In my experience of ingesting blogs and YouTube vlogs like they are chocolate-coated, I have found that, at least once, a blogger will apologize for not holding fast to their promised posting schedule. Perhaps, my having to do the same now is a rite of passage into this community.

My reason for the late weekly update? Folks, this has been a week of hustling and bustling.

It did not let up (if anything, it intensely condensed) as I moved into the weekend. So much has transpired in a mere seven days and I am feeling the effects. Among this chaos, though, I have gained a particularly exciting piece of news.

To draw out the suspense, I will first relay to you about this weekend’s travels and its reflections.

I returned home to Ohio for the weekend. My main reason for the trip was to attend my college roommate’s bridal shower. The shower wasn’t until Sunday afternoon, so I got to spend the latter half of Saturday visiting my parents and church friends and Sunday morning at church.

Know this: I had an good time. I did. I got to laugh, share, and eat with some wonderful people that I cherish. I don’t want to cheapen that when I say what I will next.

If you don’t know me, then you might not know that I don’t thrive off of busyness. In fact, quite the opposite. The lengthy list of to-dos and to-gos, that comes with a stuffed schedule, often overwhelms me. This weekend was no exception.

It wasn’t until I was on my way back to DC did I realize that though the weekend was filled with fantastic things, I didn’t appreciate and savor them as I should have. More often than necessary, I was too focused on the seemingly daunting next to-do.

This weekend and the lesson it brought is something I will remember for the travels and the visits to come: to be somewhere physically doesn’t equate to mentally being able to rest in the wonders of the present moment.

With this remaining time, I hope that even amidst the chaos that may arise, I will be able to settle into the goodness of the moment. It may feel like a list, but in reality, it’s my life. And I only get one.

 

Now, have you forgotten about my announcement or have you already moved on to prematurely discover it? If the first, I’ll remind you promptly with its revelation. If the second, you probably aren’t reading this passage anyways.

Here it is: I have been offered an extension on my contract in D.C. and I accepted!

What does this mean, you ask? Well, instead of being with the facility in DC until November, I’m going to remain until the beginning of February!

Why? Well, for several reasons:

One: I really like the people I work with and have found my place here. They are still in need of warm bodies and in the middle of a hunt for some. I’m happy to help them out by hanging around a little longer to help alleviate some of the stresses that comes with training newbies.

Two: Christmas approaches. Since my contract ends around Thanksgiving, that would mean I would have been starting a new contract on the cusp of Christmas. And who knows where that contract would be? The further the distance from home, the slimmer the chance of me being able to spend the holiday with my family. DC, on the other hand, is only six hours away from home. It isn’t a hop, skip, and a jump, but it’s doable.

Three: An extension looks really nice on a resumé, especially for a traveler. Think about it: a facility wants lil’ ol’ me around longer than what they originally agreed upon!

Speaking of which, I am so incredibly thankful to those at my current facility for the opportunity (let’s be honest, straight up flattering offer) to stick around a little while longer! You guys rock!

 
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