I’m Moving To Dubai and Other Life Details

So I’ve definitely been MIA in the blogging world lately. A big reason is that I’ve had several different job related issues going on that I’ve been hesitant to share about until they were more concrete. I’ll go ahead and start out with the most obvious issue at hand…I’M MOVING TO DUBAI.

A year ago when I first started with Spirit, my knowledge about the aviation field was slim. I immediately heard other coworkers going through training with me speak of Emirates being their dream job, as well as a few trainers speaking of their glory days when they worked for Emirates. Now, being the former Southwest Airlines loyal customer that I was, I had never even heard of this company, however throughout the past year I’ve learned a lot more about it, and was eager to try and work for the best.

Last month, a friend of mine informed me that Emirates was holding several recruitment days in the USA, and asked if I’d be interested in going with her to one in Orlando to interview. At this point I thought it would be really cool to work for one of the most elite airlines in the world and fly around the globe, but was not completely focused on the reality that I could possibly get hired with this company. Regardless, I prepared for the interview and attended the open assessment day with two of my Spirit flight attendant friends.

The day was TOUGH! It started at 9:00 A.M. with one of the recruiters, a woman from Ireland, presenting us candidates with an hour long information session. While she was giving this presentation, another recruiter, a young women from Australia, was reviewing our resumes and professional photos. Yes, I did have to get professional business photos taken, yes they’re stupid.


After the informational session they divided the 80 of us candidates into groups of ten and asked that we come up with a new slogan for Emirates. The recruiters then walked around with clip boards and watched us all interact; very lab rat Esq. After completing this activity they thanked us all for coming and told us to line us by the door and they would call out our number and hand us a slip of paper. The papers either said (basically) “thanks, but no thanks” or “you have made it to the next round of interviews.” I was very thankful and excited to have received a letter informing me I had made it to the next round. Unfortunately, one of my friends, whose dream it was to work for Emirates, did not make it on to the next round.

After this we had a small break, before coming back to do another round of watching us all interact in a group. I was surprised to discover that out of the 80 candidates, only about 12 of us made it to round two. During this time they also did a height test, where you had to be able to reach seven feet. Unfortunately, my friend who did make it to round two was eliminated during the height test. Following this exercise they once again handed out the pieces of paper and only five of us made it to the following round, which was a basic English comprehension test. All five of us passed this round, and were invited back for a one on one interview the next morning.

Now I’ve had many of one on one interviews in my time, BUT this was by the far the most intense interview I’ve ever faced. One of the recruiters was so scary in fact that when she handed me her business card and in parenthesis it actually said “THE INTIMIDATOR.” Okay, maybe not, but you get the picture. Anyways they kept me on my toes for a good 30 minutes asking me questions about my weakness, my failures, and times I’ve let a team down. It was’t exactly roses and rainbows hour. However, after the formal interview was over, I could feel it in my soul that I had nailed it. The tone in the room immediately changed and the scary recruiter relaxed a little herself and asked me if I had any questions, comforted me about several of my fears concerning safety, homesickness, and culture shock, and reassured me that I would do great in Dubai and love working for Emirates. They then informed me that within three weeks they would let me know the results.

So that was mid November….During those three weeks I constantly had Emirates in the back of my mind, but there was still life to be lived during that time. All of these things in itself our worthy of their own posting, but for times sake, I’ll spare you. I went home for Thanksgiving and had a GREAT time with family and friends.

I had a childhood friend of mine killed in a car accident (first time I’ve ever lost a peer, I had a much rougher time handling this than I thought I would). Was recommended to be a part time check airmen for probationary Spirit flight attendants, applied and interviewed for the position, and was hired. Went to Disneyland for the day to celebrate my friend Michelle’s birthday celebration.

And last, but not least, have had some really fun layovers in Chicago where I’ve gotten to spend time with lots of family and friends!




