New City, New Experiences, New Life

Hi y'all!

This is my first official post from my new home in Atlanta, Georgia! What a crazy few days! I don't even know where to begin. You may have noticed that I have changed the title of my blog to Suddenly Southern. I was trying to find a way to incorporate my Southern transition into this blog and I thought the title change fit perfectly. In the last few days I have seen my new home, met some wonderful people, hung out at a luxury car dealership, been to another state and learned many new "Southern-isms". We left Reno on Friday first thing in the morning. Checking in for a one-way flight was a new experience. Our layover in Vegas was definitely interesting, our flight to Atlanta was delayed which was a bummer, but we managed. I was so excited to find a Coffee Bean in the airport, I LOVE their white chocolate ice blended coffee. Let's just say that it was a one of a kind experience. The barista who made my coffee decided he was working at Coyote Ugly and proceeded to flip my coffee in a circle and bounce it off of his arm and in to his hand. Needless to say, it didn't work! THe coffee splattered everywhere (including on my pants!) and he then spends the next 8 minutes helping other customers and treating me as if his stupid stunt was my fault! That didn't sit very well with me or any of the other customers at the counter! Eventually our flight landed in Atlanta and holy heat wave Batman was it hot outside! Apparently we moved during a heatwave that has set record-breaking temperatures for most of the East Coast...Yay? Saturday my phone showed the temperature at 106 degrees! It never got that hot back home, that's for sure. I also had my first glass of sweet tea, and let me tell you it was S-W-E-E-T! Oh man was it sweet, I will probably have to start ordering my tea unsweetened and sweetening it myself! I'm not so sure how well that will go over locally :) I also got to spend part of Saturday at the Audi dealrship of North Atlanta, I caught a ride with a friend's clients back to Chattanooga to see my Mom, who by the way should be referred to as Mama according to every Southerner I've met so far, which I have no problem with. Did you know that the Audi dealership has it's own cafe? I didn't! This couple I met there were so nice! They were buying a surprise Audi for their son, who is starting college in the fall. Don't get too excited, I already asked if they wanted to adopt me, they aren't accepting new children at this point in time. I so enjoyed riding to Chattanooga with the wife, she was very delightful. We saw our new house and met some of the neighbors. The house is lovely and everyone in the neighborhood seems very nice. Chattanooga is also experiencing this heatwave so I haven't spent much time outside, but so far I have noticed how GREEN everything is in the South! It's very pretty here. I've also learned that all soda is coke, sweet tea is VERY sweet, you cross state lines NEVER borders and whatever you do, DO NOT go outside if it is 106 + degrees in the South, at least, not if you can help it. Oh and there is a very bizarre bug here that buzzes in large groups at night that sounds like an electrical transformer multiplied by 20, apparently that's normal here! I have never heard a sound like it in my life. I've also seen the site of the Olympic torch from the '96 Summer games, as well as the site of the Olympic Village dormitories which was really cool. I've also seen the stadium where the Braves play, I should really learn the name of that field, and that even though the speed limit on the freeway in Atlanta is 55-65 everyone drives 80 mph and up. As you can see, I've had quite the education the last few days in Southern ways, and I'm still trying to adjust to the time difference. I should probably give myself more than 3 days to adjust. I changed the name of this blog to Suddenly Southern because I couldn't think of a more appropriate way to describe the current state of my life. I'm very excited to see where this new adventure takes me! I promise to upload some of the pictures I've taken soon.


Thanks for reading and stay tuned!


