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Man! Not having the Internet all weekend is rough! Especially when I want to read all of your awesome blogs! Lets just say that last night and this morning was def. spent catching up with everyone that I missed sooo much. I also want to thank everyone for wishing me good luck this weekend, it really means a lot.

So I left big JC on Friday afternoon and set off on the 5 hour drive to Nashville. I didn't really mind the drive there though, because it was SO pretty the whole way and I had my IPOD jammin' on shuffle. I snapped a couple of pics just so I could show you how gorgeous it was.

Not a cloud in the sky!

On the way there I saw a whole row of these old time-y bugs traveling together. I thought that it was pretty amusing seeing them all together in a little group. So I snapped a pic of that too.

I made pretty good time because of the weather and arrived in Nashville to meet my Aunt around 6. I don't know how many people heard about this, but there was a HUGE tornado in Nashville last week (which is pretty rare for Tennessee). Anyway, it hit about a mile from my aunt's house. I have never been in a tornado and I sure have not seen anything like the devastation from the aftermath! My aunt took me around to show me where it hit. I have never seen anything like it! It made me really sad about all the people that lost their homes and businesses. My Aunt told me that the volunteers have been great with helping out all week though, and there were still tents and things providing water and food.

I was shocked by all the damage that the tornado did, like I said I am just not used to that kind of thing at all. I don't think we have ever had a tornado, or at least a bad one, in East Tennessee.

Moving on...Saturday morning was the job fair. My Aunt and I arrived there early and ready to go. There were sooo many people there. It was kind of overwhelming and discouraging to see all of these people trying to get the same job as me. What would make me stand out from the rest?! But, I handed out my resume to a bunch of different schools and talked to a lot of principals and assisstant principals. So now all thats left to do is just cross my fingers and hope that the phone rings soon. I'm desperate for a teaching job right now!!!

I also LOVE the Nashville area. It is so nice and there is so much to do. Also, running is a HUGE deal there, so there are plenty of places to run and TONS of running groups to join. My Aunt told me that there is even one especially for teachers who run! Oh how I would love to move there.

After the stress of the job fair, my Aunt and I had a "girls" day to de-stress. We went to the hair salon, TWO different malls, to the movies to see Seventeen Again (umm when did Zac Efron get so freakin' hot?!), then out to dinner, and more shopping. Yep, by the time we got we were drained. But it was great spending time with my Aunt in an AWESOME city. Did I mention that I LOVE it there?!

Unfortunately, the drive back to JC on Sunday did not go as well as the drive there. It was pouring the rain the whole time! At one point it was raining so hard that I could not even see in front of me. Therefore, I missed my exit and ended up about an hour of track somewhere in Kentucky. I'm pretty sure that this would only happen to me. I was so glad when I finally got home and could relax.

All in all it was a great weekend. I'm really hoping that something comes out of it, but we will see. Thanks again everyone for your good luck wishes, thoughts, and prays. You guys are the best and I missed you all this weekend. I'm glad to be back!

Lots of Love, <3 Ems.

Nashville Tomorrow!

Tomorrow I am leaving for Nashville for the weekend to attend an education career fair! My aunt teaches down there and she got hired at this same career fair last year, so I'm really hoping that this could be my big break! I really really really need this, a good job, a new city...it would be GREAT! Everyone please say a pray for me and wish me luck, I need all that I can get!!!

So yesterday was filled with prep work for tomorrow. I printed of a zillion copies of my resume, cleaned out my car, checked my oil, pumped up my tires, and filled up my gas. Everything is a GO!

I am also excited because Lucas goes to school in between where I live and Nashville, so I will be stopping by to see him on my way there tomorrow. He has been really sick since last weekend, so I am glad that I will get to see him for a little bit. Why is it that guys convert into a 2 year old state when they are sick?! haha. I swear they would not know what to do without their moms/girlfriends/wives/sisters/etc. Women just know how to take care of sickly people! haha. I'm going to put together a "get-well kit" for him.

After yoga on Tuesday, my legs and muscles were feeling really good and stretched, so I was ready for a run! Ok, I'll be honest my legs and arms were freakin SORE from yoga!! Everytime I do yoga I get more sore than any other exercise that I do. I guess its all that bending and stretching. So I warmed up a little on the eliptical and then moved to the treadmill. Here was my workout:

• 35 Minutes on the eliptical
• 4 mile run on the treadmill at an east pace.

I got in a pretty good workout, so I was happy with that.

Yesterday for lunch I made what is becoming my favorite wrap combo:

• Italian Herb Flat-Out Wrap
• Swiss Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge
• Sliced Cucumber
• Sliced Tomato
• Spinach
• Dijon Mustard

After my day of preparation I hoped in the shower and got ready for POOL NIGHT! Yep, the Wednesday night tradition. I am really starting to sharpen up my pool skillzz.

Just look at that form! haha.

Opponent #1

Opponent #2

Opponent #3

We got beat, maybe next time.

