Apartment Hunting 101

Last week, Vic had a phone interview for a job at a pretty big school in a pretty big city.  Next week, he has another interview for a job in the same area but over Skype.  Of course, I'm nothing but thrilled for him and hope nothing but the best for him and that he'll get an on-campus interview.  He asked me to ask a friend of ours who lives in that area what she would suggest in terms of apartments if something does come of the interview and he gets a job in the area.  Big city = big prices for apartments and groceries and other necessities of life.

I've been looking at ads on craigslist for apartments and rooms in houses to see what's out there, available, general pricing, etc.  Some of the ads I've seen are hilarious.  Others are serious.  But based on what I've seen, here are some thoughts on room ads on the website.

• Sleigh-style beds are fancy and look nice if the room is styled similarly and appropriately.  However, lime green walls don't exude this at all.
• If you're posting a picture of a room where someone currently lives and sleeps...make sure the bed is made, and there aren't clothes and Victoria's Secret bags strewn everywhere.
• USING ALL CAPS AND ELEVEN EXCLAMATION POINTS AFTER EVERY SENTENCE IS SURE TO GET SOMEONE'S ATTENTION!!!!!!!!!! But not in a good way.
• Plum trees don't have a 'b' at the end.  (Although the guy who lived in my parents' house before they did who drew a map of the property thought that it did as well.)

However, if Vic gets and accepts one of the jobs, then we'd definitely be looking outside the city for apartments that aren't terribly expensive.  Once I graduate, we'll have two incomes instead of one and be able to afford somewhere else, should we decide to move from where he is at that point.

Either way, I'm very excited for him and the potential for jobs in a city he and I both love, and who knows, maybe I'll have some news to share soon.

Sleep? What's that?

Ever have one of those days where all you want to do is cuddle up into a blanket cocoon with a book or a best friend?  The past week and a half or so has been like that for me, and I'm lucky enough to be dating my best friend, so I don't think he'd object to the cuddling part.  I know I wouldn't.

Since my last update, life has been kinda busy...
- I've been working as a counseling intern with 5th and 6th grade students since late August twice a week;
- I work on campus three days a week, and have 1 or 2 classes on two of those days;
- I also work part-time on the weekends;
- And I have an online class, a boyfriend I only see once a week (and we both hate how little we get to see each other), a family I feel like I rarely see despite living with them, and am the president of a campus-wide organization.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the students I work with on a regular basis, enjoy the teachers, staff, and counselor immensely, and am learning a LOT about what I'll be getting myself into once I graduate (is it May 9 yet...?  Yes, I'm counting down the days - don't judge).  The kids I work with are pretty great and sometimes I'm afraid they're going to run me over in the hall or after lunch, but like any pre-adolescent/pre-teen, they have family stuff.  Friend stuff.  Stuff I never thought I'd work with, but that's part of what I'm studying.  Learning to be the best counselor I can for these kids, and those that I'll be working with in the spring.

But I'm exhausted.  Mentally and physically.  And sometimes emotionally.  I had to go to MedExpress the other day after working with the kids simply because I don't have time to go to my actual doctor for a long overdue corticosteroid shot and prescription.  However, I do think they did more for me than my regular doctor would have, so there's that, even with a shot in the butt.  (Don't get me wrong, he's a good guy, but appointments take all of 30 seconds it seems.)

Keeping myself organized has definitely helped me this semester with everything going on.  I register for my final semester of my Master's program in a week (holy shit).  I'm taking an online class, 600 hours of internship, and a Substance Abuse course with one of my favorite professors.  This winter, I'll be working 40 hours a week, but saving as much as I can because as soon as I graduate, I'll be relocating to wherever Vic happens to relocate...I've lived in the same area for 23 years.  It's time for a change, and I'm looking forward to spending more than 2 hours a week with him.

Growing Up: Finances and Banking and More...

A few days ago, I posted this status on Facebook:

After I got off of work that evening, I added this comment to those from my friends:

Graceful, I am not... I've even tripped over a plastic shopping bag.

Today, my knee is a few different colors, but thankfully, there's no more pain.  It got me thinking, though.  Growing up is simultaneously awesome and terrifying.  In less than a year, I will have a Master's degree.  I am hoping to have a job secured by the time I graduate.  Vic and I decided to split the decision of where we relocate to 60%/40% since he graduates first.  It only makes sense.

