All the roads we have to walk along are winding

We're moving in four days!! Today is my last day at work at the COE, and then I'm just home for the rest of the week, working on packing and cleaning and organizing. All three of which are much-needed -- the house is such a wreck, probably unsurprisingly. So it will be good for me to finally get everything done by Friday, with any luck... on time.

I am starting to get more nervous about starting at Borders, but the good news is that I feel more prepared to leave Athens now. I'll still miss it, of course, but I am looking forward to exploring Ann Arbor and finally being able to settle down, at least for a while. This is the third time Steven and I are moving in less than 12 months, so it will be nice to be able to definitely stay somewhere for at least a year (regardless of whether I end up loving Borders, or being miserable there, heh). I just sincerely hope that the job ends up being worth all of this effort. It has already ended up to be quite a financial burden, so I know that no matter how the job ends up working out, we have to stay there at least for a year to work out more secure finances... and loan payments are coming in less than six months. Ack. So, exactly: I hope it's all worth it. I think it will be, and hey, that may just be optimistic thinking, but so be it. At this point, I have to be. =)

In other news, my graduation party was this past Saturday. It was much better than I expected. I finally got to meet my new little cousin Jacob; he's five months old and a total butterball. He looks way older than five months too, he's quite tall for his age. =) And he is completely chill and smiley and adorable. He wasn't fussy at all, even with 30 Bonomini's, Martini's and others all over him, which is a total disaster for most people. haha. But anyway. I really enjoyed seeing some of the more distant fam I only see about twice a year. Now I've seen them twice in two months because of Lauren's wedding. So yeah, it was good, despite the disastrous food and the fact that a certain Gary was there. haha. Laura and Andrea even came, and it was great to see them before moving. And I got to see Linda last Friday, which was awesome since I hadn't seen her since March. We got to catch up, and I saw her photos from Equador. All in all, not a bad weekend in Cincinnati. That might be because I know I won't have to see any of them for a few months now since I'm moving, but you know. Like I said, I'm trying this whole positive thinking thing out. It was fun because they're such fun people!

Riiight. All right, back to my last few hours of work at McCracken... Next time I post, it will probably be from Michigan!

Song: my favorite Oasis song ever, "Wonderwall"

the things we never thought we could be

It is officially official: we're moving June 30!! Our realtor... err, new land lady, called me today to tell us our application had been approved and we can move to Rice Avenue on June 30! And then I start July 2, whoaaa. And right when I starting to adjust to my job... Harry Potter 7 comes out!!! So totally cannot wait.

So, instead of working on my final two articles for the COE, I am writing about it here. =) I am actually really, really, excited about it now. It is starting to sink in a bit, me thinks. My HR person called me today, too and asked if I would like to get involved in the College Graduate Leadership Program at Borders, so I'm doing that now, too. As far as I can tell, it's a six-month program that pairs each recent grad with a mentor from another area of the company to learn, bond, all that good stuff. There are 12 people in the program, including myself, so it will be cool to get to know some more people my age -- and people outside of HR and the Communications departments. We will also be learning about different aspects of the company by working in the flagship store in Ann Arbor to really get a feel for the company. So basically, it sounds a lot like the intern stuff I did at IBM, which is cool, because that was really helpful. It was the only way I ever met anyone except for my office mate, which is great because I still keep in touch with a few of them today, thanks to Facebook. =P

On to the house. I basically described it in my last post, but I am just really happy we found a place that works so well for us. Oscar can come, it has a garage and it's getting new carpet and wall paint so it's quite livable. Now if Steven could only find a job by the end of the summer, we would be set for a while. It looks like the month of July is going to be pretty awesome: it's Steven's birthday, my grandpa's 80th birthday, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is coming out and Order of the Phoenix is coming to theaters! I just started re-reading the series again two days ago (am on Prisoner of Azkaban now) and it has completely renewed my obsession. If Snape ends up being evil though, man... he better die. In the wise words of Stan Lee: "'Nuff said." And I still think J.K. Rowling will come back to the series and do a prequel, after her next book bombs. Because it will; how could anyone ever top debuting with Harry Potter? Exactly, she couldn't. I mean, everyone will buy it because of Harry Potter, then realize that HP was 100 times better and she will have to write another one in 25 years. Yes, we have it all planned out.

