the beginning

This is it! (I shamefully -- or not so shamefully, feel a bit like Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City or Doogie Howser) I've started a blog.

I suppose the aim of these ramblings are primarily to keep the folks in Ohio abreast of my adventures in Arizona. This calls for a little catching up:

After some long, hard soul-searching I decided to take a position teaching secondary English in Glendale, Arizona. The need for a decision came quickly (much too quickly for my liking) and after much prayer and pondering, I decided that the best place for me was in Arizona (my other options were to stay here in Ohio or Charleston, South Carolina -- both very lucrative options).

It's been hard for my family and friends here to accept the idea of me moving. Frankly, I think it's hard for me too, I'm just choosing to ignore it. It'll be weird not to be able to drive 5 minutes to see my sister (my best friend) Kat. It'll be weird not to go to church and see familiar faces. It will be strange to not know a single soul (did I mention that I don't know anyone in Glendale, nor have I ever been there?!!?!?! I'm crazy, right?!).

I think the hardest thing for my family so far has been my reliance on faith. They do not belong to the same church as I do (I joined the church when I was 20). Although the concept of faith is not alien to my family, the idea of relying so fully on it (and not "using your head") isn't something they exercise on a regular basis. My sister, Kat, especially had a hard time with this. She didn't understand how I could be willing to pack up all of my belongings and say goodbye to everything familiar and comfortable to travel 2,000 miles across the country to a place that I had never been -- even visited. I know that Arizona is where I need to be. I feel a peace and a calm when I think about moving, and I know it's right.

Plus, I'm extremely excited to be near a templeYay! 45 minutes instead of 2 hours! hurrah! (I digress...)

The game plan for the next 3 weeks is such:

• This weekend I need to pack my room and bathroom so that mom and I can move into her new apartment (I'm not the happiest camper about having to pack and move and unpack all just to pack and move and unpack again...this was poor timing on her part)
• I'll continue to work at Polycase (which is a whoooooole post unto itself) to make a little (and I stress little) cash to get out to AZ
• Try to be a tourist in my own town (inspired by Jill) and soak up all that Cleveland has to offer before I head out
• Leave July 14th to drive out to Glendale

It'll fly by...I know this. I'm excited to go, and grow and learn.

Any advise??
Packing tips?
Must-see things in Cleveland before I leave?
Things I must see in Arizona??