8 hours is a long time when you're hungry

The overnight shift... why did I do this to myself? I have to sit at the front desk of my residence hall from 12 AM to 8 AM. Every Thursday. This is already boring me to death. I still don't know what possessed me to decide to take the overnight shift. Thankfully, the internet connection this year is much better than years past.

So far, this is/was my shift... And yes, I'm giving/gave you a play by play because I'm/was that bored.

[11:52 PM]
I arrive downstairs to the desk early... A fellow RA lets me know of a situation that occurred earlier in the night. Seriously. An incident already? Geez.

[12:01 AM]
A friend who I've known since my own freshman year (or was it sophomore?) decides to come visit me and chat for a bit. We decide to watch season 1 of The Big Bang Theory because he's never seen it, and I love the show.

[12:23 AM]
A resident comes down to the desk area and says her toilet is clogged. I call the RA on-call, he lets maintenance know, they'll be here in the morning...when I'm still at the desk.

[2:16 AM]
Said friend leaves. I check my email accounts, Facebook, and begin writing this. I'm highly considering putting a movie in. I suspect that a Public Safety officer will eventually begin making his rounds and stopping at each building.

[2:26 AM]
I'm chatting with a friend on Facebook. Maybe I'll read the book I brought down. I have thirty cents on my shop dollars account on my campus ID. Exactly enough to buy... nothing.

[2:39 AM]
As was expected, Public Safety paid me a visit. The officer and I only chatted for a few minutes, just commenting on how quiet it is tonight. (Thank goodness!)

[2:44 AM]
I'm still hungry.

[3:13 AM]
I discover why Chris Gardner is wearing two watches on the cover of the book I'm reading.

[4:13 AM]
Played Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader on Facebook. Still hungry. Someone is in the breezeway and I don't know who, nor do I really care to find out. Making a list of snacks to get at the store for next time (and in general).

[4:40 AM]
Watching Little Miss Sunshine for the millionth time. Talking to a friend on Facebook. Only 3 hours and 20 more minutes to go!

[6:12 AM]
Little Miss Sunshine just ended... Now onto (500) Days of Summer. I buzz in a food vendor for the vending machines. I hope he's putting fresh Reese's cups in the machine. Last time I got some, they were gross and I threw them away. Wonder what he'd say if I asked him for a candy bar... He'd probably laugh at me.

[6:29 AM]
Opened the door again for vendor guy. He has Cheez-Its. Not shitty, awful Cheese Nips. Cheez-Its. Now I'm really hungry. And the sun is rising. It's pretty, but probably cold outside. It's chilly in the desk area. I need to wear sweatpants (or maybe PJ pants) and a hoodie next time. Not a t-shirt and gym shorts.

[6:40 AM]
Food vendor's in again. I'm still hungry. It's a good thing my friend owes me a ride to Walmart. Foggy morning outside. Back to the movie...

[6:46 AM]
Emailed a maintenance request.

[7:00 AM]
One more hour.

[7:37 AM]
23 more minutes...

[7:39 AM]
I explain yet again that the first floor wings are opened by the key slot on the wall, not the door itself.

[8:00 AM]
My shift is over and I realize a few things...
- I'm still hungry
- I need to get a life if I keep live-blogging 8 hour shifts
- I need another nap

They say it's your birthday...

Today is the 1 year anniversary of when I started my blog.  [Pardon the creepy animated Beatles, it's the best video I could find...And I only searched for a few minutes because I'm being lazy]

Ironically enough, that entry is pretty similar to what I need to be doing right now, except that I now have 4 bulletin boards to make and 73 door tags to cut out. I still feel the same way. I never imagined myself in this job, but now that I have it, I can't imagine not doing it.

In short, this entry is really just a thank you:  A thank you to my 7 (yay!) followers, to those anonymous readers, and to you, for reading! I appreciate your comments, feedback, and suggestions more than you know.