Now, fast forward to last Wednesday, exactly three weeks since my initial Emirates interview. I was driving to work for a red eye to Costa Rica, and I received a call from an unknown number. My stomach dropped to the floor as I heard the voice of a male middle easterner, because I knew this was the call I had been waiting for. Surprisingly, I don’t get too many personal calls on my cell phone from middle eastern men. He immidently introduced himself, and congratulated me on being accepted to work for Emirates airline. He then proceeded to tell me a lot of important information, but I was too in schock to absorb any part of the conversation other than “you will be moving to Dubai on January 15th.” Needless to say I was not exactly tuned into work that night, in fact it was all a bit of a blur.

So since last Wednesday I have been rushing around trying to complete necessary medical related tasks such as obtaining my vaccination reports and getting dental Xrays. While doing this I’ve also been trying to figure out how to pack two years of life into my Corolla. So far I’m down two bags of clothes, one box of shoes, a bookshelf, and a bike. Anyone in need of an Ikea bed, less than a year old, hardly ever slept in????

Soooo that’s where I’m at! This is all extremely exciting, but also an extremely stressful time for various reasons. I really have appreciated all the love and support I’ve been shown throughout this entire process. Any words of encouragement are welcomed and appreciated! Anything else can be kept to yourself! I am not a naive person, I’m aware that Dubai is located in the middle east and that it’s a completely different culture over there. However, I have done my research and I really do believe some good old fashion common sense will take me a long way! All of the negative comments I have received about my decision have come from people who have never even visited Dubai. What I have learned about Dubai from people who have either visited or lived over there has all been incredibly positive. Here is an email I received from a friend of a friend who has been working with Emirates for about a year.

“ Hey Kelsey!!! I am so sorry for taking long time to reply back; i was really busy for the last few weeks... Well what can i tell you... It is absolutely an amazing company, if you like flying and getting to know different culture this is the place for you. I have seen many Americans here and seems that they love it, the country is very safe and is not so strict as people think. Before i moved here i was concerned as well but i had good feeling since the begging and i have no regrets... Wish you luck and look forward to see you here”

I’ll be home for about three weeks, and hope to get to squeeze in as much family and friend time as humanly possibly before I venture across the pond! Love you all so much!


"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." John A. Shedd

My mom text me this quote as soon as I shared my exciting news with her, what a great mom!

California Knows Hot To Party....Unless Your Name Is Kelsey Schutz

So I'm currently hanging out in my L.A. hotel room, and feeling slightly guilty about doing so. See, I'm always the #1 advocate for seize the day, live life to the fullest, blah blah blah, BUT some days you just need a personal day. Like a legit I'm not putting on contact lenses or a bra kind of day. So even though today I'm in beautiful Los Angeles, it just so happens to coincide with my I'm not doing anything day. In my defense, it only 58 degrees outside and not too sunny.

Unfortunately, I haven't had a ton of reading time this week, so I still haven't completed my book on how to handle my quarter life crisis, so no new news on that front. However, I have been able to read a little bit of it this week, and so far so good. A big part of the book is about reflecting. One of the exercises from the book this week involved interviewing your mother about her experience as a 20 something year old. I'll keep this very general because when I asked her to do the interview with me she actually said, "This isn't going to end up on the Internet is it?!" Oh, Gaily! Anyways, my mom and I are very close, so there really weren't too many shocking moments (although I was slightly hoping for some stories she possibly forgot to mention during the past 23 years like about the time she almost eloped, or the time she got arrested for disorderly conduct, or the time she went streaking through her college campus....eh not so much). While I really didn't learn anything horribly new about my mom, I still took a lot away from the interview. The biggest lesson I learned, is that while my mom and I have very similar personalities (very laid back, passionate about people, free thinkers), we have had very different 20 something year old experiences. At my current age of 23 I'm struggling with issues like where should I move next, what career path should I pursue, do I actually want to get married and if so at what age should I at least ATTEMPT to stop dating Mr. Wrongs. My mom, on the other hand, had been happily married for four years when she was 23, and was a full time mommy to a one year old. She was very active in the community, and she and my father were very focused on expanding the family farm. I just thought that was all very interesting, because the book has been talking a lot about the differences between the current 20 something generation, as opposed to our parent's generation, and in many ways the experiences are very different because there were different expectations of that generation as opposed to ours. Just a little something something to ponder.

