Colorado Update

Hello Blog. It's been awhile. As I write this entry I am looking out the windows of my office watching the clouds come in over the mountains so they are almost completely covered, vanishing before my eyes. It's May 11 and the forecast is calling for snow. 2-3 FEET in some mountain regions. Brrr. Spring keeps tricking us...popping out for days at a time....warming us with its sunny rays, encouraging flowers to bloom and grass to grow, and then sprinting away into it's corner until it decides to appear once again. I will always celebrate living in a region that has a definition of seasons. At the end of summer I always welcome the cool arms of Fall, the changing of the leaves, and the appearance of the first snow. The same happens in the spring time...but this year Colorado is teasing me. I'm ready for the snow and cold temps to retire for the season. Enough is enough. So I'm sending this wish out there to the universe, hoping that someone is listening, I'm ready for Spring.

~*~

Things are rapidly falling into place for both myself and Matt. Matt started his new job with Charles Schwab a couple of months ago and seems to really enjoy it. His work schedule is good for him as he is currently working 4, 10 hour days with Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday off. The last couple of weeks I've come home on Wednesday evening to a clean house and dinner cooking...something I could quickly get used to.

My job is amazing. When I moved out to Colorado in 2007 I took a job leasing apartments as a way to pay the bills. I had just graduated college and it was my first taste of being a "big kid." I quickly realized having a job, any job, was necessary if I wanted to live indoors. Finding a job in Denver was more difficult than I expected and when the opportunity to lease apartments for $10.00/hour arose I took it immediately. I never thought Property Management would be my career. 6 months after starting in leasing I was promoted to an Assistant Manager position in Boulder, Colorado. I worked for a company that had a great education program but not much advancement opportunity. I got tired and burnt out in my position and decided I needed to find something different. In 2008 I accepted a position as a Financial Rep for Thrivent Financial. The company supported my decision to get my Series 7 and Series 66 licenses and I spent the next year in the financial industry. While the interaction with clients was ideal, the 100% commission was not. It was last July (2009) that I decided I needed to return to a salaried position once again. This time I interviewed with Greystar Real Estate Partners to re-enter the property management field. I landed at a property in South Denver as the Assistant Manager. The next 7 months were crazy as the property was in much need of some TLC. At the beginning of March 2010 our owners decided they wanted to bring in a different property management company to continue on now that the property was in a stable place. I found myself without a job. To be honest it was the best thing that ever happened. I was ready to move on. My last day at my property was a Friday and I started at a new property with Greystar on Monday. This time I found myself in Brighton, Colorado as a floating manager. We had just acquired this new property and again, it needed some help. 1 week after starting out at the property I was offered the Assistant Manager position at Alexan Downtown Littleton, a luxury property in Littleton, Colorado, still in its Lease Up Phase (had just finished construction in January 2010). I jumped at the opportunity to begin work at a property that was brand new...but even better...had a marketing budget to work with. Since graduating in 2007 I have rarely had the opportunity to use my marketing mind in any other capacity except "Our budget is zero, do what you can with that." Now a whole new door has been opened to me and I am excited to run with it. A big part of my job will still be the accounting on the property but now my other duties will include outreach marketing, planning resident retention events, and working with social media. Yesterday I looked up from my work and realized it was 5PM and I was having fun. I am so excited to continue my time here. In August my manager will be leaving on maternity leave and I will be the acting manager of the property. I am excited to continue my advancement in this industry and am now seeing it as a career, not just a paycheck. My company is the #3largest property management company in the country so the opportunities are endless. We have the ability to move almost anywhere we would consider (seeing as both of our companies are in many big cities)and best of all we are enjoying the 9-5. I'm pretty ecstatic about that.

On the home front we have been enjoying the warm weather (as it shows up). Last Sunday we went hiking up Green Mountain in Boulder...it was a short hike and had beautiful views at the summit. I am ready for more hiking, camping, and biking this summer. I am so grateful and blessed that Colorado is my home. I'm really loving where I am at.

Until next time.

A New Day

Birds flying high
You know how I feel
Sun in the sky
You know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by
You know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life
For me
And I'm feeling good



Hello blog world, it's been awhile. Since my last post I have seen some change in my life. I decided to stay with my current company (if you may remember the apartment community I was working at was getting taken over by a new management company, thus forcing my company out). Currently, I am working as a "floating manager" and have been coming to Brighton, Colorado to manage a new property we just acquired. This in itself has not been easy. The property needs a lot of work and the files/admin side of things were in a bad place. I think I have made a difference here and have started the turn around. I am now ready to leave the rest of the work to someone who wants to make this their permanent home...and move on.

