Home Sweet Home

It's exactly two weeks to the day since I moved into my new apartment in Pittsburgh.
 

For those who are reading this that aren't from Texas, Whataburger is a pretty popular fast food restaurant in the south. There's a chance I'm infringing on their copyrights, but I'm thinking this blog won't become popular enough for them to sue. I did, however, stray from their trademark orange color (and for those who aren't from PA) and instead mimicked the blue and yellow PA license plate. And obtaining some of those is next on my "to do" list.

It has been a pretty productive past two weeks, though. John and I technically arrived in the city Monday night, and with much help from his uncle and sister, we were able to unload the uhaul. Tuesday morning I began unpacking and setting up the apartment. Wednesday and Thursday I began looking for part time jobs, and by Friday afternoon I had my first offer! I'll be working at the LA Fitness Kids Klub weekday mornings and picking up a few front desk shifts on the weekend. It's decent pay and comes with a free gym membership, which is really all I was after.

Friday night my mom came to visit and brought with her some apartment improvement ideas. The before and after transformation is actually pretty dramatic. I absolutely love my place now, but I'm still waiting on a dresser, curtains and a drill before I'm completely finished. We went all over the city in search of furniture and knick knacks, and it's safe to assume that she wore me out more than the Pittsburgh half-marathon run/walk Sara and I will be doing this weekend.

The next week brought more job interviews. I decided to take a job at Target (following in my sister's footsteps!) and bought the first of many red shirts. I'll be a cashier in the afternoon/evenings, and I'm hoping between that and LA Fitness, I'll make enough to get by. Not to mention the employee discount at Target that I'm sure will come in handy.

Last weekend, John and I went to a little night market downtown. About 10-12 local vendors had the jewelry and baked goods for sale, and it was neat to check out the different items. We then walked around the cultural district and discovered some new places we want to check out. I live about a 20 minute drive from the downtown area.

I absolutely love the downtown area--it's truly beautiful. But I'm glad I don't live down there. I would be completely overwhelmed. Instead I live in a smaller community outside the city. I'm surrounded by hills and trees, and I love the scenery. I'm just three miles from North Park (not to be confused with the mall--as I often do), and there's a nice 5-mile running trail. There's also a pool, tennis courts, kayak rentals, etc. I'm so excited for the summer! And I'm always ready for visitors!