It's That Time!

Back to more job searching... poor college kids should be given more opportunities to work, because not all of us have mommy and daddy to pay for everything. I have sent out countless resumes, so here is hoping that something finally happens.

School has finally started up for me, and I am finding myself stuck in the IHATEFRESHMEN club. I know, it sounds terrible, and normally, I would feel bad about such a sentiment, but in this case, I really don't. It is extremely hard to like someone who thinks India is in Europe... just saying. Sometimes I wonder if I were that obnoxious in my freshmen year, but then I remember, I was too busy worrying about my future to interrupt my class to make jackass comments like early humans must have believed in Santa Clause. It is a shame really, because the tension I feel growing with every comment may lead to me cursing out a classroom of ignorant people. I now understand why the older generations look at us and hang their heads in shame and despair. I would too if I had failed to tell my child that India is really a part of Asia.
On the flipside, I am studiously doing my homework (for the most part) and learning that social work readings are THICK. Not like hefty milkshake thick, but really swimming through quicksand thick. Everyday I thank the Lord that I am literate. It doesn't hurt that I have found a new blog geared towards some relaxation. If you get the chance go check out this new blog I have found. It has just started, but it seems really cool.



Credit: Bonjourbabygifts.com

A New Adventure...

After years of having my license, I have still not been able to conquer the feat of parallel parking. My home state does not make you do it in the driver's test, therefore, instructors think it is okay not to teach their students. Of course, those d-bags completely decided it was okay not to teach because "nobody parallel parks in my home state". Well assholes, I'm bringing my car to school, and guess what? I get to learn p-parking. I've only done it twice with trashcans, but I'd kind of like more guidance besides my mother deciding that twice in the dark in enough practice. F*** my life. Little amounts of sleep and a long to do list is bringing out excessive anger and potty mouth.

Guess Who's Back?

It's been a nice run,

but I am finally home. Where have I been all summer? Working at a special needs camp of course. I am trying to get as much social worky experience as I can get, and you know what? That job was one of the best jobs I have ever had. Seriously, EVER. Sure, I cleaned up a lot of shit, and went through stressful times, but I am proud to say that I can look back on it, laugh and enjoy the privilege I had to meet such incredible people.

Unfortunately, it is back to the real world, where I get to take another 18 credits while I look for a job and a church (yes, SHOCKER I like Jesus). So if anybody knows of a good laid back place to either work or worship, let me know!

Meanwhile for a random thought: I have an urge to take a homeless person out to lunch or just buy them lunch. This will take exploring when I go back to school.

Child From Below

Remember When?

I was in the car with my mom today, talking about my numerous job experiences as a teenager, but there is one that I cannot seem to shake. Sure, every job has taught me something new, and even though there were some challenges, I usually valued my experience. Out of the experiences I have had, I will never forget family X and the day I was hired to watch their child.

It Begins

I was looking for a job to supplement my income at the local grocery store I was working at, so when this new opportunity for a babysitting job came along, I jumped at the chance. Little did I know, I would be ready to run in the other direction. The family seemed like the all dandy type at first, they had nice cars, a huge house, polished children, a backyard and a small dog to match. I was young, I was excited, I was stupid.

Before I get into this story any further, I understand not all families are raised the same, but this family's method was so off beat from how I was raised, I would leave with my head spinning at the end of the day. My job was to watch their small child who was a toddler, whom we will call mini X. This child was a force to be reckoned with. Mini X probably holds the record for number of tantrums thrown in five hours. She was over privileged and under disciplined. Everything was either Mini's way or the highway. There was no reasoning with this child and punishment was not an option, because the longest timeout I had seen for Mini X was a whopping 30 seconds. When I was that age, I sat in time out until I had learned my lesson. I was beginning to cherish the times when I would work my other menial job.

Can I Quit Yet?

Time passed, and I had quit my other job so I could help out at home, so my main priority was watching Mini X and praying that I would last another day. I was quickly tiring of the facade I was putting on for this family. The day I snapped was when Mrs. X decided to have an input in my future career and tell me it was a bad idea because it didn't make enough money and it was hard. I could take laying in bed with Mini X until she fell asleep in her queen sized bed and I was even becoming numb to the tantrums. To insult my personal life though, that was the last straw. I needed an escape. Back then, I didn't have the guts to just up and quit, so I was struggling. Lucky for me, I caught a break. When the Xs called to say they needed someone more permanent, I couldn't have been happier. Who cared if I was going to be broke for a bit? I would live with less stress and more quiet, and that's the way I like it.

