i don't know how it gets better than this

okay, well, here goes.

i moved to milwaukee, WI mid-august to start my new job on august 20th. i lived downtown milwaukee, made some amazing friends, started dating an amazing guy (we're currently on a "break"), and discovered i really, really love my job. in early december, i was informed i would be starting a 3-month rotation out in reno, NV, after the first of the year.

see, i'm in this 2-year training program where we do 3- to 6-month rotations in various departments throughout the company. it's a pretty sweet gig - if we get sent anywhere outside of wisconsin, we get free housing and a weekly per diem. i'm definitely loving that part right now. i currently live with three other trainees in a house in northwest reno. it's pretty big and we all have our own rooms, which is nice, and it's close to everything - target, the gym, etc.

mom was nice enough to make the 1800-mile road trip with me. i personally LOVE road trips, and we managed to squeeze in some interesting tourist traps along the way. it took four days and was all in all a great time. i started in reno on january 9, and i'm learning to love the desert. it's very dry, and the weather seems to change more often than i blink in a day. recently it's been 65 degrees in the late morning and barely 40 by dinnertime. this past weekend, we got 2 inches of snow overnight and it was completely gone by 8:30 am the next morning. when i drive to work and go through one of the mountain passes, i can see it snowing up on the peaks even though it's sunny here in town. i am definitely not missing the weather in the midwest... there is no such thing as "wind chill" here. amazing.

my last day here in reno is technically april 10, if it doesn't get extended (crosses fingers). the latest i would want to stay out here would be early june, and since that doesn't make for another 3 months, it probably won't work out. plus, i already told them i want to be back in milwaukee for the summer. i've got plans, man.

in other news, i've become a big fan of the "weekend getaway" - and since i now have free weekends and flights have drastically decreased in price, i'm actually sort of able to "get away" when i want. i'm heading to san francisco (well, this is a driving trip since it's only 4 hours away) over valentine's day weekend with one of my best friends from home who is coming for a six-day visit. i can't wait! then i'm off to vegas the first weekend in march with some trainees currently in milwaukee, and then to portland at the end of march to visit a friend in grad school up there. when i get back to wisconsin, it'll finally almost be time for the annual mexican vaycay! too bad i'm not going with the fam over spring break this year - the real world doesn't really offer that as an option. instead, i'll be flying south with my current reno roommates and my future milwaukee roommates over memorial day weekend. six days, five nights. heck yes!!!

did i mention i get this cool radio-type thing that hooks onto my belt? it's pretty stellar. the press guys page me when i'm needed. it makes me feel important, haha.

speak of the devil. time to check on macy's west!


This post's title taken from: Taylor Swift