I Have Arrived!

YOU GUYS!

I've been in Leeds for a few days.  Fortunately, neither plane exploded in mid-air, and I made it safely to my new home.  Unfortunately, I caught a cold the day after touching down in England, so I've been a bit sniffly over the past few days.  However, that hasn't slowed me down too much--I'm almost registered as a student (there's some red tape that needs to be dealt with), and Adam and I went on a trip to York Friday.  So far, things are going well.

I'd like to see the sun, though.

Anyway, this is just a placeholder for some more interesting post.  I wonder if this year's blog entries will repeat that over and over?  Be expecting a more involved post on York soonish.

Bad Blogging Habits

As you can tell, I have a rather hard time consistently blogging when I feel I don't have anything to contribute.  Not that I ever have anything to blog (really), but I've found that I've been particularly lax about it over the course of these past few months.

However, that's all about to change.  In a week, I'll be on the plane (without hyperventilating, hopefully) to England, where I'll have plenty of misadventures and awkward moments to recount.  I've moved out of my apartment, obsessed over an outdoor cat at said apartment (yes, I still miss him), scrunched all of my furniture into the upstairs of my parents' house, and am going to continue trying to make my own cat not be such a bully to the other pets.  With the additional accomplishments of taking care of address changes, canceling accounts, and other things, I feel like a Very Responsible Adult.

Sort of.

It still feels a bit weird being (voluntarily) out of work and soon becoming a student again.  I do believe that I'll be an even better student than I was as an undergraduate, especially since I've learned how to remain removed from projects and not be so emotionally attached to them.  Graduating summa cum laude (hrm hrm, yes, I'm fancy) came at the price of overall sanity and well-being back then, but I'm fairly confident that I can accomplish a comparable goal without tearing all of my hair out.

I'm also looking forward to posting travel photos on this blog, instead of just this kind of weird photo of my boyfriend and me:

We do occasionally have a problem with fleas.

Since he is usually very private online, I feel I should use that cat "sticker" with every photo of him I post on here.  Because that won't be creepy at all.

I hope you guys are looking forward to more blog posts as I am.  Just imagine the future ones in an English--more specifically, Yorkshire--accent.

Holy Scheisseballs!

I'm here!  I promise! 

There has been a lot going on since my last post on this blog.  I've got my visa (yay!), I've resigned at work (yay?), I've befriended the most adorable cat right before leaving Huntsville (aw, yay), and I'm beginning to think about packing up said apartment.  I'll be moving in with my parents (poor souls) for a couple of weeks before setting off for Leeds September 15th.

It's all happening rather quickly, which is why I haven't exactly remembered to write a blog post.

However, I'm still quite excited (or, as Boyfriend puts it, eggcited) about everything, and the standard anxiety is setting in about becoming a graduate student five years after college and working in the "real world" (which is a phrase of which I'm not too terribly fond).  It's not a bad anxiety, per se--just normal anxiety about doing something new and telling regular students to get off my lawn.

I'm hemming and hawing about possibly doing some videos for this blog, purely to show you the places I go.  (So, none of me, but just of places.)  I don't know if that will happen, so let me know if that would be something you'd like to see when I travel.  It's 2014--we have the technology!  It's also scary to have that kind of power.

Anyway, I'm about to get ready to enjoy a sunny Saturday in Huntsville.  I only have a couple of Saturdays left until I move!  I'll try to remember to update this blog a bit more, now that I have some free time.  'Til then.

(Parentheses.) 

Fives Months Out

I'm essentially five months out until I make the big move to Leeds.  What have I been doing in preparation for not only a personal move, but also a move that also entails a complete career change?

...Does making new food and walking a lot outside count?  Probably not.

I have, though, been doing some small steps to reduce a lot of stress closer to moving date.  My boyfriend and I sealed the deal (which sounds like some awful HGN reality show) on a cute one-bedroom apartment a couple of weeks ago.  It's in a nice part of the city with a lot of greenery; the photos that were sent to me have gotten me really excited about moving there.  It's also a place where a lot of students "infest" the area, as my boyfriend puts it.  Though that's a risk we're taking, the area surrounding our apartment looks clean and quiet--so, we're taking our chances.  Us "old farts" can't be bothered with students who are actually the correct age to do schoolin'.

I've also applied for a student loan and am awaiting confirmation (and the amount) from the University of Leeds.  If it goes through, then I won't have to shell out over 1000 pounds on a tuition deposit.  (Thank goodness.)  Once I receive my CAS number, I can dive into student visa paperwork.  Exciting times of light admin work lie ahead!  I'm so thrilled.

But, all in all, I've been focusing on taking care of myself to the best of my ability.  (Hopefully, this will be more successful than taking care of plants.  I have a brown thumb.)  I had pretty much been going to work, sitting at a desk for nine or more hours, and then driving home with little interaction (and little exposure to sunlight) during the winter months.  Being largely sedentary and not eating that much can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle, among other things.  So, I've started getting out more, walking and running, cooking new recipes, and hanging around friends a little more frequently than the past few months.  It all sounds like some "gather 'round, let's hug and sing campfire songs," but it has started getting me in a more proper mindset to deal with some stressful times ahead.  I think of it as mental and physical preparation for this next stage of transition.

