A whole hell of a lot has happened in the past couple of weeks. I moved out of what I knew as "home" for the past two years, drove a portion of the east coast, and flew westward. The move-out was nothing more or less than what I expected: bittersweet feelings drowned out by sweat from the humidity and numerous trips up-and-down a flight of stairs. The very same day (Father's Day Sunday if I recall correctly), I had the stamina to drive home to Roanoke and back to Harrisonburg. The three days spent with close friends in Harrisonburg following my mini-journey home are a little muddled...as in, I couldn't tell you have the things that were said or done. Emily and I attempted to recount a list of memories, but I'm positive there's more to unfold. Since my last days "working" as a clubhouse attendant at Sunchase, I've had a lot of spare time on my hands. This, to some, is a blessing; but to others, like myself, it can be hazardous to actually pushing forward and accomplishing what needs to be done. In lieu of doing something progressive, I have achieved an unnatural state of tan (as in, I should lather up with SPF100+ the remainder of the summer). The following week or so I was in good ol' Roanoke. Most of the time was spent with my little bro; spending quality time with family brings a certain sense of realization to one's self - as if you know where the missing pieces of your heart belongs. (A lesson learned along the way: if you ever seem lost, simply let your heart guide you. More often than not, it'll veer you back to the path you've been blindly looking for.) I was able to see a few old high school friends while in town, which was nice; it also further cemented my decision to journey westward. Time and time again I've thought, "Should I really be doing this - living on a limb just for the thrill of something new?" At that moment I realized that yes, this is exactly what I need to be pushing myself through. If not now, when? My last night in Roanoke was spent my brother how to drive a 5-speed. Now GYPPSY's seen some better days, but I thoroughly enjoy letting others use my car to learn how to manhandle a stick shift. (I think the teaching count is up to about 5 now.) That very night, I also managed to pack most of what I would be bringing out to California with me - little did I know what I was in for...
After a week's hiatus in my traveling adventures, I hopped in the car and headed northbound 81 to Jersey. In order to save myself from multiple headaches from traffic and long hours on the road (as well as over usage of my left foot...clutch in traffic=no bueno), I visited friends in the NOVA area. We spent the evening in Georgetown, which is saturated with mostly restaurants, bars, and shops. Most of the night was low-key, other than the fact that Natalie found a staple in her French fries. So, I know that some fries are essential to most meals, but I doubt staples add any vibrant flavoring. I left early the next morning in high hopes that I'd avoid any northern traffic (remember, my 5-speed).
All the while driving along the eastern board, I felt as if this trip was my would-be coda to the east coast.
What a treat I was in for! What would have been a 4 1/2 to 5-hour drive ended up taking over 6 hours. Tolls were an added bonus - I just love slowing my trip down solely to toss money to a person in a confined booth. But, in all this jumbled mess, it was 122% worth the waits, money, pit stops, and long, laborious driving. After what seemed like an eternity of not seeing one of my shortest-known, yet closest friend, the 7-week anticipation had finally come from Ireland. I decided to arrive in Jersey the night before (solely to try and beat traffic), and would be waiting when she pulled up to her house. After countless "I miss you's," frequent gmails, and short phone calls, the wait was over. No words can describe how exhilarating it was just to have each other in company again. Stories, photos, and gifts from Ire were shared. But, throughout my visit, the thought of my leaving to California weighed on my already heavy heart. I've learned that very few things are permanent, and to dwell on things out of one's control only leads to empty heartaches. While in Jersey, I spent almost every day lounging on the beach, which only intensified my darkened complexion (at this point I was pasting on the SPF50 roughly 5 times daily...I wanted to avoid, at all costs, to become a leathered good before heading west). After about a week in the dirty Jers, it was time to bid adieus and I was "home"ward bound. The drive home made me see the reality that lay ahead: t-minus 2 days til my westward departure.
I split up the drive home and made a pit stop in Harrisonburg to see my love doves one last time before I left for a bit. Downtown had a different feel that night, knowing it was my last real night in Harrisonburg (as a graduate visiting fellow peers waiting for that final class to end...gotta get that diploma). Come to think of it, I'm kicking myself now for not indulging in Kline's one last time. Compared to my last visit to Hburg, this one was more subdued (aka no donuts in the Ashby cul-de-sac or snap pops).
I headed home the next morning to make it to lunch with my grandma and brother at Applebee's. Unless you enjoy food spicy enough to make your nose bleed, I wouldn't recommend the Asian platter there. The rest of the day was riddled with mindless errands that just seemed to take up valuable packing time. I made my brother test out his driving skills just to get some driving time in - little did we both know that we would run into semi-hurricane weather. A monsoon reduced visibility to less than 5%. Needless to say, I was impressed. That night, I managed to pack everything into a ginormous bag to check in, only to find it was 27 lbs over the weight limit. So, I sucked it up and packed two check-ins (one of which is missing a rolling wheel). Regardless, I was able to bring more than I first expected.
The day of my departure, a peacock happened to waltz through my front yard. My not being accustomed to common zoo animals in nature, I followed it around the neighborhood to capture a few snapshots. The flight check-in was nothing out of the norm, but the delay at IAD was borderline miserable. A 2-hour wait on the plane meant alcohol drinks were on the house, courtesy of United Airlines. I couldn't have even planned to prepare myself for what I was in for. The man sitting next to me happened to be an appointee of former president Bill Clinton and executive director of an environmental branch of the Humane Society called EarthVoice. He eventually informed me of his specialty in ArcGIS and frequent work with IPCC, which were the 2 main components of my senior research. I indulged him in giving an impromptu version of my senior research presentation. For whatever reason, he was fascinated (mostly that I was even familiar with ArcGIS and IPCC); we exchanged e-mails and he told me he would contact me with possible job opportunities. Now I wait. I've found that the whole job hunt is a waiting game. I continue to revisit the wise words of PLarry: patience, endurance and practical knowledge for everyday living. This search for a job may drive my spirit into the ground, but I've learned to keep confidence and never slow my roll.
After this novella of a blog entry, I'm gonna close by saying that even in these past couple weeks I've learned mini life lessons. Always keep your radar up - never become so tunnel-visioned that you miss out on what's around you - and to hold dear the ones you love. Just keep me where the light is.
Just because. JMay has a way with music that pushes me through times more than any spoken words could ever do. Mucho mucho mucho amor
