WHAT I FOCUSED ON IN May 

1. May 7th was my last day (at least for the summer) at the coffee shop, so making sure I finished out my time there was super important.
2. May 11th I headed to Mexico to join my family for twelve days of vacation.
3. May 26th I moved to Kentucky for the summer, so a lot of May was spent getting ready to move, then settling in.
   

READING UPDATE

Fiction: 10
Nonfiction: 6
Audiobooks: 4
Books for Review: 7

TRAVELING

I’m not even sure how to compute this anymore? I was in Mexico for twelve days, then I moved to Kentucky at the end of the month.

GOALS

1. Finish at the coffee shop – YES
2. Pack for Kentucky – YES
3. Pack for Mexico – YES
4. Mow Grass – YES
5. Personal – YES
6. Help with House/Animal Sitting When the Family is Gone – YES
7. Budget stuff – YES
8. Personal – YES
9. Leave with Room Clean – YES
10. Four Bookstagram Pictures – YES
11. Children’s Church Party and Write List – YES
12. Personal – YES
13. Vacation! – YES
14. Move to Kentucky – YES
15. Set Up Camper – YES
16. Buy All the Little Things Like Soap – YES
17. Start New Job – YES

WHAT I’VE BEEN LEARNING

Um, it’s more like what haven’t I been learning? Because maybe that list is shorter. 😉

• How to drive ‘long distances’ by myself. Aka, I’ve basically never driven more than two hours at once, and where I now live is nearly four hours away from home, so to make that trek on my own was a wee bit overwhelming to consider. As was picking some friends up at the airport mid-month. Cities and I just don’t generally get along well when I’m behind the wheel, but I’m learning and it’s a lot better than I had thought it would be.
• Learning to do what I can and then let go was something I had to practice a lot while getting ready to move. I wanted everything to be perfect before I moved to Kentucky for the summer. As in, I wanted everything that has been on my mental to-do list for ages to get checked off. And I did check off a huge amount of things, but in the end, there were times I just had to choose to breathe deeply and move on.
• How to pack light. Folks, why is this something I’m still working on? I thought I packed lightly for Mexico, I REALLY did. I just took a backpack and canvas bag, and some of the stuff was actually for my family. Still, I had at least four clothing items I could have done without. Hence the hunt for that perfect packing medium continues. (On the bright side, other than some rags, I think I have used everything I packed for my summer in Kentucky.)
• I read six nonfiction books in May and there was some fantastic information on those. From what forgiveness really looks like, to the lies little girls are being fed by society today, to how to seek God’s will and move forward boldly. I learned about the bravery it takes to homeschool, how to be more engaged in each moment, and that sometimes a couple years really does make a huge difference in the level of someone’s maturity.
• The learning curve of a new job, and how very far outside my comfort zone I’m sometimes thrust. It’s hard being the new girl at a job, but add that to being a new girl in a community (or rather lack of community) and an overloaded brain, and it’s kinda overwhelming.
• I’ve been learning a lot about what works for me living on my own and working a more full-time job. I’m actually amazed by how fast I’ve gotten into the groove of always packing my lunch, leaving for work at the same time each day, and doing all my own shopping, cooking, dishes, etc… (Instead of splitting some of those tasks with family members.) Living in the camper is for sure as much fun as I thought it would be, and actually, a lot like I had imagined it would be.
• To navigate my way around my new surroundings. New stores, new roads, and new rooms at work. I’m very thankful for people who patiently walk me through tasks when I’ve got questions, and are willing to help remedy my mistakes when I make them. I’m also super thankful for a GPS that makes shopping and finding my way around so much easier.
• How to meet, remember, and make friends with a multitude of humans. I went from working with one co-worker per shift to having dozens, if not more, co-workers all around me. It’s a weird feeling sometimes, folks. Plus, I went from having a lot of “regular” customers to never seeing the same customer more than twice.
• How to be more assertive/question/pay attention. Y’all. I come from a big family, which means I’m used to having a lot of eyes, ears, and hands around to help me when necessary. So, to now be in a place where I need to figure things out on my own? Well, it’s super different. (And also super good for me to be learning.)

OTHER 

May was packed full, but with that beautiful balance of vacation in the middle of what has been the beginning of a very unusual season of my life.

As always, reading hit that sweet high place for the year while I was in Mexico. I think I read nine books in ten days which was lovely. I also got to spend a huge amount of time hanging out with my family, playing games, and resting. It was a delightful time and I’m so thankful that I was able to soak in time with my family before I moved to Kentucky.

I was sick for the last few days of vacation, which was no fun at all. I was supposed to move the day after I got home, but because of having the stomach flu, I stayed home one extra day. Resting for a whole day was nice, but I missed a wedding and that was sad.

Work was a lot easier in some ways than I had thought it would be, but oh, so much harder in other ways. I’ve been rather surprised and have learned a lot, including of more of what I need to pray each day. 😉

Living in my cute little camper has been delightful and I’m having fun learning all the little things I need to know to keep life going smoothly here. There’s also a huge yard that makes me feel like I’m smack-dab in the middle of the country and that delights my little country-girl heart.

How was your May?