So, while I'm gearing up for that, I plan to spend the summer months full of fun and relaxation.  You may see some of these adventures on the blog; it largely depends on whether I decide to reserve regular posting until I'm in Leeds.

And the Winner Is...

I'm sure one or two of you are wondering if I've made my decision, yet.  I have, and it's the university everyone but myself knew I would end up choosing:

The Hairy Ladies

Leeds.

To be honest, it's not the most logical decision I've ever made, but I do feel that it's the right one for me.  I will have to worry about finances more with this decision, but since I've saved a whole bunch, I know that it'll end up being okay.  I get to go through the fun process of applying for a student visa in June, but I shouldn't have to worry about it.  And though I'll have to get over my flight anxiety (well, anxiety in general) before I leave in September, I know that I can do it, and it'll be worth it.  I've been wanting another adventure before I settle down, so I think this will do nicely.

Anyway, this is a short update devoid of snark, but I did want to do a post with this exciting news.  'Til next time.

The Tough Decision of Choosing from Multiple Offers

It's a bit unusual to have another post so far out of relocating, but I thought I'd post about a very difficult decision I am in the process of making: choosing between two graduate programs.

Now, I know what you're thinking.  "But Jen, didn't you say that you are moving to the UK this September?  You were going to drink even more tea than you usually do and become a blimey limey!  Why are you dashing my dreams?"  I did say that.  However, that was before I found out that I've been accepted to an American university with full funding and a graduate teaching assistantship.  So, now I have the fun task of choosing between an overseas program and one that may be more suitable for what I want to do in the near future with my career.

There are pros and cons to both programs, of course.  My boyfriend, who currently studies in the UK, made a very relevant point in our recent discussions: he chose to study in the UK not only because the Ph.D. program was well suited for his focus, but also because of the opportunity to live abroad once again and experience something new.  This is also a very important aspect of the UK program for me.  I've been wanting to travel again on a large scale, and I've been excited at the prospect of making another big move and live in another cultural environment.  Though incredibly stressful doing the behind the scenes work, it's oddly comforting to me.  The downside, however, is that I am more likely to have to take out student loans to fund my studies and living expenses, as I won't hear back from scholarship committees until early April (and funding to US students is notoriously limited).  Additionally, I most likely will not get as thorough teaching experience with the program, although it more than makes up for it by laying the foundation for students relatively new to linguistics.

The US program, however, makes up for what the UK program lacks.  I wouldn't need to worry about funding, which is becoming increasingly rare in US graduate programs.  (In fact, I was blown away when I received the email that I would receive funding and an assistantship.)  The program encourages both theoretical and practical experience, so I could expect to get some teaching experience with this one.  However, my main concern is that this program would be a bit too advanced for my current level of aptitude in linguistics.  I am also concerned that I wouldn't be as happy at this location, and though this sounds like my emotions needlessly outweigh my logic, happiness is a fairly important factor when choosing where to relocate for the next couple of years.  And after having been set on relocating to England for a few months, this outstanding opportunity presented by the US program--which should be an automatic "yes," if I'm being honest--is making it extremely difficult to make a solid decision.

I'm not good at making solid decisions.  However, I suppose there can't really be a wrong answer at this point, can there?  And though this is a very stressful and angst-ridden process, I am very happy that I do have this "problem."  After almost five years of graduating college, I've still "got it," as they say.  I am "hip and with it."

Meanwhile, 3.5 Years Later...

First off, does anyone really use Blogger anymore?  Since I've rarely been "hip and with it," I don't know these things.

It's been 3.5 years since my last post here.  What have I been doing since I came home to the States?  Nothing too terribly interesting, honestly, except for gradually coming into my own and making it in the job market.  Well, I use the term "making it" loosely--I've been doing well, but I have had four jobs in this time frame.  Most of them were Very Nice jobs, and, minus one, I left each job voluntarily when I found something better.  In fact, my current place of employment is primarily Very Nice, so it'll almost be sad to say goodbye in the summer.  This is all due in part to aimless wandering, but also job dissatisfaction and the fact that I need proper certification to get into the market I really want to be: education.  I need an anchor.

Which is why I'm going back to school in England.  Surely, going back to school in another country and shedding adult responsibility will help with that whole anchor thing?  Of course it will.

That's mostly in jest.  I think taking the plunge and going back to school is an adult responsibility, as I'm trying to lay out the groundwork for the career I see myself going into.  I kept leaning more toward linguistics and TESOL after I left the Grundschule Klein Hehlen, which has remained my favorite job to date.  So, even though a masters in England will hardly get me certified to teach in the States, it's a step in the right direction for the type of education I want...providing I get my student visa.

So, I thought I'd start up this blog again.  Updates will, most likely, be sparse until I'm actually in England, but as I am feeling a bit...indifferent?...today, reviving the blog now seemed like a good idea.