One of the things I am not a fan of with growing up is banking and financials.  For a while, I had over $4,000 in my savings account.  Due to helping to pay for graduate school, I now have nowhere near that.  My job on campus goes toward my tuition and I get $35 every two weeks.  My other job pays me weekly and above minimum wage (which is seriously awesome).  Because of a few missteps, I overdrew on my account last month.  It took until my most recent paycheck to cover this and get everything squared away.  Fortunately, I also have income from Amazon now and again through selling books.

My bank covered some of the overdraft fees, but because I was still waiting on paychecks, the sustained overdraft fee kept adding up.  I now have a positive balance in this account, but am closing the account because I need/want a fresh start with a new bank (who, by the way, has been nothing but helpful).  Earlier, I tried to transfer that meager amount of what I had leftover to my new account.  Apparently, I couldn't transfer amounts of less than $10.  Eventually, I need to go in and collect the amount that's less than what a gallon of gas costs...

Although Vic and I will have to make the decision of whose bank we use for joint accounts, where we move to, and what cell phone provider we use (we have different banks and providers currently), knowing that we compromise really well together is awesome.  We're both trying to be more frugal as well and save what we can.  We pack our lunch (and dinner for me) for most days we're on campus, and use coupons as much as we can.  For a while, Vic was even trying to grow vegetables in my room when I lived on campus.  I don't see why we wouldn't continue to try this when we move in together.

Both of us will have 600 hour internships in the fall and spring respectively, and won't have jobs on campus to help pay for those credits.  I'll be working weekends at my other job, but that's only 2/7 days a week.  I have set up a spreadsheet for myself of my income, upcoming expenses that I know about (gas, membership fees to professional organizations, et cetera), and it's definitely helping me put it into perspective of what I need to do to make sure I don't screw up again.

Long time, no entry... Let's fix that.

Oh hey there. It's been a while. A long while, really.  According to blogger, my last post was May 19.  Oops.

In the last month and a half (or thereabouts), I have...officially moved out of school for the last time in five years.  I still can't believe I put up living with 200+ other people for 5 years, 3 of which were spent as an RA.  Yes, it was mostly great, but I'm glad that period of my life is over.  It's nice having (free to me) laundry and food again, and just living with my parents and younger brother (though they annoy me some of the time, but hey, free rent and a roof over my head is nothing to balk at).

But anyhow.  My new GA job and classes have been pretty awesome so far.  I really love the people I work with/for, and I've been given a lot of responsibility with the position (going so far as to being trained on different computer software systems the other GA hasn't even been trained on and I don't know if they will...this is the double-edged sword of being detail oriented).  I don't want to go back to my other part-time job, so I've been applying for jobs at a lot of different places.  I'm hoping to hear back soon for an interview.

All but two of the grandkids with my grandparents.

In other family news, my grandfather is turning 80 next month.  So, my aunt held a family reunion a few weeks ago to celebrate his birthday early.  My mom is one of eight kids.  All of those 8 kids are either married or dating someone.  And they all have at least one kid.  To say it was a full house is an understatement.  Vic joined my family for the trek down to see everyone and it was overwhelming for both of us (he only has two cousins; I have twelve, ranging in age from 8-30; and that's just a ton of people).  All in all, it was a good time (even though we both got sunburned during a 10 1/2 mile canoe trip...).  I'm lucky to have such an amazing family and boyfriend.  I can't wait to spend my forever with him.  I look forward to our future together.  I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have such an amazing guy in my life.

Life is good.

As soon as it ends, it begins again...

We clean up pretty nicely.

Yesterday, after packing up my mom's car for the second time and turning in my office and room keys, eating lunch with her and Vic, and dropping Vic off his apartment, we drove off to home.

I slept in my full sized bed for the first time in two months.  It felt very large and very empty.  I'm so used to sharing a twin extra long with Vic, and not having those soft snores and little fidgets was strange.  I was dive-bombed more times than is necessary by the stink bugs that have decided to call my room home.

I have most of my things unpacked, but there is still some stuff to go through and organize.  Papers to sort through, notebooks to clean out, laundry to finish... it's not too bad, but the living room looks like someone shook out my room at school.