In between my last trip, and the one I am on right now, I had a three day gap, so naturally I went to Disney. I was able to hang out with my friend Liz, and you guessed it, we got another Holiday Sandwich. YUMMMM! After our Earl of Sandwich dinner, she actually showed me one of her favorite Disney things, that I had never experienced before; watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach at the Polynesian Resort. They even play the music that accompanies the fireworks. How cool is that?!


Two of my Spirit friends from Fort Lauderdale also came up for the trip, and it was fun to show them around my old stompin' ground. We were able to visit Hollywood Studios while we were in town, and see the Osbore Holiday Lights (Christmas lights that blink to the beat of the music).

While we were in town we stayed with my good friends Lita and Sari. I also got to meet their newest roommate, Benjamin! I'm not always the biggest animal lover, but this dog just melts your heart. I resisted the urge to put him in my suitcase. The best part about the dog? That's right, he's hypoallergenic and does not shed. Now that my kind of indoor pet!


And now, a little thought to ponder for the week....God only has three answers to our prayers. Yes, not right now, or I have something better in mind.

Have a wonderful week!!!

12 on The 12th

1- The Office is seriously the funniest show ever. I thought it would all go down hill once Steve Carell left, but it's actually remained just as great. Anyways, according to Dwight, I'm going to hit my attractiveness peak at age 24, and then gradually go down from there. Ggggreeat!

2- Speaking of being almost 24, I've self diagnosed myself with having a quarter life crisis. It's pretty much the same thing as a mid life crisis, except I have no plans of buying a Ferrari or leaving my husband (nevermind the fact that I'm not married). I'm reading about my condition in this new book titled 20 Something 20 Everything. I'm hoping to finish it by the end of the week, and then at that time I'll will have direction and know what the heck I'm doing with my life. So, that'll be nice to have one less thing to worry about.

3) I ran in the Hot Chocolate 5k in Chicago last weekend with my friend Kristen. We ran it in 31:47, a fairly respectable time considering we trained for it in five days. It was a lot of fun, and was a good reminder of how much I actually do love racing.



4) I love my friends! I got a big dose of them last week after spending the weekend with Kristen and Allison, and then a full night with my high school friends. Being with them is good for the soul.

5) Hello, my name is Kelsey, and I am addicted to pinterest.

6) If you're in the market for a good book I highly reccomend the following...Freedom, The Luxury of Less, Fire Fly Lane, The Help, Heart of The Matter, A Piece of Cake, Heaven is For Real, and of course anything written by Nicholas Sparks.

7) Last weekend, I also got to see my friend Steve Peach for the 1st time in a year and a half. Not only did he serve as my taxi from the airport, but he also gave me a tour of Loyola University (where he is currently working on his masters degree), and treated me to some fabulous Thai food. What a swell dude!

8) Right now I am in San Juan....working, kind of. Anyways, I am totally jamming to some hispanic radio station. No idea what they're saying, but I kinda like it. Just my view out the ol office window.


9) I'm in serch of the perfect brown boot. Trickier than it sounds!

10) My flight attendant dress is getting tight. Not all over, mainly just the rib area. I think my rib cage is getting fat. Is that possible?

11) This week I had to get some professional headshots taken (the reason for that is a whole other post,for a whole other day). Anways, I went to Target Portrat Center (classy, I know) and, I kid you not, the photographer was the real life version of Deb. Deb, as in Glamor Shots by Deb from Napoleon Dynamite. She legit said things like, "Tilt your head a little to the right," and "I think that one's gonna turn out really nicely."

12) I've been experiementing with different work appropriate hairsyles lately because you can only wear your hair in a low pony for so many hundred days in a row before you start to feel like your stuck in a bit of a rut. I may also have been slightly inspired by the new show Pan Am. My appologies for the posting of a mirror shot. It goes against everythging I believe in.

