The End.

It’s been almost two months since I arrived back home in the Pacific Northwest.

My final week of Sheboygan life, I didn’t post much of the day to day monotony. I was too busy packing up, and frankly, I lost my desire to share as I focused my efforts on returning to my old life.

I still can’t believe that I lived in Wisconsin for 3 months. Me. The girl that spent the first 25 years of her life living in the same city that she was born in. The one that hadn’t traveled on her own up until a year and a half ago.

But, I did it. I shopped at the Piggly Wiggly, went walking along Lake Michigan in a lightning storm, attempted to purchase an air conditioner, ate many many cheese curds, discovered that I enjoy drinking an Old Fashioned on occasion… I have so many great memories of people, places and food.

My travels to Sheboygan were work-related but I had no idea how much living there would affect me personally. I made some wonderful friends, but I also learned a lot about myself. I learned that I could live away from my parents and still be happy. I learned that I could live away from Washington and still be happy. I learned that I could have a plastic outdoor table set in my kitchen and still be happy. :)

I created new friendships that I hope will last for many years to come. I learned that it’s okay to rely on these friends to rescue me on occasion. ie: Debra and Paul stopping by with everything I’d need to last for several months – a bed, microwave, some furniture, food, radio, towels, etc. Kim and Adam Titel coming to save me when I locked myself out of my apartment in a storm, Kim Titel picking me up when I decided to walk somewhere that was way too far away and got caught in a storm… hmm… I’m detecting a theme. Most of these situations involved Kim Titel and a storm! :)

I also felt more connected to coworkers that I had communicated with online or over the phone. There is something about talking to people face to face and getting to know them as individuals. It enhances later phone/email conversations with a familiarity that I enjoy.

Often, a memory from my Sheboygan life will pop into my head at random moments. I wish that I could walk out to a dock on Lake Michigan and just sit. I miss picking up a treat at Johnston’s Bakery. I miss the steep stairs up to my apartment. I miss hanging out with the people that became part of my day-to-day life.

I can certainly say that this trip changed my life. It gave me confidence in a way that I didn’t expect. Soon after returning home, I made plans to move to a new city, 3 hours away from my hometown. I don’t think I would have had the guts to do this if I hadn’t spent those months in Wisconsin first. So, now I’m exploring a new city: Vancouver, Washington. The adventure continues.

It was an experience that I won’t ever forget and I’m glad that you joined me as I explored Sheboygan. Thank you.

Affectionately,

Jenna

How I Feel When I Think About…

…Heading home in 3 days

… Leaving my sheboygan friends in 3 days

I am full of mixed emotions.

Today at meeting, they made an announcement that I was leaving and that they had enjoyed having me there for this period of time. Then, they said that I was welcome to come back and everyone clapped at the end. How sweet is that? It made me teary.

Haircut

It had been around two years since my last serious haircut, so I decided to complement the upcoming changes (moving back to WA) with a change to my tresses.

I went to the Tangerine Salon (off of Superior and 13th). I picked it because the name is cute and the building has a charming exterior. What a way to pick a stylist, eh? (Lacey did a great job and spent time talking to me about my ideas for the cut and how to style my hair.)

So, here are the results:

 

Watch Out for the Rip Tide!

At 5am this morning, I suddenly woke up. I couldn’t get back to sleep. I typically never wake up that early on purpose.

I was having a strange allergic reaction to something. (This occasionally happens, but I haven’t been able to determine the trigger.) My legs were severely itchy. I decided to jog to get my mind off of it.

I jogged steady for about a mile, which was surprising considering all the time I took off from pretty much any form of exercise aside from leisurely walks. Maybe it was the itch. Either way, my body felt it later. It’s a good feeling – physical exhaustion for a legitimate reason.

Above: The rain is coming! See the streaks?

Above: My age.

Above:  As I was starting to head back, I noticed that the sky had begun to look rather intimidating. It rained a bit, but nothing too intense.

Stupid Air Conditioner

Here’s the stupid air conditioner that I need to return. Argh.

What was I thinking, buying it with only a week and a half left here? Oh, that’s right… I was desperate and crazy out of my mind from the humidity. Riiiight.

Going Away Party

Aww. I am going to miss these people.

Tonight, a few of my friends got together and hosted a surprise going away party, since I leave WI in about a week. I’m getting teary eyed just thinking about it.

What a sweet gesture. I’ve got quite a few great reasons to come back and visit.

Above: The ‘standard’ feet picture. (I should have laced up my shoes!)

    

Above: I claimed that corner of the cake (which incidentally was very yummy!). And yes, I really did stick my finger in it.

     

Above: Ha, I love that last one of Sue (with Dale looking rather seriously over her shoulder). We were all demonstrating whether or not we could roll our tongues. Sue can. (In fact, almost everyone could!) :)

P.S. You can see more pictures from this evening on my photography blog. I’m doing a special series on ‘hands.’

Thursday Through Sunday: Sick, Angry, Desperate

So, I’ve had my first cold while in Sheboygan. Is it ironic that I had a cold when the weather was the hottest? Hmm.

