Southern Belle in Training

Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle Blog || Est. 2012 || Virginia Beach, VA

October 8, 2018

Two BIG Life Updates! (And One Smaller Update.)

     It's been quite awhile since I've sat down to update about some big things in my life here on the blog! And I definitely have things to share today, three separate things to be exact! Without further ado, let's get all caught up. The photos to go along with this post are from a special shoot with Kate, one of my blog photographers! I intended to share these a few weeks ago, right after I hit my six month mark of living in Virginia. You'll see by reading below why I waited to share them until now!







Photography by Kate Greer

{Both my dress and heels are from consignment stores! 😊}



     Life Update #1: I'm NOT moving!

   You might be a bit confused reading the above line. "You're not moving? I didn't know you were supposed to be moving? I thought you loved Charlottesville!" I absolutely do love Charlottesville- hence why I am thrilled to finally announce that I'm NOT moving! 

     Here's the backstory: in late August, I found out that my company expressed serious interest in transferring me me to another radio station that they own (not in Charlottesville). If the job transfer had gone though, I would've had to both move out of this area, and also leave my current position and station. I was absolutely in shock to get this news. Since I moved to Virginia in March, I have been so happy in both my work and personal life! This is a place that I hope to live in for awhile. I couldn't fathom that my time here could be ending after just six months, and to keep things brief for the sake of the blog, I can tell you that I spent most of the month of September feeling absolutely down and devastated. I tried to put a smile on my face each day at work and still do my job well, but in the evenings and on weekends, a lot of tears were cried.

     After a lot of investigating with this other career opportunity, praying fervently and seeking God's guidance, and many conversations with family and friends, I made the decision not to accept the transfer. This was very scary for me to do, as I didn't know what the outcome would be. But I felt God's peace strongly in making my decision! As of now I am still working in my current position (and still loving it!). I hope that nothing work-related has to change anytime soon... but if it does, I know that God will provide and that I made the right decision to keep living in a place I love. I waited to share the photos in today's blog post until I had made my final decision to stay in Charlottesville for now, despite whatever that holds for my career. 



     Life Update #2: I joined a gym!

     The one downside of my life since I moved to Virginia is that I've been in a huge fitness rut. I was a member of a gym last year in Vermont, and actually having to drive somewhere to workout (and being surrounded by motivated gym-goers) was encouraging to me, and made me want to go often. Most weeks last year I went to the gym three times, and sometimes more if my schedule allowed!

     My apartment here in Virginia had a gym on-site, so I didn't join a gym for the first six months here to save money. Unfortunately, I found my apartment gym to be small, dark, and not at all motivating. At the start of summer I'd force myself to go workout, but I never enjoyed it. I also tried at-home workout videos this summer, but I just couldn't focus on them in my apartment, as it isn't the best environment to work out. By the end of summer, I started feeling very out of shape and just all around "bleh."

     This weekend I finally pulled the trigger and joined a gym in Charlottesville! Yes, it is a monthly expense to add to my budget, but I know that it's an investment in myself. This gym offers a nice mix of group classes that are included in the membership rate, and since I've realized that I work better with other people around, I'm very excited to take advantage of these. My goal to start is to get back to going three times a week, and then hopefully raise it to four or five days! 



     Life Update #3: A new family member!

     This is the happiest update in this post! Six days ago, I adopted a sweet cat that I named Delilah.

     I had a wonderful cat growing up, but unfortunately in high school I became very allergic to her and all other cats. Instead of the traditional allergy symptoms like sneezing and runny eyes, my cat allergies came out in the form of hives all over my body, so it was pretty serious. I couldn't spend much time with my cat in her last year of life. Anyways, over the last year I've been in a few homes that have had cats and I noticed I didn't get hives anymore. I got retested for cat allergies this summer, and the test results were negative! I've never been allergic to dogs and I'd love to get a dog, but they require too much work to fit my lifestyle at this time. 

    I'd been toying with getting a cat since my allergy tests a couple months ago, but I also wasn't really doing anything to make it happen. My mom arrived to visit me a couple weeks ago, and she'd only been in Charlottesville a few days before she went out to start looking at local kitties up for adoption! She found Delilah at a local pet store that housed a few rescue cats, and then I went to meet her and fell in love!

     We think that Delilah is part Ragdoll and Snowshoe- her face looks like a Snowshoe but she has the body and temperament of a Ragdoll. She is about a year and a half old. Delilah is very affectionate and if she's near you, she wants to be touching you or licking you! She is still getting settled into her new living environment, but I love having her around. I'm going to try not to be one of those pet owners that overshares about their animal, but I think I will write a separate blog post soon with more info about Delilah and how I knew I was ready for a pet. 😊Below is a picture from the night my mom and I picked her up to bring her home!





     Okay- I think that's enough life updates for one post! Bottom line- I'm staying here in Charlottesville, and very excited about all that is to come with being here, especially having Delilah and getting to enjoy my new gym.


     Thanks so much for reading today! Hope your week is off to a good start.



      God Bless,



      xoxo Annaliese

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12 comments

  1. So excited that you are NOT moving! :) it’s evident how much you love your city, and sometimes we have to do what’s right for our heart even if it’s a hard choice. So happy for you friend! Ps- Delilah is adorable!

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  2. These photos are so cute; while I'm sure that the last month has been emotionally and mentally trying, I'm so happy that you have found a home that you love! And yay for Miss Delilah!

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  3. Congratulations on all of the wonderful things happening in your life! I love that you stuck with your gut and listened to your soul <3

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  4. I am so excited for you!!!! And so glad you are staying in Charlottesville!!!

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  5. Moving is so stressful! Glad you made the decision best for you!

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  6. yay for all of these updates!!! I'm glad you're happy!!!

    -Caitlin

    www.sparklesandsunshineblog.com

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  7. I love that dress!! It's soooo pretty!! Your new kitty is super adorable!!

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  8. Aww, it's so awesome when things work out. Congratulations on not having to move and on the new addition to the family!

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  9. Glad you aren't moving and congrats on Delilah, she is so darn cute!

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  10. I'm a native Virginia gal! I'm so happy to hear that you are enjoying your time here. Your kitty is so cute. I love that sweet little face. :)

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  11. Ahh you got a kitty!!! I'm dying for a pet, so I'm super jealous. She's so cute! It's also very clear that not transferring was a good choice, you sound as though you would have been super devastated to move, and I'm just not sure any career is worth that!

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  12. Delilah is adorable!!! I read your other post where you mentioned about her not sleeping through the night. Cats are nocturnal by nature, so it will definitely take a bit of time for her to get used to your schedule and learn to sleep when you do. Since she spent some time without a real family/loving person, she probably has some anxiety about being alone, and that can also change with time as she learns that you aren't going to leave her. Don't give up!! Kitties are wonderful, shelter kitties especially! Congratulations!

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