Tales of Orlando, Cancun, Virginia, and Hitchhiking

So this month I’ve slept in my own bed a grand total of four nights. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my busy life, but am definitely ready for a little R and R at home. I just got back home from a four day trip, changed into my favorite oversized sweatpants and sweatshirt, crawled into bed, and plan on staying in this outfit, in this bed all day long!

The day after I last wrote/rambled I spent one week in Orlando visiting friends, and working at Walt Disney World. I spent several days in the Magic Kingdom working as a member of the parade audience control (PAC). I’ve come so long from my first PAC shift where I left the park feeling defeated, and crying. This past time I can honestly say I was able to remain composed and even smiled while waving my blue light wand and yelling, “You cannot stand in this area, this a walkway only.” As I was doing this, I was also having various strollers rammed into my shins, and being called a blankety blank Nazi by Mr. Father of The Year. Oh the magic...

I was FINALLY able to see my friend Liz, who is currently doing the college program, and had an awesome time exploring Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival with her. I was also privileged enough to introduce her to Earl of Sandwich’s Holiday Sandwich (think Thanksgiving between sourdough), YUM! Visits to Orlando always include lots of laughs and great life chats with great friends. In a weird kind of way, Orlando always feels like home to me, of course in a different way than White Hall. Mainly because it doesn’t smell of hog manure, and there’s really not too many corn fields, and no one there is related to me….but none the less home :)

After spending nearly a week in Orlando, I returned to Fort Lauderdale where I met my friend Eric who had flown in from Chicago. That evening, I worked a red eye flight to Niagra Falls, returned back to Fort Lauderdale the next morning, and then left with Eric a few hours later, and flew to Cancun, Mexico. I’m all about laying on the beach and being served unlimited margaritas, so naturally I’m a fan of all inclusive resorts. We spent four days and three nights there, and had a blast! The only down side to the trip was the weather, as it pretty much rained the entire time. Regardless of the rain we still had an awesome time seeing all of the evening shows at the resort, and enjoying the unlimited food and beverages! One of the best parts of our trip was going to Coco Bongos. The best way I can describe this place is if Vegas, Lady Gaga, and a raging nightclub had a baby, it would be Coco Bongos!

After four days of fun we flew back to Fort Lauderdale, enjoyed a nice classy all American dinner at Hooters (not my first choice), and then went to two different Halloween parties thrown by some of my friends. Thankfully the parties were not black tie affairs and we were able to continue wearing our vacationing outfits. ;)

After being home just long enough to dump out one suitcase worth of clothes and repack it, I was on a plane again, this time headed to Virginia for my cousin Lindsey’s wedding. Lindsey is one of my very favorite people in this whole world, and someone I’ve always looked up to and admired. After she graduated from college she randomly moved to South Africa to bar tend. While she was there she met a hunky South African, they fell in love, the rest is history. My entire immediate family was able to attend, as well as almost all of my mom’s side of the family. I seriously love being with my family, and am thankful to be part of a family that genuinely loves being together and is so stinking fun! The wedding was gorgeous, and so unique. It almost felt like the day after Christmas once it was over with, and I was a little bit nostalgic for the weekend as soon as I left. Great times!

Flying standby on a Sunday is always a little tricky, but this past Sunday, when I was trying to leave Virginia, was especially difficult. After missing several flights out of Richmond heading to Atlanta, I finally decided I would try getting on a jetBlue flight to Orlando. Luckily, I made it on the flight, but after I arrived in Orlando, the buck stopped there. The only two flights going from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale were completely full. As I was trying to figure out how to get to Fort Lauderdale, I discovered the first officer on the flight I had just been on was also in the same predicament. To make a long story (semi) short, myself and this random jetBlue first officer rented a car, and drove home. I figured if I had trusted my life in his hands for two hours in the sky, then what the hey is another three in a car! The car ride wasn’t too awkward, aside from him getting somewhat creepy around minute 45 of the trip, with comments such as, “So what types of things make you attracted to a man?” and “You possess a lot of qualities I would want my wife to have.” Call me crazy, but I was under the impression polite conversation for two strangers consisted of topics such as, What do you like to do in your free time? Or maybe even a simple, “How bout them Cardinals…” I yi yi, the situations I get myself into.

