Keeping Up With Change
I decided to start a blog after reading Sean's wonderful musings. Granted, I probably won't be half as amusing as he is, but a guy can always hope.
The word of the year has been "change." I moved to San Diego two months ago after living all my life (almost 27 years) in Austin, TX. What I've come to realize is that not everyone is as frantically devoted to a city as my family is to Austin. My sister and I grew up there, my mother and her siblings grew up there, my grandparents grew up there, my great-grandmother used to own all the land around her house there... You can tell where this is heading. My family does not leave. We're even all buried in the same cemetery in Austin, where I'll be buried some day.
So, now the question is, "Why did you leave?" My brother-in-law is in the Coast Guard, which means he, my sister, and my baby niece get shipped around. They were living in Virginia for a while and I went to visit them for Spring Break in March. They had invited me to move with them to San Diego in July, but at the time, I had been in a relationship for almost three years and I was in the middle of a hectic semester at UT, so I wasn't in the position to consider a move like that, as fun as it sounded. Then, lo and behold, I finally graduate, my relationship ends, and I'm nearing the end of my year with AmeriCorps, so I was finally without any obligations in Austin. Then, I had to worry about where I would end up for grad school if I was accepted to any writing programs. I wasn't. So, it was off to sunny San Diego.
Some things I miss about home:
my family
my bar (no juke joint like The Cozy Corner)
my friends
thunder storms (isn't there ever any weather here?)
Southern accents
BBQ (I've tried it once here; no more until I get home)
my grandparents' house on East Side
knowing where I am, no matter what part of town I'm in
coffee at Mozart's on the lake
sunsets on the Congress Bridge
Now, this isn't to say San Diego isn't a nice city. I do like it. Weather's nice. I love being able to step out of my house without breaking into an instant sweat in the middle of the summer. The breezes on cool mornings are incredible. I live in a nice apartment complex. There's stuff to do here and lots of good restaurants (yes, I'm a food junkie). Not a bad choice as far as places to live. The only big complaint I have is that it's not home. But what can one do about that?
Now, back to this "change" concept. I also came out of an almost three year relationship before I left Austin. And, much like my discovering that I'm much more sensitive to leaving home than most people, I'm also sadly sensitive to people in my life. Ask anyone, and they'll tell you I'm not a people person. I can be if I'm paid to be; Lord knows I've worked enough customer service jobs. But I prefer to stay within my small, tight network. Anyhow, I went through the requisite ups and downs with my ex-boyfriend (yes, boyfriend) and, in the end, it didn't work. Yes, yes, this happens to everybody and finding the right person is a process and each relationship is a learning experience... I've heard all the wonderful wisdom about this kind of thing. And it helps--after I'm done hating the person I've broken up with for weeks. Let me stop rambling and say that I was shocked to find myself single again. This is after living with my ex for about two years.
AND (no, I'm not done yet) I FINALLY graduated. I started at UT back in '96 and became a college dropout several times since, the longest stretch from about 2001 to 2004. Then miracles happened, the stars aligned, and I finally got my head out of my ass and got back to school to finish my last 24 hours. And let me tell you, crossing that stage was a hell of an experience. I was so excited my hands were sweating the whole time I was sitting through the ceremony. Whew! Put that one on the list of greatest personal achievements.
And I can't forget the new job. I've fallen into a District Office Coordinator position with a financial services company. Of course, the title is a lot fancier than the job. Now I'm a new cog in the corporate world.
Change, change, change--something I'm notoriously bad at dealing with. But that's been all I've encountered for months now. And--surprise, surprise--I'm still alive. I still stop myself sometimes and wonder how the hell I got to San Diego, of all places, but here I am. I've been here for all of two months, and it already feels like a lot longer.
And now Sex and the City's on so I gotta go. Good night to all.
--Joseph
The word of the year has been "change." I moved to San Diego two months ago after living all my life (almost 27 years) in Austin, TX. What I've come to realize is that not everyone is as frantically devoted to a city as my family is to Austin. My sister and I grew up there, my mother and her siblings grew up there, my grandparents grew up there, my great-grandmother used to own all the land around her house there... You can tell where this is heading. My family does not leave. We're even all buried in the same cemetery in Austin, where I'll be buried some day.
