So this is life change.

I've been caught up in the minutae of my everyday life, and I'm not gonna lie: It's pretty blissful.

I moved out on my own at the beginning of the New Year. Talk about a fresh start. A gorgeous studio apartment above a church built in 1892 with . . . nothing in it. Luckily, this is a small town and I work with amazingly wonderful people who contributed to the "Let's Not Make Erin Live Like A BUM" project, and have furnished my apartment. My loveseat, coffee table, chairs, sewing table, my bed: all have been generously gifted to me and I'm looking forward to writing thank you notes this weekend.

After house-sitting for my Director for a week (who is an amazing woman and boss), I was ready to sleep in my own bed. They came and visited my place the morning after they came back and oh-so-elusively told me to come by later to pick up a gift. Por qua? So off I go, thinking it's a cool keychain or the like, but no. They outclass me by a mile.

It's a ukelele. A legit, for realsies, real-wood-this-ain't-the-plastic-one-in-sushi-bars tenor ukelele. To say I basically died is an understatement. I still can't get over my excitement. I practice my chords a little every night and can't wait till I'm good enough to strum a little tune to my godchildren. All three of them. That's right, THREE!

Jessica is due for her second daughter, and I got to name her! I suggested Charlotte and they agreed. I get a baby Charlie for St. Patty's Day! Woot. And Kathleen, my dear sweet world-traveling love, is due for her first. We don't know if it's a girl or boy yet, but she's due in July, and man oh man am I thrilled.

I get to work in place of rent. It's shaping up to be harder than I anticipated it would be, but I think it's because I'm not in the groove yet. Once I get there, I figure it'll be a dance just like everything else.

My hospital job is fantastic. I still marvel sometimes that I had the guts to uproot my entire life for a per diem job in the middle of nowhere, but I'll tell you what: BEST LIFE DECISION I COULD'VE MADE. I work with wonderful, REAL people doing a job that actually means something. It's a marvelous life, my friends, my loves. And I'm perpetually happy I've chosen it.

I just need to write more. That's where I'm epically failing. But that's life, I've learned. You always something to improve upon.

It's late. I just wanted to update you. The sum of the story is:

I am happy.