My next stop will be Littleton, Colorado. I have accepted an Assistant Manager position at Alexan Downtown Littleton, a brand new luxury property that is still in a lease up phase. I am excited for this new challenge as I have never worked at a new property and know I am about to acquire a new set of skills. Exciting to say the least.

Things on the home front have been going really well. Matt and I have decided to renew our lease at our Highlands home for another year (our lease is up at the end of the May). This is exciting to me for many reasons. The number one reason, I am actually staying somewhere for more than a year! I moved to Colorado in July of 2007 with my friend Shelley. We moved into an apartment in Westminster, Colorado. At the end of our lease Shelley decided to move back to Iowa so I moved to an apartment in Broomfield, Colorado with Matt (our first home!). Last summer we decided to move down to the Highlands are of Denver and that is where we are at now. We absolutely love our house, and location, and were having a hard time deciding if we should move to a less expensive house come May. After searching out and brainstorming other possible options we decided we couldn't give up our house and so will be staying for another year. Yay! This weekend we spruced up our backyard... revitalizing a flower bed that had seen better days and constructing a gazebo. I am excited for summer nights, BBQ's with friends, and spending time with Matt and Cooper in our home for another year.

I think that there are days that I get so caught up in the day-to-day struggles that I don't take the time to step back and view the whole picture. But when I do, finally, step back and see the picture...I'm amazed. I feel so thankful to have a beautiful home, a boyfriend that I fall more in love with everyday, a dog who brightens my life, parents who support my decisions (even if they don't always agree), friends who help make memories worth treasuring, and an awesome state and exciting and vibrant city for giving me something new to discover and explore on a daily basis. I can't believe I am this lucky. Truly an awesome and powerful God is at work.

Until next time.

A

Unstable

Right now I'm sort of feeling that my life is mirroring a Jackson Polluck painting. All aspects of my life are splattered across a canvas, crossing each other, bumping into each other, and merging together. And when you look at the canvas it's still asthetically pleasing to the eye...but its confusing...and in a way you're a little nervous, unsure, about what it all really means.

This week I found out that the owners of the property I work at have decided to get rid of my property management company (the company who hired me and I'm employed by). They have allowed us the chance to stay on with the new company if we choose to, however, it basically means starting at square one (just like a new job). I would be without health benefits for 90 days (thankfully I can jump on Matt's plan at Charles Schwab if this happens...which actually might be more cost effective for us in the long run), don't qualify for vacation for 6 months, and in essence am a "newbie" in the position I have held of 8 months.

Now you might need some background on my situation to really understand why this desicion is so difficult. When I signed on with my company last June I elected to come work at a class C property (properties tend to be rated in tiers. Tier A being your luxury property, Tier B being your mid-level property, and Tier C- I like to call them the "Properties in Transition"). When I arrived on site I discovered many problems at the property. There were cockroach and bed bug infestation, residents who were being allowed to continue occupying their apartment when rent had not been paid, and the files and accounting were a mess. Thankfully my management company had brought on a new manager at the same time as me and with his wonderful leadership (and hard work and dedication) we were able to turn the property around. Today, I can honestly say we have made huge steps toward a positive future. However, this all came at a price. When I signed on with my company I was promised that if I could contribute to this property and help make a difference then I had a solid future ahead of me...biggest inclusion...advancement. The possibility of managing my own property. Now here I am with the choice to stay on with a new company and start my "clock" over if you will. Advancement with a company who knows nothing about me is not in my foreseeable future.

So you might ask...why not stay with my current company? This is what I am currently attempting. However, as you may know in this economy...people who have jobs aren't giving them up easily. So there is a possibility that there will not be a position available for me to slide into. And where does that lead me?

Well, I don't really know.

I'm currently tracking down some information regarding my employment. If I choose to not sign on with the new company does that, in essence, mean that I am laid off? Or does it mean I quit? I don't think I can be forced to accept a position with a new company, but I don't know. This is where my Employment Law attorney will come in. I KNEW Law school was a good idea, ha.