Hopefully I'll have some more intriguing/interesting posts soon... Considering it's my senior year of college, I suspect there will be.

For Good

It's been almost a year since I started this blog. Some things in my life have changed, others have not. I've been fortunate that I still have most of the same friends I did a year ago.

Speaking of... Facebook just reminded me that on this day, I became friends with someone on it.

Amber is one of the most genuinely nice, amazing
people I have ever met. She rocks my socks. 

New experiences have shaped me in ways I never would (or could) have imagined. Some of the things I dealt with in my first year as a CA (same thing as an RA) were terrifying. Others were humorous. Looking back, I wouldn't change any of that for the world. These experiences, couple with having an incredible internship this past summer, have shaped me into a person who I like...and am excited to be becoming (that was awkwardly worded, I know...).

As my senior year approaches (okay, it's here, yes, but accepting that fact still scares me), I look back on who I was as a freshman and who I am now as a senior. At the risk of sounding like previous entries, I'll stop.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that one of my dreams in life is to make a difference (which I've also mentioned before) in someone's life. I have met so many people in college, from so many different walks of life, religions, ethnic backgrounds, etc., and even learning about some of the things my fellow residence life staff members have gone through, has changed me into being more accepting.

So, in close, to quote the musical Wicked (which is amazing, by the way)...

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you

I would say watch it here, but this is just the song. Give a listen, anyway.

Lost (and found) in Pittsburgh

During the last few weeks of my internship, I've been fighting the urge to take a day to explore what I can of Pittsburgh, within reason (and, of course, getting back to make sure I make the bus on time). With a little nudging from a friend, I decided today, August 2, was going to be that day. As I sipped on my coffee, I Googled directions to various places that seemed to be within walking distance: the science center, an art museum, and a few other locations.

I originally settled on just walking around, taking pictures, and having an awesome time.  It's also a good thing I was wearing the comfier of my two pairs of shoes that I packed this week. So, after mapping out some directions, I set out to find my way to the Andy Warhol museum. Now... anybody who knows just a little about me knows that I am, for the most part, hopelessly directionally challenged. However, I scribbled down some directions from Starbucks to an ATM and then onward to the museum. I figured, why not? I've wanted to do this for a while, and I can make up hours over the next two days.

Not surprisingly, I got distracted... by a toy store of all things. When I was somewhere between the ages of seven and nine, my parents took me to this toy store. Of course, when you're seven year old me, standing at around 4 feet tall (or so), this place is pure magic. (When you're twenty one year old, five foot two me... it doesn't change a thing).

Anyhow, I meandered around the toy store. A gentleman approached me, who I assume is the manager, and told me I was a day late. This confused me, and I suppose the expression on my face said it all. "You're late," he explained, "because Christopher Nolan and his family were in yesterday." How cool is that?! Not only is the new Batman movie being filmed here, but Christopher Nolan himself is frequenting Pittsburgh places. So, I continued to walk around the store. As it turns out, one of the ladies who rides my bus into Pittsburgh every day works there. It's a small world, dear readers.

After buying a new game at the toy store, I decided to go next door to the library. I'm easily swayed into going everywhere and anywhere with books. So, I decided I'd go in, edit the directions I'd found, and then head to the museum. As it turns out, you need a library card with the county library system to use the wireless. I walked back up the stairs to the circulation desk, and asked to apply for a library card. Little did I realize, you have to pay $30 for a library card. $30?! What do I look like, a college kid who has money? I think not, sir.

So, not one to be turned down, I asked if they could look up my mom's library card. As my luck would have it, they said no. However, my friend (who is the one who prodded me into this journey) has a library card, and she texted me her card number. And for that, I am eternally grateful. (Side note: if I had had one of the four library cards I already have ... yes, I have four ... the $30 fee would have been waived).

But anyhow, I changed my directions, did a little internet searching, email checking, and discussion board writing, and then was on my way. So, as always, I got lost on the way to the Andy Warhol museum (surprise, surprise). However, it's a pretty cool museum. I'm glad I went. So, after walking around the museum and making my way back to Starbucks where I'm typing this from, I probably looked like a hot mess. Oh, well.