Sarah

Time Flies and Big Changes

I can't believe I haven't blogged since July! How crazy is that? I have been so busy that blogging has definitely been on the back burner! So many things have happened it's hard to know where to begin to catch up. I am currently going through everything I own trying to de-clutter and downsize and it is very overwhelming!!! Through this whole process I'm shocked at how quickly time flies. Going through stuff from my childhood up to my first couple of years of college brings back a lot of memories, some good, some bad and some GREAT but it's a very bittersweet and therapeutic experience. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time but haven't made time to do so. I'm also amazed at how much stuff has accumulated over the years! Some of the stuff I'm throwing out makes me think "why on earth did I keep this?" but at the time it seemed imperative to hang on to. If anyone out there has any clutter removal tips and/or organizing tips please leave a comment below with your suggestions! I suppose the reason I have started this process is because I have no choice. My family is moving from the house we are currently living in so now I'm forced to make changes. I'm also facing some other major changes in my life that I'm really excited about! I wish I could share more but right now I have to keep a few things to myself. I will say that this is one of the biggest changes I have ever faced, but I think it's for the best! I'm excited, nervous and overwhelmed all at the same time, which is a very interesting combination of emotions to feel all at once. I truly think this change will be for the best and marks a whole new chapter opening in my life! As soon as I can share more I will. I probably should get back to sorting my things but for now I'm going to watch some Friends and go to bed. I'll do my best to post tomorrow and hopefully make more sense! Hahaha don't blog while tired,  it's not a good mix :)

xoxo,

Sarah

It's Here!!!

I'm so excited! All of my P90x stuff arrived today, can I get a YAY? Haha, I am a little sad to report that I did not get started today as I had planned. I didn't realize there was a whole video to watch before getting started and some reading and planning involved. There is a very detailed nutrition plan to follow with three phases and three options to follow the plan based on what works for you. The nutrition guide alone is 114 pages! So I need to read through that and watch an introductory video as well. I'm getting ready to watch the video now, I'm jazzed and nervous at the same time lol. There is also a 100 page fitness guide I need to go through and apparently there are some worksheets I need to print out as well. Phew! I'm already getting a workout trying to get through all of the material they sent. Do you want to hear something pretty cool? I also got two free bonus workouts from my P90x coach which is pretty awesome. I wasn't going to post anything tonight but I did say I was going to start today and I'm doing my best to be truly accountable during this program, so here is tonight's post, it's not quite what I thought it would be but it's a start! Right? I am hoping to start over the next couple of days but with work and everything I need to do before working out it will most likely be Monday that I start. Which works, it's the start of a new week and the start of a new program and the next step on my journey to a whole new me :) So I'm off to watch the videos and do some reading but I promise to do my best to keep you posted every step of the way! Keep your eyes open for a new post tomorrow night.

Until then, sweet dreams and sleep tight!!!

xoxo,

S

Shameful

I am a shameful blogger! I can't believe my last blog post was in January... yikes!!!! On the other hand, things have been crazy busy in my little life so it is what it is I suppose. However, I'm really going to try my best to blog everyday because I am starting something new that I'm really excited about! First, I should probably give a little background, since March I have really changed my diet and my exercise habits and to date I have lost about 25 pounds. I'm so excited, I can't believe I have gone own a whole size. I am so loving the difference in my energy level and the way I feel about myself but I still have a ways to go before I reach my goal, which brings me to my new program that I'm going to start. I'm equal parts terrified and excited to begin... don't laugh but as of tomorrow I'm starting P90x! That's right, that crazy infomercial for extreme home fitness sucked me in! The infomercial is very effective and convincing! It's hard to resist wanting to look super fit like the people they show on tv, now I know what you must be thinking, did those people really follow that specific program? I can't say for 100% sure but I did a lot of research on the internet and most people have had an amazing experience with P90x! So I figured, why not? The results on those people are incredible and hard to ignore! I can't wait to start tomorrow. Why tomorrow? Well, I ordered it last week and it should be waiting on my front porch by the time I get home from work tomorrow. I know I can do it, but it still is a bit intimidating for me. My goal is to follow the program for the next 90 days and blog about my journey daily, here you will see it all, I'm taking the good, the bad and the very ugly! It is my goal to be completely honest and upfront about the program and I'm really hoping this blog can help me track my progress. Who knows, I may even feel brave enough to post before pictures! In reality, those will probably be posted with my (hopefully) AMAZING after photos :) that way they won't be quite as embarrassing... but I haven't decided yet. I'm hoping to hit my goal weight and size at the end of the next 90 days so I hope you will stick with me over the next 90 days and see the transformation happen! I have a great P90x coach and I know that I'm on my way to a better body and a better me, and I can't wait to get started!

