Oh yeah, we're going to Alabama

So I realized I never shared what we're doing this summer.  I know all of our immediate family knows and probably most of our extended family, but our friends outside of PA probably haven't heard!  So here we go.

Back in October, Jeremy went to an MBA Career Fair thing along with the majority of his classmates and thousands of other people around the country.  He had extremely great success (I can brag, right?) and had 4 interviews (the most in his class that he heard about) and got an offer on the spot.  He then went on to have a couple other 2nd round interviews and - long, story short - in December he accepted an internship at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation.  Yep, they make helicopters.  Pretty cool, huh? :)

So Sikorsky is headquartered in Connecticut, but his internship will be in...Alabama!  Wow, culture shock, I know.  Neither of us have really spent much time in the south, so it will be an adventure for sure.    We will be in a small town about 45 minutes south of Montgomery, and less than 3 hours from the coast - where supposedly there are some amazing beaches.  (Woohoo!)

We're very excited about it though, and feel like this is an amazing opportunity and a great step for Jeremy.  We're trying to find somewhere to live for 3 months, which is a challenge, but it will be fun!

Here are some fun facts about Alabama (thank you, Wikipedia):

• It was the 22nd state to be admitted into the Union in 1819; in 1861 it seceded from the Union to join the Confederate States of America - then rejoined the Union in 1868 (lots of other history there of course...)
• It is located in the middle of the Bible Belt, being one of the most religious states in the country (Southern Baptist Convention has the highest number of adherents - not too many Mormons!)
• The Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows Alabama as one of the worst in the country for obesity.  Residents are least likely of any state in the nation to exercise....lovely.  We hear they deep-fry, well, everything.
• The climate is humid subtropical.  Summers in Alabama are among the hottest in the US (lucky us!).  It is also very prone to tropical storms, hurricanes, tornadoes....etc....but winters are mild!
• It is home to Maxwell Airforce Base, which is the 3rd highest employer in the state
• They grow cotton, peanuts, corn, peaches, and soybeans
• Property taxes are the lowest in the state - Alabama is ranked the second least tax-burdened state in the country - there's a plus!
• We hear Southern Hospitality is alive and well :)

So it may not be most people's top choice of where to live, but I think it will be great. :)  Now we will have lived on the west coast, the mountain west, the east/midwest (I'm not sure where Pittsburgh fits in there) and the south.  We just want to be well-rounded. :)  It will be an adventure!  He starts the end of May and will work through until the end of August before he starts up school again.  He's excited to get back to having a real-live job and we're both excited to be having an income for a few months. :)  It should be fun!