Fast forward to this morning where I once again sacrificed my chances of living to be 130 by eating cottage cheese everyday in order to mix up my meals. But, it was worth it!

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 Banana
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• Strawberries, chopped
• A Few Cinnamon Mini Rice Cakes crumbled on top.

Oh yeah! And check out these awesome card that I got in the mail yesterday from Foodbuzz

They are little mini cards for my blog, and on the back are pictures of all kinds of foods and drinks. I LOVE THEM!

Alright, I still have a lot to get done today before I leave tomorrow. I am soo excited about my trip. Is it weird that I actually like driving long distances by myself?! Its a five hour drive...so I am off to update my Ipod, vacuum my car, go for a run, then workin it at the mall.

Lots of Love, <3 Ems.

Nashville Weekend Recap (LOTS of pictures!)

Oh my goodness I have MISSED you guys sooo much! I felt so out of the loop when I got home last night and tried to "quickly" scan through some of the updates. It just didnt work out because I was sooo behind! I even found out that I had won Angela's contest for an "oh she glows" fit gear hoodie! My first winning!! So that was a nice surprise to come home to :)

Anyway, on to the weekend. We took a TON of pictures, I'm not gonna put them all up here, because I think it might be overkill. But I definitely want to show you girls some highlights.

As I said in an earlier post we were going to Nashville for a going away party for my cousin Matt, who is leaving for Korea this morning to start teaching English over there for a year. I know he is super nervous about so everyone keep him in your thoughts and prayers (especially for his 14 hour flight!!) This is an awesome opportunity for him and I know he will do amazing things over there.

We started out the Nashville weekend on Friday afternoon. I picked up my friend Brittani and we hit the road! We stopped through Knoxville to pick up my cousin's girlfriend who goes to college at the University of Tennessee (that is also where my cousin graduated from). After we picked her up it was full speed ahead to NashVegas baby! My cousin had gotten a hotel right in the middle of downtown so that we could be within walking distance of all the bars and restaurants and it was so nice! We got there, got ready, and went out to eat. First things first, right?!

This is where it gets interesting. The guy at the front desk of the hotel suggested that we try a nice sushi restaurant that was on one of the main streets of downtown Nashville. We decided to give a shot. So we walk in and sit down. The waiter brings us out some water and we ask to see the menu. Well, he goes back to the KITCHEN to grab our menus. I take the menu, open it up....and THERE IS A LIVE ROACH CRAWLING INSIDE!!!! We were all up and out of that place in record time. I mean, I'm sorry, but that is just a deal breaker right there. We ran into the closest restaurant we could find and that was the Hard Rock Cafe. It wasnt bad, this place is of course more atmosphere than anything.

Ok, after we ate we hit the town. We went to one bar called Cadillac ranch. It had a real Cadillac hanging from beams in the ceiling and a mechanical bull to ride.

This was the view from the upstairs, looking down onto the bar. It was sooo cool looking.

In typical Nashville form, my friend Brandon decided to ride the bull. I think he lasted about .2 seconds. haha.

After we left there we walked up the street to a place called Paradise Park. This place was sooo cool, because it was a bar inside, but it was decorated to look like you were outside in a trailer park. I wish we had fun places like that were I live!

Britt and my cousin Matt

Matt and his friend Alex

Britt, Keely (Matt's Girlfriend), and I

Keely, Brandon, and I

Matt's friend Brandon apparently feel in love with me at first site and kept trying to tell me how pretty I was all night. Matt captured one of these moments on film. haha

The next day, the girls got up and went shopping (of course) While the fellas slept the whole day! When we got back we all got ready for Round #2.

My cousin and I. I am wearing a KILLER leather jacket that I bought at Forever 21 on our shopping trip earlier that day. I think I'm in love with it.

All of Matt's friends at his going away dinner.

Sunday morning we had a more formal get together after church where friends and family came to Matt's house to wish him well and say goodbye.

Matt and his girlfriend Keely. I felt so bad for her, having to say goodbye to her boyfriend for a whole year!

My aunt served some traditional Korean snack food at the get together. All of it was kinda strange! Even the "dessert" type things were hot and spicy! I did enjoy these "seaweed chips" that were just dried seaweed and tasted similar to crunchy sushi. haha.

The dessert spread. Ginger cookies (these tasted just like the ginger that you get with sushi, with a hint of sweetness. Kinda strange.), Rice cookies, and some other type of cookie that was almost the consistency of wax.

Alex chowing down on some edamame and Britt getting it with some rice cakes. haha

Matt and Alex.

After the get together we hit the road to go back home. It was really sad saying goodbye to my cousin, but he will be able to keep in touch through e-mail and such, so that goods. I look forward to hearing all the stories and seeing all the pictures. It was a fun and exhausting weekend. And I'm pretty sure that I fell in love with Nashville, it is just an amazing city with so much to see and do!

Well, I am glad to be back to my lovely blogger ladies. Like I said, I missed you guys tons and I am going to try to get caught up on everyones lives again! Please get me back into the loop!!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday. Lots of Love <3 Ems.