And on to a different social scene... or so it seems

So I'm sitting here, not even three weeks a college graduate, and it's already becoming almost painfully obvious that my social scene is dramatically shifting. This change is so very rapid, and living on my own 17 hours from home makes it all the more clear. Otherwise, were I still home, I'd be spending time with my family and friends who lived in town, and I wouldn't need to shift. However, being up here knowing only a few people in my general age group, it's much more apparent. My friends I knew before I came up here are still in college, or in that slightly younger age group, and it almost feels weird to hang out with them--even though I've only just graduated, it's as though that diploma has become a dense barrier. I'm finding myself more readily entering into conversation with the adults at gatherings I've been to, and my friends group is including the other employees at the coffee shop, but mainly I'm going from the college group to the young adults/single 20's-30's group. Odd thought, that one day (graduation) could change so much of my life so dramatically. It's something I wasn't really prepared for, either--it seems like something you have to experience for yourself to fully appreciate it. If someone had tried to tell me about it, I probably wouldn't have understood very well.

Another thing about living on your own--one has to make an effort to get out and do something, or otherwise find oneself sitting in one's gym shorts (that one slept in) at 4 p.m., without having left the house. It's going to take a while still, but I'm hoping that soon
I'll be able to start hanging out with some of the staff, and some other people that I meet during my time off. If not... well, that gym membership will be put to good use, and I'll probably get pretty tan from lying on the beach all afternoon--though I can't lay out for too long at any one time, since when one is someplace by oneself, it's kind of hard to ask for help getting sunblock on one's back! ;) Seems like I'm going to get a good deal of reading done up here, as so far there hasn't been that much to do in my time off. I've also been doing a lot of biking--enough to merit buying a bike pump and swapping out my off-road tires for slicks (which have made a huge difference on the GIANT hill--I'll get a picture up sometime soon). Since I'm only 4 blocks from work, I figure it's too much of a waste to drive (and parking is a challenge anyways), not to mention I can get down that hill pretty quick, while giving my legs a good workout on the ride home. I figure I shouldn't use much more than a tank a month (or less gas than that), unless I'm doing a trip.

Amazingly enough, I've actually been eating pretty well since I've been up here--and aside from my meals I get while on shift at the coffee shop (they have amazing sandwiches and soups), I have yet to actually go out to eat, and I've only had ramen twice! Nothing like homecooked, but it gets the job done.

Well, I need to head to bed, as I've gotta be at work tomorrow at 8, but I'll keep posting when I get the time, and if something comes up.

Moving to Wisconsin and being a barista!

So I figured I'd go ahead and make a blog to keep track of things as they go along, since there's so much going on in my life right now:

It's kind of hard to believe that just 17 days ago, I was sitting in a wooden chair in front of Old Morrison with the classmates I spent the last 4 years with--and now I'm sitting at my computer desk in northernmost (Bayfield) Wisconsin, looking out the window onto Lake Superior! Last Monday I got into my Volvo wagon, with barely a 6" tunnel and a huge blind-spot to see behind me, and in two days drove 860 miles north. Now, aside from a few posters to hang up, I'm basically moved in, and have spent the past six days working at the coffee shop downtown, Burt and Francies. Because the town is built into a hill, I live on 6th street, and the coffee shop is just past 2nd street--I can get to work in about a minute on my bike (the trip home is a bit tougher, however. The people up here are great, too--not saying anything bad about Kentucky, but everyone up is extremely open and inviting. My coworkers are all great, and my bosses are both extremely friendly and patient as they train me with the espresso machine. At this point, I can pull a pretty decent espresso and am working my way to making a good latte--I should have a handle on steaming pretty soon, and frothing is next.

Just in this past week, it's been a great feeling of freedom and independence. While I do have to worry about rent, making sure I have food in the fridge, and keeping up with my responsibilities, the independence is SO worth it. I'll write more when I get time, but at the moment I'm going to go try to scrape together some dinner. Have a good one!!!