I just can't sit still.

Ever since graduating, I'm slowly but surely starting to realize just how much time I used to devote to school. These days, even with re-starting up the blog, working 40+ hours a week, volunteering and actually having a decent social life (gasp!)... I'm still finding myself bored.

I had forgotten what bored felt like.

Lucky for me, boredom doesn't last long when one has a garage full of craft supplies and a 2 hour break between morning shift and night shift!

While in Italy, my girlfriends and I went sight seeing, drank wine, ate fantastic food, drank wine, met some really wonderful people, drank some really wonderful wine oh, and did I mention we tried some Italian wine?

When in Rome... ;-)


So after a few days I started asking everyone t save their wine corks. I had no idea what I would do with them and up until a few days ago, they remained in the very same bag I brought them all home in almost a year ago. Then, inspiration via boredom!

First, gather together your supplies:

• 1 dark colored 4x6 frame (incase there are any gaps in between your corks)
• Approximately 14 wine corks (try and stick to the real cork ones, they tend to absorb less of the glue and stick better than the synthetic plastic ones)
• Quick drying glue
• The sharpest knife you can find

1. Score the cork by cutting horizontally about 1/4 of the way through 
2. Insert the point of the knife into the center of the scored line and push it all the way through until you begin to see the point coming out of the other side of the cork.
3. With a little muscle (and possibly the help of a not-at-all-sharp butter knife) you can now pry the cork apart into 2 even halves!
4. Mix up the corks so that it creates the illusion of 28 whole corks rather than just 14 halves
5. Starting from one corner of the frame and working your way around, lay out your corks to fill the frame
6. Line up the edges of the corks so they are flush with the picture opening (It's ok for the corks to be uneven around the outside, but you don't want them obscuring the photo)
7. One by one, pick up each cork and place a dab of glue on the frame (this creates less mess, trust me)
8. Allow to dry and put in a picture of your choosing!

You can choose to save the corks from a special occasion and frame a memory from it like I did or purchase the corks in bulk if you just can't wait! Makes for a great gift or a neat addition to any gallery wall!

7 Questions with Gentri Lee

Today I'm linking up with one of my favorite bloggers, Gentri Lee for her week 12 of "7 Questions"! Join the fun! I always love reading everyone else's answers!

1. What's your favorite style for home decor? (eclectic, modern, shabby chic, etc.)

I'm a homemade-vintage-modern kind of girl! My dream house is covered in gallery walls with everything from family photos to my latest Pinterest discovery, recovered vintage furniture and a stainless steel Ikea kitchen!

Via

2. What is the best trip you have EVER been on?

Well, if we aren't including my Study Abroad in Florence (which was hands down my favorite), I'd have o say the week I spent in Portland, OR last October.

3. If you could have an exotic pet, what would it be and why?

I'm fairly certain a corgi puppy is about as much "exotic" as I can handle!

4. Do you snore? (you can be honest, we're all friends here.)

I can honestly say I do not! I do however... talk, wiggle around A LOT and occasionally sleep-walk. I'm pretty sure Nick would prefer I snorred!

5. Your car breaks down on the side of the road, what do you do?

My wonderful Grandmother loves me and knows my luck with cars well enough that I have had a Triple A subscription for about 5 years now.

6. What's one item that has been on your wishlist lately?

This super cool dopamine molecule necklace has been on my wishlist for as long as I can remember. I really should just break down and buy it already!

7. It's almost Summer (or winter if you live in the Southern Hemisphere), what are you looking forward to most?

Now this question just couldn't be easier! I leave for Tokyo in a little under 3 weeks :-)

"Macaroons are the new cupcake."

Is matter-of-factly what I told my mother yesterday right before sprinting into a little shop in the upscale area of Downtown Orlando called Le Macaroon. These cute, puffy little treats that come in an entire rainbow of both natural and unnatural colors, that I have seen all over the blogosphere as of late, but have yet to actually try.

Honestly, I sort of thought they were a real big city thing. And maybe this sounds silly but, I never really have thought of Orlando as a real big city. More of a pseudo city that sprung up based on the need for hotels and restaurants to surround Disney. A lot of stuff, but not a lot of character.

Little by little though, O-town has been surprising me! From fantastic little BBQ restaurants and auction houses to the cupcake shop that USA Today named one of the top 10 cupcake stops in the country!

