Welcome to the real world!

I'm such a nerd. I am excited because I finally filed my taxes!! I know most of you are probably thinking "What?! Why so late?!" Part of the reason was due to my procrastination. Another part was my claim "I can't do this!" Well, I did it on TurboTax online. Paid the $75 to for both state & federal and was quite pleased with my refund! I think once I am living in my own house and have a more complicated tax return, I'd have someone do it for me, ha! Welcome to the real world!

I plan on trying to save that tax return money to use for shopping on the cruise. Because let's face it, stuff is expensive right now! And I so desperately need to find a teaching job, in a downgrading economy. It's so hard. One of my brother's "regulars" (and I mean, they request to sit with him every time they come in) at work was having dinner with her sister & husband and he was a teacher in one of the districts. He was telling me how many more teachers are actually getting laid off then the local newspaper was saying. Isn't that always the case? I know this is a common thing because a few of my college professors in grad school said they were "excessed" and then rehired. One can only hope that the job market for teachers in New York will turn around.

I often say how much I want to move to the South, specifically Georgia or even the Carolinas. It's a combination of being depressed about the job market in New York, a desire of warmer weather, and a desire of change. My heart feels like it belongs in the South. I honestly think this frightens my boyfriend John that I could move away. I think it does because I accidentally saw it in one of his text messages to his friends yesterday on his phone. Oops, didn't mean to snoop (lol) even though it kind of did hurt/make me think when I read it. I say I want to move...because I am deeply afraid of never finding a job up here. I want one, but they are so hard to come by. I know of people who have been looking for a teaching job for three years! Ideally, I'd love to have a leave replacement at first and then fall into a full-time job but I guess we will just have to see what is in the cards. I am at the point where I feel like I am ready top make that transition into the real world/being an adult yet it's hard to do so. If that means taking a pay cut and leaving my friends & family to move somewhere, then so be it. If John wanted to come with me, that would totally be okay. I would want to live with him first. Because there has never been a discussion of marriage between the two of us and when I brought this up the other night, he said he doesn't want to get married for a long time, which is totally okay and understandable. As much as I love weddings and say I have mine planned out, I have no clue when that time will come for me. Right now, I need to focus on what is more important- GETTING A JOB!

I'm sorry if that was just a whole bunch of nonsense. It helps getting it out there thinking "What if?" I have lots to look forward to now that the CST is behind me and I can apply for jobs. I hope something will come my way in due time.

7 weeks from today I will be on my way to cruising to the Bahamas. 7 WEEKS! Holy cow!! Both John & I are really excited. I cannot wait to go. Who does not want an excuse to kick back for 8 days in the sun (I will cry like a baby if it rains), relax with a margarita and get tan with your boyfriend? :)

Last night John and I watched "War Horse" because he said it was good (done by Steven Spielberg) and there was an underlying romance in it. He knows how much I love chick flicks. Well, there was none of that! I literally couldn't stop crying at one point and had to start playing with his iPad because the movie was depressing me! Did anyone else have that reaction?

Time to go do something productive before work!