Merry Friendmas

Moving to a new state is hard enough. Especially if you lived only in one high pace expensive state all your life. Relocating from the east coast to the Midwest was a sense of unknown. Plus, not knowing one single person added to the anxiety. I left my family and my close friends to a state of brand new expectations and anticipations only to find a new family and my second home. 

I am unbelievably lucky to have gotten the opportunity to meet some fantastic people. My GP crew is not only extremely welcoming, but the absolute definition of friendly. 

Anita, Adria, Stephanie, Ayanna, Kaley, Sara, Arinne, Genevieve, Janelle, Aimee and Mary- thank you for being so welcoming, helping me feel comfortable and accepting me in your lives. You all have made my transition easier and for that I am very grateful!  

It also helps that they love to have fun!  YOLO! 

This is Christmas season at the mall?

Jim and I had to go to the mall to pick up a few decorations for Christmas and to shop a little for presents. We were dreading it since we are born and raised New Jersians. Home of the malls, awful jammed parking lots, crazy drivers, and mothers who are dilerious and run over your feet with their strollers filled with their  12 kids. 

We ate first making sure we had enough protein and energy to get us through this ordeal. We pull up to the mall and at first we thought it was closed. Where were the cops directing traffic?  Where was the blinking traffic lights?  Where were the cones to block exits and entrances?  Screw that, where were the cars?  We pulled into the main mall entrance to the second spot. And no, I didn't need to wait in line or follow a shopper to their car to get that spot. It literally was open. Along with the thousand of other parking spots. We walked in the mall and on the loud speaker an employee paged another employee. "Mike, dial 8632".  This shouldn't be too difficult to identify the "Mike" since there was only about 10 people in the department store. And 3 of them were named Jim, Danielle and Craig. 

Jim and I walked into the main section of the mall. There were no screaming kids, no lines going out the door, no pushing, no shoving, no people. We were in awe. Jim and I kept saying, "Can you imagine Garden State Plaza today, 3 days after Black Friday?"  It would be a zoo. This mall was like a spa retreat. I am not sure if this calmness is because today is Cyber Monday, or if this is how it normally is?  Either way I am stoked!  Just from my past experience, when someone told me the mall was crowded, it didn't even compare to the Livingston Mall right before 10 pm. That is even more crowded!  

Don't believe me, today I did something so stupid and unlike me. You see, when I left my car to go into the mall, I absolutely forgot to close my door. 2 hours later we returned only for me to find my door wide open and NOTHING taken. Not my Vogue sunglasses, not the bags in the trunk, not my Michael Kors jacket, or my headphones. Only in Wisconsin!