Being a Slowpoke

Hey, I just wanted to write something since my progress has been pretty slow the past few days. I'm planning to post again tonight AND to write back to a couple of you who've left some very kind words for me. I really appreciate it. And really, I don't know how you bloggers with dozens and hundreds of readers get back to people! Things have been very busy around here because I just moved into a new place and started my full-time job. Just, as in, two days ago.

I'm a bit outside Washington D.C., where I went to college, but this is quite different from my past four years in school. Firstly, no more dorm living - I'm renting a room in someone's house with one other tenant. The people seem very chill and nice, but are a lot older than me. Plus, it's someone's home, to which I'm allowed access everywhere but it still feels a bit strange initially.

Second, I'm working a 40-hour-a-week job. I usually won't have any work obligations on weekends or evenings. That feels very odd...I'm so accustomed to a schedule that's up and down during the day, with a few classes, some downtime, a few hours at a job, then homework, studying and college newspaper editing in the evening. Oh, and a month off in winter and summer break. That was basically my life for four years. Now I'm in an office all day but when I leave, I'm free. Part of me doesn't know what to do with myself.

Especially since...I'm not close to my friends. I mean, I am. I have friends who live in the District and in Northern Virginia who are Metro accessible. Plus I have a car now, so getting to NW DC is only a 15 minute drive. I think it will take some time to feel out the new phase in all of our lives though. A few people I'm close to are still in school, others are in the workforce. Different accommodations need to be made, instead of how things were in college, when we almost all lived on campus and could hang out practically whenever. (Not that we did. We were such busy overachievers that I don't think we took advantage of it enough! Though I lived with some of my closest friends, so I usually saw them a lot.)

On top of this, I still have to finish settling into my room! I moved here Tuesday afternoon, went on a Target run two nights ago, stayed at my boyfriend's last night (itself, a story for another place...) and have been at work all day. So there's still stuff everywhere.

But I'm happy. Does it sound it? I'm really pretty happy. I miss my friends, particularly friends from back home who now live farther in the Northeast, and I miss my dogs and family. My job is going very well though -- a good kind of busy, my coworkers are really nice and helpful, and I already feel like a part of the team. My housemates seem very friendly and laid back.

So I'm going to try putting together my room now and will post something little and lovely later. :)

Be well,
Emilita