Last Thursday, I started feeling crummy at work. So, I left early and picked up some orange juice and NyQuil. I headed home and went right to sleep. Apparently my mom called me and we had a brief conversation. I don’t remember much, but I do think that I wasn’t very nice to her. (Such are the perils of calling me when I’m napping.)

Friday I continued to feel achy and sniffley. I stayed home and slept all day in my disgustingly muggy apartment.

Saturday, I stayed home in the morning. In the afternoon, the heat finally got to me. I went to Wal-Mart and bought a window air-conditioner, fully intending to go home, lug it up the stairs and install it… for the final week and a half that I’m staying in Sheboygan. (I know, this sound ridiculous. But, I was desperate.) I also bought some Eclipse curtains that are supposed to provide some insulation.

Several hours later, I was crying and yelling at a metal box (aka: the air-conditioner).

Apparently I lacked the tools necessary to put it together (screwdrivers, wrench, etc). Additionally, the outlet was too far away from the window and for safety reasons, you aren’t supposed to use an extension cord. So, I gave up.

Above: Really? Open from the other side? Thanks for telling me after I already opened it. I mean, it’s a box. Is that side somehow different? Seriously? Argh.

I spent a lot of time taking cold showers and crying. It was not a good day.

Eventually, I put my Eclipse curtains up. By Sunday, I noticed a bit of a difference. The apartment wasn’t totally unbearable anymore.

I’m sure by now you think I’m a total weenie when it comes to hot weather. But, I don’t think it was necessarily the heat. It was the humidity. Ugh. Aside from the weather, I was already feeling sick. So, please do think of that before you conclude that I’m crazy. :)

With my fairly effective curtains and a few boxes of popsicles, I find that I’m recovering from my cold and humidity-induced hysteria fairly well. I’m looking forward to a busy week before heading home on August 4th.

What’s Been Happening? Nothing Much.

You might be wondering: “Hey, why hasn’t Jenna posted any crazy videos of running during a storm? or singing in her car? or told us what she had for lunch? or posted some ukulele audio?”

The answer: Umm…. I’ve been trying to focus on my work… which is the reason I’m here in Sheboygan in the first place.

So, that’s pretty much it.

Besides, I haven’t done anything very interesting lately… anything even remotely interesting.

Lightning and Puddles

Last night, I went on a jog in a storm. I haven’t gone jogging in over a month and I was getting sick of sitting all the time (at work, in the car, at home).

In between feeling like I was going to throw up (at the beginning of my jog) and feeling a rush of energy (at the end of my jog), I had some fun watching lightning strike over the water while sitting on a dock on Lake Michigan. I also did a fair bit of jumping through puddles. My socks were nice and squishy.

The puddle jumping is dedicated to Emma and Micah, who are dedicated followers of this blog… if they could read, that is.

Still Photos

Videos

I love jogging in the rain!

Falling Down Stairs = Bad

Yesterday I fell down the outside stairs as I was leaving my apartment. It had rained but I thought that the tilted, tiny stairs would somehow be safe. Umm. Not my smartest moment.

I slid down about 6 steps on my posterior. When I stopped, I repeatedly told myself “You’re okay. You’re okay. You’re okay.”

I didn’t check to see if I actually was okay until much later.

I managed to save the homemade pico de gallo I was carrying, along with my DSLR camera. (Hey, I know what’s important, right?)

I ended up with a lovely bruise on my rump and one on my arm. I’m still a bit sore, but I’m sure it will be gone soon.

Tuesday Lunch: My 5+ Minutes of Outside Time

I remember reading an article that said: if you spend at least 5 minutes a day outside, that can positively affect your self confidence.

So, I figure that if I spend 30 minutes outside, I’m making good progress toward becoming that much more confident. :)

Above: Pretty healthy lunch. Egg salad sandwich, sliced peppers, raspberries.

Above: Glass pendant by Cathy Becker. It’s hard to tell but the colors match my top perfectly. Depending on the light, it can look purple or bluish. I love it!

[Geek note: photos taken with my iPhone 3GS.]

Don’t Cry Over a Split Melon

I bought several melons yesterday. While attempting to lug them home, the bag broke, resulting in this:

Fortunately, I was able to salvage most of the fruit. This one was too ripe but it was still good.

From My Weekend: Double Dairy

And before you ask, yes, he was eating both of these. (He wasn’t just holding one for someone else.)

Meandering in Manitowoc

I spent my afternoon wandering around Manitowoc today. I initially headed in that direction to stop by a camera store and get some maintenance done. But, when that didn’t work out, I didn’t want to waste the trip.

So, I wandered.

I came across abandoned buildings and an eclectic vintage shop.

I walked through Hobby Lobby (back in Sheboygan) later in the day before going to the movie theater. I went to see ‘Despicable Me’ on my own. It was cute and also happens to be the first movie that I’ve gone to on my own.

You can see more pictures from my adventures on my photography blog (theawkwardphotographer.com).