Tomorrow begins my new GA job.  Classes start 3 weeks from tomorrow.  I'm going back to my other part time job as well.  Vic and I have a class together, and he's also joining my family for the mini family reunion of sorts for my grandfather's birthday party.

My dad is leasing me a car soon.  We're still at odds a bit with this, as we're both looking at different cars.  He claims that the one I want is too small, but I've countered with the fact that I'm the only one driving it and it gets awesome gas mileage.  It's also affordable, which is something we both want because he's paying for it for a year, and then I take over payments after graduation.  (Which in and of itself is terrifying that I'll be walking across a stage for my Master's degree in 362 days...)

But anyhow.  That's been my life in a nutshell.  I'm still waiting for 3 more grades to trickle in from the semester, but I got notification that I'm being inducted into an honors society, so I can't complain too much.  Life is pretty awesome.

Washington, DC, take 2

In years past, I've taken various weekend trips to see cousins in Virginia and an uncle in Ohio.  They all started and ended the same:  leave Friday morning (mom always says 9, but we never make it out of the house before 11) and come back Sunday pre-evening (to use a Sheldon Cooper term).  We did this for Thanksgiving and it worked pretty well (apart from my mother getting a speeding ticket of course).  However, this time the trip will be with Vic.

We're going to DC!  (Again, you might ask?  Yes.  He and I love the city and can see ourselves living there one day.)  Vic loves the Capitals (hockey team, for those unfamiliar), and on a whim (after some planning and thought) bought tickets.  So, on Friday pre-evening, we'll be heading downtown via bus and hanging out in the city.  Our bus to DC leaves super early on Saturday, but that also gives us time to walk around,  site see, and do touristy stuff, in the words of Vic, once we arrive.  That's fine by me.

The game is at 7:00 PM, and our return bus leaves in the early hours on Sunday.  So it'll be a whirlwind trip, but I'm looking forward to spending a weekend away from school, obligations, residents, and all the other fun stuff that grad school throws at me.  So, with travel toothbrushes, toothpaste, and small Listerine, my camera, and probably 2 clean shirts in tow, we'll be off to DC.  I can't wait.

Comforts and Connections

As I write this, I realize that I haven't updated in way too long.  Life has been at its constant state:  spending time with Vic, going to class and doing assignments, working for what often seems like next to nothing, and getting ready for the end of the school year.

Having these connections in my life is a comfort.  Spending time with Vic is the best and my favorite part of any day.  I'm pretty sure I'd go crazy if it wasn't for him, and I'm crazy about him.  Getting to date your best friend is amazing.  We've been together just short of fourteen months, and I've loved every one of those days  more than words can express.  I have no qualms in saying he's the best thing in my life.

Moving back home and living with my parents will be a stark difference from living on campus and seeing Vic every day.  However, we both have summer classes (including one together) and jobs on campus, so we will get to see each other then, which I know I'll look forward to.

This Wednesday marks my final program as a Community Assistant.  Last year, my penultimate program was creating blankets for an organization that donates them to children in need.  Although not volunteer-based, my last program will be instructing students in becoming peer mentors at the university I attend.  Ironic, considering that my new GA job will be with this very office.  Even though I changed my major after my freshman year, knowing that I had a mentor to answer questions I might have, give me advice in classes and professors, and learning about campus was something I really appreciated.

As I think about my work history, from baby-sitting as an adolescent, to working food service and retail, residence life, and now, soon to be in the mentoring office, I realize how much they all involve people.  Although I'm an introvert by my very nature, I feel comfortable around those I'm closest with.  My friends, coworkers, family, and fellow classmates have made me who I am.  Learning about them as people fascinates me.  My classes have made me realize who I am, what I want to do in this world (and what I don't), and the support of my professors aids in that as well.

I saw a professor tonight before class who had been out for quite a few weeks concerning a health issue, and he was back and happy and jolly as he had been before leaving.  He noticed the Kindle I was holding (my new toy, as he called it) and we compared notes on tech toys.  He showed me a few apps that he had on his iPad (which unfortunately aren't available on the Kindle store just yet), and listening to him speak so passionately about what he does inspires me.

