So this past week John and I traveled to the People's Republic of Maryland. Well that's what John and I call it. It's actually a commonwealth, but whatever. Anyhow, I can't say that I am a huge fan...hence the nickname. However, we move feel like it is the right place for us for the next year or two. We have loved our time in Columbus and hope to move back once John finishes his Master's and his training period.
Ok so let me start from the beginning. First of all John got a new job with Erickson retirement communities at the largest retirement community in the country. He chose to be in Maryland because that's where their corporate offices are and he will be able to meet lots of people to help him move up quickly. John Erickson, the founder of the company, also started up a Master's program at UMBC to which John has applied. It's 18 months and on Friday's and Saturday's. Keep your fingers crossed for that! That's the picture above!
The second exciting this is that I got a new job as well. I am now an Assistant Director for Score Education Centers which is a subsidiary of the Washington Post. What's even better is I am a Director in Training. I should be promoted within 3-6 months based on performance. I am really excited about this new opportunity. I will get to run the business, but also spend time developing education plans and working directly with kids. PLUS if I get the promotion I will get a big raise and only have to work a four day work week. And much to my relief I know longer have to work Sundays!
We had a heck of a time finding a new apartment. First of all, the cost of living in Maryland is outrageous! It's more than double what it is here so that was a bit of a shock. We went apartment hunting Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and still hadn't found anything we could see ourselves living in. In order to be somewhere safe we could really only afford a one bedroom and we would have to get a storage unit. So Wednesday night we drove down to the temple in DC to try to collect our thoughts and calm down a little. It really helped us get our priorities realigned and we realized that the Lord wants us here for a reason and we felt confident he would help us achieve that. Also, as long as we were together and obedient we would be happy. So we went to bed, still feeling a little discouraged, with a plan for the morning. The very first place we went to was really nice and really expensive. So the leasing agent was showing us a one bedroom and John was out on the porch talking to some guy on the phone about a condo. So I proceeded to tell the man my story and how stressed and upset I had been. I think I really pulled on his heart strings because he told me he thought he may be able to help us. Apparently, back in the winter a man had come and put a deposit down on a 2 bedroom apartment and just yesterday he had called and cancelled. Now back in the winter they had some really good specials going and the apartment was $1450 at the time instead of $1800. So he said he would lease us the apartment at $1450 if he thought we could afford that even thought they weren't running the special anymore. I yelled, "We'll take it!" before I even saw it.
Ok so let me start from the beginning. First of all John got a new job with Erickson retirement communities at the largest retirement community in the country. He chose to be in Maryland because that's where their corporate offices are and he will be able to meet lots of people to help him move up quickly. John Erickson, the founder of the company, also started up a Master's program at UMBC to which John has applied. It's 18 months and on Friday's and Saturday's. Keep your fingers crossed for that! That's the picture above!
The second exciting this is that I got a new job as well. I am now an Assistant Director for Score Education Centers which is a subsidiary of the Washington Post. What's even better is I am a Director in Training. I should be promoted within 3-6 months based on performance. I am really excited about this new opportunity. I will get to run the business, but also spend time developing education plans and working directly with kids. PLUS if I get the promotion I will get a big raise and only have to work a four day work week. And much to my relief I know longer have to work Sundays!
We had a heck of a time finding a new apartment. First of all, the cost of living in Maryland is outrageous! It's more than double what it is here so that was a bit of a shock. We went apartment hunting Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and still hadn't found anything we could see ourselves living in. In order to be somewhere safe we could really only afford a one bedroom and we would have to get a storage unit. So Wednesday night we drove down to the temple in DC to try to collect our thoughts and calm down a little. It really helped us get our priorities realigned and we realized that the Lord wants us here for a reason and we felt confident he would help us achieve that. Also, as long as we were together and obedient we would be happy. So we went to bed, still feeling a little discouraged, with a plan for the morning. The very first place we went to was really nice and really expensive. So the leasing agent was showing us a one bedroom and John was out on the porch talking to some guy on the phone about a condo. So I proceeded to tell the man my story and how stressed and upset I had been. I think I really pulled on his heart strings because he told me he thought he may be able to help us. Apparently, back in the winter a man had come and put a deposit down on a 2 bedroom apartment and just yesterday he had called and cancelled. Now back in the winter they had some really good specials going and the apartment was $1450 at the time instead of $1800. So he said he would lease us the apartment at $1450 if he thought we could afford that even thought they weren't running the special anymore. I yelled, "We'll take it!" before I even saw it.
So the leasing agent took us upstairs and the apartment was amazing. First, he building is only 5 years old so everything is really new in it. It has vaulted ceilings, a gas fireplace, walk in closets, a soaking tub, deck, and a huge kitchen with lots of cabinets. Plus it has a spot for a full size washer and dryer so we can take ours with us. If you had seen what we had looked at you would truly understand what a miracle this was. So we put a deposit down and signed our lease and now we are moving to Maryland on June 13! Everything worked out perfect! Also, the apartment is almost exactly equidistant from both of our jobs! We are so blessed!