Bathroom Confessions

I went out into the city the other day, and had lunch in a diner with my friend. Before braving the cold, and remembering that there are no free bathrooms in Philly, I stopped to use the toilet. Apparently, no matte how nice the place, the bathroom will ALWAYS have something interesting about it.





If the bathroom wasn't so dirty, I would have stayed longer to read these bathroom confessions. It was definitely something that I wasn't expecting to see, most of the bathroom writing I read is extremely inappropriate, but some of these seemed kind of personal. I wonder if people ever walk out of something as mundane from a bathroom, feeling better after making some sort of confession.

Home For the Holidays

This is the milestone in being that it is the first year that I am coming home for an extended holiday in my college experience. Some people see it as a rite or passage, maybe growing up and experiencing a new path in life, but to me, it shows a shift, a symbolizing of growing up and moving on. Honestly, it is a bit scary sometimes. I am the youngest child, and so to come home for the first time after an extended absence from home feels strange. The elders are getting ready to move on in their lives, and at this time next year, we may not all be together the same way that we are now. A few years ago, I would have probably had a full blown anxiety attack, but now, I am starting the accept the changes, maybe not as gracefully as I would like, but I am accepting them.

For example, when did my parents start to look so tired? I know that a part of it is due to taking care of my grandparents, but the age is starting to show on their faces. They are no longer the invincible pair that I once saw. This year, I may be watching tv show marathons with my siblings, but they will be graduating soon, and I could possibly be braving this four week vacation by myself, without a job.

At the same time, I cant help but rejoice in life moving on. I am finally studying the area that I wanted to study as a student working with people. For once, I am at a school, where I don't hate myself or the people as much as I used to just a few years ago. People are starting to see me a little faster than they used to, and I am growing even deeper in my relationships that count. Even though the environment of this year may not be the same next year, I can smile and know that no matter what, I will have these memories and deepening relationships with the people I know and love.

Tis The Season

The most stressful week at the end of the semester is the one before finals. It feels as though all of the professors have realized that they have a crapload to catch up on. This is not one sided of course. Every student realizes that the assignments they were supposed to be working on all semester will be due in about three days time. I would say that coffee distributors make a lot of money during these times, although I personally do not drink it myself.

My workload is not too bad, but at the same time, I am trying to finish all of my Christmas shopping for the best type of values possible. It is a not so very nice task, and I really would enjoy taking a nao, but I think I can pull all of this work off, well I kind of don't have a choice, merit scholarships come with GPA requirements. I swear the roomie has less than I do. I barely see her going to class and in her spare time she has been playing farmville and making like 20 candycane decorations and hanging them on our door outside. How she manages to have enough time to do soemthing like that is beyond me. The most mysterious wonders in the world begin in my head. Only one and a half more weeks and I will be home.



Credit: Refracted Moments at Flickr

The Roommate

I realize that colleges try to match people with their roommates based on personality, but in my opinion they screwed up with me. Before I went to college, I e-mailed my roommate and through e-mail thought we would be good friends. Come move in day, I found it wasn't the case. My roommate was not what I expected, she was awkward and quiet, and I just didn't feel comfortable at all. It only took a few weeks for me to have a good group of friends, and yet she had none at all. She took to following us around, inviting herself to dinner or any activity we were going to.

It would be unfair to say that she is weird, but she is definitely someone I would never hang out with. Her stories are not funny, and after she's done with them, the whole room will go quiet on account of having nothing to say. Coming into college she had a boyfriend, but I never really heard much about him. She was never even on the phone. When they broke up, she was sad, but I had a hard time feeling sympathetic. How can you show sympathy for someone who won't even talk to their significant other on the phone?

She never leaves the room unless she's in classes. She does eat with other people sometimes, but it's at the point where I can barely stay in my room. The case of the awkward roommate. Hopefully next year will be better.
Credit: ehow.com

The Cost of Simple Living

First off, Happy Halloween! I hope that everyone has had a chance to join in on the celebration and dress up! I admired the awesome costumes I saw on the street. Quailman, Gumby, Scuba diver and the kid from Where the Wild Things Are. Completely creative. Some of the other ones, not so awesome including anything with the word sexy in it. I saw a whole lot of unwanted ass today.