I only hope that some day, as a counselor, mentor, what have you, that I'm able to make that sort of difference in a person's life and absolutely love what I do.

2 more months...

Only two more months until the first fall and spring semesters of my graduate school career are over.  Wow. Anyhow...

Fun fact:  Ever since my first day of school as a tiny five year old in kindergarten (no, seriously, I wore a size 2T shirt when I was 5), I have always had a love for school, school supplies, back to school clothes shopping (though that one has basically diminished since 9th grade), and the like.

Ah, kindergarten.

As many/most of you know, this summer, I'll have four classes, a graduate assistantship on campus, and a part-time job.  (A social life...that one's still iffy.)  The following fall semester, I'll again have a grad assistantship, three classes, and a practicum (abbreviated internship sort of thing that's twice a week).  This will also be the first time in five years that I'll be living at home and going to school instead of living on campus.  Apart for the fact that I won't get to see Vic every day, I'm looking forward to it in a way.  No 3 AM phone calls from residents getting locked out, no roommate disputes to mediate, no door tags to make... Ah, the non-residence life life.  Although this also entails once again sharing a bathroom with my 19 year old brother and 60-something father.  Ick.

My room at home is on the street side of the house, and I have a bay window in my room and I hear all of the traffic (not that there's much for a somewhat country road; though Country Road is one of my favorite songs...).  There's the good and bad of living at home.  My parents are going to be leasing me a car this summer, so that'll be helpful to everyone.  I also get to have home-cooked meals instead for food instead of the cafeteria food at school, which is awesome.  I will, however, miss Vic's cooking.  He's an amazing cook. I love it.

The first picture of us together. What an awesome year it's
been...Can't wait for forever with my best friend.

I've recently found myself looking for ideas for lunches to pack for school (I ate school lunches from ages 5-18 and don't particularly care to buy it again during my internships), trying to downsize and organize my room (having a drawer full of t-shirts at home seems ridiculous when I have a dresser at school that I only use 3/4 drawers of and only use one of my closets (Vic uses the others)), and also looking at different employment opportunities in the field of counseling.

I've worked in Residence Life for 3 years now, so I've considered that, but I also want something new in my life.  Student Affairs in general has always intrigued me.  And my degree will be in School Counseling.  Time will only tell what sort of job I'll have when I find it.

Vic has been looking for jobs with Academic Advising, something he really likes and not in this area.  We've talked about Illinois, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia... Basically, where the jobs are and a good place to live.  As I've told him many a time, no matter what he decides to do, wherever we wind up in this crazy world, I'll support and be with him every step of the way.

Dear Readers...

♥

I promise I'm still alive. Life has just been kinda hectic lately.

Last Monday, Vic and I celebrated our one year together. It was just a low-key evening spent together after classes, and perfect for us. We're not into big groups/gatherings.

Who would have thought that an invitation to have quesadillas would turn into a friendship that turned into best friends and also boyfriend/girlfriend?  I couldn't be happier that it did.

Today marks one year since my first counseling session.  Although I only attended a total of three sessions, I'm still realizing how much they did help me.  I hope one day that I can help someone in the same way that I was.  Nobody should have to live with a stress that plagues them, an issue they feel can't be resolved, what have you.

Knowing that there is someone who cares for you and your well being -- be it a counselor, friend, significant other, or someone else -- is inspiring.

Not too much else going on in my little world... I'm really enjoying my classes this semester.  Cross-Cultural Counseling is pretty self-explanatory and I really like the professor.  Experiential Group Counseling (which is essentially counseling for the counselor) has opened my eyes to a lot of things I didn't know about my classmates.  Counseling Skills and Techniques is getting better.  Just trying to remember everything is getting easier, but it's still awkward to watch the taped sessions with our classmates.  And Introduction to Behavior Analysis... it's an online class, so it's not terrible.

I ♥ New York! [At FAO Schwarz on my 21st.]

My parents are coming down to take me and Vic out to dinner on Friday for my birthday.  I don't know if I'll feel any different with being 23.  For my 18th birthday, I just had a small group of friends over.  For my 21st, my parents surprised me with a trip to New York City.  I didn't get obscenely drunk like it seems most people do for their 21st birthdays.  I actually didn't drink until that May on a trip to California, and barely do as it is.

