Somehow, this summer has come and gone. Here is what I got up to.

Ah, another summer is over. Is it just me, or is time moving faster than ever? Typically when I feel that time is just flying by, it is a good indication that I need to slow things down a little and pause. Frustratingly, that is exactly what I strove to do this summer, and yet, here I am, completely shocked that it is September.

Well, this summer was an interesting one for me. I turned 26, moved (briefly) to a new city (Hello, Bend, Oregon! Goodbye, Bend, Oregon!), and prepared to leave the United States for life – or at least a few years – in Europe. It was quite a rollercoaster! Here are some the ups and downs.

The Highs:

• Tess Meyer, MBA The most notable thing to happen to me this summer is that I completed my MBA. I graduated from the University of Oregon’s two-year, full-time MBA program. It was a thrilling rollercoaster ride and I am so glad I bought that (very expensive) ticket.
• Full-Time Love I was able to end my long distance relationship and move in with my boyfriend Nick (you met him here). Living together has been so incredibly easy, and beginning and ending my day with him everyday has made me #blessed.
• North American Tour With our move to Sweden, Nick and I spent a lot of time this summer with family and friends. In the span of just 10 weeks, I made four trips to LA! And we are actually headed down there today. Nick and I also traveled to Orlando and Sacramento to visit his family, and visited friends in Boise, ID. It was a wonderful way to say our goodbyes to some of the people we love most.
• A Summer of Firsts I tried lots of new things this summer! I paddle boarded, traveled to new places, learned some Swedish, got crafty, pickled and fermented up a storm, and challenged myself to 30 days of meditation. Nick also had a pretty cool first! Check this out: 

The Lows: 

• Feeling Broke My poor father fell down the stairs at home and broke his arm in a nasty way. Luckily, it happened while I was still in America, and I was able to be at the hospital within 4-hours of boarding a plane. I also learned that ice cream at midnight helps with pain management. Please keep him in your thoughts as he heals up!
• Feeling Broke V2 I am also feeling quite ready to start working full-time again. I’ve had a job since I was 14 (except for the 10 months I took off back in 2015 when I started FromBrownEyes), and I miss earning a paycheck and putting my time and energy toward fulfilling work. But it was the right decision to take the past two months off to focus on family, packing up our apartment, and ironing out the logistics of our international move. As for a job abroad, I’m hunting full-force. If you know of any leads in Malmö, Sweden or Copenhagen, Denmark, email me at Tess.Meyer@frombrowneyes.com
• Ladies, Let’s Get in Formation Moving to a new city always presents challenges when it comes to making friends. While Nick has done a great job integrating me into his friend group in Bend, I really miss my girlfriends, especially those from the MBA who I spent so much time with over the last two years. There is nothing like cracking open a bottle of wine, breaking out the fancy cheese, and reveling in each other’s awesomeness.

Overall, it was a great summer and the perfect send off for Europe. As of today, Nick, Clea, and I are driving down to LA to spend time with my family while we await our final visa approval. Then it is off to Sweden. Wish Nick and I luck as we fly Clea across the pond…it is a first none of us are looking forward to!

Puss puss och hej då!

-TM