You're Always Mama

I love my mom.  I'm 25 years old and I'm currently counting down the days until I get to see her again (14).  I call her every Monday now that we live across the country.  We exchange pointless and silly text messages every few days.  And I'm pretty sure she cries every time we hang up the phone. 

I've never been a big mama's girl.  I'm much more like my dad and have always fallen a bit more into his playing field.  I have his curly hair, his humor, his attitude.  And he always let me get away with more!  Being told "Go Ask Your Father" was always a good thing. 

BUT my mom was always there to crack the whip at the right times, travel long distances with me, and be responsible when I needed her to be.  She also took the brunt of my adventurous outbursts: 

I'm going to college three hours away (age 18), I'm moving in with my boyfriend {now husband} (age 19), I'm going to Norway for school (age 20), I'm living in the cities (age 21), I'm ENGAGED (age 22), we're going to Costa Rica (age 23), and we're moving to Texas (age 24). 

Did you notice something there...?

Everything I mentioned happened after the age of 18.  Which is why I cannot stand it when people say things like "18 years until I'm off the hook", and "five more years of this and I'm done", and "I can't wait until she's out of the house". 

No, I'm not a mother.  But...REALITY CHECK: 

YOU'RE ALWAYS MAMA!

Your opinion will always matter.  You will still be the one we come to when we can't figure out why we're sick.  You will have to pick up the slack when we can't make it through something.  You will be the first one we tell our exciting news to.  You will have to take us in if something goes wrong.  You will be backup daycare.  You will help us through every tough time we come upon. 

You will always be the all-knowing, all-loving, all-the-time MOM! 

I say this because not only do I miss my mom right now, but I have had two in depth conversations with moms at work recently.  One has a four year old, and one has a 24 year old.  And guess what?  They were both going through tough times and pulling their kids along in the mommy wagon.  My response each time was "You're always Mama".  Which solidified my thoughts stated above. 

Especially with daughters, there is usually tension between them and their mom.  I always pushed my mom, not knowing that I was slowly turning in to her.  In recent years, we have become much closer.  It only took us twenty years to get there!  Now, I appreciate everything she has done for me and know that she will always be there for me, even when I'm forty and still need my mama. 

To all the moms out there:  you're doing a great job!  If your teenager is pushing you, hold on and be mama.  They will come around to appreciate everything you do!  If your baby is a crier, know it's because they want you.  If your husband is the favorite, know that you are always needed. 

Thanks, Mom.  For always following through, being supportive, and believing in everything I do. 

I Love You!

Schwinn Sweetheart

I got a bike.  A cruiser bike.  A PURPLE bike!

Can you tell I'm a wee bit giddy?

Remember a few weeks ago when we got free bikes to ride on the beach and around town?  Well, that sort of reignited our want for bikes!  Don't get me wrong, I am constantly annoyed by bike riders in traffic, but we wanted a casual fun activity to do together besides walking.  For now, we'll be sticking to our neighborhood and bike-specific trails. 

We had been seriously looking for bikes for the past two weeks or so.  Mike wanted a mountain bike, and I was in love with cruiser bikes.  Until I got back on a mountain bike and loved the light, quick feel.  Because of that, I took a little longer to decide because I didn't know which route I wanted to go.

Mike took to his typical researching ways and scoured Craigslist for used, high quality bikes.  He found that buying a used, originally super expensive bike is better than buying a new, cheaper bike.  He got a great deal from a now-dad who was downsizing his collection.  It even came with tools, packs, and an air pump, SCORE!  (You know how I love a good deal!)

Once he bit the bullet, the pressure was on for me.  We checked out a few stores, did a bit of online research, and couldn't quite find the perfect one.  I wanted a PRETTY bike.  I wanted hand brakes and gears.  I wanted a cute basket.  And I wanted something comfortable.  I want, I want, I want...

We eventually returned back to one store and found a bike that wasn't there originally.  A purple bike.  With hand brakes, gears, and a nice seat.  It was pretty.  Like, I wanted it.  BUT, I still couldn't decide if I was ready to commit to a cruiser instead of a mountain bike.  Especially since Mike had purchased a mountain bike.  I didn't want to be left behind in the dust! 

So we left it.  We pondered (ugh, I am my father's daughter), and eventually decided that I would get the cruiser of my dreams for now, and if we decide it isn't the best fit, we can sell it and go for a mountain bike later.  That's the beauty of buying name brand sometimes.  It will hold most of its value and we won't be making a bad investment.

