in house (so long as you have the correct amount of funds. Situations like these come at a price, hello!) Thing is, the wine is dispensed like soda. I can't even make this stuff up. You insert your card, then proceed to put your wine glass under the spout and select a sample, a half glass or a full glass. Being that I love any and all white wines, I stayed towards that side of the selections.

After finally picking out my favorite (Riesling!), we each filled our glasses and sat down for some weekly catch-up. Again, I'm so thankful for nights like these and friends like this.


Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

Day 32: New and Old Friends

I seem to have made a Friday night routine of venturing to Downtown, and I feel like I am faced with a completely different crowd every time I walk into bars there. Needless to say, it proves for interesting stories. I have been making these Friday adventures with my friend Catherine who just moved to town a couple of months ago. We met at the University of Florida in Geology Lab quite a few years ago. We still share the embarrassing stories from that class, because a majority of them are worth repeating. Tonight, she invited out some of her friends, hence the new friends that I met! We all had a blast dancing to a live cover band and watching the prime of this town shake their groove things.

Day 29: Way Up There

It was a great day in the city of Sarasota! My Dad and I got to witness SUCH a breathtaking, nerve-wracking (for me) event at the Bayfront, about 7 miles from our home. After eagerly driving around Downtown Sarasota, impatiently looking for a parking spot, my father and I just stopped the car in a turn lane, hopped out and witnessed this daredevil stunt.

Nik Wallenda, a famous high wire artist, who happens to be from this beautiful city, performed a no nets, no harness walk, high in the sky above one of Sarasota's busiest roads. After being hoisted up by a crane, he proceeded to walk the 600 foot long high wire, that measures no more than a nickel in width. Oh, and did I mention he was 180 feet in the air!? This whole event began at 11:00AM this morning, and I was for sure this was going to take at least 30-40 minutes to complete. Much to my dismay, he completed this walk in 15 minutes! I can't speak for him, but I can say that it was the longest 15 minutes of MY life. Local news stations reported that AT LEAST 10,000 people showed up to witness this act. I'm SO excited that my Dad and I were 2 people that can say we finally saw him...LIVE!

I realize that it is so difficult to see him in the pictures that I have, but that just means you'll have to look extra hard to find him!


This stunt was a plain Jane kind of act for Nik, being that last year he completed a walk across Niagara Falls. Click here to read more about Nik and find out about the WILD things he has planned for later this year.

Day 3: Water Baby

I was born in Sarasota, but didn't live here long enough to appreciate the amount of history and beauty that this city holds. Today, Dad and I took a trip out to the edge of the water to one of my favorite food spots: The Old Salty Dog. Although they are famous for their deep fried hot dogs, I can't say that I indulged in said hot dog. Instead, I enjoyed a Grouper Wrap with a side of the oh-so-addicting Diet Coke.

After our wonderful, filling lunch, Dad and I took a drive up Gulf Of Mexico Drive. This had to be one of the most beautiful drives I have ever taken. Past all of the high rise condos and beautiful golf courses, were the calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. I'll tell you right now that the view of that large body of water never gets old. Although I didn't get to snap any photos of this scene because it started to drizzle, I will hopefully make it over that way again soon so that I can share those photos with you! But, for today, enjoy pictures of the rustic and cute Old Salty Dog! :)

Cutest little boat, named after one of my all time favorite 'Beatles' songs!

My De-li-cious Grouper Wrap!

Some of their festive decorations!

The scene from their front dock. Never gets old.