#10 Real Camping

I'm talking legit real camping. None of this cabin or tent nonsense. I went REAL camping this weekend. I slept on the ground, outside, under the stars. It was awesome. We camped on the island in Green Peter. It was so legit. The only downside was that on the hike up I realized how miserably out of shape I am. The island has an insanely steep slope to get to the top: it's basically like climbing a 5 story building, only on a mud path.

#9 Spelling

This past year, I learned a few new words... or rather, how to properly spell them:

Environment
Receive
Caffeine
Entrepreneurship <-- I'm most proud of learning this one

But that aside, does spelling "in the real world" really matter? I suppose it does... but who really cares? Ok, so I do... I'm a teacher, I might be bad at doing math in my head, but at least I can spell and have fairly legible handwriting.

#8 Foosball

Yes, we used to have one of these tables at Azalea, yes, I've been around people playing this for years, but no, I don't think I have ever personally played - I always left that to others and I would watch. Not today! Yes... I was slightly coerced into playing, yes, my teammate made me feel better by saying I was the 3rd member of the opposing team... but it didn't really help the idea that I suck at this game. However, I have the rest of forever to find out if I really suck or not.

#7 Pool/8Ball

I've literally never ever, ever played this game before. I was slightly forced, but who is to say that I didn't enjoy myself for learning something new? Yes, needless to say, I suck, but I didn't lose by much. My opponent definitely had the advantage of the home-court though, regardless of what he tried to say.

#6 New Interests

Who says I have to like everything I used to like? What if I find something new and actually have the ability to take it on and really launch myself at it? Nothing is stopping me now. The world is literally at my feet! I'm so freaking stoked about this.

#5 Overqualification

If I thought getting a job before was hard, I have no idea how I'm doing to do it now. I'm overqualified for just about any job I'm about to apply for - this is especially frustrating because I don't really want to teach right now. But I really, really, really need a job. I am fully prepared to work multiple jobs this summer in addition to learning how to live again.

#4 Past Interests

So... I used to be a dancer, and I used to be a musician, and I used to volunteer at the animal shelter and volunteer with youth... but are these things I want to still do, and am I still interested in them? Do I have the time for them? Do I have the necessary money to support them (if applicable?) No.

#3 Friends

Who do I want to hang out with, or keep in touch with? Who can I see now? Who will I see? Which friendships are more valuable than others? Who has put in more time and effort into maintaining the friendship even with my grad school insanity and who ditched me when I needed them, and who is too selfish to flex themselves to still be my friend? Also: what do I do about my friends who are taking up long-term international missions just when I'm finally free of school to see them?

All in balance... only the true friends come to the surface, and not surprisingly, it's not my entire list of facebook friends.

#2 Poverty

I was not prepared for this. I literally have no idea what to do right now. I have no job adn have to drive to this OVATA conference in HR next week. Conference is $60 for registration (basically just meals because they feel sorry for us poor grad students with no jobs yet), and gas is at least $50 and likely more with commuting within the area and the return drive. I have almost no food. I still owe May utilities, July rent is going to be higher, and I still have June utilities too. I want to drive by YMA  at least once and I want have to be in Portland in a few weeks. I have an immense amount of college and grad school loans waiting with my name tagged on to them. I still need to get my teaching license too... which is another $200. Even if I got a job yesterday, I wouldn't have access to anything until next month. I also need to start saving for upcoming trips to SoCal. As much as I want to just relax for a week, I really can't afford to.

Hello next three months of rice, pasta, bread and eggs, and being primarily stuck in Corvallis, riding my bike everywhere.

#1 Sleep

Not only am I suffering an immense sleep debt from this last year where I have been completely dependent on adrenaline and caffeine for the last 5 weeks solid, but with nerves and the lack of hormones due to all the stress, sleep does not come easy now. I have the freedom to sleep now, but I can't actually fall asleep. This is definitely a first for me. I used to be able to sleep anywhere at anytime for extended amounts of time and through just about anything. Hopefully this will get better with time... we shall see. For now, it sucks. I want to sleep so badly! I just have waay too much to think about.

Bug-Eyed & Dazed

After fully adjusting to the comatose lifestyle of a throughly engrossed college student, and most recently graduate school student, I've decided to take this next year(ish) after graduation to really re-learn life. I've spent so much time in the dark of the tunnel that now that I am finally free, I'm all bug-eyed and dazed from the brightness of the light just outside. Hopefully with time I will adjust, but for now it's all a bit overwhelming and confusing.

...I still feel like there's something I should really be working on... like a paper, or an assignment that should be re-worked, or something like that.

That aside, I plan to use this blog to (at least mostly) document all the interesting things I come across as a post-graduate school student who is readjusting to life and all the adventures it holds. Each thing I realize is something new or something noteworthy, I will create a numbered post about and document the experience as best as I can.

Here's to the start of some epic adventures and one wild summer!