What's life without adventure?

Is this where I belong?

Hello there, how you doin'?

I've got all these thoughts just floating through my brain

They bump and they collide and cause a flurry of confusion

And it's getting on my nerves

I try to hold myself together

Fighting off this mental weather when I can (sometimes I do)

But this shit storm's never ending

And the atmospheric pressure's calling for rain

This is what I've got going on tonight

This is where I belong tonight

Life. Work. School. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. These are currently the things that define me.

I'm currently 21, a senior in college (much as I hate to admit it, even to myself), and currently employed by two different companies (three if you count my job at school; the other two are seasonal or an internship). I've been giving a lot of thought lately to my future, and what I want to get out of life (probably too much thinking, but I've been overanalyzing this situation way too much).

It's chaos in the courthouse
And the left side's all upset
Because the right side wants a summer home
and knows we can't afford it
I try to mediate between
This constant tug-o-war machine
But wind up in a never ending game of telephone
There's so much going on
And I just need seven minutes to calm myself back down
Now I forgot where I was
Was it me we were talking about?
This is what I feared from the start
I keep falling apart

As I've mentioned before, I'd like to go to grad school, but I'm not sure what I want to study. I love working with people. I didn't realize this for a long time, as I've always been a fan of solo work (and I still am in some regard)... This led me to consider working in Human Resources. I also like volunteering, as evidenced by my unpaid internship. Apart from some incidents here and there, I've really enjoyed working with my residents at school, so I've thrown around the idea of working in higher education.

What's going on, is this where I belong tonight?
(What's going on tonight)
What's going on, is this where I belong tonight?
(What's going on)

(Can't stand) I can't stand the thought of losing
Sentences and every island of words
(Can't stand) I can't stand the thought of losing
Everything I ever thought I that I knew

Before deciding on my major in my freshman year (I changed it from Graphic Design to Industrial Organizational Psychology), I had once considered everything from archaeology to dentistry to becoming a surgeon, and even threw around the idea of becoming a lawyer. I've also always thought it'd be pretty awesome to work for the government.

This is where I run out of words
That describe how I'm so damn hurt
This is where I fumble and fold
And take what I'm told

I looked at JobCorps' website a few weeks ago, and it seems like it might be a great blend of my interests. Some of the jobs they're currently hiring for are Resident Advisor (similar to my job at school) and Career Readiness Specialist (with my interest in HR, this could be really cool) among others...

What's going on, is this where I belong tonight?
(What's going on tonight)
What's going on, is this where I belong tonight?
(What's going on tonight)
What's going on, is this where I belong tonight?
(What's going on tonight)
What's going on, is this where I belong tonight?
(What's going on)

All of the listed jobs are out of state, but that doesn't really bother me. I've lived in the same house for 21 years, attend and live at college half an hour away (it's in the same county, for Pete's sake), and have always loved travel. It's one of my dreams to explore the world and what is has to offer.

On the other hand, part of me still does want to work in human resources. Maybe for a travel company. Or perhaps a publisher (another one of my loves is reading).

My mom wants me to focus some energy on looking at jobs since we both graduate the same year from college (this coming May). I look from time to time, just to see what's out there, what qualifications companies want, that sort of thing. But part of me doesn't want to ditch the jeans, Converse, and witty t-shirt for a skirt, heels, and button-up shirt. Not yet.

(Can't stand) I can't stand the thought of losing
Sentences and every island of words
(Can't stand) I can't stand the thought of losing
Everything I ever thought I that I knew

Even with all of these potential opportunities and confessions... I'm still scared shitless of the real world. And for the first time, I'm not afraid to admit that publicly (or at least as public as a blog can be).

I want to make a difference in the world. Somehow. To someone.

Song: "Where I Belong"

Artist: Motion City Soundtrack