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August 30, 2007
My Virginia
When I lived in Virginia, and people would ask me where I was from, I would tell them "California." But by the Winter of 2004, I had spent over half my life in Virginia, and yet I still did not ever feel Virginian; not like my friends who were actually born there at least. Then I moved to New Jersey.
My reason for moving was simple enough. I desperately needed a job. Almost three years later, I finally escaped that most depressing gravity well–the Garden State–thanks in no small part to my love's insistence that I apply to grad school, coupled with her unfailing (although flawed) confidence that we could make it all happen without a hitch if we simply... made the leap.
So we leapt, and I am pleased to report we've landed... but are still tumbling. Our landing has not been completely smooth. We're juggling a mortgage (trying to sell our house in a collapsing housing market) and a rent payment, our savings is in limbo (earmarked for the house payments) so we're living off credit cards, and worst yet much of our identity documentation went missing during the move. All of this means navigating through mountains of red tape, while piling on debt we've not seen since we left VA. Add classes (and all that that entails) into the mix and you get a lot of grey hairs.
The bright side is I'm still excited about the whole school thing; more so now than before we moved. So if I don't manage to fail all my classes, I should be all right.
The only real thing with which I have to come to terms is that now when people ask where I'm from, I have to reply "New Jersey." I temper it with "most recently," but it still stings a little. My (our) experiences there were so mixed (mostly negative) that it is safe to say I (we) never wish to return.
So now I am from New Jersey, but I feel like I'm from Virginia. I guess it takes leaving a place to really be "from" it. And just as my childhood California is a distant, vanished memory, the Virginia I remember too is fast fading. I take solace that the New Jersey I remember will also someday fade as well. My only lament is that it will not vanish soon enough, and not well before my Virginia is gone.
Posted by Tacitus at 08:22 PM | Comments (4)
August 10, 2007
TARDIS in My Driveway
For the past few days--after work, and in very humid ~90+ °F weather (~32.2+ °C). Yuck!--I've been stuffing a PODS pod with as much junk as I can fold into its meager 1024 ft3 (~29 m3) interior. I say "fold" because I'm rather good at finding space where none seems to exist. It's a gift. *preen* And, um, no... I'm not a Doctor.
Why do you ask? <.<
Posted by Tacitus at 01:17 AM | Comments (0)
Yup
As I suspected, my job ends next Friday. My request to work part time and out of my home office was flatly denied, and I was further asked to resign. How dare I try to better myself through education! Bastards.
On the bright side, we have a place to live; three miles from campus. From home owner to apartment renter... woo...hoo... :\ (At least until the NJ house sells. Anyone looking to buy near the Jersey Shore? I've got a lovely 4 BR 2.5 bath colonial up for grabs.)
Posted by Tacitus at 12:22 AM | Comments (0)
August 06, 2007
Bedlam
Okay, here's the deal. I was on vacation in the lovely Pacific Northwest, when I receive word that I've been accepted to grad school. I cut my planned two week trip short by almost one week, and race home to pack up my life and move to Georgia (the US state, not the country). Orientation is one week from today! My job is in limbo, but it basically looks like it will be non-existent after the 17th. I have no housing, no financial aid, no employment lined up for when I get there. You're probably thinking, "WTF?!" Yeah, well, I didn't exactly expect to be accepted, but there it is. I'm moving to Georgia for two years to get a masters degree. Go me.
Yes, I have pics from the Washington trip, and, yes, I have stories to tell, but, no, I'm not posting them now. I have waaay too much to do before next week. I'll post them later.
Wish me luck. I'm diving in headfirst, and I'm not quite sure if the water is deep enough to break my fall without breaking me. Hell, I'm not even sure if I remember how to swim. :P
Cheers.
Posted by Tacitus at 03:54 PM | Comments (4)