*Time to Shine in 2009*

It was my first year out of college and I didn't know what to expect, I spent the last 23 years of my life in a classroom, and working. But that was in the past now. It was a big adjustment, I had worked so hard all those years to get to this point and now that I was here...Well...not much was different other than the fact I didn't have to worry about missing class, taking tests, etc...I started this new winding road to life. Where my wildest dreams were possible if I just believed that it could happen, and if I pursued them.

 One of the first things I did that year was return to Americasmart for the Gift and Home Furnishings Market. It was much fun to come back and work, and visit with friends there. The girls were so much fun... "All the Single Ladies" by Beyonce was our song! LOL...Market week was 10 days long, but I loved working the long hours. Seeing the exhibitors that remembered me from the summer before was so nice. I enjoyed every minute I could for my short time there. Then it was back home to Nashville.

Birthday season was coming up...February has always been my craziest month of the year. I celebrate a birthday almost every week, and then I have somehow managed to squeeze a weekend in for the Atlanta Shoe Tradeshow. This month was different though, my sister was turning 21 finally... Her place of choice for the evening was PLAY...a local bar that I had never been to before. Everyone came to my house to get ready and have drinks before the adventurous night began. I was surprised that I had so much fun there that night, although that could have been because I could finally go out with my sister! We danced and partied the night away. I think that she had an amazing time! I am definitely proud of her for making it through the whole night! LOL much unlike my 21st birthday. Oh the memories!

The following weekend I was back in Atlanta to model shoes for Sofft Shoe Co. The people I work for are so nice and truly an inspiration for my career. I look up to them and learn something new every time. My promo modeling was starting to take off, I was booking more events. I have always loved working this show though, because well, you get the picture...its SHOE HEAVEN and everything I see is in MY size! But I also like it so much because I get to spend the weekend with an amazing person I met the year before, Alexis. She is such a great friend, I love spending time with her and working with her. Its always a wonderful break from our normal lives.

Once back in Nashville I celebrated my 23rd birthday with my babycakes. Alys came to visit for her birthday as well. My little boy was growing so fast, he was the cutest, little, rambunctious thing that kept me happy. I was currently working at Buckle during the holidays and into the new year, but I needed something different, something with normal 8-5 hours, having different schedules from Trae was making it hard to plan things with him, since he was so consumed with his new company Evergreen Ps, but as the seasons changed and spring break was around the corner. Travel was in my future days to come. And a new direction in my career.

.:xoxo TMarie:.

.:Snap Back to Reality:.

The Reality of life is....

"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."

- Robert H Goddard.

This is how I felt when I made my journey back to Nashville from Atlanta. All my dreams of yesterday were hopes of today and my reality of tomorrow. Trae and I could finally move forward with our relationship. I had one class left to graduate, and I couldn’t believe that part of my life was coming to a close. All I knew is that it was close ahead and full steam forward. That semester came and went unbelievably fast, and before I knew it I had known Trae for a year, with that said I was constantly debating with myself how to confess my love to him, when was the right time, or was there a right time?

And then it happened we hit a brick wall hard.There was trouble in my paradise, how was I to deal with this? I had made some drastic decisions, but in the end it took our collision, for him to open up to me this was almost a year to the date marking our first encounter with each other.

We mended things and moved along. After that we spent our first holidays together. I got the best Christmas present... one to keep me company as he began his new business, and that was Bentley! We celebrated the end of our first year with close friends and looked forward to the new year to come...2009! I moved in completely. It was getting serious things were changing in my life and surprisingly I was so happy with it. It was my reality that I had always hoped for after graduating college; I wanted to be with someone I could build my life with.

 Walking the line was the best feeling ever. I was finally an MTSU graduate. I felt so accomplished not to mention I was graduating with my best friend Chris….it was kinda funny in my eyes from our past, that we had grown closer and we got to spend one of our biggest moments in life together.

That was a good day. For him and I we closed those doors to the college years together, and looked forward to the unknown, with bright eyes wide open, our dreams of yesterday were now our hopes for today and our reality of tomorrow, and we didn’t know where life would lead us, but we were hoping it was somewhere in the twisted tangled line we and God had planned for us.

.:xoxo TMarie:.