Things have been moving fast since my last post. Actually, fast is the wrong word. More like speeding past me as my head spins. Over a week (almost two!) has past since the last time I put thoughts and feelings to words and so much has happened. The major thing is I moved. Before I moved, though, I had my final lunch with people I worked with, I had my final night out with people I worked with, and I spent a couple days with JP and Clifton in Wilmington, NC where we swam, we danced, we laughed, and hell we even cried on the drive home. It was a great way of ending my days as an official resident of NC, but it was hard to say goodbye to the many people I have grown to love. Then, the day came that I move. JP and Clifton helped me pack up, we had our last breakfast together, and I hit the road for the five or six hour drive from NC to GA. It was just me, the road, my iPod, and my thoughts. It was hard not to miss the past before the future was even there.
I got into Athens around four and met my parents and brother who helped me move into my apartment. It took us longer than I think any of us had planned, but it finally got itself done. We spent the weekend buying me everything, since I had never lived in a place that was not furnished. I got a new bed, couch and loveseat, end tables and coffee table, bar stools, side tables, and a desk. It took me into the middle of this week to actually get everything moved out of boxes, but my place now looks more like a home and I am actually pretty happy with the outcome. As my parents were leaving on Monday morning, I started crying. It was the first time in over a month that I had actually been alone and, no less, in a foreign place. Much like I felt when I moved from AR to NC after graduate school, I felt small and a little scared. But, I sucked it up, and got ready for my first day on the job.
That Monday I started my assistantship, which is a lot less stressful and involved than my prior full-time professional job. Still, I enjoyed my supervisor, the other person who works in the office, and all of the new people that I got to meet. The job itself is also something I will enjoy, especially when the students that I will advise get here. Outside of work, I also went out a few times this week, met some people outside of work, and started what I think will be a really good friendship with a guy named Aaron. It is funny how people come into your life at the right time and I am thankful to have someone who has been gracious enough to show me around and make me feel so welcomed. All and all, work, personal, and transitioning has been going pretty well. Yet, I am still really missing my friends and family a lot, but that is to be expected, right? Sigh. I really miss them all.
I got into Athens around four and met my parents and brother who helped me move into my apartment. It took us longer than I think any of us had planned, but it finally got itself done. We spent the weekend buying me everything, since I had never lived in a place that was not furnished. I got a new bed, couch and loveseat, end tables and coffee table, bar stools, side tables, and a desk. It took me into the middle of this week to actually get everything moved out of boxes, but my place now looks more like a home and I am actually pretty happy with the outcome. As my parents were leaving on Monday morning, I started crying. It was the first time in over a month that I had actually been alone and, no less, in a foreign place. Much like I felt when I moved from AR to NC after graduate school, I felt small and a little scared. But, I sucked it up, and got ready for my first day on the job.
That Monday I started my assistantship, which is a lot less stressful and involved than my prior full-time professional job. Still, I enjoyed my supervisor, the other person who works in the office, and all of the new people that I got to meet. The job itself is also something I will enjoy, especially when the students that I will advise get here. Outside of work, I also went out a few times this week, met some people outside of work, and started what I think will be a really good friendship with a guy named Aaron. It is funny how people come into your life at the right time and I am thankful to have someone who has been gracious enough to show me around and make me feel so welcomed. All and all, work, personal, and transitioning has been going pretty well. Yet, I am still really missing my friends and family a lot, but that is to be expected, right? Sigh. I really miss them all.
