Helen

Helen is a friend from England, who I met in the spring of 1996 when my high school decathalon team went to visit their high school. I was randomly paired up with Helen and her family to stay with while we were there for the week. We became good friends during the course of that week, although it is amazing to think that it was such a short period of time! The following fall, their academic team came to visit our high school in Erie, PA and so Helen was able to stay with my family then. It was a wonderful exchange, for many reasons, including the wonderful friend I found in Helen. As she pointed out in a recent comment, it has been over 10 years since we have seen each other (and photos of each other it seems). We have kept sporadic contact, via letters and email, and although it was entirely possible to lose touch, we haven't. It is quite wonderful and amazing. No Helen, YOU are fab! :)

















Here's us in 1996 for some context.

Friends

As I've been struggling with former friends who have been less than I had hoped, my inner "Pollyanna" is coming out. Recently, I've been incredibly supported by numerous other friends who have been much MORE than their distance should define. So, I am deciding to share them with each other.

I am going to dedicate posts in the next few weeks to my wonderful friends. Not all posts will be in this vein, but many of them will. I have completely wonderful people, and don't I know it!!

(Disclaimer: Notice that I said numerous before. This means that I will most likely be writing til the cows come home to get everyone in. If it takes a while, don't be discouraged; I love you too!)

April showers

This isn't going to be the most happy post, just some advance warning.
I have come to the realization that some friendships just aren't meant to last...and that there is nothing I can do about it. One person can't keep making all the effort and expect that to be enough. One can prolong the inevitable for a while by doing that, quite a while sometimes, but eventually, it is ok for people to go their own ways. This is an uber-difficult realization, particularly in the life stage I am currently in. I am supposed to be making friends, not severing ties! I don't understand what about me makes me stick it out for so long, giving benefit after benefit of the doubt, upon numerous second chances. Even now, there is a part of me thinking "does it have to be this way?" Another thing that makes this particularly difficult is the close friendship we have felt, as recently as a week ago. The sudden nature of it all, that's REALLY hard. I have had friendships that have just sort of faded, which, although not fun either, are somewhat easier to handle, easing into them as it happens and then realizing one day that it already happened some time ago. This is the first real time when I have felt the need to (and carried out!) make an active change.
Do I expect too much? Are my expectations too high, and if they are, is this a bad thing?

Emerging from the cold in MN

I have internet at home now!! It is such a luxury now, being somewhat used to not having it except at work.
I have been bad about keeping everyone up-to-date, so here's to a new leaf.
Life has been hectic lately, to say the least. I am somewhere inbetween settled and totally out of my element. Starting in a new place, with a new job, doing new things, with no close friends in the state...well, I think it's hard. I am chugging through, but if this doesn't kill me, it BETTER make me stronger. :)

I get a salary, what??

Today was my first day of my first salaried job. Whew! I feel like I have finally made it, and it is exhausting. :) Dealing with insurance forms, and all that grown-up stuff sure drains a girl. Not to mention the barrage of information that is thrown at one on the first day. But luckily it is like the first day of school, where you get your books and learn where the paste is, but no one expects you to do a whole lot of work. Plus it is a pretty relaxed bunch that I am working with, which is really REALLY nice. They are all very friendly and have offered numerous times to help me find a permanent place to stay. I am currently staying in a room-for-rent temporary place, which is fine, but I am really jonesing for my own space. But all in all I am in one piece and hanging in there. More updates as I get more steady internet access in the next few weeks...yay!

Job anyone?

Hey everyone! Some exciting news has brought me back out of the woodwork...I got a job offer on Friday! And a real, honest-to-goodness offer, not one that only lasted 45 minutes like the last one (a story for another day). It is in Blaine, Minnesota, just north of the Twin Cities, and although I haven't officially accepted yet, I am leaning that way. I'll fill in more details as it becomes official and I get more of a plan going, but I just wanted to share this excitement with everyone!

September Updates!

I am still here! I am alive! Never fear! :)
Sorry for the lengthy hiatus from blogging, but it has been a hiatus from much of my online activity as well. This is mainly because I have moved from my old apartment (and it's free wireless internet connection) into a friend's house where I have no internet access for my computer. So the combination of not being on my computer much, moving, and visiting my folks in Connecticut have kept me away.
The job search continues, but the part-time temporary employment has been extended further with a possible raise. At least it is something.