Living in TN - Musings

I have lived in a few different places, Minnesota, Mexico, Indiana, and Ireland (I classify "lived" as by staying in a place, getting mail and doing laundry). But no place I have lived (besides MN) has been as permanent as my new home. I'm not sure what the significance of that is, but it seems very new and different to me. I really enjoy this new place and it's not what I expected.

When I think Tennessee, I guess, when I thought Tennessee before, I thought the area would be more country-bumpkin, with tons of country music and not a whole lot going on. I really wasn't a fan of the south (for a variety of reasons) and I'm very happy that my previous notions were wrong. At least Middle Tennessee has a lot going on, it's very beautiful with the hills and the weather. People are really nice, and that's not an exaggeration. Andy and I went on our first bike ride on the Murfreesboro Greenway (which is nothing like the Midtown Greenway) and his chain broke. Some random stranger rode past us as Andy was working on the bikes to ask if we needed help. That doesn't happen much in Minneapolis.

When you go to a new place do you ever think that your first day there feels entirely different from how you see it after awhile? This place certainly does and I'm starting to get my bearings. It's tough to get situated geographically with Andy though because he can never drive the same way twice. So I'm not entirely sure how to get around all the time, but I'm getting there. Overall, this place has been really fun and I'm very happy we've made this move. Life down here is a lot different than our life in Minnesota though, here are some examples.

Slow Pace: Granted government-run anything isn't quick but the time it took to get my driver's license was ridiculous. Especially since I spent a 1/2 hour watching some supervisor stand around in different positions and drink his coffee. Additionally they drive below the speed limit here. Earlier I mentioned that they drive the speed limit due to cops being very active. But I toe the line and I pass about 75% of those driving. I just don't get it.

Because 25 mph is just too fast

Horses, ect: On the way to work for Andy he can pass horses and cows grazing in the fields. I can guarantee you that didn't happen on the crosstown. When I was doing my job search today I saw someone riding their horse up to the stables on the "block" before you get to our townhouse development. When we drove to Chattanooga the other weekend we saw adorable cows with white tube tops on. I enjoy seeing the livestock.

Weather: When we left Minnesota, spring was starting. Spring is my least favorite season in Minnesota because it's so wet and mucky. I like to go outside and spend time hiking around but sometimes it's difficult to wade through the mud and stay on a path. Spring in Tennessee is like it should be. Stuff grows when it's "officially" spring time. Spring break comes at a logical time of year. Heck, as I write this I'm sitting on my front step wearing a tank top, shorts, and sunscreen with no shoes/socks. It's refreshing.

Dirt: Some of the soil here is red, which really throw me for a loop sometimes. We live kind of by a little cemetery (near where the neighbor horses are kept) and the fresh graves have piles of red dirt. It's just weird.

Music: Granted Minneapolis has it's own solid music scene, it's nothing compared to Music City! And I love that. Andy and I saw a bluegrass band play at the Station Inn last weekend. It seems that on any given day in any old bar there will be some form of a band playing there. And I like that. Even if it is country. Speaking of country, I haven't heard a lot of it since being down here. In our first couple weeks, Andy and I resigned ourselves to listening to country in the car because we didn't know where the good stations were. We've found a lot of good music stations since that I really enjoy. Plus, there are two public radio stations next to each other on the dial. That's just the checkers.

Off the Wagon, allegedly the tallest Bluegrass band in the world.

Out-of-doors: I would classify Minnesota as an outdoors-y state. I spent most of my life hanging around outside, reading, hiking, camping, canoeing, taking the dog out. There's a lot to do outside in Minnesota and I would say the Boundary Waters is one of my favorite places to be. However, generally you have to go aways from the cities to get to any fun type of country. And let's face it, Minnesota is pretty flat. Not just outside of Nashville! A couple weekends ago Andy and I went on a hike to Shake Rag Hollow and had a marvelous time traversing the hilly terrain. The road to get to the trail head stopped at cliff with no guardrails, just the hope that you'll be too much in awe to keep driving. There's going to be a lot of camping and hiking down here.

Vistas!

History: We're surrounded by history here. Everywhere we go there's a sign on the road for this battle or that. It's fun to be a part of an area where so much happened to shape our country. Even on Andy's way to work he drives by a Civil-War Era cannon, who can beat that?!

Crops: Much of out state Minnesota is devoted to the cultivation of corn and soybeans. Which makes for a boring road trip. Here, there's cotton! I've never seen (at least that I've remembered) a cotton field until now. And I'm more excited to see what it looks like in full and glorious bloom.

I was given a history of the Cotton Gin at this point.