Spring break starts next Saturday.  Since Vic and I decided against a trip, I'm not sure what I'll/we'll be doing for it.  It's still weird to think that in a little over two months, I'll no longer be a CA.  I'll have a different graduate assistantship, my part-time job, and four courses over the summer.  It'll be interesting to manage, but I think I can handle it.

Only time will tell...

soft snores and a sense of security

It's 2:35 in the morning.  And I can't seem to fall asleep.  I'm getting there, but I'm not about to fall asleep face first into my pillow either.  Maybe it's over-thinking things that keeps me awake.  Maybe it's the half of a Rockstar I had earlier.  Maybe it's the fact my best friend isn't sleeping next to me tonight/this morning.  The quiet hum of the AC/heat unit in my room coupled with the soft snores and sense of security that come with them put me at ease at night.

It's been 13 days since my last update.  In that time, I've been on-call, had way too many office hours, have secured an internship site for next spring (two, actually), gone to class, and spent time with Vic and a few other friends.

It's hard to believe that it's only been a year since I've gone to a few counseling sessions, kicked around the idea of going to grad school 13 hours away (in retrospect, I'm so glad that I didn't), and had been courted with the promise of quesadillas and wonderful companionship that has turned into the relationship Vic and I are in today.

I've been at school for about a month now, and haven't gone home once yet.  I plan on going home the weekend of my birthday, but really don't have anything special planned for it.  I'm just looking forward to a home-cooked meal.  That's all I really want.  I'm easy to please.

Vic and I were toying with the idea of going somewhere for spring break to celebrate our one year anniversary, my birthday, and his birthday, but then we realized that the locations we were considering were all just more cold places.  Given the weather here lately, we decided to stay here.

Overall, it's been a pretty good semester.  Classes are interesting, the GA job is the same as it ever is, and my dad has recently mentioned he and my mom are going to lease a car for me.  My brother and I are both in school and work, and both of my parents work, so it's a necessity.  He and my mom will pay the lease until I graduate, and then I'll take over payments post-graduation.  Which also means that not only will I have my 4 classes and GA job over the summer...but also going back to work at my seasonal job.  It'll be hectic and probably headache inducing, but knowing that it's all worth it in the end and that Vic and I have a class together once a week makes it all the better.

I guess I should go to bed now... Vic's coming over in sometime in the early afternoon, I have office hours at 1, and I'm going to a mock networking/etiquette dinner tonight while he's in class that I should probably look alive for...

Becoming an Adult... Sort of

I follow a blog called Adulting:  How to become a grown-up in 468 easy(ish) steps.  The tips are varied, from how to cook chicken to various tips and tricks for cleaning to repairing things when they need it instead of replacing them.

Rest assured, I have never had to refer to this
diagram before getting dressed. (Full size here)

Since my sophomore year of college, I have worked as a Desk Assistant (signing guests in/out of the building), Note Taker (taking notes in class for a student with a disability), Community Assistant, and now Graduate Community Assistant.  I worked part-time at the pizza place that features an animatronic mouse the summer after my freshman year of college (and, yes, it was hell).  I worked part-time during summers and winters since July 2010 selling office supplies and filling ink cartridges (it turned out to be one of my favorite jobs).  I don't know if I'm going back there yet this summer.

But I digress.  I'll graduate with my Master's degree in 15 months.  Yikes.  I've never been one to like dressing up unless I have to, to wear make up on a daily basis (I can't remember for the life of me that I wore it, honestly), and to take the time to do more than shampoo, condition, comb, and dry my hair every day.

I would like to look more professional, so little by little, I'm going to attempt to reach that happy medium of looking professional without feeling awkward.  Trading in jeans for slacks and skirts, hoodies for sweaters, t-shirts for blouses, and tennis shoes for flats (I don't do heels).  The things that will always remain, however, are a set of rings (one with a V, one with a C) and the necklace that Vic got me for Christmas.  I wear them everyday and feel weird without them on.

Since I'll be holding a graduate assistantship in a different office in the upcoming semesters, working as a school counseling intern in the fall (not to mention having two different internship sites in the spring), and attending classes on top of that... I think it's time to take a little time to dress up my wardrobe, actually care about my hair's appearance more than I currently do, and maybe even learn to love dressing up.

