Ode to Joy

Yesterday was my first day of class here and I'm completely in love with this place. Granted, that will probably change as soon as the first round of exams and papers arrives but, for now, I'm completely infatuated. Not only is it a gorgeous campus full of trees, thousands of squirrels and flowers but, it is full of brilliant people. The morning of the first day of class was so silent it was eerie. There were hundreds of people on campus but you could hear nothing but the birds in the trees. I was shocked. At WVU on the first day, you can barely hear yourself think for all the cars, talking, laughter, music, etc. There is a sort of excitement in that, though. Here, you would think that every student is in med school or law school they are so incredibly serious.

My first class was an Iberian Empire history course. It's mainly an undergrad course but, it counts for me also (I just get a longer syllabus). What I'm used to on the first day is: hello my name is, you are, here's the syllabus, this is the book, goodbye. Oh no, we went the full time and then some discussing some erudite point of historical value relating to the status of English-speaking islands as part of Latin America. I think I was literally drooling on my desk. YES!! THIS is what I've always wanted-- to be surrounded by my people--- the nerds. In that moment I realized, I am no longer in the minority; never again will I be the ONLY person in the library on a Saturday afternoon. I was so happy, I could've cried.

Then, my second class was a cherry-on-top. Intermediate Portuguese-- I have longed to take this class for 2 years now but it never before existed in my world. Finally! The teacher is from Minas Gerais, Brazil and she's beautiful. She looks like a very classy mom-type figure (she's probably in her 40's). I was so nervous I started making really stupid grammatical mistakes that I knew were wrong but couldn't help it. I was just too excited to control myself. I could just tell that this class would challenge me and I was going to look forward to it every day.

Later, I met with my advisor which, for any grad student, is THE most important person in your world-- they make you or break you. Even parents shy in comparison to the influence of the graduate advisor. Dr. E is wonderful. He's very much a dad (literally and figuratively) so, being his advisee feels a lot like what an adopted child must feel. You feel like you don't really deserve their attention but you still enjoy it tremendously. He's so smart--- SO smart. Sometimes, when he looks at me, I think that he's envisioning me playing with Barbies and sucking my thumb because I'm so green. He's already semi-planned a trip to Brazil for me this summer, which I'm happy to go along with.

The job is going well too. It's so different that what I'm used to and what I'm studying. It's nice to be back into journalism, in a way. It's an exciting field, though with lots of pressure related to time. It's the perfect job for anyone who likes gossip or "dirt"....whenever anything at all happens on campus, we are inevitably the first people to hear about it. The best part is, we are then "obligated" to record and report it. Also, the people who work there--- geez! These are Emmy Award-winning journalists and producers; it's crazy. I feel powerful to make calls and label myself "from the VU News Room". I'm not sure how long I'll be able to balance this job with my other responsibilities but, for now, I'm having a ball!

(In case anyone is wondering, that is a "Happy Scone" picture; don't get any ideas...)

I should be at a party right now...

...but I feel yucky; girl stuff-- I'll leave it at that and spare you all the details. Suffice it to say that my head is pounding and my mid-section feels like a pretzel looks. As a result, I can't sleep, which really stinks. Hopefully, the party-givers will forgive me.

Last night was a really great time, though. Our grad director invited all the newbies over to his house for a cook-out/pool party. Yes, I did say pool party--as in bearing skin and getting rather wet in front of superiors. These Southerners are VERY friendly, like I said. Luckily (and rather ironically), it was just too hot to swim and we were all too shy so, we just ate and chatted all night.

I am SOOO relieved now that I've met everyone. No weirdos, no psychos and no cling-ons. Everyone is nice, normal and a lot of fun. Not to knock my field or those who many inhabit it but, let's face it, academics (especially in the grad student gestation period) tend to be....shall we say...eccentric. Many of them seem to live in their own little world where nuclear war can be caused by incorrect margins, Communist theory is still an acceptable discussion topic at a bar and a copy of Foucalt is most likely the only thing to ever accompany them to bed. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being passionate about what you do-- in fact, it's a very necessary component--- BUT having an active, normal social life that doesn't involve any kind of citation is too. That kind of full-time obsession only leads to isolationism, burn-outs, break-downs and far too many cats.

I was also pleased that my group of newbies represents several states and countries. We have: Miss Jamaica who is absolutely beautiful and so charming, Mr. Canada who is hilarious, Mr. Missouri who seems very sweet, Mrs. Pennsylvania who is the "baby" of the group, Mr. New York who is reserved but not anti-social, Miss Poland who seems exceptionally nice and eager to experience everything, Miss Scotland who has a lovely accent and is SO smart, and Mr. Kansas who is still adjusting to city life. There are a few others but, unfortunately, I didn't get to talk to them during the course of the night so, their stats are a bit fuzzy for me. All in all, it was a wonderful night and I look forward to getting to know everyone much better. More to come very soon...classes start on Wednesday!

