Yes, I'm Alive!

I know I only have a measly six official followers, but my family has been asking when I'm going to update the blog. My apologies to all.

I'll have to spread out the updates because a lot of awesome things have happened during my blogging absence, but I'll start with I'M DONE WITH MY FIRST YEAR OF GRADUATE SCHOOL!

I'm currently in the lag-time between the end of school and the beginning of my internship. I won't disclose internship details on here, but I'm really excited for the opportunity and am thrilled to be exploring a different city.

On a side note, what does everyone think of the new blog design?

Throwback Thursday: Long vs. Short Hair

As of late, I've been missing my long hair. This always happens to me. Whenever I decide to make a drastic change with my hair, about three months later I'm ready for another change (usually back to the way it was originally). I cut about 8"+ of my hair back in January and don't get me wrong, I loved the change, but now there are times I wish I could just throw it all back in a ponytail.

Check the before and after difference:

For now, my plan is to leave it grow until it gets to a medium bob length (i.e. grazing my shoulder). We'll see what I want when it gets that long- either I'll keep it that length or grow it out again, ha. Sometimes I'm so indecisive it's ridiculous.

Oh Yeah...

I CUT MY HAIR!

It's a bit shorter than what I was aiming for, but hell- it grows back, right?

I'm loving the change (and of course saving money on shampoo)!

Adjusting to it All

The eve of school is approaching and ironically, I'm not too stressed. Reality is, it'll hit me once I get my syllabi, so I'm enjoying my last few days of aimless exploring, running errands and catching up on the last of my summer reading. I've also had plenty of time to relax and think about the certain things I'm really having to adjust to: (in no particular order)

• Transitioning from a semester to a trimester schedule. This change has me antsy, it's nearly the first of October and classes are just about to begin. Back at the UW, I'm sure the first wave of midterms and papers are starting!
• Living alone. It is quite an adjustment to come home to an empty apartment, especially when I've been so fortunate to have such wonderful past roommates.
• Being 2,000 miles away from home. Words cannot express how hard it is to be away from my family and friends, especially in my current circumstances. The positive twist on this: being acutely aware of how much I'm loved.
• The terrain. I'm lucky enough to live in a state which has so much to offer in this department. I'm looking forward to exploring the hiking trails and more of the coast.
• Not pumping my own gas! In the grand scheme of things, this is minor. It still weirds me out to have a complete stranger fill up my gas tank.
• The weather/climate. Currently, due to the unseasonably warm, dry weather there are two rather large wildfires burning. Earlier this week, the smoke from the fires traveled (and settled ) in the Willamette Valley, leaving air quality quite poor (and a sprinkling of ash on my car). It's definitely the first time I've awoke to a smell of campfire and seen such an odd colored sunrise. As a complete side note, I am intrigued to experience "winter" here. There are specific instructions in my lease to make sure if the temperature drops below freezing for three straight days to run hot water to ensure my water pipes don't freeze...
• No sales tax!
• Remembering I'm two hours behind everyone back home. I apologize in advance if I accidentally call you at a late hour!

So those are just a few examples of things I'm acclimating to. The list could go on and on, and I'm sure it'll continue to grow!

**To follow up on my last post, I did get into the Managing Non-Profits class (luckily without having to jump through any logistical hoops).