Overprepared? Nah, just planning ahead...

Although my laundry needs washed and is currently strewn across my room, there is a bag of trash waiting to be taken to the basement, my bed is unmade and piled six blankets high (for some reason, it's been freezing in my room lately), the stinkbugs continue to infest my room, and I am nowhere near packed to go back to school on Wednesday... I'm okay with this.  Life has treating me really well these past few weeks and months.

I mentioned in my last entry that I accepted one of the graduate assistantships I interviewed for earlier this month.  I'm really excited to work with this office, but also can't believe that this semester will be my last semester working for residence life.  It's been a journey, that's for sure.

For the Master's program I'm enrolled in, I have to complete two internships.  One is about 100 hours, the other is 600.  Even though I won't be completing the first of these internship experiences until fall, I met with a school counselor who works at a school 2 traffic lights away from my house.  I can be there in 5-10 minutes, depending on traffic... And I don't have to be there until 8:15 every morning (I'm not a morning person, what can I say?).  I like to plan these things well in advance, thus why I met with her so early.

While meeting with her, I also got to meet and get an autograph from Bryan Trottier, who is a former Pittsburgh Penguin.  Apparently, he lives in the area and also shops where I work part-time.  He's a really nice guy, and very down to earth.  Speaking of the Penguins, two friends and I got to attend the Black and Gold game (which was a free scrimmage game).  We arrived at the door 5 minutes before puck drop, and told it was standing room only.  We didn't mind, as we just wanted to see the game.  Needless to say, we found that the arena decided to open up box/suite seats, and we promptly found ourselves there.  They were fantastic seats, and we had an amazing time.

My last day of work for winter break was yesterday.  Although I woke up 10 minutes before I had to leave, I still made it on time, even stopping at the gas station to fill the tank a bit and get coffee.  (Unfortunately, I bumped the side mirror on a pole at the gas station - you know, the ones that are supposed to prevent people from ramming their car/truck/boat/vehicle of choice into the store?  Oops.  On the plus side, it just has some minor scratches and residual paint.  Nothing noteworthy.  And my mom was very understanding.  Phew.)  Overall, it was a nice last day.  Not too busy, some pretty nice customers, and my managers who I worked with are awesome.

This morning, I woke up at 6:58, waited to schedule summer courses, got into all of them in 15 seconds (record time), shut my computer, and rolled over and went back to bed for another three hours.  I have courses in research, career counseling, psychology of growth and development, and tests/measurements (which I had a course on in undergrad, but that professor has since retired).

I go back to school Wednesday evening after my dad's township supervisor's meeting for the last ever CA training I'll attend.  I can't believe that it's coming to a close, but it's been a great one.

On Thursday night, Vic and I are having dinner together, and I can't wait.  It's been since New Year's Day since we've seen each other.  I can't believe we've been dating for almost a year (it will be in February).  He makes me the happiest girl in the world.  We're also going to DC for a few days over spring break to celebrate our one year and our birthdays, since my birthday is the week before spring break and his is the week after.  We went together in May, and I can't wait to go again.

GA Search, Take II: The End Result

If you read Wednesday's entry, you learned that I had two graduate assistantship interviews at my university on Thursday. Well, needless to say, I received offers for both positions at the close of each interview (!).  After mulling over both offers, talking to Vic and some of my other friends, and weighing my options, I made a decision.  This upcoming summer and fall, I will be working in my university's Peer Mentoring Office.  It was definitely the better match of the two.

It is 20 hours a week, compared to 30, which is wonderful because I can work on the days I will be scheduling classes for; in addition to being much more manageable in the fall when I not only have classes, but also a practicum (basically an abbreviated internship).  I have been a Peer Mentor since 2010 and have had 3 wonderful proteges while in the program.  I felt as though I could not give the other position, my internship, and classes all of the attention they all deserve.  Another great thing about working with this office is that I am able to work between the end of the summer term and the start of the fall term and bank those hours to use in fall, which is awesome.

The director, assistant director, and secretary in the office I'll be working with are, in a word, fantastic.  I'm really looking forward to working with all of them, the peer mentor coordinators, mentors, and proteges.