So, now the question is, "Why did you leave?" My brother-in-law is in the Coast Guard, which means he, my sister, and my baby niece get shipped around. They were living in Virginia for a while and I went to visit them for Spring Break in March. They had invited me to move with them to San Diego in July, but at the time, I had been in a relationship for almost three years and I was in the middle of a hectic semester at UT, so I wasn't in the position to consider a move like that, as fun as it sounded. Then, lo and behold, I finally graduate, my relationship ends, and I'm nearing the end of my year with AmeriCorps, so I was finally without any obligations in Austin. Then, I had to worry about where I would end up for grad school if I was accepted to any writing programs. I wasn't. So, it was off to sunny San Diego.
Some things I miss about home:
my family
my bar (no juke joint like The Cozy Corner)
my friends
thunder storms (isn't there ever any weather here?)
Southern accents
BBQ (I've tried it once here; no more until I get home)
my grandparents' house on East Side
knowing where I am, no matter what part of town I'm in
coffee at Mozart's on the lake
sunsets on the Congress Bridge
Now, this isn't to say San Diego isn't a nice city. I do like it. Weather's nice. I love being able to step out of my house without breaking into an instant sweat in the middle of the summer. The breezes on cool mornings are incredible. I live in a nice apartment complex. There's stuff to do here and lots of good restaurants (yes, I'm a food junkie). Not a bad choice as far as places to live. The only big complaint I have is that it's not home. But what can one do about that?
Now, back to this "change" concept. I also came out of an almost three year relationship before I left Austin. And, much like my discovering that I'm much more sensitive to leaving home than most people, I'm also sadly sensitive to people in my life. Ask anyone, and they'll tell you I'm not a people person. I can be if I'm paid to be; Lord knows I've worked enough customer service jobs. But I prefer to stay within my small, tight network. Anyhow, I went through the requisite ups and downs with my ex-boyfriend (yes, boyfriend) and, in the end, it didn't work. Yes, yes, this happens to everybody and finding the right person is a process and each relationship is a learning experience... I've heard all the wonderful wisdom about this kind of thing. And it helps--after I'm done hating the person I've broken up with for weeks. Let me stop rambling and say that I was shocked to find myself single again. This is after living with my ex for about two years.
AND (no, I'm not done yet) I FINALLY graduated. I started at UT back in '96 and became a college dropout several times since, the longest stretch from about 2001 to 2004. Then miracles happened, the stars aligned, and I finally got my head out of my ass and got back to school to finish my last 24 hours. And let me tell you, crossing that stage was a hell of an experience. I was so excited my hands were sweating the whole time I was sitting through the ceremony. Whew! Put that one on the list of greatest personal achievements.
And I can't forget the new job. I've fallen into a District Office Coordinator position with a financial services company. Of course, the title is a lot fancier than the job. Now I'm a new cog in the corporate world.
Change, change, change--something I'm notoriously bad at dealing with. But that's been all I've encountered for months now. And--surprise, surprise--I'm still alive. I still stop myself sometimes and wonder how the hell I got to San Diego, of all places, but here I am. I've been here for all of two months, and it already feels like a lot longer.
And now Sex and the City's on so I gotta go. Good night to all.
--Joseph
posted by Joseph at 8:56 PM
1 Comments:
Since being struck by similarity, and another night of "blessed insomnia" (he says in his most sarcastic tone), I decided to make you the focus of my restless night...
I'll save the synopsis comment until I've made it thru all of your blogs, but I'll start with:
"Real Men Drop Out"
My brotha! You started UT in '96? I started UT in '97. Your extended drop out stint ran '01-'04? Mine ran '99-'01. But you know what, despite all of the shit TEX threw at us, and thanks (at least on my part) to the fear of working in Highland Mall the rest of my life, success materialized. Be as proud as I will be come May '06!
Hook 'em
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