Bye Bye Birdie

Welp, only one more week until I leave for Seattle. And to be honest, I'm freaking out. Like, REALLY freaking out. I just can't believe it's here already. I know I've been planning on this move for years but the time just went by so fast. Being a Taurus, change has always been pretty difficult for me and even though I know I don't want to stay in Phoenix, all of this change is causing a wee bit of a meltdown. 

In the past three years I've met so many amazing people and it's scary to know that soon I'll have to essentially start from scratch and meet all new people. I am looking forward to making new friends but at the same time I'm going to miss everyone back home so much. The friends I have in AZ are like family to me and it's going to be weird not to see them all the time anymore. However, I know that all of them will always be in my life. And I'll still see them, just not as often as I'm used to. It's going to be rough being so far away from my fam as well. My family has been a major source of drama in my life but I adore them (minus my brother). When I moved to Oregon my mom and dad called me EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. They had to always know where I was, what I was doing, etc. It was pretty intense but it showed me how much they cared about me. I hope they won't be as crazy this time since I'm nearly 30 years old now but I know I'll be lonely for the first few months so it'll be nice to have them to talk to on the phone. 

For a while I was worried that I wasn't going to get to Seattle this summer at all. It was kind of up in the air for a while because I had a really difficult time finding a roommate. I must have emailed dozens of people in the past month. Just when I thought I'd found the perfect room the person would find someone else to fill it or they'd turn out to be a weirdo and I'd have to back out. It got down to 2 weeks before my tentative moving day before I found a place. I know, cuttin' it pretty close. I'll be living in a 2 bedroom apartment in the U-District with a lady roommate (and one kitty cat). It's funny because after all of my searching and worrying and freaking out, the room I found was EXACTLY what I wanted from the beginning. My original plan was to live in a 2 bedroom apartment in the U-District with a girl roommate (preferably someone bookish) and that's just what I found. The place is tiny but it's affordable and centrally located. If I get a job at the university I'll be able to walk to work too! It's all very exciting but simultaneously anxiety inducing. 

I hope it won't take me too long to find a job. In Portland it took me 3 months to find employment and I had to go back to hospitality which I swore I'd never do again. But that was  back when the economy was really bad and jobs were scarce. And I have a degree now so I think that'll help a lot. It would be nice to find a job that I actually enjoyed doing. I get so jealous when people brag about how much they loooooove their job. I've yet to have a job that I love (other than art). I've had jobs where I enjoy the people that I work with (or most of the people that I work with) but I've never had a job where I actually loved what I did. That's probably due to the fact that I've only worked in customer service and I don't really care for John Q. Public. I'm more task-oriented. Just give me a job or project to do and watch me go. However, if you ask me to sell something or schmooze the public, watch how awkward I can get! 

Oh, I almost forgot! ART NEWS! Lately business has been boomin' in my Esty shop! I don't know what happened but this past month I've been having tons of sales. I think I sold 10 pieces this month, one being an original illustration. It's so motivating for an artist to sell a piece. I just want to work on new projects all day. Just thinking about crafting causes a surge of excitement. Here's a look at some of my most recent work.

Appa Hoop

6 inches

fabric, felt and embroidery floss

Drifblim Hoop

6 inches

fabric, felt and embroidery floss

Makar with Violin Hoop

6 inches

fabric, felt and embroidery floss

Togepi Hoop

6 inches

fabric, felt, glass beads and embroidery floss

Once I get settled in Seattle I'd like to start a new drawing. I'm thinking I might do a self-portrait. I don't think I've done one in a year. I'm overdue. I'd also like to start writing again for my comic strip. It's been on hiatus for a year while I've been focusing on my illustration and fibers work. I miss my comic very much. 

Despite all of my worrying , I am looking forward to this summer. There's going to be SOOO much to do in Seattle during the summer months. It's going to be great. It'll all be new to me too so I can do all of the corny touristy stuff. I can't wait to see the ocean, the aquarium, the tulip fields, the library, the space needle, the university, the rain forest...everything. It's going to be an adventure!

Next time you hear from me I'll be in my new home in the Pacific Northwest. Wish me luck!

Laters!