Matt sems to think this change could be a blessing in disguise. It could provide me with the chance to get out of a property that has been a real difficult place to be for the last 8 months. I think I have learned a lot, but I certainly have struggled in the process. We will see.

So right now a lot of things are up in the air. But, I have to be confident, that like any Jackson Polluck painting that you look at long enough...things will eventually make sense.

Spring

"The air is like a butterfly
With frail blue wings.
The happy earth looks at the sky
And sings."
~Joyce Kilmer, Spring


I love days like today. The sun is shining...in the shade the temperature is a little cool for my taste, but in the sun it is perfect. I automatically become more optimistic about life and the "little" things that seemed to bother me yesterday are no longer on my radar. Because I'm smiling. And today is not the day to worry. Today is the day to enjoy.

It's Spring.

For today anyway.

What does Spring mean to you? What is the first mental picture you get when someone says "Spring is here?" Me, it's lame...but I see my house...lit up with rays of sunshine. The windows are open and a soft breeze is blowing the curtains back and forth. The house smells like pledge because we've just dusted all of the furniture and the wood floors are gleaming because they've gotten cleaned (not just swept) for the first time since the snow started to fall. I also get this ridiculous picture of a clothesline in my back yard....with big white sheets swaying in the breeze...the smell of clean laundry...the feel of clutter leaving my life. Spring clean. A new slate.

Many people say January 1 is your new slate. Your way to start the year on a different foot. Hey, I was there too. This blog is a product of that new start. However, for the next three months you can find yourself stuck in a rut...the snow melts but then immediately returns. The weather dips below freezing. The clouds hide the sun and force you indoors. It's hard to really make that new start a reality when you don't want to leave the confines of your bed.

But now, Spring! Daylights savings leaps you forward (okay, pushes) that first day with less sleep can feel like hell. But then you're here...the days are longer. When I get off work the sun is still shining on my way home. Rush hour immediately seems less of a pain... I roll my window down, turn the radio up, and smile. And if you look around you can swear everyone else is smiling too.

Spring is when all the patios in Denver open for business...friendly staff serving large, delicious, healthy salads (because in the Spring you WANT a salad...and no longer does the grease of winter appeal to you). And that ice cold beer with the sun beaming down is the most delicious beer you've ever had.

And you take a hike or a bike ride in the park. And you're laughing. And you're thinking, "Is this really my life?" because you swear this moment is from a book, carefully constructed, a beautiful picture that can only be that...a picture. Surely not reality. But it is. It's your life.

Because it's Spring. And the sun is shining. And it's time to make that new start...so take a step forward. The world is waiting.

Self-Discovery #435

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given to you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will find them gradually, without noticing it, and live along some distant day into the answer."

- Rainer Maria Rilke

Today I was reading the blog of a friend and I was wildly impressed. His eloquent tongue and journey of what I consider self-discovery was astounding and entertaining and impressive. Sometimes I feel like you get rare chances to really see a person and it's a treasure. Pure gold for your soul. So while I sat reading these blog posts I started reflecting on myself...and where I am at on my path. I thought a first step to discovering who I am today is to talk about my passions, my loves, those things that get me through. And from there perhaps other answers will come to me as well.

I Love...

My parents. They are my rocks. Sometimes it's like I'm a kite and it's gotten a little too windy and they are holding on to the line and they have to pull me back in...but all the while still letting me soar. Cliche? Maybe. But it's true. I can say with all honesty that I am the woman I am today because of my parents and the experiences we've had together. And those experiences haven't always been good. In fact, some of them have been really crappy. I'll always hate hospitals and I'll always hate phone calls in the middle of the day that start with "Is someone there with you?" before bad news comes. But in retrospect the hard times with my family have been the reason that we are strong, and close, and always living in the moment. The hard times are why we never go more than a couple months without seeing each other, and hardly go days without emailing or talking on the phone. And the hard times are why we always say I love you. The hard times are why my family is the most important thing to me in this life. And for that, I am thankful for the hard times. My dad is my hero, and my mom always has all the answers. Together they are perfect and I'm so lucky that they are mine.

My Boyfriend. What a crazy crazy ride. Totally unexpected and so brilliant at the same time. Matt is confirmation that things really do happen for a reason. The reason people move across the country without jobs, and leave best friends, and family, and the only life they've really known. And what could have been a really hard change became a really great beginning. And the best part is the story is still going. Matt really is the definition of a best friend. And that's all I could ask for.