I look forward to exploring more of what Tennessee has to offer. It's good to be wrong sometimes about a place and just taking a chance.

2000 - 2009 A Life and Times of Amanda Review

It may seem silly and cliche, but I love reading articles about the year in review and the decade in review. This seems like the appropriate location to review what my past decade has been like. I'm going to use my brother's set up, because it's a great one. This past decade has seen the biggest changes in my life and I don't think it could have ended up better. The decade encompassed my high school and college years. While they may not be the best years of my life, they certainly are some of the most important. I've learned a lot throughout the past decade and I'm looking forward to learning more in the decades to come!

*Some of these years may not necessarily be accurate, and that's because I have a bad memory.

2000

Finished middle school and started high school at Mounds View High School.

My mom borrowed 3 books from a coworker about a boy named Harry Potter. I started to wish my school was magical.

Said no to drugs and alcohol.

Made the competition dance line at Metro Dance and started getting serious about dancing.

Began my short career as a Cheerleader for the MVHS girls hockey team. They were the best group of people I cheered for (sorry Tony's football friends).

Went to the Homecoming dance with a boy who was 30 lbs lighter than me and 3 inches shorter than me. Felt like a giant. First experience hearing someone say "I love you" and being really freaked out by it.

2001

Without plans for our spring break, my parents send Tony and I on a mission trip to an orphanage in Reynosa, Mexico with a family friend. One of the best last minute decisions that has had a lasting impact on my life.

Became a football and soccer cheerleader for a school I increasingly disliked. Told football players don't like Twinkies.

Started getting into music and learning to love a variety of sounds.

2002

Spent a month living with a family in Cuernavaca, Mexico learning Spanish. Had a great time living relatively independently in a foreign country.

Able to take Spanish 5 at MVHS and unlearn everything learned in Mexico.

Joined the junior varsity track team at MVHS.

Started doing competition tap, ballet and jazz after many years out of practice.

Went to my first concert alone, saw Fuel, Sevendust at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Saved up $27 to buy a concert t-shirt from selling custom mix CDs at school.

2003

Found out that I could spend my last year of high school, not going to high school and attending college for free.

Got in to the PSEO program at the University of Minnesota, one of the best things that I've ever done. I learned to be independent, take risks, and explored a vast new place.

Continued to do tap, ballet, jazz and dance line at Metro Dance.

Got my first job at Proex, taking portraits of people and developing pictures.

Opened my first bank account!

2004

Declared a Spanish minor while still in high school.

Graduated from high school. Vowed to never step foot inside MVHS again. A promise I have since kept.

Accepted into the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

Quit my job at Proex and started working at East Side Beverage, a challenging but rewarding job.

Moved into Middlebrook Hall on the West Bank of the Mississippi. A great place where I met some wonderful people and made new friends.

2005

Spring semester was the worst for grades as I didn't listen to the recommendation and took 2 difficult classes that I didn't like at the same time. Slacked off an incredible amount for me.

Learned that I can't always coast through classes and spent much of April and May catching up.

Got a lot of music from a fellow music lover and expanded my tastes in music. Though I still don't do rap.

Started a job at the Gopher Express and Post Office in the student union. Discovered a life-long love for Amy's Pizza Pockets. I am extremely knowledgeable about postal requirements. Mailed my first human body parts.

Joined the Student Association for Non-profit Enterprise (SANE). Voted president of the student group to start that fall.

Became a U-Crew in Middlebrook hall starting in fall semester. Got a single and a mandate to help the freshman residents on 6th floor adjust and enjoy their college experience.

Started drinking.

Realized that I didn't want to be an Entrepreneur and changed my major to Human Resources and Industrial Relations. Hoped that with that major I'd be able to help people.

Got a bicycle for my birthday only to have it stolen 2 weeks into the school year.

2006

Applied for study abroad and was accepted to go to the Quinn School of Business at the University College Dublin.

Declared a Psychology minor to fill in the gaps until I graduated.

Moved my parents to Covington, Indiana and helped sell the home I grew up in, in Arden Hills, Minnesota. My job for that summer was to pack up the house, take Chip out of the house when people came to see it, refill the ponds, and keep the house clean.

Worked in Danville, IL for 1 month as an audit assistant. Learned I don't like numbers job and that I must always stay busy.

Traveled to Ireland where I didn't realize until the plane touched down that I didn't know a single person in the country.

Had a great time in Ireland; drinking whiskey, making great friends, studied quite a bit, traveling around Europe, and bringing my family over to show them a good time.

I figured out that I do best when I am constantly learning something new.

2007

Moved into a closet in Minnesota.

Struggled a bit to adjust to the change from study abroad.

