The blog preceding this one is a short story, well the beginnings of one hopefully. I have a bad habit of starting works of fiction and then never finishing them, which is why I turned to poetry last year. I don’t know why I used to enjoy writing so much. I seem to have lost my inspiration as of yet, but hopefully I can find it somehow. I used to light up when I thought of the perfect words to make the perfect images clearer. But now I can’t seem to do that. However, I am not giving up hope and by writing this short story, however akward it may turn out, I am making a serious effort to finish it and thereby end my writing slump.

I didn’t dare close my eyes until I was beyond the city limits. One of my good friends warned me that I would never remove Manhattan from my life, but I was more than determined to prove her wrong. After the disasterous events of last week, I was surprised to find myself standing and not collapsed in some dump somewhere, so if I wanted to leave my chosen life and embark on a new journey, no one was going to stop me.

At first, my parents were thrilled with the idea, being country-like themselves. My mom hated to drive in the city and after years of working in a tiny cubicle, my father didn’t venture to Pittsburgh very often either. I remember the day I told them I was moving, not to the city, but farther. My dad just shook his head and my mom tried to persuade me to change my mind. But it would not be changed. I had always felt at home in the city. There was always action there, so many things to do, people to meet. My love of theater drew my into blooming metropolises where I could soak up the culture I could not seem to find in my own small town.

Needless to say, this is all changing. One step at a time. First, I quit my job as a advertising supervisor. Then, I cleaned my apartment, vigorously, so as not to miss a single stain on the floor. I visited my favorite places in the city, the tiny cafe on west 33rd street and the bookstore on the corner and said farewell to my landlord (which quite possibly was the best moment of the entire ordeal). And exactly one hour ago, I left my apartment and vowed to return only if the moment was completely right.

What can I say? It’s time for another blog because as my boyfriend keeps reminding me, I have not written in a long time. Exactly two weeks ago today, I left the dorm room I had inhabited for seven months and drove two hours to my house. I remember feeling as though I had not really left but was just visiting. Now, the reality has set in and I could not be more excited, except for the fact that I had to leave Nate for what I didn’t expect to feel like a long time, but is.

I enjoyed the first week and a half, excercising, cleaning, and spending time with my family and friends. Then, I had had enough of the lazy lifestyle I was living and went out to find a job. I applied at about 7 different restaurants and stores and interviewed with the Disney Store and American Eagle Outfitters, where I accepted a position only an hour and a half after I interviewed. I’ve only been in the store once since I was hired, for training. Working there is going to be rewarding and challenging. The environment is very fast paced and employees earn more hours by working harder and helping customers. I hope I will adjust to the change fast because at TJ MAXX things are slightly different, to say the least. Speaking of the MAXX, I work four days this week. I worked on Monday and Tuesday and I work again tomorrow and Friday, before seeing Alicia be pretty in coral for prom and jet setting off to visit my aunt in cleveland with my godmother. wow, this week is speeding by.

I love working, feeling as though I am doing something with my time, instead of sitting around and being a bum, which I have pretty much mastered already. I hate sitting around because I feel so lazy and then when I read, it doesn’t feel like so much of a reward. So far, I have read only one book since I’ve been home, a Nicholas Spark’s novel called A Bend in the Road, which was the perfect lead in to my summer. Now I am on a book about a banker turned PR and I can’t even remember the name of it! Sorry! Anyways, one of my biggest reasons for picking that up was because of the PR part of it. I’ve decided that working in PR might be fun because it is fast-paced and very people oriented. I’m not committed, but I thought reading a little more about it would give me a sample. Long story short, I am still not decided on a career, although I think teaching is the direction I am heading. I know that I am interested in the communications field, although I don’t know the specific area yet. I did do some work though and managed to get some job shadowing opportunities. I’m going to talk to a doctor, thanks to my aunt, and I am hopefully going to help with a school downtown that is run by my high school English teacher’s husband! Can you tell I am excited?!?! The school runs five weeks, in the mornings, so even though I won’t be paid, I can still work at AEO and TJ MAXX and make up for it. All I have left to do is submit a resume and stop being nervous! I am excited but this will be my first time in the classroom and a part of me is nervous about doing well, but a larger part of me is hoping that this doesn’t turn me off of teaching because without that to at least fall back on, I am truly lost in choosing a career! Needless to say, I am worried.

To finish this particular post up, I am trying to grow out, not up. Reach beyond my horizons, jump into the deep end, whatever you want to call it and on good days, I like making lists so here is one for your viewing pleasure.

TO DO LIST:
-Read more. (aka the bestsellers, the classics, some of every genre….stretch!)
-Write more. (get back into your groove, the core of things….aka your passion)
-Learn as much as possible about the English language. ( brush up on grammer and style)
-Excercise. ( stay healthy for that new suit! Use Florida and the Outer Banks as Motivation)
-Stay happy. (Sometimes change is hard but if you keep up your motivation and see the good in all, your disappointments will slowly dimminish)

I guess that is it for now and I walk on the trail is in order. And by the way, to the sole reader of this blog, I miss you quite terribly.