After thankfully arriving home safely, I was home for a grand 12 hours before heading back to the airport for a four day work trip. The first layover was in San Juan, and I was able to go for run on the beach, one of my very favorite things to do! Two nights ago I was in Detroit, and last night I layed over in NYC. Life is good!

A couple of weeks ago I saw a bumber sticker that simply read: Wag More, Bark Less. I think I’ve decided that is my new personal mantra, it should be yours too :)

Meet The Black Bullet...The Silver Bullet's Alter Ego

I'm VERY happy to report that I am the proud owner of a 2006 Toyota Corolla S! I am happy just to have a car, but I'm extra excited that I really do actually love the car. It's two years older than the silver bullet(RIP), but it has just about the same amount of miles. I know zip, zipch, nada about cars, so I was not exactly in love with the shopping process. Thankfully that part is all over, and I hope I bought a good car that will keep me safe for many miles!



I'm currently in Boston on my last day of a very fun four day trip. Last night my friends David and Maria and I (who all share a line this month) had a layover in Vegas. I had never been to any of the shows in Vegas, and had always wanted to see one. The thought occurred to me that afternoon that we would be in Vegas, on a Friday night, with just enough time to see some type of a show. Thanks to technology, as soon as our passengers deplaned, I googled cheap show tickets, and surprisingly enough, the most affordable tickets were to see American Storm...think generic Chippendales. Now, I am not one to condone stripping, and would actually go as far as saying I have some real moral issues with it, but I figured what the hey, I'm in Vegas!

Ths show was awesome! We seriously had so much fun, and it's on of the best 30 dollar purchases I've made in a long time! The performers were actually very classy, in a stripper kind of way. A few glimpses of bare (beautiful, muscular, gorgeous) butt cheeks was as riskay as the show got. It was pretty cheesy at times, but it was all in good fun. I would definitely recommend getting American Stormed to anyone doing a girls trip to Vegas.

After this trip I am off for two weeks, sans one pesky red eye I can't seem to get rid of. I'm super pumped for two weeks of visiting friends and family, working at Disney, and traveling for pure pleasure! Wahoo! I love my job, or in this case, the lack thereof!

Have a great week everyone!

"Today is life - the only life you are sure of. Make the most of today." Dale Carnegie

Kelsey AKA Floridian

This past week I had an awesome four-day trip! It was so easy that I definitely felt like I more so vacationing than working. There was only one leg per each day of the trip, just the way all trips should be!

The first day I arrived in Chicago late in the evening, and didn't have time to do much before heading to bed. The next morning my friend Maria, who was working the trip with me, and I were picked up at our hotel by my friend Eric, who so generously offered to be our tour guide for the day. We then drove to the train station and picked up my friend Heather, who I had not seen since February. Us four then rented bikes and rode along Lake Michigan. We had perfect weather, and it was absolutely gorgeous out. Naturally we were a little hungry after several miles of pedaling so once we made it to Navy Pier we ate lunch at Jimmy Buffet's MargaritaVille. Unbeknownst to us, our day in Chicago just so happened to coincide with free hug day. I'm not actually sure what the cause Free Hug Day is trying to bring awareness to or what the point of it is, but we did see large groups of college age ish people wearing tie die t-shirts that said Free Hugs who were in fact giving away free hugs. Personally, I think Free Hug Day sounds like a perv's dream come true, this coming from one of the least touchy feely people known to mankind. Anyways, after our lunch we looked around Navy Pier and rode the big Ferris wheel. This was Heather and Maria's first time riding the Ferris wheel and probably my fourth. Every single time I ride it, my palms get sweaty, it gets hard for me to take deep breaths, and I freak out! Still not sure why I always insist on riding it.