Now I will stop rambling. Moving in nine days, whoo hoo!

Song: "Here is Gone," Goo Goo Dolls

Closing Time

So, I am moving to Michigan in two weeks (13 days, if you want to be technical). I can still hardly believe it; it's happened so fast. In less than three weeks time I had my job interviews and then the job offer from Borders... and they wanted me to start about two weeks from that time, haha. Obviously finding housing in a town I am completely unfamiliar with was a challenge, let alone when you want to find a place that will let you move in in less than a two-week notice. But, we basically made it happen -- I just had to push my start date back from June 25 to July 2. Not bad, I say.

Anyway, Steve and I just got back from house hunting in Michigan and it went pretty well, given all the excess baggage we have with our animals. =) We looked at two house -- both horribly expensive, but not for Ann Arbor and are currently in the process of signing the lease on one. It's in Ypsi, has a two-car detached garage, full basement, three bedrooms, one and one-half bath. It's pretty decent for a rental; I will post photos eventually, if I remember. =P Now I am just tying up things here in Athens -- packing, seeing people that are still around and finishing up my last three articles for the Athenaeum.

More detail later, for now I am too exhausted to really think about. Until then.

I Will Buy You a New Life

Tomorrow I turn 22 and I am graduating from college. Yesterday I had my third and final interview to work at Borders Group, Inc. in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The day before that, I took my final final as an undergraduate and turned in my final final essay. =) It's such a strange feeling, and I know so many others in my position have been talking about the same thing, but I have to say it once more, if only for my benefit: I can't believe it's over.

And now it seems that all that's left to do is wait and see where life takes me. I think, no matter what happens, I am going to end up making one of the hardest choices I've ever made in my life. If I stay here, I know I will be happy in my personal life; I'm content here, at ease with the way things are going.... but I know if I stay I will always wonder what if and maybe never be truly content again anyway. I also know that moving to Ann Arbor would be incredibly difficult. Just the thought of moving makes me depressed, just completely lethargic. =/ Steve and I are just getting settled at 682, and now I might have to pick up again. I am so tired of living one year at a time, in a different place, constantly moving but always staying in the same town. It's the worst feeling. I thought when we moved to 682, we would definitely be here for a few years and that I really could settle down. I was wrong, of course. That wouldn't be so bad if I thought that I could move to Ann Arbor and be done with it... but if I moved there, that wouldn't be permanent because I would only be living in a rental for one year, two years, who knows? before having to pick up again and make another choice: either really start my life in Michigan or move again. I know there is no way I could move into a home permanently this summer. Even if I could afford to buy a home, would it make this any easier? Probably not. Don't get me wrong: I love to travel, and if I had it my way, I would make sure to go to at least one new place or country every year. But that doesn't mean I don't want a real home, too. Am I really asking so much? I hate having to choose between my dream job and staying with the one person who always makes me happy, no matter what. I know if I asked him, he would come with me, but I don't want that. Steve is so happy here; he loves his job, he loves our neighbors, and he is really excited about starting grad school in the fall. I can't ask him to move, even if he has offered to come with me. It's not fair to him, or us. But it wasn't fair for me to think I could be happy staying in Athens either, when career-wise, there is nothing for me here.

After seeing Ann Arbor and meeting my prospective co-workers and supervisors, the choice seems that much harder. I guess a part of me was hoping once I had been there, I would see it really wasn't that great. Haha. But everyone was so open and friendly and immediately easy to talk to... I know what you must be thinking: why are you worrying about all of this already when you don't even know if you have the job? Well, because there is a very strong possiblity I AM going to get the job. You know I am not cocky, or even confident, most of the time, but Borders really has rushed the application and interviewing process for me and been up front with how much they like me from the beginning, that's why I think they're going to offer me the position. It's such a strange feeling: I don't think I would have the strength to turn the offer, but I am not sure I will have the strength to go, either. Who knows? Maybe I won't get it, anyway.

Waiting really does suck.

Song: "I Will Buy You a New Life," by Everclear