And now... Macaroons!!!

They weren't exactly what I was expecting... more meringue and less cookie. But after the initial shock and a bite of one called Madagascar Vanilla Bean and Cassis, I was hooked.

So well played, blogosphere. Well played!

30 Before 30: Boston

March. Smack in the middle of my last semester of college and right about when a mental break seemed imminent. My girlfriends and I decided to take an impromptu trip for a St. Patricks day weekend in the most Irish place you can get without actually going over the ocean. Boston Massachusetts.  

Boston has really always had a soft spot in my heart and was the trip in 2010 that implanted the travel bug in my head. 

You remember way back when I took that trip out to Portland Oregon? And I asked you how a Florida girl should dress in cold Portland weather? 

Well… Portland ain't got nothin' on March in Boston kind of cold. 

However, I'm proud to announce that not only was it freezing but I also had a killer flu, hardly any voice (think the Friends episode where Phoebe gets her "sexy voice") and still somehow managed to look cute and stay warm!

It should come as no surprise that my absolute favorite part of the trip was the Boston Museum of Fine Arts! 

Being such a huge and historically relevant city though, Boston had a ton more art to offer than simply the museum. 

The Boston Public Library was simply breathtaking and covered in frescos reminiscent of my summer Florence. That and it had a bunch of random little secret passage ways that we were constantly trying to sneak into (National Treasure: Boston Edition, anyone?)

Being that we were in Boston and it was St. Patricks day, there was also a fair amount of debauchery that took place and included (but was not limited to) Attempting to "race" statues of a tortus and hare, making friends with street musicians that were also from Florida, having them follow us into a CVS and then subsequently getting kicked out of said CVS. Such is life in the Northeast I guess!

Pup-date 2012

Since you all have been here from the first day we brought her home, I'm sure you're all wondering how our little furry baby is doing these days. She now knows how to sit, stay, not pee in the house and dance when told to "party rock."

And have I mentioned she has become quite the little Instagram celebrity?

That one time a normal concert turned into an unforgettable night.

So it finally happened, eh? People finally know who fun. are! You know, these guys (and girl)

Well the thing is, I've been mildly obsessed with them since they were still this

And by mildly I mean roughly 7 years of fandom, a copy of every CD and EP, about 8 concerts and a small river of tears when their original band, The Format, announced they were breaking up. And then a years worth of anxious waiting when Nate announced his new band fun. was making an album.

So when I say mildly, I actually mean extremely. Nate Ruess has sung the melodies of the best and worst moments of my young adult life in a way I never could have vocalized myself. March 8th, I joined a few of my closest friends for our most recent repeat fun. concert and it was HUGE! 7 other shows and never had I seen a crowd like this. My dreams of finally meeting Nate were fading fast, but like hell was I about to let that happen.

Making friends with an official photographer? Fail.

Trying to sneak backstage? Fail.

Pestering the door man? Fail.

Bar hopping to try and find their after party? Fail.

Asking a backup band member? Now we're talking! She told us not only when, but where the guys from the band would be leaving the venue and about 30 minutes later, I had a signed flyer and of course, this:

Yes I acted like a star struck fool and yes I also danced all over the streets all the way back to my car. May have looked like a crazy person but, hey, I met my musical idol!

Guess who's back?!

Guess who's back to the blogging world after a rather lengthy hiatus?! For those of you that continued following even in the almost 3 months of silence, I thank you and promise that the fun has just begun! I have a number of wonderful things in store and ample time to devote to them!

That being said, today also marks the beginning of a transitionary phase for A Sweet Release. To say this past semester has been a formative one for myself would be an understatement at best and it is my hope that I will be able to allow ASR to grow right along with me. So get ready ladies, because I've got more than a few new tricks up my sleeves!

Of course, while away I knew I had every intention of making a triumphant return to the blog-o-shere after graduation so I kept a little running list of my life over the hiatus. Don't worry, this is merely the cliffnotes version and explanatory posts are in the works to be posted over the next few weeks!

