Many Good Things

Despite my last post, many happy, positive things have happened in my life lately. I'm going to do this out in bullet points for the sake of clarity, brevity, and keeping you, my loyal reader(s), from slapping your forehead onto your keyboard.

• I got a promotion! And a raise! I wasn't utterly surprised, but still completely flattered and pleased, especially given the pickle our government and economy is currently in. I am now a "Junior Associate" and have a happy little pay bump that'll make saving up a bit easier. What am I saving up for....?
• This time next year I will be in Thailand for a 10 week program that will 1. get me TEFL certified and 2. allow me to teach English in a community center in Ao Luk, Thailand. I applied a few weeks ago and was officially accepted this past week. My tentative plan is to go to Thailand and then fly to Europe afterwards to spend more time with my family and travel around a bit. I am so, so excited. More details will be discussed in the coming months, but that's another happy announcement.
  
• I'm moving apartments (again, yes, again)! I'm moving so that I can save up for said program and traveling. I'm moving to Noe Valley, where about 95% of my friends live, to a great house. I found the place on Craigslist, and will be living with 4 other people - 3 women, 1 man. They are teachers, architects, and students, and I got along with them really well at their open house. The house is fantastic - 3 levels, backyard, huge comfy living room, large sunny kitchen, all with a really charming, homey feeling to it. My room is the master bedroom - light filled, two (two!) closets, and best of all....my own bathroom. Lady readers of the blog, and men who need a little more room, you can appreciate this. This will be the first time in 5 years I will have a bathroom all to myself. There's even a window in it! Best of all, I'm paying about $225 less a month on average. It's really win-win-win.
• Last, but by no means least...my brother got into med school! I am SO proud, SO happy for him, SO excited that things are working out splendidly for him. He's going to med school in Germany - thus far he's been accepted into med school in Berlin, and is still waiting to hear back from a few more. He's already over there, and I can barely wrap my head around the fact that for the next few years my big brother will become a doctor all while living in Germany. I'm thrilled.

Those are my new, happy updates. Also, it's finally raining here in CA. After a long drought I felt the first rain drops hit my head this afternoon, and now sounds of cars swishing over wet pavement are coming in from the street. It's Sunday evening, and I'm warm in my living room. As I said, many good things are happening.