ESPECIALLY since we got 15% off!!  Why?  Because I am awesome, that's why.  Since we had been at the store about a week earlier, and the bike wasn't there, we knew it had been in stock for less than a week.  And the frame had a few scratches on it.  Thrifty Nat?  Obviously, I asked for a discount.  I was offered 10%, which wasn't going to cut it for me.  15% off on a brand new purple Schwinn?  SOLD!

Taking Her Home!

We spent Saturday washing, oiling, and jazzing our bikes in the 100 degree shade of our back patio.  We waited for the sun to almost go down and then took our new babies for an inaugural cruise around the neighborhood.  It was breezy, relaxing, fun, and exciting! 

My Beauty



My tips? 

• Be patient and have a list of things you want - a bike is a somewhat sizable investment.
• Make sure you'll be comfortable on and with your decision. 
• Look online to check prices - it might be cheaper to order/buy from somewhere else. 
• Read reviews of your future bike: look for comfort as well as durability and ease of fixing issues that may arise. 
• If you buy from the store - give it a good once-over.  Look for:  scratches, bent fenders, working brakes, etc.
• Make sure you have tools to adjust your bike when you get home (seat, handlebars, chain). 
• Don't forget that you will have additional investments such as helmet, lock, lights, bike rack, etc.

Note that I am not a biking enthusiast or expert!  This is simply a fun, new endeavor that we are enjoying as a couple.  Do you have a bike?  What do you love about it?

Why Did We Move Across the Country?

Every new person we meet, and every person we catch up with from back home, always asks the same questions.  Why did you move?  What made you pick up and leave in a month?  How did you do it?  Were you planning this?  WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!

Okay, the last one was a bit dramatic, but you get the point.  I'm here to spill it so everyone is on the same page.  And so I can read this 20 years from now and look back on being young and adventurous. 

Ever since we've know each other, Mike and I have always talked about leaving Minnesota.  Not because we don't like it, but just to try something new.  Especially after studying abroad and Mike visiting in Europe, we knew that there was a lot to see outside of the Great Lakes. 

But in the hustle of graduating and getting first jobs, moving around the Twin Cities, getting new jobs, and getting married, we got really settled in and comfortable with ourselves, our house, and our people. And if you're ever been married, you know the house and baby questions come the second you get a ring on your finger. 

We wanted to buy a house and have kids, but there was always something holding us back.  Really keeping us from taking a new step.  Mike eventually put it in to words.  We would never be able to settle down until we gave ourselves the chance to try something new.  We would always regret not taking a chance somewhere else. 

If you know me, I'm not all about regrets.  So we took action...really slowly.  Hah!  For about a year, we seriously considered moving.  Mike got to his researching ways and found us a couple of options.  Our top choices were San Francisco, New York, and Austin.  I initially said no to the heat, but after a lot of changes at my job, the itch for change that I could control got stronger.  We decided that Austin was the best fit for us.  Music, warmth, technology, and great people.  Let's go!

In January 2014, Mike applied for about five jobs in Austin.  One immediately offered to fly him down for an extensive two-day interview.  By Friday, he was leaving the office with a verbal offer and a start date a month away. 

But we had a LIFE in Minnesota!  We had a townhome lease, two jobs, two vehicles, our bunny Lola.  Could we do this?  We second guessed ourselves all weekend.  Tried to decide what really needed to happen for us to up and move. 

And the company came back with an offer that eased all of our fears and made it absolutely impossible to say no.  They even gave us a trip down to Austin to find a place to live and see the city.  My first time ever in Texas.  I can't believe we followed through with all of this!

Neither could anyone else.  People knew we were considering moving eventually, but no one knew that it would actually happen so soon.  We even kept our parents in the dark because we didn't want to create chaos unless something was actually going to happen.  And then all of the sudden, we were moving in a month.  Sorry, Mom.  She was the first one we called on speaker phone.  On the way to our celebratory dinner.  And within five seconds, she was bawling.  Her baby girl and favorite Mikey were leaving. 

We were also fulfilling what I guess you could call a "dream" of ours.  It was hard, stressful, expensive, draining, emotional, CRAZY.  But coming up on six months later, it was right. 

Yes, I've been lonely.  Sometimes it's really hot.  I'm not in love with our house.  BUT - we both got fantastic jobs, our neighbors are great, and we are having a fabulous time trying out everything we can get our hands on.

Most of all, our relationship is thriving and we are extremely happy.  It has also been a great method to see who and what really matters to us, and what we need to survive and be happy.  For now, we're good where we are, and I'm doing to my best to roll with it and not plan too far ahead!