• Kinda sorta actually learned some French!
• Not only saw Fun. in concert again, but met Nate Ruess and Emily Moore
• Went to Boston, Mass again and tried to snuggle a Krugger, Siqeurous, and Kirchner. Then got very intoxicated off green beer, made friends with a street musician and got kicked out of a CVS.
• Booked a hotel and bought tickets for Art Basel Miami 2012
• Volunteered at Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando
• Went on a wine tour with Nick at the Lakeridge Winery
• Potty trained Penny!
• Made a budget and stuck to it for awhile, screwed up the week we went to Boston, but successfully started saving again at the end of March
• Came to terms with an abusive (past, Nick and I are still going strong)relationship, contacted an advocate at my school's Victim's Services and started seeing a therapist
• Booked a flight to Japan!
• Learned to stand up for myself against drama ridden, toxic friends.
• Bought a cruise ticket for Cozumel!
• Made a 102 average in a class

And of course, became a member of the college class of 2012!

Blogosphere love

As many of you have noticed lately, my free time has plummeted in the last few weeks.

School is kicking my butt.

I'm working more than ever.

And I'm planning trips that include (but are not limited to) Boston, Cozumel, Washington D.C., and Art Basel Miami.

So I'm trying, and royally failing, at trying to keep this blog alive. So it came down to a very tough choice.

Post crappy posts that I rush and am not at all into on a sporadic schedule or go on blogger hiatus until I have life a little more under control.

So, blog family, I'm taking a break. I'll still be around via e-mail and I'll still keep up with your lives but at least for a few weeks, A Sweet Release will be a very quiet place.

Be happy, stay healthy and good luck in all that you do!

Until we meet again!

Question: What is wrong with kids these days!?

Answer: They don't know who Paul McCartney is.

On a side note, Nick just introduced me to a YouTube web series called Source Fed and I am officially obsessed. Like, ignoring Grey's Anatomy kind of obsessed. Simple put: Source Fed is everything that should and shouldn't matter to you explained and broken apart by people who vomit words. Enjoy.

The Great Debate

Valentines Day or Singles Awareness Day. The war between lovers and haters has waged on for well... at least as long as I've been old enough to give 2 hoots about either (I.E. stopped thinking boys had cooties).

I, however, claim total and complete neutrality. Yes, I am in a happy and committed relationship that deserves to be celebrated. No, I do not wish to take a night off work just to brave all of the completely packed restaurants/movie theaters/where ever you choose to go. I love, love but I would rather skip the cheesy boxes of chocolate and continue saving for our 3 year anniversary trip to Mexico. Nick can just buy me a heart shaped tequila shot in Cozumel instead.

So here's a little somethin somethin for both!

The Valentine's Dayers!

The sweetest love story you will ever hear. Grab that box off tissues before clicking here, my friends.

A most sincere Valentine's Day love letter to everyone's favorite odd-ball. Here's to you Liz Lemon!

Our personal love story here! (and also here because I got carried away)

And an ode to the best love poems ever written.

Single's Awareness Day!


Because what's better than hearing Margaret Cho's take on S.A.D.?

Marie Claire's guide to the Anti-Valentine's Day

Grab a bottle of wine, some candy and start searching for these better-off-single flicks!

The best idea I have heard for a Singles Awareness Day party, yet! Even the non-single girls could get into this one!

And what's S.A.D. without an awesomely empowering breakup song. Thanks Katy Brand Perry!

Not all people are good friends

All friends maybe good people, but sadly, not all people are good friends. It happens to everyone every now and again, that person you thought was a good friend turns out to be a bad person in sheep's clothing. 

The Gossip

We all have them, and they are especially prevalent for females. The Gossip. The one that overtime you go out for coffee has something new and juicy about so-and-so. Always knows who's hooking up with who and starts every other sentence "Don't repeat this but.." These are the types of people that make themselves seem trustworthy. They know everything about everyone and even though they repeat it all to you, they somehow convince you they wont tell a soul your secrets

If someone constantly is talking about others, don't be surprised when you finally hear all the negative things they've said about you. Great people talk about ideas. Average people talk about things. Small people talk about other people.

I Have a Dream

Surround yourself with people that have goals in life. Hang out with people who want to go out for coffee and talk political candidates instead of people that want to go out drinking and hooking up with strangers. Meet people at book clubs, not bars. Sure, go to bars, embrace your own sexuality and get a little tipsy sometimes. But everything in moderation my friends. Avoid people who aren't in school, have a B.S. job that they don't put their all into and don't have hobbies that they are truly passionate about. They maybe fun to go out with but in the long run, they will probably just bring you down and try to belittle your goals. 