And I'm not going to lie, I'm also really looking forward to getting back to school.  Don't get me wrong, I love the free food, home-cooked meals, laundry, and making $7.50 an hour part-time, but I miss seeing friends and spending time, playing video games, and watching movies with Vic.

There's also the fact that at home I share a bathroom with my 18 year old brother and 60 year old father and I'm the one who gets stuck cleaning it because they really couldn't care less.  Vic, I know you're probably reading this...so, thank you.  Thank you for not leaving my shower/bathroom disgusting at school when you use it.  I appreciate it more than you know.

These are the things I realize when I'm home for break, I suppose. That, and that my parents really need to organize their closet.  Apparently keeping the air mattress pump with the air mattress is a foreign concept.  I am also forever grateful for my mother for always harping on my about dental/oral health (she was a dental hygienist a long time ago, before she and my dad were married).  Apparently my kid brother has to have all sorts of dental work done because of some bone ailment with his teeth?

I don't know all of the details, nor do I care to, because that sort of stuff grosses me out.  The only dental work I've really had done are the extraction of two wisdom teeth a few summers ago and having braces in 4th/5th grade; because having glasses since the age of 5 isn't enough to deal with as a kid.  I joke, but seriously.  My eyes are worse than both of my parents', and I've been told that should I have children, their eyes should be checked starting at three.  Maybe it's a good thing Vic only wants kitties and a puppy, though we've discussed the idea of adoption.  Anyhow.

At least I'll know these things (such as staying organized and other things that probably seem ridiculous to me right now) for when I (officially) move out of my parents' house after graduation and that job search thing.  But I also know I won't be alone.  And that means more to me than anything.  <3

Graduate Assistantship Search, Take II

By this time tomorrow, I'll have finished (or nearly finished) visiting two offices on campus to discuss working for them as a Graduate Assistant for the summer and fall semesters.  I've been involved with one of the offices as a peer mentor for the past three years, and the other is somewhat foreign to me.  It's with my university's college of education.  I was not an education major in undergrad, and I have only taken a single education course in my four years of undergrad and one semester of grad school.  (And I'm taking another in the spring.)

Therein lies my inner debate.  If I am offered a position at both offices, do I go for the comfort of knowing that I already have a working relationship with one office or see what could be the start of something different and new in the other?  I think I'll just wait until tomorrow to see what happens in this regard.

I'll also be going to the school my brother attended for fifth and sixth grade in two weeks to discuss the potential to work with the school counselor there as a practicum (intern) student during the fall semester.  Yes, I realize that the spring semester of this year hasn't even begun, nor have I gone through candidacy (which is how students in my program are officially accepted into the program)... But I'm trying to plan ahead best I can.

Classes start in a little under 3 weeks.  In the meantime, I'll just be working, hopefully spending a day in the city with Vic, going to a friend's house to celebrate her birthday, and something with the mother person.  She wants to do something before I go back to school.  What that something is... I haven't the slightest idea.  And, now that hockey is back (finally), watching some games.

What a Year for a New Year

Every year, I consider making a list of resolutions for the new year, but I know they won't last:  start going to bed earlier so I can in turn get up earlier, eat healthier (even at 5'2"-ish and ~100 pounds, junk food and I are good friends), stay organized, save more money, etc.  When it comes down to it, though, I just want to be a better me...

Appreciate the things and people I have in my life.

Support the people I love and care about.

Be the best girlfriend, friend, sister, and daughter I can be.

Write letters or call people on the phone instead of sending text messages and emails.

Send birthday cards to people instead of writing a generic message on their Facebook wall.

Discover who I really am.

Cut the negativity out of my life.

Be a force for change in my own life.

As I read over this list again, one thing hits me:  it's all really simple.  But I think simple is okay.  I don't have any far-reaching goals.  The main things I want out of my life are to be happy, help others find out who they really are, and to marry my best friend.  And in some way, I think that achieving the above will help me do all of those things and more.

Last year at this time, I thought I was moving half-way across the country for grad school (which obviously didn't happen).  I never imagined that I'd be right back where I started for school (but I couldn't be happier).

I never thought that I would be in love with my best friend.  But you know what?  I am.  And I couldn't be happier.  He's what puts the smile on my face, makes me laugh until I cry, and is the best part of my life and I never want that to change.  I love you, boo.  You're the best.  I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you.