Checking in

So I currently suck at sticking to the blog schedule I set for myself two weeks ago. Here is a current status update of my life:

1) I am starting an internship with the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. My job description is not yet set in stone, but I am super excited to be a part of this awesome event AND get back in the saddle of arts admin. My career has pretty much stagnated since moving to Ann Arbor, so I am SO excited for this opportunity. I will be heading to Austin with a shiny new résumé.

2) I just completed my first week of meal planning and it went OK. I somehow forgot when I was making the plan on Sunday that Corey's birthday was on Tuesday, so adjustments had to be made. In related news, this move is turning out to cost us a buttload of money, so we are severely trimming back our "eating out" budget to afford it.

In blog-y news, I am working on a Redhead Beauty series/feature for my dear friend and fellow blogger at Justina's Gems. You may recall my previous work for her when the blog was called TruBeautyGems (Justina and her co-blogger decided to strike out on their own). I love guesting at her beauty blog, it's just so fun! Watch for the link!

O, Pan-ada!

I know I said on Tuesday that I would post on Saturday, but I'm pulling a Jenna Marbles. Sometimes the post just doesn't get finished until the next day.

With only 7 weeks left in Michigan, Corey and I have a sort of Michigan Bucket List going. At the top of the list is a trip to Canada. It's literally 45 minutes away, we've been so close that we could shout and be heard there (Joe Louis Arena), but we've yet to actually cross the border.

Additionally, I found out a few weeks ago that the Toronto Zoo received two giant pandas, and they will be ready for visitors on May 18. For those of you that don't know, I'm obsessed pandas. When Xiao Liwu was born at the San Diego Zoo last year, I was glued to their Panda Cam for days. When I read about the Toronto Zoo pandas, I freaked out. Toronto is about a five-hour drive from Ann Arbor. Much closer than San Diego :)

I'd been bugging Corey about it for weeks, and finally last night we booked two nights in Toronto over Memorial Day weekend. We're staying at a cute B&B in downtown Toronto, and we're going to see the pandas!

So this Memorial Day weekend, I will be checking off two I've-nevers: a Canadian visit, and a panda viewing. If you've ever been to Toronto or Canada in general, what else shouldn't I miss while I'm there? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Mother's Day,

Lauren

Goals

It's been over six months since I last posted, and now I stand at the precipice of yet another new chapter of my life. No, I'm not pregnant.

Corey graduated last weekend from the University of Michigan with his Master of Music. We have eight weeks left in Ann Arbor, will be spending the month of July in Wisconsin, and moving to Austin, Texas in August. Corey will be studying at the University of Texas for his DMA. The program lasts for 3 years.

So again, I am moving to a city and state to which I've never been. I am actually very excited to start fresh and hopefully start my career in earnest. And in the spirit of fresh starts, I am starting now. I'm setting several personal goals for myself, including re-starting this blog.

I wanted my first blog post "back" to be about my goals. I feel like if I publish them, I will be more accountable.

First, slowly but surely I want to get back into blogging regularly. I'll start by posting every Tuesday and Saturday. For Tuesdays, I'm planning on more music, travel and news-y posts. I also have a few friends who are working on some exciting projects that I'm happy to plug. Saturday posts will be diary style: checking in on my goals, the moving process, and checking in with Winston and Egon (they're great btw).

Second, I'm working on losing weight and getting healthy. I don't want to turn this into a diet blog, but I feel like sharing my experience will help me reach my goals. I'm not planning to get into specific goal weights and the like, but I will post about my progress and strategies.

Third, Corey and I spend WAY too much money. The bulk of our "disposable" income goes to eating out. I'm starting to plan meals weekly and grocery shop accordingly. It may take a while for me to find a good job in Austin, so we should be saving all we can now.

For the blog, I working on a more active Twitter and Instagram, and I'm considering venturing into YouTube at some point. For now, look for me on Tuesdays and Saturdays.