Let's start at the very beginning...(a very good place to start)

As I write tonight, I am sitting in my new apartment (which I love) in Raleigh, listening to Diana Krall (doing a WONDERFUL Joni Mitchell cover), finally getting around to what I have promised myself I would do all month--starting a blog that I will hopefully keep up with (trust me, there have been many attempts). If anyone reading knows me personally, I tend to be really good at rambling, so I attempt to keep entries brief and to the point (with, of course, my parenthetical tangents). So, as Joni Mitchell now plays, I'll brief through the summer--which seems to have started forever ago, but definitely flew by quickly (Rather opportune, as Joni sang "Summertime is falling down" as I typed that...)

About mid-June, after a few weeks of going between Greenville, Emerald Isle, and enjoying my last couple weeks of "Boone freedom," I was (FINALLY) given a placement for student teaching in the fall at Leesville Road High School in Raleigh. Less than 2 weeks later, my sister, Jennifer, and I secured an apartment in the area. The day after, I moved back on campus to prepare for my 3rd year as a camp counselor at Cannon Music Camp, which was to last for 4 weeks. I could write pages about Cannon--I had a great cabin of girls, soaked in what I could at camp, and tried to utilize my last opportunities to hang out with friends before many cities and even states separated us. It was hard, but the clearer my mental image of me working at Leesville Road became, the easier it became to look forward rather than back.

The day after our "Last Supper" as a camp staff, I moved out of the dorm, out of my apartment, and drove to Lees McRae, where I would stay the last 3 nights of Leesville Road's band camp. I regretted not being able to see the initial pre-camp rehearsals in Raleigh to get a hint of how the whole season really started, but no use dwelling on that! I learned early that this program is definitely not what I am used to, so i am eager to learn! It is a renowned program throughout the state (and beyond, apparently!), so I was (well, am) a bit intimidated by that fact, but Mr. Albert and the students couldn't be more down-to-earth.

So now I am here in Raleigh, my 5th night as a Raleigh resident. I have spent the last few days settling in, unpacking, enjoying the quiet isolation (aka not surrounded by teenagers!), and getting used to the completely foreign world of Raleigh. Yesterday, I had my first "guest," Sam, who informed me that turning the wrong way apparently makes me lost, hehe :P. Today I visited Wilson (SO nice to not have to drive 4 hours!). Grama was sent to the Greenville hospital after an episode she had Friday morning (I guess they are calling it a minor Heart Attack...scary). She seems to be doing well though, so definitely good news! We had a mini birthday party for Brendan, who will turn 4 on Tuesday. Jennifer's "stuff" will arrive this weekend, and I suppose she will follow a couple weeks later before starting her new job early September.

*Phew!* That was rather lengthy...tomorrow I travel to Greensboro to hang out with Sam and Jessica before they leave me for grad school FOREVER (hehe, jk, I hope...). I will write more about the upcoming semester later (whether or not you're interested...I'm mostly reminding myself). Until then!

P.S. Leave Comments so I know who (if anyone) is reading!