I checked out the efficiency apartment on a Saturday, July 2. I was set to leave the following Tuesday. I also had 2 interviews set for that Tuesday morning. On Sunday, Jeff went on a motorcycle ride with his friend, and Lins and I took the boys to Pecos, where we got rained on (the one day it rained for several hours the whole month I was there.)
Monday was July 4th. we went and had breakfast at a little cafe, then Jeff dropped Lindsey, Zach and I off at the Plaza for the Fourth of July festivities, which were really neat. they had a car show, lots of vendors out with jewelry and things (Zach wanted pink sparkly butterfly wings lol) and we met up with some friends. We went to the park by the historic church and let the kids run around for awhile, then sat on the grass in the plaza and listened to music, got cherry lemonade and ice cream for Zach, then went back to the apartment. Meanwhile, I answered an ad about a casita in La Cienega that I had found on craigslist. La Cienega is about 17 minutes south of where Lindsey and Jeff live, about 10-15 minutes from the Plaza. It's kind of out in the country, but still considered Santa Fe, not much different from where I live now. there is a gas station closeby, but it is about 8 minutes from Cerrillos Road, and the grocery stores, etc. (about like where I live now.) I immediately fell in LOVE with the place, and the owner of the main house. She is a physician's assistant, and her husband makes dentures in a little office off the side of the main house. The "casita" is a little area of the house they had sealed off and made into a separate apartment rental. (casita is Spanish for "little house.") My area of the place has a large porch area, with plenty of landscaping room, a concrete porch, and a wooden dining table with a bench. Adobe-looking walls enclose it, with square openings that act as windows. It has French doors and Saltillo floors. The kitchen is the first thing you see when you walk in. It's amazing. It is bright blue tiles bordered by different southwest-style accent tiles, complete with a stove, oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, very cute pantry, tin-decorated cabinets, a coffee maker, toaster, and tea kettle. The kitchen also includes dishes, silverware, pots and pans, etc. The bathroom does not have a bathtub, but it has a SAUNA attached to it, which they put a showerhead in. so it's a shower/sauna. the Living room area has two couches covered with white slipcovers, several endtables, and a little breakfast nook (benches attached to the wall in the corner) with a small table in the middle. There is a small opening to enter the bedroom, where there is a double bed, 2 dressers, a large mirror, and a sliding door closet. Everything is included. Lindsey and I stayed and talked with the woman for an hour and a half while Jeff jogged Kyle and Zach biked to Ragle Park. I told the woman I was very interested, but was just waiting for a job offer. We went and met up with the boys at the park, stopped at the Burrito Spot for dinner (as opposed to the typical h-dogs on the fourth of July). Lins and Jeff bathed the boys and got them in bed. When it was time for the fireworks to start, which we could just watch from the parking lot of their complex, Lins went up to check on Zach (who has never seen fireworks.) This was around 9 p.m. He was just sitting up in his bed looking at books lol. :) Lindsey invited him to go watch the fireworks. Needless to say, he was ecstatic. It was quite adorable to see him jumping, spinning, and running around in his pjs. He hadn't experienced fireworks before! He didn't want to sit still, he wanted to jump up and try and catch them, etc. It was adorable. We ALL will remember it for a long time. When we got back, Lins had a tough time getting a tired,excited boy to bed. He kept telling her about Target, and Hobby Lobby, or "Hoky-Loky" as he calls it, and about his favorite dinosaur. He made my Fourth of July. :)
Tuesday, my last day in Santa Fe, was probably the worst day of my life. lol just kidding, but it was close. We were all relying on Kyle to be our alarm clock, since Jeff leaves for work at 6. Well Kyle slept in. I had an interview at 9 and another at 1045, and Zach had preschool at 830. The plan was for me to drop Z off at preschool, then go to my interview, which on any other day would have been completely feasible. WELL... I woke up late, Zach of course was trying to sleep in since he had been up late for the fireworks, so we were all rushing. Lindsey and I had said that as long as we left by 830 (Zach can be a little late to preschool), we would be find. so around 810, Lindsey got Zach up, sunscreened, dressed, and packed him breakfast in a lunchbox lol. We walked out the door at 839. As soon as I pulled out of the apartment complex, a big truck appeared out of nowhere and I had to slam on the brakes, shocking Zach and sending his milk sippy cup flying under the seat in front of him. Poor guy, just trying to stuff his breakfast down on the way to preschool, and he loses his milk. He exclaimed, "Annie! What button did you push that made the car do that and my milk go flying onto the floor?" lol. I promised to get it for him, but we were in such a hurry. Finally at a stoplight I put the car in park and "climbed" into the third row, with my legs up in the air near the steering wheel (at this point Zach was cracking up), trying to retrieve his milk. I couldnt. 8:48. 