Buried under boxes and melting in the heat....

...is basically how I would describe my life currently. I had the incredible luck to move into my new apartment (last Monday) on a record-setting day....for heat. The temperature reached 105F, which beat the previous record of 102 set in 1954. Global-warming? Yeah, not such a theoretical thing to me anymore...

Anyway, yes, I'm alive and well here in Nashville. I'm currently writing from the university library public-access section (since I don't have an ID card yet). Internet access around here is apparently hard to find and my DSL hasn't been set up yet so, I'm going through some serious cyber-withdrawal. Pretty much everything is out of it's prospective box and in it's rightful place in the house, which is nice, though the pile of empty boxes is still covering a corner of my dining room. It's actually an attractive place-- I think I did okay for myself. I'm enjoying living alone for the first time in my life. No offense to roomates-past but, there's something to be said for solitude, quiet, privacy and....let's face it...the fact that I can walk around naked all day long if I really want to (and the blinds are drawn)! It's rather awesome. I'm sure the loneliness bug will bite me soon but, since classes start in about a week, I'll be able to drown myself in work-- as usual.

So...the South. Well, it's a different world down here, that's for sure. People are VERY friendly...sometimes to the point of being a bit invasive and a bit more touchy-feeling than I'm used to but, I guess that's just the "Yankee bitch" in me talking, haha. Living here for 5+ years will surely be a sociological experiment. My family and friends are already taking bets on how soon I'll absorb the "southern drawl" that is oh-so-prevalent here. The answer is...NEVER! That's one accent I've never taken to...I prefer to have a boring, non-descript, news anchor kind of speech that can't really be identified with a particular region. I know, I know...very snobby of me, but I just don't enjoy the way the southern accent sounds....or any other North American accent, actually. Anyway, I'm babbling now so, I'll get off this computer and head back out onto the surface of the sun....more to come! Hope all is well with everyone! I miss you guys...

$$"Money...(ching, ching)...it's a drag..."$$

As the old (and rather cliche) saying goes, money does not grow on trees. This I know personally to be a fact. If it were true, I would definitely convert to hugging trees on a regular basis. However, like most people in this world, I have to work for a living. Even as a doctoral candidate (which comes with a stipend), I find myself running a bit short on cash. Moving to a new, bigger (& more expensive) city requires a lot of money-- rent, utilities, food, furniture, etc. So, I've decided that I'll continue to work part-time while I work on my Ph.D. (at least for the first year, since I won't be a TA).

Part of this is necessity but, part of it is just who I am. I realized that I have consistently held a job (of some kind) for almost a decade now. For all you non-math majors, that means I've been working since I was about 15, which is technically illegal. However, it was only "under the table" for a few months until I turned 16. In any case, I just like working. I like feeling as though I'm accomplishing something. Plus, nothing feels better than financial independence; if I want it or need it, I can pay for myself. One of my fondest memories of high school was when I paid for my very first car in full (and in cash!) much to my parents' surprise. It made me feel like an adult for the very first time.

I also get bored VERY easily so, working has always been a way for me to keep myself occupied. It puts me into contact with lots of different kinds of people, which then gives me fodder for fiction in my writing. What can I say? I'm a workaholic in every sense of the word.

Money is also my Achille's heal, though. Nothing gets me panicky, nervous and depressed like money (mainly the lack thereof). I know it shouldn't get to me so much; it comes and goes like anything else. I shouldn't let it control me but I'm still not at a stable point in my life with a steady job and benefits so, my inability to plan ahead freaks the hell out of me.

Speaking of a steady job, I have 3 interviews for a part-time gig in Nashville. One at Morgan Stanley, one at the VU Division of Public Affairs and one at Brentwood Realty. I scheduled them all for this coming Friday so, I'll post and let everyone know how they went. Each one has it's +'s and -'s so, for me it's really a toss-up.

So, here are my questions to the peanut gallery: What is your relationship with money? Do you love it/hate it or remain apathetic? Are you a spender or saver? Do you like to work or do it just to pay the bills? If money doesn't get to you, what is your Achilles heal?

New Life

(drum roll) Introducing my newest cousin/nephew... Lucas Braden...he's such a cutie. My cousin Stephani is doing just fine and her labor went well. He was born 8/3/07 at 7.5 lbs. I'm sure they're still just in shock and awe right now....I'm really happy for them....they're going to be great parents...

Newsweek and Kaplan have spoken....

...and Vanderbilt University has been chosen as one of the 25 "New Ivies" out of all American colleges and universities. I'm so proud! I can't wait to get there and dive head-first into the library stacks....