After our day in the city, we flew out to Los Angeles. Eric and I randomly decided that since he had the next couple of days off, he should try to fly standby with me. Luckily he got on the flight, and so he was able to spend the whole next day sightseeing with me. I have never been to Disneyland, but every since I started working for Disney World, I've really wanted to go. We decided that since we had a full day in Los Angeles and free passes into Disney, that we should go visit. So we rented a car, drove 30 minutes, and spent the day at Disneyland. It was almost an errie feeling being inside this park I had never been to because for the most part it was set up like Disney World, so I felt like I knew my way around. Due to us only having a limited amount of time and Eric not being super into the whole Disney thing, we only spent about 4 hours in the park. It was really neat to see though, and I definitely would love to go back when I have more time, and am traveling with fellow Disney nerds. Eric had never seen the Hollywood sign or stars, so after we left Disney we went to Hollywood and took the usual touristy pictures. Even though I had done all of that before, it was still fun to be in Hollywood. I LOVE California!

After our busy day in California, we flew back on a redeye to Chicago. I'm actually quite used to red eyes, and actually prefer them to day flights. However, working a red eye after playing tourist for an entire day with no nap was ROUGH. Thank God for coffee! After arriving in Chicago and getting minimal rest, we flew back to Fort Lauderdale where our trip ended. Super fun four day!

These past few days I have been off, and after being gone non stop for nearly three weeks I've been indulging in some good old fashioned R and R...as well as grocery shopping, random errands, cleaning, working out, and hanging out with friends. My big news for the week is that I am officially a Floridian. Yesterday I switched my license, and I have to say I was a little nostalgic about doing it. I don't even know who my governor is!

This quote really doesn't tie into anything in this post, but I saw it this week and thought it was interesting and thought provoking. Enjoy!

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge; Dig two graves" -Chinese Philosopher Confucious

Longest Post EVER

I'm currently on a flight back to Fort Lauderdale, and can honestly say I'm pretty excited to be headed there! It's been exactly two weeks since I've stepped foot into my apartment and am ready to go to my gym, sleep in my own bed, and get some clean clothes. Two weeks ago I left for a four-day trip with planned layovers in New York City, Chicago, and Las Vegas. Keyword here is "planned." Due to weather, our flight from NYC to Chicago was cancelled, and we ended up spending two nights in NYC. Unfortunately, we didn't get much warning about the cancelled flight, so we weren't able to go do anything super fun in New York. Despite the rain, another flight attendant and I did venture out to Union Square and split a gourmet carrot cupcake. Delicious! The next morning the crew and myself deadedheaded (meaning we got paid to be transported to meet our next flight, but did not physically work the flight) to Chicago where we met our plane that was headed to Vegas. Very randomly, a girl who I went to WIU with was on my Chicago to Vegas flight. Fun to see a familiar face on my flight! Although I have flown into Vegas several times, this was my first layover there. My friend, Maria, our first officer, and myself went out on the strip for a few hours. We all had fairly early show times the next morning, so I doubt this will go down in the record books as my wildest Vegas trip ever, but we did have fun. Not to brag, but after feeding the quarter slots all night, I did come out $.50 on top. That you, Vegas! Late on Friday evening I arrived back in Fort Lauderdale and I spent the evening at Maria's. Since I am still car-less (gurrrr) Maria, being the awesome person she is, stayed up until 4:00 A.M. and drove me to the airport to catch my 5:45 A.M. flight to Saint Louis. The stars all aligned perfectly and I made it on my flights from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta and from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale on the first tries! The last time I had been home was the first week of May. Four months is just about my being-away-from-home limit, I start getting cranky after that. From the moment my plane touched down in Saint Louis I was busy, but I seriously loved every minute of my visit. My sister in law, Stacy, picked me up from the airport, and we may or may not have rocked out to a couple Lifehouse and Adele songs on the drive home. After a quick nap and saying my hellos to the fam, I headed to my friend Cassandra's wedding with my high school girlfriends. The golf course wedding was beautiful, and thankfully the rain held off for the ceremony and reception. I had an awesome night drinking too much champagne, dancing, and laughing with some of my favorite people in this whole world. Last September when Lindsey, one of my best friends since I was five, got married, I worried that being a married women may change her and make her more mature. After engaging in a "who can lick out the tiki torch flame" competition with her, I think I have nothing to worry about. We even completed the night with her father in law providing five of us obnoxious partygoers with a sober ride home. I'd go as far as saying I'm actually benefiting from this married friends business.