Speaking of belittling goals…

One extra difficult life lesson to learn is that real friends bring you up, never down. If someone feels the need to make fun of your hopes, belittles your accomplishments or points out your every flaw, then the sad fact is that they aren't really a friend to you or themselves. For some people, the best way to make themselves feel better about screw ups is to bring everyone around them down to their level. Remind yourself that a good friend is no different than a relationship, it should make you a better you. Anyone who badmouths and degrades you simply out of jealousy, isn't your friend. There are enough negative or doubtful voices in our own heads, you don’t need friends that add any noise!

Drama doesn't follow people, people follow drama

I'm sure at one point or another you have met someone that seems convinced that drama is somehow stalking them. Their roommates are always awful, the guy they are seeing is always a jerk, their friends are always stabbing them in the back and their professors are out to get them. Funny thing about that is, 9 times out of 10, all of those problems can be explained away by compulsively bad decision making and an unconscious gravitation towards drama. Sometimes, people have issues. And sometimes they all come at once. But your roommates have ALL been awful? Maybe it's you that's the awful one. The guy you are seeing is ALWAYS a jerk? Maybe you should know better than to latch onto a guy that's been with 10 girls in the past month. Maybe your friends are just stabbing you in the back to return the favor? Perhaps you need to start studying more. Drama doesn't follow people, people follow drama. Whether they realize this or not, is entirely up to them.

So since life lessons, are ment to be taught, what tips and tricks of out with the old do you have to share?

S**t Julie Says.

No joke, probably one of the best compliments I have ever received is when my friend Jules told me I am exactly like her when she was a 20-something. She is kind, open minded, talented and seriously... funny as all hell. So, with the appearance of all these

"Shit blanks say/ Shit blanks say to blanks"


videos that have invaded the internet, I have decided to share my own version with you!

• It was sad to hear that Demi Moore is losing custody of Ashton Kutcher. 
• Can you die from constipation? I'm a little worried with how full of shit some people are. 
• When people walk away from you, let them go. Your destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you, and it doesn't mean they are bad people......It just means that their part in your story is over. 
• Oh. My. Gourd. Becky, look at her squash. It is so big. She looks like, one of those organic farmer's girlfriends. 
• I'm about to get in the middle of some girl-on-girl action with Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth. 
• Lazy Rule #33: If ice falls, kick it under the fridge. 
• The awkward moment when you set something down for a second and it disappears off the face of the earth...... 
• Don't confuse my personality and my attitude because my personality is ME and my attitude depends on YOU. 
• The only people who like drunk people are other drunk people.
• wag more. bark less.
• I should run for political office just to see what kind of scandalous dirt they dig up. It would be nice to piece together my twenties.
• There's a very short list of things you can have in your hand while running without looking crazy.
• I saw this dude walking down the street dressed as a woman, pushing a pitbull in a baby stroller. Either he's on drugs or I am.

Because sometimes life is just plain weird.

Sammy Witness is protective over many things: her heart, her family, and the quality of her music. This South Florida native has spent the better part of her vocal twenty years of life strumming her guitar with love and conviction. Singing on all matter of things, her original songs convey her keen perspective on society and relationships ranging from broad observations to personal anecdotes. Witty and bitingly blunt, this singer-songwriter promises, "There’s not too much I’m afraid of."

Fiona Minx Photography

All that, and she has easily become one of my favorite musicians. With a voice that makes her impossible to ignore and a guitar sound that will undoubtedly get stuck in your head, Sammy Witness is a force to be reckoned with. Check out her website and rummage through her lyrical life for yourself, or stick around and give a listen to some of my favorites! I promise you wont be disappointed!

Sweet Dreams in Williamsburg

Warning: May contain mild potty mouth

Faces on Boxes

Life in Generation YouTube

Yup, I'm hopelessly addicted to YouTube. It taught me how to make Eggs Benedict.

Taught me the hard way just why one of the cardinal rules of femininity is "thou shalt not cut thy own bangs"

No picture to illustrate this life lesson.

Just trust me when I say it's awful.

But most importantly! YouTube (and my awesome boyfriend) taught me how to change my own oil! I can proudly say I'm a little more I-N-D-E-P-E-N-T today, than I was yesterday! ...and I feel like Aretha would be proud.

Just please ignore the bangs.

Holy Freaking Graduation Announcements.

