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Today concludes my first entire week of working from home. And I'm loving it!
I have a feeling that I'll love it even more once I'm settled in my cozy, little apartment in NJ/NY.
Which by the way, hasn't been found yet. Although, I have a feeling that we are on the right track.
The Hintons will hopefully have a new home on the east coast by Oct 8th. Prayers please!
Until then, you can find me working at this little desk in Texas. :)
Right now (about 10:45pm), I'm sitting in Luke's office while he does a little late-night work. And you know what? I'm a little anxious. Tomorrow, I fly to Atlanta to officially begin what I can already tell is going to be a great adventure. God has been preparing mine and Luke's hearts for this next chapter of our lives for a while now and tomorrow the big stuff begins. I will meet the other members of the JH Field Marketing team at our national convention. I will dive deep into what my new job is going to look like over the next few months and it will be information overload. I will learn the ends and outs of my new company, and from what I've been told, will have an amazing time doing so! But still, I'm anxious.
It's funny, you know. My whole life I've dreamt about what it would be like to get that big break; to get the opportunity to move up to the east coast and chase my dreams; to do what I truly love in a part of the country that has stolen my heart. I thought this time of my life would never come and now, here it is. I am overwhelmed by the love and support of our family and friends. I'm still a little stressed about finding us a home in a part of the country I don't know that well. And just like the first day of school, I hope they like me.
Sometimes I wonder if you every fully lose that feeling on the first big day of whatever lies before you. My guess is, probably not. And I actually sort of hope not. Because I use these nerves as motivation. It's time to make a great first impression and to be the confident 25-year-old marketing professional that I am. This is where the rubber meets the road and I know I'm ready. This small town girl is ready to take a leap of faith, knowing that the God who has brought her to this point isn't letting go now. He's always had me in the palm of His hand and I know He'll never let go.
I won't have time to blog from Atlanta, but I can't wait to tell you all about it once I'm home! Say a prayer for me, ok? Thanks friends.
Dear Family and Friends,
Thank you all for the love and support that you have shown Luke and me over the last couple of days! Moving to New Jersey is probably the biggest decision we have ever made, second only to getting married. We are are so excited about this new adventure and knowing that we have so many people behind us is a huge blessing. We could not love you all more!!
{Jersey City skyline}
Dear Luke,
Your love and support this week has overwhelmed me. I am so glad God gave me you. And when we get to New Jersey, I will buy you all the winter clothes your heart desires. :)
Dear Birchbox,
Thanks for all the fun items in my September box! I'm seriously in LOVE with the blue nail polish titled "Insta-this." Plus I cannot wait to use my $25 Madewell giftcard.
Dear God,
Thank you for the rain, for answered prayer, and for Your peace.
"Load the car and write the note. Grab your bag and grab your coat.
Tell the ones that need to know, we are headed north."
-The Avett Brothers
I have dreamed many times about what a blog post like this would look and like. I've also wondered what it would feel like to write it. Well, here goes nothing! It is with much excitement and anticipation that I tell you...
Luke and I are moving to New Jersey!!!
Yup, it's true. And I'm sure you're wondering, "Why New Jersey? What's in New Jersey??" Well, let me explain a little further...
First and foremost, this is utterly and completely a God thing. I had been looking for a new job for a while. Although I liked my media sales job in Corpus Christi and it served it's purpose, I never got to the point where I felt like it was something I'd do long-term. I had done a few interviews for jobs in both Texas and out of state over the last few months, but nothing stuck. This was incredibly frustrating. By August, I was at a point where pretty serious tears occurred about once a week and I found myself explaining to my sweet husband that I just wasn't happy, I didn't feel like I was reaching my true potential, and that my heart yearned for more. And then a couple of weeks ago, I discovered that the corporate office of the same company my parents own a franchise of was hiring for a marketing position in New Jersey. I applied, but didn't think too much into it. I mean, at this point my heart was a little raw and I didn't see much hope in a job out on the east coast. But God knew what He was doing. He had been preparing an amazing opportunity for Luke and me and it was finally time for Him to unveil it! On September 7th, I received the call that offered me the job!!
Here are a few facts about my new job:
1) My official title is Field Marketing Manager for Jackson Hewitt Tax Service. I am one of five field marketing managers (who all live in other parts of the country) and I will manage the marketing efforts for our offices in the New England states.
2) The corporate office is in Parsippany, NJ, about 28 miles west of Manhattan (you cannot even begin to imagine how happy this makes my heart!).
2) Luke and I must be in New Jersey by the middle of October. This means we have just a few short weeks to wrap things up in Texas. This part does overwhelm me quite a bit, but I know we can do it!
