Hurricane Number 4

This time the hurricane's name is Jeanne. So, here I am, sitting again in my apartment wondering if I will lose another weekend to being stuck in my apartment...waiting for my fiance to arrive and make me feel whole again and not so alone in the storm.
When you can't really go out in a hurricane and you're unsure of what damage it will bring you find yourself thinking about all sorts of things. At least, that's how I am finding myself now. When I graduated from Simmons College in May, I was excited about moving to Florida and working at Poynter-- and Poynter has been the best and scariest thing I have done concerning my career so far. Everyday I learn something, and at night I come home and try and wrap my head around all of what I learned, want to learn, want to write about, hope to be a better editor at. I never would have told you that I would want to live in Florida-- and the hurricanes are making me miss New England more than ever. But Poynter is just the type of challenge I tell my friends I crave...and it's scary to think I'm working there. What will happen in a year when Dave and I have to move someplace? Will I get a good job that I love going to? Will he be happy in his job? And how is it possible to have *so far* achieved all the goals I had set for myself for after my graduation from Simmons.
I wanted to:
1. Move out of my parents house for good to show that I am independent
2. Get a job in the journalism industry that I love
3. Spend as much time as possible with David and really work at being the *normal* couple we used to be before the military
4. Write better than I have before

I'm still working on numbers 3 and 4-- but three is slowly getting there too now that David and I are engaged. Ever since I met him in 8th grade all I've wanted was to have his last name be my last name.
It's scary to have things going so well-- maybe that's why all of these hurricanes are coming-- just to keep me off balance and slightly stressed out. It's almost like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop and have something go horribly wrong even though I don't want that shoe to ever actually drop.

Happy Hurricane News

So, since the last post we've had another hurricane (Ivan)-- which I left town for. I decided to fly home to see my parents. I arrived on Saturday, and on Sunday my boyfriend drove up from where he was staying with friends in Virginia.
On Monday we went out to dinner at our favorite resturant in Boston. Toward the end of dinner he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him-- I of course said yes. Now he is my fiance.
We've been together for 7 years, and apart doing the long-distance thing for 4 when he was in the military. I am so excited I could burst!
I have lots of planning to do, but not without everyone's help. Got suggestions? I'd love to hear them.

Hurricane Frances

Now I remember why I love the North-- we rarely-- if ever-- have hurricanes. Now, in my summer in the warm southern air in Florida we have managed to have 2 in the span of a few weeks! And, a 3rd is on the way. So far we've had Charley, Frances, and now they're talking about Ivan. I am beginning to think taking this year long fellowship was not such a great idea weather wise.
I am also beginning to think that maybe it's my fault. This summer during the 6-week fellowship I wrote an article about how St. Pete Beach preps for hurricanes. I wrote how they hadn't had a hurricane there since 1928--- and now we've had 2. It's strange watching the news casts and seeing Gary Vickers the Pinellas County EOC head and think back to when I interviewed him this summer. I think about how he told me that he was worried about this year, eight major named hurricanes are predicted. So far, we're only through three!
It's definately an experience that's for sure. But one experience that I am not fond of.
My friend Laura said it sounded exciting and how she liked bad weather. I used to be like that too-- but after being cooped up in my apartment since Friday I am just about going stir crazy.
Hurricane season doesn't end until Nov. 30, and the newscasters say that the peak of hurricane season is next week.
Goody.