Cloud Nine

I officially graduated from Georgia State University on May 12.

Jamie and I moved into our Candler Park apartment on May 19 -- since then, we have painted the study/guest room, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Only our bedroom remains to be painted. Our little abode is about as cozy as can be, and I couldn't be happier with the neighborhood. Meeting neighbors is happening slowly but surely, and it seems that we already know a few of them.

That same day, my friend Yasirah got married. I had the honor of being one of her bridesmaids, and Jamie caught her garter. It was the first wedding we had attended together, and it gave us plenty of ideas for our ceremony. (Target date: September 2008)

The following day -- May 20th -- my parents held a graduation party. It was a huge success, I think, and Jamie and I received plenty of goodies for all of our hard work at GSU. No matter how stressful things can get with us , it reminded me how much I love my family.

Jessi, my roommate from freshman year and dear friend, had her baby on May 27. Jack was the most perfect little guy I had ever seen. Meeting him just hours after his birth was another first -- and wonderful experience -- for me and James.

And, as of last week, I am an real, full-time, paid employee. With benefits. I really don't think I could love my job more. Yes, I'm saying that even though I have to get up at an insane hour every day. I don't care. I am so, so lucky.

Also, as of yesterday, Jamie's employed, too. He's freelancing, which is a great opportunity while job hunting.

Life almost seems too good, especially compared to how rough things were this time last year.

Whew. Photos of the apartment coming soon.

Finally.

Ah, the phrase "final exams" is especially significant this year. Of course, I can't even bring myself to start on my first paper -- I just have two papers and two exams to get through. When I've got so much on my mind -- does school really matter when you already have a dozen or so job applications out there?!? -- it's rather difficult to force myself to sit down and write a paper for a class I really could care less about.

My birthday was Friday and, while the day itself was less than perfect, the ensuing celebration this weekend was absolutely fantastic. My friends and family surprised me with wonderful, thoughtful gifts and the birthday outings -- which I usually dread -- were full of laughter and smiles. I'm still beaming from the love-fest.

All's quiet on the job front at the moment. I'm just waiting, waiting to hear back from any of the jobs I've applied for. My phone keeps ringing from unknown numbers today, but none of the callers are who I want them to be.

I have a feeling the next few days/weeks are going to be gloriously bittersweet. I'm not sure if I'm ready for the days of 705 Blake to be over. I may have complained about the house itself, but we really are the best group of roommates I've ever met. Sigh.

How did it fall through the cracks?

This was a worthwhile question posed to me in regards to my once-lofty plans to spend a year living, working, and traveling in New Zealand. The person who asked the question -- my biggest travel inspiration, whom I've referenced many times here in my travel-related posts -- certainly has reason to be confused.

How did New Zealand fall through the cracks? It's an excellent question, and one worth exploring:

Jamie and I had full intentions to spend a year in New Zealand -- we obtained visas, bought one-way tickets, and were saving every penny we could. But, as time wore on, the job and housing hunt became more and more difficult. It's hard to find, much less secure, a job or apartment when you're literally on the other side of the world.

Eventually, I realized that I do indeed have a good chance at getting a decent job where I'm interning. While it's not where I ultimately want to wind up, it's definitely a good start, especially considering how few entry-level journalism jobs are available in Atlanta. So, the more and more I thought about it, the more it made sense to stay here -- where Jamie and I could get jobs in our respective fields and live in a pretty nice place -- than move sight-unseen to New Zealand -- where we'd be likely to work in the food service or something along those lines and struggle with money the whole time. The point of going to New Zealand was to experience as much as possible, and that's (sadly) kind of tough to do when you're strapped for cash.

I must add that Jamie has been as supportive and accommodating as possible. It's absolutely amazing.

Since making the decision to stay in Atlanta for a while (and it never was an ultimate decision -- it just kind of happened), I have debated over and over in my head as to whether it was the right one. My heart always breaks when a friend asks about New Zealand and I have to update them on our practical and somewhat boring (at least in comparison) plans.

My biggest worry is that we're already letting our careers get in the way. Will we ever spend that year in New Zealand? Will we get stuck in Atlanta? Will we become too busy with work and obsessed with furthering our careers?

I certainly hope not. And I know that the fact that I have such concerns is a good sign. I'm also grateful that I have had such wonderful travel experiences so far. I do still get the traveling bug, even if I know how to suppress it ...

And, of course, we still have our one-way tickets. Once we get new jobs, Jamie and I will figure out how much time we can take off (three weeks? a month?) and buy return tickets.

We are still going to New Zealand. It hasn't really fallen through the cracks at all. And that gives me hope.

Hopes and Fears

As with any tragedy, the Virginia Tech shootings have me thinking about how quickly and dramatically life can change or even end. I have been completely focused on the immediate future as of late – searching for a new place to live and applying to job after job – and I can’t help but think of the students who lost their lives and will never experience those things.

Life is beautiful in its fragility. I feel more grateful for my life than ever, and the past few days have prompted me to look back at all I have experienced and been blessed with thus far. I know it’s morbid, but I can confidently say that, if my life ended today, I would die happy. That’s something that I would want people to know, and I can only pray that loved ones believe the same is true for those who lost their lives on Monday.

In other news, I’m severely struggling with senoritis. Thinking about major things like a new job and place to live, moving in with my fiancé and making plans for the future … it’s seemingly impossible to worry about multiple choice tests or attendance points. I’m so ready to be done with it all.

I may miss those minor worries, though, once I officially meet the “real world” face to face.