The Apartment Hunt

On Sunday, we celebrated another milestone in our wedding countdown. Only five months until our big day! I can hardly believe it.

We've been doing the long distance thing for what seems like forever, but before we knew it, it was time to start looking for a place to live.

Thomas will move to Austin at the beginning of May and starts his internship at a hospital in Round Rock a few weeks later. However, where he gets a job after graduation in August is completely up in the air. He may be brought on full-time after his internship, or he may get an offer from another hospital/clinic in town. For this reason, and with me working in downtown Austin, we wanted to find a place relatively central to allow for flexibility in both careers.

We spent this weekend hunting for the perfect little place, and after touring nine (yes, 9!) apartment communities, it was a unanimous decision. We officially have a place to call home!

Thomas and I will be residents of good ol' Pflugerville, Texas, "where quality meets life." Their unofficial slogan is "Pflugerville: between a rock (Round Rock) and a weird place (Austin)." Hah! I love it.

I love that we'll have a little part of Austin that's new to both of us. I've driven through the cute historic downtown square, and I'm excited to explore our new surroundings together.

I can't wait to decorate, I can't wait to entertain, and I definitely cannot wait until my best friend and I are in the same place.

I'm also thankful that my commute will be a little shorter than what I currently drive. From our apartment to my office is 13 miles, or approximately 20 minutes with no traffic. Right now, I live 21 miles away from the office. Hopefully, my commute will be a little more than 10 minutes shorter. Anything helps!

Here's a few snapshots of what our cozy two-bedroom, third floor apartment will look like! Thomas moves in May 9th and it will be his bachelor pad until we get married. Thanks for everyone's well wishes. We're so excited!

View of the living/dining room from the entry

Loving the built-in bookshelves in the guest bedroom

Nice, open kitchen

TWO sinks in the master bath... yesssss

Also love this built-in desk in the master bedroom

Our unit is close to the pool, but on the backside of the building so we won't have much noise.

Making things official!

Celebratory brunch at Moonshine Grill with my mom and dad, before we took them to see the apartment and sign the paperwork that afternoon.

The Real World Begins

Dad, me, Thomas, Sarah, Mom and Uncle Steve after my graduation

With one of my best friends and roommates, Alex

I can't believe it has already been a week since I graduated from Baylor. It really hasn't hit me that college is over! As happy as I am about the exciting things to come, I'd be lying if I said last weekend wasn't difficult. I've been blessed beyond belief with amazing friendships and memories while at Baylor, and saying goodbye to friends was really hard.

Having said all of that, I think it's time for a much needed update. I had every intention of using my blog to document the final memories of senior year, but time simply slipped away!

My last semester at Baylor was wonderful. I finished two internships, one at the local magazine as a photography intern, and the other as a PR intern at The Dwyer Group. They were both great experiences and I look forward to applying those skills to a job soon, which leads me to...

The job hunt! I had a very promising lead towards the end of the semester (with possibility of starting before I even graduated) and a job offer in Waco seemed right around the corner. However, I was disappointed when I learned that the company decided to use internal resources to fill the vacant position. It was back to the drawing board, having already submitted 10+ applications to companies in Austin and not hearing anything. I prayed for God to open and close the right doors, which means something better must be out there waiting for me! I continue to hunt for my first job, and I'm looking to stay in Waco for as long as possible to be close to Thomas as he attends graduate school at Baylor. Once he graduates next August (2012), we'll figure out our next move together.

Speaking of Thomas, did I mention we're getting married? Thomas proposed on April 17, and I absolutely feel like the luckiest girl in the world!! The full engagement story and a story of our relationship is published to our wedding website, which we'll be debuting in the coming days. He is currently on a mission trip with his fraternity, and I'd love it if you would pray with me as they serve the Lord in Uganda. Check out their blog for daily updates with stories of God's glory!

Since Waco is a ghost town with everyone gone for the summer, and with Thomas out of the country, I decided to come home to Austin for a few weeks of rest and relaxation with my family. My little sister Sarah is home, having just finished her sophomore year at Texas Tech, so we're enjoying time together while Mom and Dad are both at work!

So, the "real world" begins. Landing my first job, planning a wedding, experiencing both growing pains and joys, and living in the peace of the One who provides it all... bring it on.