So this weekend was a pretty darn good one. In an unexpected way. I went down to Olivet on Friday night for a variety of reasons... apartment shopping, signing the Donovan contract, and my favorite reason, to hear the CSO play Mahler with the boys. O yea, and to see my sisters ;) Anyway, I had called a couple of places earlier in the week about apartments/housing situations and finally found one that wouldn't charge me through August and was cheap and nice, too. (Sidenote, I know that I can find an apartment in Bourbonnais, but I had really wanted to live out closer to Donovan so that I could [one] not pay a fortune of time and money driving back and forth to work everyday and [two] somewhat cut the Olivet umbellical cord. My parents reeeeeally wanted me to live IN Donovan, but I assured them that there was NOTHING in Donovan, and the closest place was 20 minutes away.) So I had planned to go on Saturday morning to look at this place. The guy I talked with made it sound like it was going to be a done deal kind of thing, I just needed to call Saturday morning before I came out and then the rest would be history.
Saturday morning, I get up and dressed and call the guy at 9AM. His wife answers the phone... "I'm really sorry, hon, but we filled it yesterday. I'm so sorry. Really. Sorry." Yep... Sure. So I was kinda really bummed about that, but decided that I should try to look at some other apartments while I was down there. I look on the webpage and the first listing I see (it HAD to have been listed overnight, because I checked it Friday and it was NOT there) was in Donovan. Before I even had time to think, I was calling the number. He said that I should just come out and see it that morning. So, less than an hour later, I was in Donovan in this apartment. It was really great! 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, office, large living room, kitchen, dining area, a yard, laundry room... everything was completely renovated before the last tenant, who lived there less than a year. Brand new appliances, new carpet, new wood laminate flooring in the kitchen, new washer and dryer, new paint, everything. It was MORE than what I expected of it! Anyway, I end up filling out the application and leaving Donovan praying that everything would work out. It still was kind of a gamble simply because I don't want to pay for June and July rent when I won't be there...
Sunday was a fantastic day. No matter what it may have seemed, I was honestly very excited to spend the day with my boys. And apparently Patrick was excited to spend the day with Ian and I because he picked me up an hour and a half earlier than expected. So we decided to waste some time eating Rolo flurries at 10 AM, and then hanging out in the parking lot of the train station. We rode the train to Chicago and then had lunch together at Bennigans (duh). After lunch we went to Symphony Center and climbed allllll the way to the gallery and got our second row seats to watch their last performance of the season until Ravinia. We were a bit excited. And it was Mahler. So we were really excited. And Haitink was conducting. So we were really, really excited. We watched them all warm up on stage (of course I was fixed on Dale...) and I kind of had a strange realization. I realized that I would never perform like that. I used to go to the CSO and think "someday, that will be me... (maybe not the CSO, but something along those lines)" and get really excited to play my horn. This time it was different. I have somewhat given up on that part of my life. And I realized it. And I got really sad. I mean REALLY sad. Like... crying. A lot. Before the concert even started. It was the worst feeling in the world. Then the CSO began to play. Beginning with a beautiful horn solo, and even better solos as the piece played on. The fourth movement was by far my favorite. Absolutely beautiful. I cried during that, too, but only because it was so moving to me. After the concert got done, we went to go get on the train home and we realized we had another hour and a half to kill. So we went to the Chicago Art Festival. Looked at some stuff. Expensive stuff. Then we walked along the river for a while and just got to talk and be friends. It was nice. I've missed those times with them :)
This morning, I didn't really have any plans other than to go sign some papers for Donovan. I don't really know why I was expecting it to be a quick trip, because there was a LOT of stuff to go through and sign. I literally sat and signed papers for an hour. Yikes. It was good though. I learned a lot about the stuff I have to do, and even learned that I was getting paid almost $1000 more than I had been budgeting for. Good news! THEN I had to go get fingerprinted. In the county jail. I had never been in a jail before, and I NEVER want to be in one again. It was just soooo.... I don't know. Something I am glad I have not had the pleasure of experiencing before. Anyway, did the fingerprinting and returned the paperwork back to Donovan and began the long drive home. I realized that I love country roads in Illinois. No cars, no hills, no turns, no speed limit ;) haha. As soon as I got on 65, I get a call from the guy who owns the apartment. We talked for a little bit and he was really nice. Went to Michigan State, and was glad I was a teacher and all that stuff... he offered me the apartment. And he even brought up the moving in August thing... "Here's what I can do... I won't charge you rent until August with the condition that the deposit is paid at the contract signing, and if you back out, its non refundable" Um... yes please! I don't have to pay the next two months, and I only lose if I back out? I'm NOT backing out. So I can do that! I told him I would take it and he said he would email me the contract. I now am fully employed and have the apartment! Full nights sleep... here I come!!!
Anyway, God really showed his provision for me this weekend. First in getting me this job, and then in finding sucha great apartment. I was really unsure about some of my life's decisions I had been making, but now I can see that this is where God wants me to be. It has to be. He would not have allowed things to work out this smoothly if it weren't where I were supposed to be. I don't know WHY He wants me here, but I have a peace about taking this job. Am I nervous? Of course! But I know that its where I am supposed to be, and if I have learned anything in the past 6 months, its to trust that God's plans are bigger than what we can see ourselves.