I've been so so so caught up in just staying on top of all my school work this semester that I wont lie, I was seriously taken aback when I recieved a package of sample Grad accouncements from a local print company! For a split second I think I actually managed to forget that this is my last semester at the University of Central Florida.

The announcements were so pretty and I instantly got caught up in staring at my own name printed on them haha. Oh the little things in life, right? So I got on their website and started checking out the price on these little beauties...

$120 for 25.

Seriously?

I nearly had a heart attack seeing such a big number next to such a small number. So the next logical conclusion? Etsy! Not only were there more different types of announcements than I could possibly have imagined, but they are all personalized and seemed much more "Annika" than the samples the mail man delivered.

Busy Nothings

Dena Design

Spilling Beans

Tyler Bright Designs

Much cuter, and much more reasonable prices! What do you guys think? I'm leaning to the Tyler Bright one, personally. But who knows!

Top Tuesday

Via

I think the main reason my inner Art Historian just can't not love contemporary art, is because of street art and graffiti.

Speaking of weird and quirky art: Wilhelm Staehle, everyone.

You know you've lived in Florida too long when you look at the pictures in this article and wonder: "How is that weird?"

Woe is you—you've accidentally befriended (or worse, started dating) an artsy type. Never fear! Just for you, I've compiled this versatile list so that you don't get crushed by the incredible weight of your own boredom. How to Enjoy an Art Museum (for the utterly bored)!

You have no idea how excited I got when I saw not one... but TWO of my potential grad schools on this list!

I'm pretty sure this pamphlet is supposed to make me dislike the Girl Scouts and all it did was make me look up where I can buy more cookies and how I can become an assistant troupe leader.

How to country hop without breaking the bank

Original Source Unknown

When to buy

Tuesday between 2 and 4 P.M. Eastern time. Why? I have no idea. I first heard this tip from a professor that's been traveling the country and the world for years, put her wisdom into action and what do you know!

My ticket from Orlando to Boston on Expedia was $210 on Tuesday.

And shot up to $290 for the exact same ticket on the exact same flight.

When to fly

This part gets a little more specific and can be split into 2 parts. The cheapest days to be in the air are 

1) Wednesday

2) Tuesday

3) Saturday 

While the most expensive days to fly are Friday and Sunday. So the best way to get the most bang for your plane ticket buck is to plan your trip around these days. 

So now that you've decided to fly from Wednesday to Saturday or Wednesday to Tuesday the next step is what time to fly! Almost without fail the cheapest time for taking off is first thing in the morning. Yes, no one wants to be bright eyed and bushy tailed in an airport at 4 A.M. 

But it sometimes can cut $50-$70 off your total ticket price just by leaving before 10 A.M!!

Student prices and airline specials

One of my favorite airfare websites is StudentUniverse. If you are a student, teacher or under the age of 26 you qualify for certain airline discounts that are all grouped into one neat little website!

But. Don't try and cheat the website. If you enter a birthday over the age of 26 upon purchasing the ticket they will make you provide proof that you are faculty or currently taking classes. 

Clear those cookies

If you're like me, you probably compulsively check flight prices 2, 3 and even 4 times a day to see what happens to the price. Make sure to clear your history, cookies and cache periodically when doing this because occasionally, old search results can prevent you from seeing newer and possibly cheaper ticket prices.

FLEXIBILITY!!!

Hands down the most important thing to remember is flexibility. When searching, be sure to click the boxes for flexible travel dates and to search nearby airports. When I went to Italy we flew out of Orlando and into Florence, then out of Rome and into Tampa. Mildly confusing? Yes. Saved almost $200? Also yes.

Good luck fellow explorers!

The Girlfriend Club

My favorite memory from Winter break had to be the reunion of the surviving members of the Girlfriend Club! What in the world is the Girlfriend Club, you ask? Well, 2+ years ago, I moved to Orlando and as luck would have it, almost immediately hit it off with and started dating Nick. Through him, I met his awesome friends but for a good while, I was the only female who consistently hung out in their little boys club. Until one magical day (more like over the course of a month, but who's counting) they boys started settling down and bringing other ladies into my life! We started to joke that if they were the boys club, then we should be the Girlfriend Club!

Nick & Annika

Dan and Candice

Kristy & Brian

Colin & Marla

Kristy and I are not only the only surviving members (by break-ups, not by actual lose of life) but we have now become life long friends! She moved to Mississippi for grad school, but recently flew down to Tampa to see her family (and me!!) for the holidays! We got the chance to visit, laugh and thoroughly freak out our boyfriends by changing the name of the Girlfriend Club, to the Future Wifey Club. 

