& a transition

Let me start off with this: I am not a writer, writing is not usually how I express myself. Also I don't think I've ever had this many words on a blog post, so if you come to my blog for photo content, today will be a little different. 

Ever since I finished up camp this summer I thought I would fall back into my routine of blogging and everything else. But I must have forgotten that I graduated and wouldn't be doing my previously normal routine, which was the school thing {and thank goodness}. Then Jeff and I decided to move to Salem a week after camp ended. So while we are in this special time of transitioning to living in Salem, at my parent's house until we find out own place, and while I'm in this special place of everyone wanting to know {and help with} what my career plan is, and what I am planning for our wedding, I am feeling a little out of sorts. I usually try and keep my blog/facebook/twitter/instagram all about the fun and pretty things I am doing but today I thought I'd share about this transition. 

I said a transition but that implies one singular transition and during a chat with Jeff the other night, I realized we are going through multiple transitions all at once and often without knowing when we will feel transitioned. I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me, this is all a part of that special window after graduation and after the engagement and before the wedding, all great things. I also have many things to look forward to; like going to Santa Clara this weekend to drop off my baby sister for her freshman year of college!! and visiting my best friend in Bend, and running The Color Run, and an engagement shoot to plan and shoot, and a possible interim job which could lead to something full time, and of course I am so grateful Jeff has started his full time job. Yes, somehow being unemployed I have managed to fill up my September pretty easily. But with all those plans and excitement, I still have a major to-do list and all these creative ideas and a little unsure where to even start because I feel all jumbled.

It's the transitions like Jeff and I living together but doing so at my parents house, and they are wonderful but I can't wait to be in our own place because that is when I think we will really feel settled. And living with my parents and sister but she will be leaving soon, what will it be like living at home without her? It'll be like when I left for college and she was at home, but now she is leaving for college and now I'm at home {couldn't have my parents be empty nesters quite yet}. Looking for jobs but wanting to start planning our wedding but feeling strange focusing on that when I don't have a job yet. Realizing I need to unpack just to pack back up in a few months. Needing to get back into a workout routine and not having a place yet. Same with the dentist, doctor, etc etc. Not to mention blogging! It has absolutely been a creative outlet and a place where I feel good but I feel off right now. I have new places I want to take photos but since my closet is boxed up I feel limited. I have new clothes but I'm saving a bunch for engagement photos and unsure where to even start. Even planning my engagement shoot was difficult since I felt like my creative energy was low after summer. Luckily meeting with friends and other creative people like Linnea Paulina and JadeRose on Monday, and planning our engagement photos with Amy {wife of Erich McVey, our photographer} has helped me start to feel like my creative self again. 

Like I said, I have some amazing things going on and lots to be grateful for so I don't need sympathy, just some understanding and grace since this is the first time I am going through this special time. Luckily I've got my best friend and partner at my side going through the same stuff, and if he isn't worried about my giant list of concerns and transitions then maybe I can relax a little bit. And luckily, I always have a friend close by or a phone call away to chat with when I'm feeling unoriginal or to remind me of the big picture and how lucky I am. 

Like I said, I always have photos in my posts, so here is a sneak peek of Monday's shoot with Linnea Paulina & JadeRose:

photo by linnea

I'm excited to see the rest!! 

And thanks for reading, as always.