6 minutes from preschool. Preschool is 9 minutes from my interview. At this point I've accepted the fact I'm going to be 5 minutes late. We finally pull in to preschool, I retrieve Zach's milk and he sucks it down, stuffing the last of his bagel into his mouth to the point that pieces of it are falling out of his mouth. Instead of using the wipes Lindsey put into my purse, I use my hand to wipe the excess cream cheese off his mouth and run the poor little guy into preschool. I sign him in. 8:54. I give him a kiss,make sure his teachers see him and me, and get outside only to find that another preschool parent has parked behind me in the 2-row driveway (no one was in the other row.) At this point, I'm contemplating not going. I'm frazzled beyond belief, shaking, nervous, and still 9 minutes away from my interview, sitting still in a driveway. 8:59- she comes out, apologizing, and get in her car. Traffic is crazy, and I finally arrive at my interview at 9:10. It was clear to everyone that I was very late for something you generally do not arrive late to. I was so nervous I was visibly shaking, and my words kept getting caught in my throat so I looked like a total basketcase. Well, I blew this interview right? Once we got going with the questions, I was kind of sad, because I really liked the team, and the school, and ended up staying there for 45 minutes. But I knew I didn't get the job. I was 10 minutes late! So I went back to the apartment to tell Lindsey about the interview I butchered, and about poor Zach's adventure to preschool. Then I had to leave for my next interview, which was possibly worse than the first, but I wasn't that interested in the job. So I came back to the apartment, threw all my stuff together, and Lins, Kyle and I left to pick up Zach and head to Albuquerque to grab lunch in time for me to jump on my plane. 10 minutes after we left the preschool and were stopped in traffic due to about 4 wrecks in Santa Fe (???), the principal from the 9:00 interview called. I knew he called to tell me they had chosen another applicant. However, I also knew he was on vacation. To my surprise, he scheduled a phone interview for the next day, when I would be in Indy. I was shocked. I told him about being late to the interview and such and he seemed okay with it (I think it was best that I just was honest about it). So the drive to Albuquerque was not great because there was terrible traffic there too. We were able to stop and eat and then had to quickly leave at the end of our meal because a. Kyle began screaming (not crying, it's a new "funny" thing he does hehe) and b. my flight was scheduled to leave in an hour, and I had bags to check. So we said our quick goodbyes, and I made the gate, flustered still, and insanely tired (oh yeah, i slept 5 hours the night before). All went well for the flight home, besides the lavatory being broken on the plane from albuquerque to phoenix, which makes no sense anyway, and our flight leaving 30 minutes late, but they made arrangements to be sure we would make our connections. (I have no idea why I am suddenly underlining everything.)
I met some really cool people from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes on the flight from Phoenix to Indy, and we had a blast. They were coming from a Christian camp in Flagstaff, AZ. They were crazy, fun, loud, and hysterical. Daddy picked me up at the airport in my car, which I didn't recognize, and I got to drive home, which was weird since I have a car and i was used to driving the Highlander.
I decided to stay at mom and dad's. The next morning I got a call for yet another (this makes 4) position in Santa Fe. I talked on the phone with the principal for 45 minutes, at the end of which she wanted to schedule a phone interview for the next day. LOL. I had my phone interview scheduled from the interview yesterday. So I went to Starbucks and CVS and came back in time to have my phone interview, during which I was told that the team that interviewed me the day before (the interview I was 10 minutes late to) recommended me for the position. So my phone interview was just a conversation before the principal told me he was recommending me for the position to HR. WOW! So a few hours later, HR called with an official job offer, with a salary $3000 more than what I was making here. I accepted. Time to get the ball rolling! I called the owners of the casita, and after some negotiating, we agreed upon lease terms on Saturday. Sunday he emailed me the lease. On Monday, I mailed the signed lease, the check for first and last month's rent and a damage deposit, along with my signed acceptance of a job offer.
Today is Tuesday. Next Monday night, the 18th, I leave for a training for my new position and will be back saturday night the 23rd. During that time I am renting a car and will get to stay in my casita. Then I will be leaving for good the 29th, but might be returning for a few days that next weekend for a family reunion. I have 12 days in Indy to get things packed up. So far I've cleaned out the guest bedroom, 1/2 of the bathroom (most of which is Tiff's), thrown away a ton of stuff, and tied up some loose ends. Today I plan on tackling the garage, which I anticipate to mostly be trash. I can't say I'm too overwhelmed. Moving my classroom was overwhelming, and with my parents' help, I got it done in like 4 days, only working 4-6 hours a day. This is minor compared to that.
I am very excited, and only a little bit nervous/sad. The issue of finding a job and a place to live is taken care of. The next hardest issue will be the actual move, which I'm not that worried about, and leaving Mom and Daddy. That part I am worried about, but they are soooooo supportive of me doing this, and i know they'll be out to visit all the time, and I know they're so proud I'm doing this. I'm proud too, come to think of it! Wow! I'm moving to New Mexico! Alone! :)
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