 

We ate, we drank, we were merry and then I woke up at 6 A.M. to drive back home and work the next morning. Despite my crank attitude for the rest of that long and tired next day, it was well worth it to see one of my favorite people even for just an hour!

Winter in the Sunshine State

So, the other day Nick and I were having a conversation about apples. Riveting. I know. And he said

"Well Fall is apple picking season, right?"

I responded

"Yea... but it's the end of January. That's not Fall."

So if that doesn't tell you what kind of weather we have had in Florida this "Winter", I don't know what else will besides saying the average temperature for this month was about 73. And as jealous of you northern girls and your adorable sweaters as I am... this is the perfect last full winter to spend in Florida. This time next year I plan on struggling to survive in snow, so for now, I'll enjoy my summer in January and all the wonderful things Florida Winter's have to offer!

Do you know who else likes Florida in Winter? Well, besides your Grandparents, Europeans and Canadians (always wondered where they all went didn't you?).

Manatees!

Manatees flock to the Florida fresh water springs from January until March every year and for the first time, Nick and I went to experience them! Along with every other Orlando local, your Grandparents, the Canadians and Europeans.

There had to be at least 50 of them all up and down the river! Babies and mommies and old manatee alike! Since they are an endangered species, the river is roped off and you aren't allowed to touch or fee them but you can watch them float about for as long as you like!

What neat things does your state have during the winter?

Top Tuesday

• Unless of course you live in Ottoman Empire Turkey. Then it might get you beheaded. 
• January 24th Ingrid Michaelson's new CD releases! And everyday until then she is releasing clips of songs off the album entitled Human Again. I can't wait!!
• Amazing and enlightening tips for how to hit 25 gracefully.
• Miracle taste changing berry used to help cancer patients eat better? For once it seems Florida got something right!
• My sweet and fashion savvy friend Courtney is living the dream right now! Move to Seattle, open a super cute Etsy shop and start an equally wonderful blog!
• According to Birch Box I need to find a way to make my grad school search include North Carolina. That is, if I want to be included in the happiest and healthiest women in America!
• Davinia never stops amazing me. Eye candy and Valentines day gift ideas in one post? Perfect!

Don't try to fast-forward

This is the thing: When you hit 28 or 30, everything begins to divide. You can see very clearly two kinds of people. On one side, people who have used their 20s to learn and grow, to find … themselves and their dreams, people who know what works and what doesn’t, who have pushed through to become real live adults. Then there’s the other kind, who are hanging onto college, or high school even, with all their might. They’ve stayed in jobs they hate, because they’re too scared to get another one. They’ve stayed with men or women who are good but not great, because they don’t want to be lonely. … they mean to develop intimate friendships, they mean to stop drinking like life is one big frat party. But they don’t do those things, so they live in an extended adolescence, no closer to adulthood than when they graduated.

Don’t be like that. Don’t get stuck. Move, travel, take a class, take a risk. There is a season for wildness and a season for settledness, and this is neither. This season is about becoming. Don’t lose yourself at happy hour, but don’t lose yourself on the corporate ladder either. Stop every once in a while and go out to coffee or climb in bed with your journal.

Ask yourself some good questions like: “Am I proud of the life I’m living? What have I tried this month? … Do the people I’m spending time with give me life, or make me feel small? Is there any brokenness in my life that’s keeping me from moving forward?”

Now is your time. Walk closely with people you love, and with people who believe … life is a grand adventure. Don’t get stuck in the past, and don’t try to fast-forward yourself into a future you haven’t yet earned. Give today all the love and intensity and courage you can, and keep traveling honestly along life’s path.

Relevant magazine

Something amazing happened today. Besides actually doing my French homework rather than avoiding it and watching almost an entire season of United States of Tara. I downloaded and printed out the first of about 9 grad school applications. Sure they aren't due for about about 10 months and no, it's not trying to fast-forward. It's getting mentally prepared by giving myself plenty of time to potentially freak out about the prospect of uprooting my entire life and moving across the country.

Seattle

Boston

DC

Philly

Austin

Where will the next year take me and does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about moving from Florida to unknown-state-at-least-500-miles-away?