3) We aren't required to live in Parsippany, we just need to be close to it. So, we are doing a ton of research and will take an apartment-hunting trip up there in the next couple of weeks.
4) I technically work from home, but will travel often. Although I drive a lot for my job in Corpus, this new job requires an entirely different type of traveling (flying/rental car/train/subway). This will be an adjustment, but I'm up for it. I've always wanted to travel for work!
5) I am headed to Atlanta next week for Jackson Hewitt's national convention. Talk about hitting the ground running. I'm really excited about this!
I know this announcement may come as a shock to a lot of people. Luke and I are South Texas kids, born and bred. Such a huge percentage of our friends and family are in Texas and yes, we anticipate this being a huge transition for everyone. As easy as it could be to turn this opportunity down and stay where we are comfortable, we are ready for the next great adventure. We believe that it's when we step out in faith into the unknown, God is able to grow and teach us the most. We're looking forward to the way He is going to use this move to grow and strengthen our marriage. We are excited to see what church He'll plant us in and to meet the friends He has chosen for us. We're still processing all that has happened in the last few days and all that will need to happen before we move. But we are ready to go wherever the Lord has called us and we know He has big plans for The Hintons in New Jersey!
Please, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. There are so many things to work out: packing/shipping/driving our lives to the east coast, where we'll live, what Luke will do once we're up there, etc. But again, God would not have called us to New Jersey if He didn't already know the plans He has for us (Jer. 29:11). And make sure to keep up with the blog! I know I've been neglecting the ol' blog lately, but it's because so much has been going on personally and I needed to bite my tongue until everything was finalized. Now, I cannot wait to share this great adventure with all of our family and friends!
{The Hintons in NYC, circa 2010}
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."
-Henry David Thoreau
This Labor Day weekend was much needed and couldn't have come at a more perfect time. I hope all of you were able to spend some quality time with family and friends over the last few days! Here are a few pictures from our weekend via Instagram (what did we ever do without this app??)...
{Diet coke at lunch on Saturday. Photo credit: Luke}
{Luke just got his concealed hand gun license in the mail, so we bought him a conceal and carry gun holster. I don't know much about guns, but this accessory is awesome!}
{I've been wanting a charm bracelet for a while, so Luke bought me one this weekend. I already had a few charms to put on it, but Luke bought me two more too! A puppy dog charm for our furbabies and an "I Love You" charm. I picked up the bracelet today and I love it!}
{Afternoon ice cream treat at the mall}
{Yup, someone got a new motorcycle helmet this weekend. When you put the two of us together, you get a pretty intense shopping team. It's a good thing that we also know how to save money, or we'd be broke!}
{After our 3-mile run on Saturday night}
{We watched Baylor kick SMU's butt on Sunday night in their season opener. Sic 'Em Bears!}
{We caved and ate pizza for dinner that same night. You just need to eat some pizza while watching college football and Breaking Bad!}
{Monday morning was so peaceful. I never get to just lay in bed, drinking coffee and watching Good Morning America, so I definitely took advantage of this on Labor Day!}
{And of course, Brooklyn took advantage of having mom and dad sleep in on a Monday morning. Extra snuggles!}
{I worked on some "school work" aka continuing education class}
{The pups got to ride in the car with mom and dad Monday afternoon, which they always love! Sticking your head out the window is the best!}
{And last, but not least, I snagged this adorable necklase from Lisa Leonard Designs on Monday evening right before her Labor Day sale ended. It was $19 down from $44, plus I got an extra 15% off. Yes!! It was a great way to end a wonderful, long weekend}
Hope you all had a blessed Labor Day weekend!!
P.S. Do you have Instagram? If so, look me up!
saramhinton
A couple of weeks back, my old college roommates and I all met up in San Antonio for Kristin's bachelorette weekend. San Antonio was the prefect location because it's right in the middle of all our current hometowns: Dallas, Houston, Waco, and Corpus Christi. The first night was spent on the San Antonio Riverwalk, where we went to dinner and then showered Kristin with bachelorette gifts!
The second day/night, we drove up to the hill country and stayed at the gorgeous JW Marriott Resort & Spa, where we floated the lazy river, enjoyed some fabulous pina coladas, and just loved on our sweet bride-to-be!
We all headed home on Sunday morning after a fabulous weekend celebrating Kristin's last couple of weeks as a Jones girl. This was also the first time in months that we were all together, which made it that much more special. God could not have blessed me with better college roommates/friends/sisters.
Up next, a post about Kristin and James' wedding!!