My puppy. Everyone says their puppy. But Cooper rocks. When you're sad Cooper will just crawl over and lay his head in your lap. He has these big eyes and he'll just look at you..and he smiles! And he'll play with you and cuddle with you and give you kisses. How could that NOT make you happy?!

New people.
New experiences.
Really good glasses of wine.

Best friends. Like the "since first grade" variety. The best friends who no matter what you've done or what you've said or how far apart you've grown can snap you back like a rubber band and get you back to the right place. The type of best friend who is waiting at the end of the hall in a crisis, has shared in all your precious "becoming a big kid" experiences, who has seen you cry (a lot), but even more has seen you laugh...the kind of laugh that makes it so it is hard to breathe. Those types of friends are rare. And mine is Shelleron.

Girlfriends. You collect acquaintances throughout your life but a precious few stay really close. The kind that are spread across the country but can reunite and be right back where you started. Who can live in small, dark, college apartments with you, and have danced at the field house with you, and have shared in so many amazing moments and memories its hard to list them out. But they've loved you. And while they are all so different in so many ways, really you're all the same. Elizabeth. Megan. Amby. Rachel. Ashley. Anna.

Friends from High School who have helped shape you. Friends who you gossiped with, and shared drama with, and felt heartache for the first time with. Friends who you'll always check in with, and make sure things are okay, because that is what you do. Nicole. Jen. Rach.

A best friend who became a brother.

The smell of fresh cut glass.
Ceramics. Sinking your hands into clay, molding it, making something out of nothing.
The mountains.
Snowboarding.
Holding hands.
Waking up without an alarm.
Breakfast in bed.
Nice sheets.
Sunny days.
Rainy days that force movie marathons.
Chocolate. Every. Single. Day.
Watching my friends get married.
Hearing my friends are pregnant. Seeing pictures of their babies for the first time.
Facebook. What would life be without stalking?
Pictures. Every moment is a memory that should be preserved.
Vacations.
Camping. The tent is growing on me.
Hiking with Matt and Cooper.
Watching Coop swim. Watching Coop chase tennis balls. Watching Coop grow up.
The feeling after you get done working out at the gym.
Hugs.
Pretty purses.
Fancy dinners.
Movie theater popcorn.
Good music. Songs that explain exactly what you are feeling.
Dancing.
Martinis.
High heels.
Pilot Gel pens. Yes, they are worth the money.
Books. Books. Books.
Hooded sweatshirts.
Iowa Thunderstorms. When the rain comes down in sheets.
My grandmother's whoopie pies.
My grandmother.
Ugg Boots. Made fun of them and now total believer for life.
Gerber Daisies.
Tulips.
Daydreams.
Feeling beautiful.

God. Because he gave me all these things. And without him, this wouldn't be possible.

I love.

How to Be Single

"And that was why I loved Georgia. And that's how this weekend I ended up spearheading an outing with my mismatched set of friends to make her feel like life was worth living. Because at the end of the day, it's night. And in New York, if it's night there's nightlife, and when there's life, as most optimists will be happy to tell you, there's always hope. And i guess that's a big part of how to be single. Hope. Friends. And making sure you get out of your damn apartment."

Cool quote, huh? I'm reading this new book, "How to be Single" by Liz Tuccillo (she was coauthor of "He's Just Not That Into You" a great book and a funny movie). And I am loving it. The premise of the book is easy...narrator has a friend who has just divorced her husband and so she takes her out on the town with her single friends to show her a good time. Somewhere between before-dinner cocktails at the steakhouse and emergency room visit at the end of the night she finds herself wondering how women all over the world do it. The big IT. Being single. Now I'm only a couple chapters in and the narrator (Julie) has made her first stop in France. She's revved up because she has just read a statistic that there are more single women in the United States than married ones...and there's always a quest to find "the one" and often you end up disappointed anyway. The french give her insights to love (and how to keep it), marriage (how to make it work), and life (you only have one, so live it), and this is only her first stop on her journey.

