Mountain Girl moves to the Beach!

So, I've been thinking about writing a blog for some time..I've been thinking about what I'd write, who would read it, why would I write it?  And finally stopped thinking about it, and just started.  SO, here I am!  My dear ones, my friends, my family all know that I am now in Florida....every day I wake up here, I'm still in awe of it!  I drive across the Bayside Bridge every morning to work and see the beautiful ocean, instead of mountains now.  On humid days, if I succumb to the seemingly 114% humidity, I have an afro that rivals Diana Ross in the 70's...The air when I first arrived here was NOT crisp or remotely smelling of mountain air, but rather, a bit swampy - salty - downright funky in some areas..the water I am drinking also airs on the swampy side as well....these are not complaints at all, but just some of the new and unusual things I've experienced in my new digs in Clearwater..being here for about 6 or 7 weeks now, I have now managed the hair - great products are a Godsend - I know about Keratin treatments and see one in my future before summer's humidity ensues next year - I get up at 5:30am and hit the gym and do a bootcamp 2 times a week.  It is here, that I have found a strength and athlete inside of me that I never knew existed.  I am addicted.  I love my group I work out with, my super cutie trainer Evan, I love how I feel when I want to quit and then keep on going and find out that my body is stronger than my mind thinks it is, and I love how I feel after, grounded, centered, ready for my day.  My days are spent at Tech Data Corporation, learning the job by their training program I like to call "Drink as much as you can from the firehose, try not to choke in the process and/or get blown away by the pressure."  It has been intense in moments, not gonna lie, I've had a mini-meltdown or two, and have gone home to cry on my bed, full on head buried in the pillow saying out loud, I can't do this!! BUT, I get back up, and I go in, and I work with great people, I have an incredible boss who I respect and who is great to work for, I LOVE the challenge - the learning new things, problem solving, helping our customers, and the satisfaction of knowing that I really am a rockstar.  Because let me tell you something, I'm doing great.  There's more to learn for sure, but I am very proud of how far I've come and look forward to where I'm headed.  Weekends when I first moved lent themselves to being at the beach ALL day long, napping and waking up with the bottom half of my legs scorched from the sun moving and me NOT moving with it.  I did buy myself a fabulous umbrella that shields my white little self from the bright sun and being under it is one of my favorite places to be.  As Fall settles in, it will be interesting to see where I now go to breathe the salty air and fresh ocean breeze that now pleases my lungs....won't need my umbrella so much, and might find myself wearing a sweater on those lovely walks on the beach...Weekends as of late have found me exploring the neighboring towns of St. Pete and Dunedin, both of which I love.  St. Pete has huge Spanish influence and feels SO mediterranean to me - makes me want to sit outside a fabulous restaurant, each ceviche and drink Sangria...which, I've done and was to die for.  :)  Fall has brought with it much cooler air, a beautiful breeze inland, the bluest skies...it's paradise.  I don't know why palm trees make me so happy, but they do.  I am SO happy to be here....I love the newness of my life and am enjoying the experience of settling in....there are so many things to try in this new place and I will certainly look forward to sharing them...until next time, love and blessings from sunny Florida! xoxo