March Madness

I keep meaning to write, and my schedule just seems to get in the way. I guess there is some truth to the saying that New York is 'the city that never sleeps.' I have been running 90 miles a minute since I moved here...and I'm just now starting to feel like things are falling into place the way I had hoped. So let me share the latest...

As you know, I took a job with an IT consulting firm called Data Industries. The way I got my job was a pure God-thing... and exactly what I needed at the time, considering I moved here with no plan. I have enjoyed (most) of my co-workers and made a few good friends, but the work is definitely not what I see myself doing for the rest of my life. So in the hours before work and after work, I have been working hard to build my own ventures into something that can eventually sustain me full-time.

There's my art, of course. It's always been my love and my passion, and I have built it into a nice side business. People commission me to do canvases, and it forces me to stretch my imagination and better my skills. I also have a small wedding-baby-collegiate gift line that is now in 3 Atlanta Stores (Dabberdoo in the Virginia Highlands, Signatures in Marietta, and Fiore at Perimeter Mall), 1 store in Huntsville, Alabama (Zazzy's), and on 1 website out of Los Angeles (Advantage Bridal). It's growing rapidly, and I'm excited to see what it turns into!

Then there's a side project I'm working on with a neurologist in Atlanta. I run a job-search site, and coordinate educational conferences for neurology residents. The conference aspect of the job is just now getting off the ground and will allow me to travel to different cities almost every weekend. I am hoping this will one day be my full-time job, and with a little prayer and hard work, maybe it will!

So as you can see, I've been quite the busy bee.

But enough with the work stuff, there's lots more fun stuff going on!
*I just got back from Indiana with Adam. We went to visit his family for the weekend, and it was nice to get away and enjoy some warm weather for a change (New York has been brutal the last few months).
*Adam and I are going to see the Allman Brothers at the famous Beacon Theatre on Thursday night! They do a residency there every year for a few weeks at a time, and I'm excited to see them for the second time.
*I may make it home to Atlanta in 2 weeks for a short visit...I'm flying stand-by, so wish me luck!
*Oh...and Adam signed up for Couch Surfer online, which is a networking site for globe-hoppers. The general idea is that you allow people to stay on your couch when they're visiting your country in hopes that they return the favor when you visit theirs. So we have 4 French guys coming to sleep on his couch (ie. his floor) at the end of this month. They barely speak any English...and they are celebrating a birthday. Should be fun! (Plus they promised to shower us with French wine and other authentic French 'munchies').
*I'm planning to buy a bicycle on Craigslist so I can roll around the city in style when it warms up. Adam already found his...so I'm scrambling to find mine before the temperature hits 70 degrees and I'm stuck in the sweltering hot subway waiting on a train.

So there's your much needed update! I'm feeling refreshed and excited about what spring and summer have in store...and I'm extremely grateful for the way things are working out! It's definitely a result of all your prayers...encouragement...and support.

I love you all...

LAUREN