The coolest thing I find about this whole topic is not WHY are you single but HOW are you single? And clearly a TON of women are single because (gasp) they like it. Certainly the world we live in today is different than our parents, and much different than our grandparents. No longer is it common to see young ladies marrying right out of high school and while many of my friends have the ability (and desire) to be stay at home moms it is no longer the norm. The book had a cool preface, "As more and more women become economically independent, their need for personal freedom increases, and that often results in not marrying so quickly." I struggle with this fact. I can only speak for myself, and being in a relationship I guess I can't speak as a single lady, but I am not married...and I DO think part of that is because of my desire to want to figure out where I am going first..and know that I can do it on my own...and knowing that while some days I do wake up and say "WHY am I not married yet?!" there is the other side that does tell me that I am going to get to a place that I am happy with myself (financially and otherwise) and my other half will do the same...and so when we do get married all we will need to concentrate on being married(at least for that first 10 minutes until another road block jumps in our way). And whether this is a product of my mother's teaching, or society's change, or some little drive inside of me that wants something different in my life right now...I don't know. Maybe it's fear.

I question the differences in commitment between now and when my grandparents got married. Back then you got married and you didn't get divorced. Now days 1 out of 2 couples are going to get divorced. What is this? And is this enough to make you want to stay single? It is certainly a scary thought. And how do you know the person you want to marry when you're 22 is the person you'll want to be with when you 35 or 53 or 89 on the porch in the rocking chairs. And is it worth the risk to find out? And why is it okay for a man to be older with greying hair and he is a "great catch" and a woman is in the same place and it's "too bad for you, the good ones are all taken."

You know what I heard today? A co-worker (female) in my office told me that she thought having babies at 30 was too old. What?! Really? I only have 5 years left? I asked her why she thought this...and she told me that a young woman's body is ready to have babies and can bounce back quickly after giving birth...where as an older woman's body is not as easily ready to do that.

Don't get me wrong. I want to get married, and have babies, and have the house with the picket fence and the rockers on the porch when I'm 89 years old. But I have to believe that I would be okay without those things too. To me the interesting aspect of this whole rambling is how do we do it? When everywhere I turn someone is asking me, "When are you getting married" or "When do you think you'll have kids" or I hear someone ask my friend, "Why are you single? You're gorgeous!" How do you stay in the place you are, if you're comfortable being there, without needing an "excuse?" The other day I told someone in my office that if I go to law school it's possible I won't get married for another 3 years (at least) and she told me, "Oh, Annalisa that's silly. You can get married when you're in law school." as if I needed to have "hope". How frustrating. If a man said, "I don't know if I'll get married in the next 5 years." nobody would hold his hand and tell him not to worry, his time will come.

Now I'm kind of starting to sound like the poster child for not getting married. My boyfriend might just enjoy this blog entry (and use it against me I'm sure). And I'll be honest, I may have asked my boyfriend, "When are we going to get married" from time to time (ha), but I guess what I'm realizing from this book is that there are so many other factors to my life that I want right now. And to focus on marriage as that one thing I "need" to do right now...well that just isn't who I am at this point in my life. And to all my married friends don't think I'm dissing you...I think it's wonderful that you have found a person to love and you're in that place, and you're happy. To me, this discussion is more about realizing as a woman that we don't need to always be searching for a man for our life to truly begin. We should all be living it right now regardless. And even if you do have a man, my thought right now on keeping it work is never losing the part of yourself that knows that being a woman without a man rocks. (Cue BEST highlight from that night in college, or high school, or life when you're having the best time with your girlfriends) If you, right now, are choosing to be single (whether for career reasons, self-exploration reasons, or just because you're not settling for anyone less than the best) I applaud you. And if you're married, having babies, and living your life as you always dreamed it, I applaud you too.

American Honey

She grew up on a side of the road
Where the church bells ring and strong love grows
She grew up good
She grew up slow
Like American Honey

Steady as a preacher
Free as a weed
Couldn't wait to get goin'
But wasn't quite ready to leave
So innocent, pure and sweet
American Honey

There's a wild, wild whisper
Blowin' in the wind
Callin' out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothing's sweeter than summertime
And American Honey

Get caught in the race
Of this crazy life
Tryin' to be everything can make you lose your mind
I just wanna go back in time
To American honey, yeah

There's a wild, wild whisper
Blowin' in the wind
Callin' out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothing's sweeter than summertime
And American Honey

Gone for so long now
I gotta get back to her somewhow
To American Honey

Ooh There's a wild, wild whisper
Blowin' in the wind
Callin' out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothing's sweeter than summertime
And American honey
And American honey