Until then, sweet dreams and sleep tight!!!

xoxo,

S

Aaaannnndd We're Back!

Ok, so before I get in to this I know that I have been a major blogging slacker! A bad, bad blogger! I don't know how 3 months have passed without posting anything, the only thing I can think to say is that life just gets complicated! It has been an interesting few months with some definite high points! Christmas was wonderful, UNR WON their bowl game and here we are in a brand new year! The new year always seems to be a time of reflection for me and the rest of the world, and I am always eager to make changes for the coming year. Each year it seems I set "resolutions" and then break them, it is a very frustrating feeling. I have decided that this year will be the year I change that! I'm going to be honest, I have been feeling very frustrated and disheartened lately. There are many things I would like to change about myself, I have been feeling like I have been waiting for my life to begin. It finally dawned on me that the only way things will change will be if I change them myself! I am the only one who can change my life, I have so many dreams and goals and I am ready to start living. The first change that I want to make is that I finally want to live healthier and get rid of all of this extra weight. This is hard to admit but for a very long time I have been so unhappy with the way I have looked and felt and I am finally ready to change all of that! So the changes have started today, I am completely changing the way I eat and that begins with a lifestyle change. Not only that, but I will be starting a new exercise regimen and this will finally be the year I stick with it! After a lot of thought I realized that blogging about my journey, along with the ups and downs that are sure to come my way, will be a huge help, it will make me accountable and maybe, if I'm lucky I can inspire someone to embark on the same journey. I feel so ready to begin and I have faith in myself and know that I can do anything I put my mind to. Of course diet and exercise are not the only goals I am looking to accomplish this year, I would like to get back to UNR (here's hoping that my financial aid comes through!), I am so ready to be back on campus, I have truly missed being at school. I want to deepen my relationship with the Lord, my faith is so incredibly important to me! I want to learn to cook and I would love to travel somewhere amazing. I want to take an aerial silks class once I am in shape, volunteer more and I want to finally start to learn to speak Russian. I have so many things I want to accomplish with my life and I feel that this is just the beginning! I have so many thoughts racing through my head right now, perhaps I will be able to better articulate them tomorrow, but I thought that if I don't make the commitment to do all of this right now, then I might just let everything slip away and that is not something I am prepared to do. My journey starts now and I hope you all will stick with me. Look out world, here comes a brand new me!!! I am ready to jump in to January :) Life is an adventure, it's a great adventure and tomorrow will be a beautiful day! Check back tomorrow for an update on the days activities.

Until then, sweet dreams and sleep tight!!!

xoxo,

S

Today, today, today...

So I spent most of today working on homework, which wasn't terribly exciting, but I got quite a bit accomplished so that is a good thing :) I then spent the rest of the evening reorganizing some parts of my room and I have to say I love how accomplished I feel when I organize everything! Does anyone else feel this way? Although I will say that sometimes I get these great organizing ideas and get started but I don't always finish them, that can be a little frustrating. Well, that pretty much about sums up my day, I'm sorry it wasn't more interesting lol. On a completely random side note, do you want to know what I found out yesterday? I found out that using M.A.C. foundation is bad for your skin! Not just bad like some makeup is, we're talking like you might as well just walk around with butter on your face. Now, I don't recommend trying that, it would actually be really disgusting, but it was the best way  could think to explain that. Basically anything thick you could wear on your face that would clog your pores, that would be the equivalent. Of course, this is after I just spent $... well quite a bit of money at M.A.C and now I find out that I shouldn't use it. The good news is that I can return it, but it still is kind of frustrating. Did anyone else know this? So I'm telling all of this to my Mom tonight and she says "Well whatever makeup you were wearing wasn't looking too great..." thanks Mom, thanks a lot for telling me then! Hahaha gotta love my Mom though despite that, at least she is honest. So the moral of the story is DO NOT use M.A.C foundations. M.A.C Foundation+Your Face= BAD BAD BAD (for you equation minded people lol). So now I am on a different makeup path, but I must admit that I still love my M.A.C eye shadows (shhhhh... don't tell my esthetician!) So that is the end of my very pointless entry tonight. I'm very excited to spend the day with one of my best friends tomorrow, Dani. She and I always have so much fun together!!! so hopefully I will have something fun to tell everyone tomorrow. Friday I am headed to Orange County for the night, so I'm hoping to do a follow-me-around blog of the trip! I'm so excited for the trip but I'm really excited to go to the Coffee Bean!!!!! I really wish we had one here.... So I will be back with another adventure tomorrow, hopefully it will be more of an adventure than today :) Stay tuned to see what tomorrow brings!

