Oh, the Places You'll Go!

After 45 days of being apart, I went to Arkansas to visit Rick for a week. It was wonderful and I finally felt like myself again when we were together. We did a lot of fun things and celebrated our 3rd Anniversary (more blog posts on that later). The Railroad puts you through a lot of uncertainties and decisions for the early stages of your career, and we have certainly been no exception to this rule. At first Rick was going to be there just the 90 days, then 2 weeks after he arrived, Tucson started requesting that those employees who were in Little Rock come back. We had no idea how long Rick was going to be out there. Now, Tucson has plenty of employees and are putting them all to work, and Little Rock is desperate for workers. With a borrow out, you have to stay there for 90 days but you can stay longer if you'd' like. Most guys don't because they have wives and kids who need them back at home. One of the guys asked the management how long he could stay in Little Rock. The management said they needed people until 2014. After a lot of going back and forth and "but what if"s, we decided that I'm going to quit my job and move to Arkansas to be with Rick, and he's going to work out there for as long as he can.

I just bought my 1 way ticket to Arkansas, and I leave in a little over 2 weeks. I gave Chad and Christy my 2 week notice, and I am so sad to be leaving my nanny family. I love them so much. This move is not permanent (at least for now, who knows what other adventures Rick's job will bring), but we have no idea how long we will be out there. Could be 3 months could be 6 months could be a year. We will leave all of our stuff in Arizona and just bring clothes. When you go on a borrow out the railroad pays for you to live in a hotel, so that will be my new home sweet home. Luckily the hotel that we are staying at has a kitchenette. Full size fridge, a sink, dishwasher, cupboards, dishes, stove top, and microwave. We will get a toaster oven and a crock pot. If the hotel didn't have these things, I seriously don't think I could do it. Months without a kitchen? No way.

The best part about all of this, besides being able to live with Rick again, is that every 26 days he gets a guaranteed 4 days off, and we can use those 4 days to plan little trips. He already had his first 4 days off when I came out, and for his next time off we will be headed to Utah for the 4th of July. You have no idea how happy this makes me. I'll be damned if I have to relive last years 4th of July. No way.

I can't wait to be with this handsome guy again. I'm a little nervous because I don't know what I'll do all day. Luckily I still have my online schooling to do. And I keep telling Rick that I'll go fishing while he's at work. He thinks I'm kidding. I'm not. I will also be able to fill up my free time by trying to manage my curly hair in 100% humidity. I was only out there for a week but I started to look like Monica from friends when she went to Barbados.

If things get too bad I can always just do what she did. I'm sure Rick wouldn't be embarrassed by me.