city life

For Nathan's friend Shaugn's birthday celebration we went out in Seattle last night. I guess I should say "our" friend because I think we're reaching that point...I go back and forth, feeling like I want to make my own friends and let Nathan do his own thing but then at the time I do really do love his friends and wouldn't mind them being my own. Nathan wants nothing more than for his friends to be mine which is a whole new thing for me...in the past my life and my boyfriend's life have been two seperate entities. I was never a huge fan but just kind of accepted that's how it'd be. I think that pretty much made up a good portion of my dating days so I'm just now getting used to this...and I like it.

Anyway, going out was fun, it was a good group of people and a good night. I'm learning to be a part of the city life. On Friday Nathan worked all day so I decided to go shopping. His apartment is right downtown so it makes more sense to walk to the mall than drive (and I still haven't learned to drive a stick...which his car is). Walking around downtown Bellevue sent me in and out of my comfort zone. Sometimes I feel like I could easily fit into the big city and sometimes I'm wandering around wishing for mountains and small towns. It'll just take time to get used to and I know I will forever be a Montana girl at heart. I'm just fine with that.

We were supposed to go on a cruise in September this year but decided to save our money and go later. Now we're 3 months from my spring break and I'm itching to plan a trip. It's hard though because we really should save extra money for moving expenses in June. And I would really like to upgrade our furniture at that point so it requires a little more cash on top of the cost of first month's rent, a deposit and a pet deposit. BUT I want so badly to go to Mexico with Nathan and just have a wonderful vacation in a sunny place, just the two of us. I also think my spring break would be the perfect time considering I'll be nearly finished with school, probably burnt out and, really it's my last spring break before I enter the working world. My hope is that we will vow to always take a spring break whether we're in school or not, whether or kids are or not...whatever, I just think that vacation is extremely important. But if that doesn't happen, this truly is the last big break.

So we'll see. We were thinking about using tax refund money so we'll see what we have. I had to have work done on my car again and my dad insisted on paying for it and letting me pay him back on my own time. I'd like to just pay him back completely as soon as possible so that money should probably go to that too. I hate being responsible!

I never wrote about Christmas...it was great, so much fun to have Nathan there and to spend time with our families. It was definitely a white Christmas and we got some skiing in, made lefse, ate lots of good food, relaxed and just had a really good time with everyone. I wish it could be Christmas forever!