Until then, sweet dreams and sleep tight!!!

xoxo,

S

Today in a nutshell....

I'm back again for day three of this blog! I must say that this blog is quickly becoming my new favorite thing to do. To start, as I'm sure everyone is "dying" to know, (yes, I use the term dying loosely lol) how wonderful my new bedding is after spending the night in it! As much as I loved looking at it, I loved sleeping in it so much more :) It was very hard to get out of bed this morning. On to today, I started off today with my usual Tuesday drive in to Reno to spend the morning taking care of my favorite baby! I have to say, Tuesday is definitely my favorite day because of the time I spend with little D, I love him :) It's amazing to watch him grow and learn, and even watching him try to walk is fascinating. We went on a fabulous walk today, all of the trees are changing in to the beautiful fall colors which I absolutely love! As I was leaving today, D's sister S jumps in my car and declares "I'm going to California", which I found to be so sweet and funny too!Then I went and got the most amazing facial ever!!!!! I wish it could have lasted all day. After that I hit up Sephora and go some very funny looks from the SA's probably because my face and hair were looking fabulous..... or not so much lol. After that more errands and then home so all in all a pretty typical Tuesday. This is a very long ramble I'm on so if you have gotten this far, I love you :) But now I will make my point. Going back to my walk with the baby, I didn't mention that I was almost run over by a cyclist riding his bike on the sidewalk! First of all, there is a designated bike lane so I would assume that you would ride your bike in the BIKE lane, but maybe I'm assuming too much? Yes, I do know what people say about making assumptions but I think my assumption about using the bike lane is very fair. Ok, so back to "bike boy" as he is not so affectionately known, well he wasn't so much a boy as a man old enough to know better. So everywhere you look people are always saying "Share the Road" for cyclists and "Brake for Bikers" and on and on. We have all seen these signs and warnings, but I want to know, where is the "Brake for Strollers" sign? You know what? I want a designated stroller lane! Oh wait, that's right! It's called a sidewalk! Why is bicycle boy taking over my stroller lane? Not only that, but he had the nerve to tell me to move and give me a dirty look! To quote Stephanie Tanner, "how rude!". If there is a bicycle lane designated for you, use it! They even make it easy for those who cannot designate between a sidewalk and the bicycle lane, they put pictures of a bicycle rider along the bike lane just in case there is any confusion! Share the road? How about share the sidewalk? Am I wrong about this? Perhaps it's a slight over-reaction, but bicycle boy came very close to hitting me, so now I'm upset. Sorry to those of you who ride their bikes often, this is not meant to offend you but to caution you to watch out for those of us pushing a stroller on the SIDEWALK, it's not like we can just jump out of the way. Looking back, as much as it was irritating, it was also entertaining. I mean, how do you glare at someone pushing a stroller with the cutest baby ever? Obviously bicycle boy was not having a very good day! So that's my story for today, thanks for reading my ramble and rant. Who knows what tomorrow will bring! Stay tuned for tomorrow's adventure, pretty please :)


Until then, sweet dreams and sleep tight.


xoxo,


S