Back in the Saddle

A close friend reminded me this past weekend that I used to have a blog.  Now I had not completely forgotten about An Afternoon in the Garden, but unfortunately the posts began to dwindle and eventually ceased as I returned to my senior year at the Univeristy of Minneosta.  And, now almost a year after graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Horiculture, I am grateful for that reminder. This friend, whom I haven't seen in too long either, reminded me of how much she enjoyed keeping up with my travels and experiences. And it was in that instant, when I realized people had actually been reading, that I decided it was time to put the pen to the paper once again (figuratively of course, as I ferociously peck at my iPad keyboard).  For my first post, I will play catch up and summarize the highlights of the past year and a half, and for your sake I will try my best to keep it short & sweet!

The excitement began almost exactly a year ago, as I crossed the stage at Mariucci Arena to accept my diploma and officially call the University of Minnesota my alma mater, it was a proud day for this Golden Gopher! I didn't have a job lined up yet, but at that point, I was more concerned with my two week vacation to Italy.

I could dedicate seven blogs to my two weeks Under the Tuscan Sun, but since I failed to continue my prior blog, I'll have to limit it to just one post. You can look forward to that in the weeks to come.  For those of you who know me well, it will be the perfect excuse to fuel my nostalgic tendancies! For now, I'll leave you with one of my favorite photos as a teaser for what's to come!

As today marks my nine month anniversary of joining the big kid world, it's only fitting that my next highlight is that daunting task of figuring out what to do with my life. I could only escape it for so long, it would inevitably be waiting for me when I returned home from holiday. Between the search and catching up on my Netflix recently added TV series, I was also blessed with a few other important tasks. Two special people in my life got married last August and I had the privilege in assisting with planning, preparation and execution of their special day.  Needless to say, I loved every minute of it and it definitely solidified my aspirations to become an event planner. I think one of my favorite parts was making our yard look like a real live Pinterest board! 

And since they are probably the only people reading the start up of my new blog, I must give lots of credit to mom and dad for all of their help, too! Planning and excitement aside, I was happy to also accept an offer working as an executive assistant at a firm in Downtown Minneapolis.  I am very happy to say that my job consists of event planning and execution, so I can continue to learn and expand my experiences to assist with my future career aspirations. 

With a new, big-kid job, it was also time to move on from the U of M St. Paul campus and upgrade to my own apartment in Uptown.  I absolutely love living in such a fun, vibrant community with lots of different dining, recreation and entertainment options all within in walking distance. My bank account may not be so appreciative, but I'm definitely taking advantage of it all while I'm still at this point in my life. Not to worry, you can live vicariously through my adventures too! Since summer is finally approaching, I can assure you there will be plenty to share. And, I absolutely love my apartment with it's 100 year old charm, creaking hardwood floors, rattling windows, and lack of air conditioning. I've definitely made it my own little oasis - again with the help of my parents and multiple trips up and down the stairs.

Next up, another wedding. And this time, I was in charge of the flowers, an absolute passion of mine. This was my first big job, and I was nervous, but I welcomed the opportunity to help a friend out and excercise my creativity. After all, I did spend four years studying for a degree in Horticulture and my job doesn't necessarily focus on it (except when someone wants to know why the office plants are dying!). I hope there is more to come on this subject in the future! Until then, I'll settle on flowers as a hobby. 

Up next were the holidays, which were cherished surrounded by family. For me, this holiday season was extra special, as it was the last to treasure with my grandma. It was a tough time, but I know she's looking down on us now, and I bet she's proud that I started this up again. She always loved keeping tabs on the grandkids and always knowing exactly what we were up to. 

And of course, last but definitely not least, I have been extremely blessed to have met someone very special to me to share a lot of these memories with. I can't wait for many more memories and adventures together. In fact, we're hopping on a plane on Friday to head East to the home of "cawlidge hockey." For those of you who haven't seen Miracle over 100 times, like we have, that's Boston. 

So, as I find myself at a natural break it's time to wrap up my favorite recollections from the last year.  I've missed plenty, but there's also plenty more to look forward to. I hope you are just as excited as I am to explore the world (near and far) with me! Up next, bean town.