Uno (not the game)

That means one in Spanish, just in case you didn't know that.

I've been in Portland for exactly one month now. That's kinda crazy to me. I have had a few people ask for updates, so why not post one and have a place to direct people if they desire to hear about my (not so) exciting life.

If I'm honest, I think I was hoping to accomplish more than I have at this point. However, I'm content. Today at least. So, the first week and a half I mainly focused on pulling together my resume. It's unbelievable how many hours can be spent attempting to perfect a resume. Since then, it has been an overwhelming amount of job searching and applying.

What does a typical day look like? Well, most days are pretty monotonous honestly. I wake up between 8:30 and 9:30 (I'm proud of that) and read and journal while sipping on some coffee. I love making this a new habit of mine. Then I usually spend the rest of the morning searching for jobs/researching/applying/writing cover letters/adjusting my resume to a particular job/etc. Destiny has also allowed me to help her with her jewelry a few times, which is a nice break to sitting in front of a computer. Around 12:30 or 1:00 Destiny and I pack up a lunch and drive over to Avery's office. She seriously is the sweetest wife ever. Avery comes out, and we all eat lunch together in Destiny's VW Bug. It's pretty cute if you ask me. Afternoons consist of exercising, coffee shops, meeting with the two friends I have here (Kristen and Allie), continuing applications, watching 24, writing friends, etc. Evenings are usually spent with Avery and Destiny eating dinner and watching TV or playing games.

I have probably applied to over 30 jobs now. I am applying to anything and everything. I have only gotten two responses. Which is a little bit of a hard thing to swallow sometimes. I just have to remind myself that there are probably hundreds of other people applying to these same jobs, and I'm not exactly qualified for, well, much of anything. The first interview I had was with an internet marketing company. It was a sales position, and I feel like I pretty much bombed the interview. Needless to say, I haven't heard back from them. I'm not too disappointed about that. The second interview was with a job through Americorps. It is basically working for an organization that tries to connect the schools with the community and runs an after-school program. I felt better about this interview mainly because it actually involved something that interests me and I have experience in. I am supposed to hear back from them after Thanksgiving. I am hopeful, but definitely still applying to other positions.

As soon as I got out here I knew I wanted to immediately dive into doing something. I knew I would attend Imago Dei Community Church so I emailed the youth director and asked if he needed any leaders. About a week after I got here, I dressed up as a plastic pumpkin trick-or-treat bucket and headed to a high school and middle school Halloween party. I luckily knew one of the high school leaders through Avery, but otherwise I knew no one. Of course it turned out great, and I have officially become a high school leader. It is a huge change from Hope's youth group, but I'm enjoying the challenge. There are only about 20 students, but they are tight knit and anxious to learn and love. The other leaders have been extremely welcoming, and I'm excited to grow friendships with them.

Portland as a city, I am beginning to appreciate more and more. There are definitely things I am getting used to, but every once in a while it hits me how awesome and beautiful this city truly is. It is so cool to be submerged in such a different culture. Things I am getting used to in relation to the actual city:

• Making sure I don't hit pedestrians and bikers. They are everywhere.
• Being confident ordering a PBR in a Portland brewery. People love their beer here. I prefer cheap beer.
• Rain. I'm trying to have a positive attitude and not let it get to me. It's freaking hard though. It's  35 and raining today. My dad said he got too hot on his run this morning in Memphis. I need a gym membership.
• People truly are different. They actually are nicer than I expected, but sometimes I just feel like I don't exactly fit in. 

That's an overview of what's going on. I'll try to keep people updated and don't ever hesitate to contact me personally. It's nice to hear from people.

If you feel the urge, pray for me this week. I'm staying here for Thanksgiving. I haven't really spent a holiday away from my family before. Also, I realized that was a pretty positive update. That makes me happy. It really has been tough at times, I've had my share of breakdowns and thoughts of giving up. I am learning so much though.