my life is a country song

"What are you doing after you graduate"


Two weeks ago I would probably have a more accurate guess on how to cure cancer than answer this question. 


"I'm moving to San Diego, I got a job" 


I can now reply. I've been letting it sink in for a week now and it still sounds weird. 


"oh really? thats so exciting! are you excited"


yeah, so excited to empty my savings account into something I hope works out. I need 5 jobs. 


"yeah! I cant wait! the weather there is perfect all year"


I truly am forever grateful for a fantastic opportunity that somehow fell into my lap.. 
(incase my family is reading this and is worried, I don't really need 5 jobs.. maybe only 3)


Whenever someone asked what I was going to do when I finished college, I always said.. Oh, I'm not sure.. walk off the graduation stage, get in my bug packed with all my clothes and drive to the east coast...?   If I would have known I was going to be half right, I would have saved a little lot more money and bought a little lot less clothes over the course of four years. 


I wasn't dead on, but I was damn close. 


I accepted a potentially great job offer 1,186 miles away from the 2 square mile "cow town" I grew up in.. the type of town you picture when you hear a country song with county fairs, gravel roads, and floating down the river on an air mattress with a case of beer your stole from your parents. A fun fact: it also has highest zip code in the contiguous US; 99403. I loved growing up there- but its easy to shine in such a small town, and I learned from my own, and others mistakes that the world doesn't care who you were in high school.. I have yet to decide if this is a good or bad thing.


After 4 years of college, Im more than ready to graduate, meaning I cant wait to not study for another test, or write another paper.. but I'm less than ready to live "on my own" meaning I killed a quesadilla and set off the smoke detectors in my apartment last week.  Live and learn, right?
But life happens weather you're ready or not, and all my signs were screaming to take the opportunity so many miles away.. and its not like I have a file folder full of job offers and I can scratch my chin thinking which one I should take.  Im more than aware- if you get a job, take it.. because that one offer is probably it. Besides- by choosing to move to San Diego alone saved me a future $70,000 in loans I would have taken out to go to grad school in New Orleans.. Additionally, I heard the weather isn't as nice there... So really- I'm saving money. (and will keep telling myself this until further notice)


Long story short; small town girl packs her closet in her vw beetle and drives to southern california the day after graduation to live the life she has only experienced in her wildest dreams. My life is a country song.


Fast forward 8 months to when said girl runs out of money, drives home, car breaks down- catches a greyhound bus, and shows up on her parents door step with nothing  but broken dreams and a killer tan. 


Wish me luck!