mid-month pleasantries

how it's already half-way through september is beyond me. while i am currently sick and haven't seen anything but my bed for the last several days, i was super thankful for a trip up to boston last week, mostly to put in long hours at work to get my project over a big hump. it did allow me to spend my evenings with a few friends as i guest-room/couch-surfed, and i got to breathe in some fall air. the next trip will hopefully entail more free time to visit with people and do fun things.

that being said, it was kinda overwhelming to be back and see everyone i would normally see on a regular day...like i was just away for a long weekend and nothing had really changed (and like i'd lived the previous 6 weeks in an alternate universe). i left during a really hard time for most of my friends/community, and it still felt fresh.

today, i signed an offer letter for a position at a small company in downtown austin. it felt bittersweet, like the transition is at the point of becoming final, the daily tie to boston life will be cut short fairly soon. i'm hoping it won't be too hard to be both sad in missing my peeps and the memories i've made there as well as excited and looking forward to building something here.

being sick in a new place where no one really knows (to therefore care) has been a bit "doomy and gloomy" and as i crawled out of bed earlier today for another glass of OJ, i took a brief look around at the mess, the glasses and mugs, the scattered casings of the medicine i've been taking, the unpacked bags, and the remnants of the food i've been barely able to eat, and i thought, man, the unashamed state of a single person in the deep waters of a cold. no propriety in what i look like or am living in, and a deep cleaning on my to-do list before anyone is allowed over. unless they want to come over while i'm still sick, with a pick-me-up gift. in that case, unashamed.

how is august almost over?

today marked my 1-month anniversary of having arrived in austin. i have to say, i am a little surprised by how well the transition has gone, and how affirming the move has been. i miss friends and my old routine but this feels like where i'm supposed to be right now (maybe in a bigger sense than just geographically speaking, and yet for some reason, changing geography was a part of it).

most of my boxes are unpacked, i'm slowly starting to hang picture frames on the walls, i drove to both a friend's house and lowe's w/o using my gps this week, and i'm eating as little vegetables as before - pretty good stuff. no job yet, and not a step closer towards anything in that direction, as most of my thoughts and dreams have revolved around more personal growth and questions, but i'm still not freaking out (for today). i have chocolate and ddp on hand should panic flash-storm me.

after work today, i went outside to read for a bit and got a call from a new friend, who just happens to live across the street, asking if i wanted to join her as she walked her dog. i have come a long way when it comes to dogs, my friends. the dog and i have agreed that as long as she quits licking me so often, i will air pet her often. the owner/friend finds this hysterical. i call it problem-solving. after our walk through a quiet little neighborhood and a friendly interaction with walker, an 80-something year old man who lives in the area and happened to tell us he's just celebrated 65 years of marriage, i helped move some furniture around as my friend has just gotten a new couch delivered. i felt useful.

the next few weeks are going to be quite busy with work, as well as some visitors, some babysitting, and a few trips, so i'm very much looking forward to continuing to enjoy life with some plans and structure while also enjoying just being.

and possibly really truly i hope i mean it this time looking for work. ideally.