Back with a Quick Recap

Hey there, happy Friday!  I just wanted to post a few pictures from our Utah trip.  Since the second half of the trip was pretty interview focused, most of the pictures are from earlier in the trip.

Saturday night, we arrived in Salt Lake City and had dinner at Eva, a Mediterranean restaurant downtown.  I heard about Eva from Becky at The Vintage Mixer (a friend of a friend) and I am so grateful she shared this spot.  It was lovely, quaint, and had delicious food!

Champagne, grand marier, and chambord...yes please!

When it came time for dessert, Matt was prepared to pass.  Thankfully, I have no issues eating dessert alone.  I ordered the bread pudding, and suddenly I wasn't eating my dessert alone anymore :)  I'm usually a chocolate brownie fudge cake sundae overload person when it comes to desserts, but our sweet server suggested the bread pudding, so I trusted her and went with it.  (She had in fact led us down the right path with Eva's famous sauteed brussel sprouts.)  I am so glad I listened to her, because this was one of the BEST desserts I've ever had!  So so so yummy!

Out of town date nights are always so fun :)

Sunday afternoon before interview stuff took over our brains, we took advantage of the quiet and walked around campus.  The campus was pretty but how can it not be pretty with a full view of snow covered mountains!  PS: Can you tell Matt loves when I make him pose for pictures?  Lol, thankfully we're married and he can't get rid of me :)

To me, no campus will ever be more beautiful than OU's, but I'll admit, you can't find views like this in Norman, Oklahoma.

The temperature was close to perfect in Utah.  Definitely winter, but not freeze-your-face-off-windy-winter like Chicago.

Our fun kind of ended Sunday evening, as Monday and Tuesday were consumed with interviews and anxiety.  The search committee for Matt's job wined and dined him all the nights we were there, but sadly, I only got to join him for dinner on Sunday.  But Tuesday, after Matt raved about the restaurant they went to on Monday, I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I grabbed my coat and went to dinner on my own.  Yes, you read that right, I dined alone.  Good gnocchi and creme brulee are that important to me.  Sure I got a few stares (not sure if it was the alone part of the wine part lol) but it was worth it.  The creme brulee was out of this world and a yummy note on which to end our Utah trip.  Wednesday morning, we headed back to Salt Lake to catch an early flight back to Chicago.  And though it was crazy cold when we got back, I was so happy to be home.  Within five minutes of being home, Matt and I were snuggled in our living room with a crackling fire, Top Chef, and Asian takeout.  Oh how I love coming home after a few days away!

In terms of interviews, things went pretty well.  Matt felt good about his two day interview, and left saying "I did as much as I could.  If they don't like me, its not cause I didn't do my best."  Well said honey.  My interview went ok.  I can't really get an accurate read on my interview because I am ridiculously hard on myself when it comes to interviews (and a lot of other things.)  Its not my favorite trait, but its a part of me no less.  I spent all of Monday and Tuesday picking apart every single answer and statement I'd made, before finally realizing God has a great plan, so I need to quit freaking out and let Him do his thing.  Matt should hear back from the search committee sometime in the next few weeks, but I won't hear anything till mid-February due to the internship matching process.  So until then, we wait.  And with waiting, comes a giant lesson in patience :)

No matter what happens, I am grateful for the experience.  Matt and I are growing as individuals and as a couple, which is both exciting and challenging.  And thankfully, we have some incredibly supportive people around us to cheer us on.  And that includes all of you who left sweet words of encouragement and well wishes.  I can't thank you enough for reading this little blog and supporting me in ways you don't even realize!  Have a very happy weekend!