The next day after attending church we had the entire Schutz clan together. It only lasted one hour, but for those 60 minutes all 12 members were in the same place at the same time. I'm pretty sure it only happened because I begged them months in advance for us all to take a family Christmas card photo to ensure we wouldn't have to send out holiday greetings featuring individual pictures of mom and dad, all three siblings with their families, and then Kelsey, the single, solo, party of one sister. Thankfully they all obliged. Even at 23, being the baby of the family still has major leverage in the Schutz family On Monday, Jackie was kind enough to loan me her Dodge Challenger to drive to Macomb for the day. Not gonna lie, I kinda felt like a B.A. when I drove the beast. In all reality though, I was a nervous wreck the entire time I had it in my position, and seriously topped her out at 60. I met up with my former supervisor from Catholic Charities, Carrie, for lunch at Chick's. Then, I had ice cream with the hilarious April Hutter, and I finished the day visiting one of my favorite families, The Zanollas, for dinner. Working at Disney, I've met a lot of kids in my time, and I can honestly say these kids are off the charts on cuteness levels!

Tuesday I drove to Springfield and met my best good friend, Jenny Raabe, for some excellent sushi. That girl sure knows the way to my heart! Afterwards I spent the night at my sister's and was assigned the difficult task of being " baby rocker" from about midnight to 7:00 A.M. for the newest man in my life, Joseph. He is such a sweet baby, he seriously never cries!

The next few days I spent around the farm, biking, hanging out with the nieces, attending both of their open houses, trucking with my dad, and spending time with my mom. I even had the privilege of dropping both girls off at school one morning. Lana, the fourth grader, is officially too cool for school. Let me rephrase that, too cool for ME at school, as she refused to hug me as she left the van. Ouch! Friday morning, my mom, Stacy and I went to Peoria to visit my aunt, uncle, cousin, and my cousin's new baby, Sam. While we were in town we also got to see my great Aunt Kate, who is 91, in amazing shape, and has an awesome, upbeat attitude about life. I hope to be that perky at 91! Friday night I attended my cousin Blane's high school football game. My only thought after leaving the 40-0 game was how thankful I am that I was able to cheer for winning North Greene Spartan football teams when I was in high school. It was painful to watch! After the game, my friends and I had an entertaining Weiner roast together and then hit the local watering hole, The Horn. Speaking of painful games to watch, Saturday I drove to Columbia, MO to watch the WIU vs. Mizzou football game. I left during the third quarter, but rumor has it the final score was in fact 69 to zip! Rough weekend for my Alma matters, indeed! As much as I do love football...players, the real reason for my Columbia trip was to see my friend, Jenn, whom I had not seen since graduation. As is usually the case with good friends, we picked up right where we left off a year and a half ago! So good to see her! Sunday I drove back to White Hall and arrived just in time for the Schutz family's big Sunday lunch. Impeccable timing, eh? After an afternoon nap and five-mile bike ride with Kristen, we had the last hoo ra for my homecoming. Twenty people came over for some delicious soup mi Madre made, and we ended the evening with a competitive game of Apples to Apples. I value all of my friends, but there's just something extra special about the big group of fiends I grew up with. Maybe it's the fact that we can all tell stories about each other from 15 years ago. Or maybe it's just that I never laugh as hard or as genuinely as I do when I am with all of them. Love, love, love them! This morning I quickly said my goodbyes and and "I'll see ya in a month" and headed back to the mother ship, aka the airport. My mama drove me to Saint Louis, and I think we're doing better with this whole distance thing, as we only started crying as we pulled into the airport this time. After our initial big hug and telling one another goodbye, we parted ways at the terminal drop off. With tears in each of our eyes, we waved goodbye to one another as we each prepared to return to what has become our new normal...living hundreds of miles away from each another. The captain just announced our initial decent, and as I peak out the window from my free middle seat I can see the ocean. Looks like I'm home.... my other home. :) Hope you all have a great week!