Over Easter I ran my dad's ATV into a tree. Thought I was about to die and then got afraid of driving and motor vehicles after that.

Met and started dating Andy Harvey. Our first date encompassed riding in Critical Mass and dining at a Thai restaurant in St. Paul. We watched a barge in the Mississippi during sunset.

Completed my Emerging Leadership Program on principle and couldn't continue with the honors program if I graduated early.

Pete came for a visit over the summer and I tried to show him a good time around Minneapolis. It ended up that he was able to create a good time for himself here as well!

First time I questioned a grade I received from a teacher and went into mediation. Was able to move my grade up and felt more confident.

House got broken into the day after I moved in. I lost my laptop, camera, and sense of safety.

Graduated from the University of Minnesota in 3 1/2 years. Had to do my graduation ceremony in the spring, despite finishing in the winter. Happy to be done with school!

Got my first car that was my own! A wonderful 2008 Honda Fit. It fits a lot.

2008

Got my first job as a Human Resources Assistant at Mall of America. Learned to love MOA and learned a lot about people.

Called the city on my landlord a few times for dumping. Dealt with Thursday night garage parties 2 houses down, roomies that didn't always do their dishes, and the wonderment of a house that could be so cold in the winter could be so hot in the summer.

Got my first promotion 5 months after being hired, now an HR Representative, I started doing interviews.

Andy and I moved in together in a small house in South Minneapolis.

Andy proposed on the train ride home from a visit to Indiana. Started planning a wedding. Bought a wedding dress a couple weeks later.

Moved work offices from upstairs in Nickelodeon Universe to the basement of MOA in December. Stopped seeing daylight for awhile. Enjoyed a bigger "office" and being around the rest of MOA employees.

2009

Learned that planning a wedding takes a lot of time and effort.

Made a plan with Andy that in 2010 we would start looking for jobs out of state in earnest and move out of Minnesota within 2 years.

Started gardening and grew our own tomatoes, carrots, beans, radishes, lettuce, squash, and peppers. Ate more vegetables and fruits than ever before.

Learned how to can and preserve summer food.

Received a canoe for a wedding present from my parents and paddled around the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers and Lake Nokomis.

Took my first trip to the BWCA with Andy and he didn't end up as bear bait. He passed the family test with flying colors.

Got married on October 10, 2009. Had a great time seeing everyone and I realized that the best thing about weddings was seeing all of my family at once.

Honeymooned in Portland, OR and had a wonderful time. Came home knowing that's where we'd like to live in the future.

2010

I don't usually make resolutions, but this year there are some things that I would like to accomplish.

• The first is to keep better track of my finances. I don't usually pay much attention to them, but I've realized that's a bad idea.
• Get a dog! For Christmas Andy and I saved some gift money for each other to put to adopting a greyhound.
• Move away from Minnesota. After living here our whole lives, Andy and I think it's time to try someplace new. Preferable that will be Portland, OR, but we're open to other places.

I'm on a boat!

As I have mentioned before, Andy and I got a canoe from my parents for a wedding gift. Andy and I have taken the canoe out for many trips. We've gone out on Lake Nokomis, Andy likes to fish. We paddle around slow and watch the fish jump out of the water but not bite the line. We've gone out on the Minnesota river a few times. We even paddled around Pike Island where the Mississippi and Minnesota meet. That was a rough day.

Today we went out again on the Minnesota at Fort Snelling State Park. This time we launched from the canoe launch, which has seen better days. Here are some pictures from our trips!

Andy was so excited that we got a canoe!

On the maiden voyage of the HMS Tanashoe (temporary name).

The canoe sitting pretty on a sandbar in the Minnesota River.

This is my graduation picture.

Andy conquers all.

Andy caught a fish today! We're guessing it's a White Bass.

Andy is responsible for steering the boat.

We're really close to the airport here, so airplanes on their descent went right over us.

A Day Off!

Today I got the day off for 4th of July. I'm excited to hang around and not do too much. Andy and I are going for a bike ride. For my birthday my mom got me new clip less bike shoes and Andy got me new pedals for my Trek (Maddy). It feels great to be able to pedal down and up! I've been practicing my upstroke, it's wonderful. I haven't fallen yet, but I almost did once. I forgot what kind of pedals I had and when I was getting off my bike in the driveway, my feet wouldn't leave the pedals. I got out of them before I fell down though.

After our bike ride we'll probably go for a paddle in the canoe, one more time before the big trip. Andy might haul it out before Tuesday, we need all the practice we can get.

Work is going good, the hiring is slowing down and so I can focus more on training. I'm working on revamping the trainings and making orientation more interesting and effective. It's the sort of thing I really enjoy doing.

Off to go biking!