Other than that, I have found that in college, girls have made it a habit of spending $30-60 for about a foot of fabric just so they can make guys look and maybe touch if they have consumed enough alcohol. If I crack the window open, I can hear drunk people partying it up on the sidewalk outside, listening to them scream about how they stumble. It's becoming the soundtrack of my weekends.

This year I have chosen to stay out of the festivities. Due to illness and no desire to take part in this ritual, I went into the city with one of my friends and ate, did some shopping, and wandered around. Now we sit in my room watching Law and Order SVU; life could not get any better. I am aware that this sounds like a boring Halloween, but I am happy with what I have chosen to do. There is one wrinkle in my night though; since when were there prices on bodily functions?




My friend and I had to use the bathroom, and ended up walking three blocks before we found an available restroom. Every store had told us that there was no bathroom. It was like seeing water in a drought. We were so happy. Unfortunately, there was a catch; we had to buy something first. I am a freaking college student! Where is the money going to come from, my ass? I really had to go, so I paid the price. I essentially paid $1.75 to piss. To top it all off, it was the world's grossest bathroom, I am pretty sure it broke some standards. Grafitti on the walls, toilet paper on the floor, well you can see for yourself, but the smell. Old dirtied disinfectant. I am unsure what is worth my disgust, the fact that I spent almost two dollars to pee, or the fact that I peed in a bathroom that probably gave me some sort of infectious disease. The argument could be made that they didn't want drug users in the bathroom, but my only reasoning is that they do not desire freeloaders. What has this country come to that a person cannot even demonstrate their own human bodily functions freely?

Credit:ecorations.com

This Awkward Dance

So, there always comes that time in college, you know, the time where the opposite gender gets involved. An awkward dance starts, and the ritual begins, except my ritual is not the same as everyone elses' (of course).
I have been in school since the end of August. Luckily, they have upper classmen to help you move in for your first day. My mover was this nice quiet kid, I swear, most movers take a thing and move on, but he just kept comign back to help me. I tried to talk to him a bit, but he wasn't much of a chatter. When I got into my room, I just didn't think much about it. It turns out this kid is on my floor, and I see him at least a few times a week, and he always waves and smiles. Hell he's even jumped over a row of chairs to sit next to me. Unfortunately that has been his only bold move.
Over eight weeks I have been here, and I just got his number, after I gave mine of first. And so, the dance begins, what beat will it end at? Where will the crescendo grow so soft,that we can't feel the awkwardness anymore?

Credit: ibtimes.com

Living It Out

So my mission in college is to do things that make me nervous or uncomfortable. Here's what four weeks have done for me:

1) Church
I attended a Catholic church service, and that's a big deal. I have always been scared of it.

2) Applying to a service trip
Usually anything that requires me to apply and such makes me nervous because I never feel like I am ever good enough to get in. I handed it in just a few minutes ago, so keep me in your prayers and thoughts!

3) Volunteering
I volunteered at a homeless shelter, and I was scared, I don't know why, it just scared me, not the people necessarily, but the other volunteers weren't as... um cheerful

4) Retreat
I spent a night in the woods with strangers, and it was the best choice I have made since I have been here!

What are things that scare you? Have you accomplished them?

Wanted...

WANTED
Sober Persons Wishing to Have a Good Time

So, as you might be able to tell, I made it to college. My roommate isn't too bad, she doesn't drive me up a wall, but on the other hand, we aren't really alike in personality. I also am not completely unfortunate and cursed with having no friends. On the contrary, after two weeks in college, I have met some cool people, yet on the weekends, a good amount of them have opted to go home on the weekend. What's left? A bunch of people who like to get drunk and forget about what happened to them the night before.
Sounds wonderful, right? Well believe it or not, I actually hate doing that, and therefore feel a bit lonely on the weekends. I really miss my group of friends from back home, and at the same time, I am enjoying my independence and making a new life. Trying to think of new ideas to get myself more involved, but with all of my classes, it's hard to get into school activities. What does one do? Yet it is only the second week in college, so here's hoping for more chances and good times!

I Love

Going to concerts. I was invited to go see the No Doubt and Paramore concert this week, and let me tell you, I was amazed and slightly starstruck. Besides getting to see two pretty awesome groups, my tickets were free! No lie, I have a girl crush on the lead singer of Paramore Hayley Williams, if I could trade places with her, I totally would! She's just got the ability to let it all out on stage, while I have immense stage fright. Also, her hair is totally killer, I wish mine were like hers. Anywho, had an amazing time, and would love to do it all over again!