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I decided it was a good time to get back into this thing. I guess I can preface this post with what my life is like now: I graduated from UNL with degrees in Finance and International Business (minors in Spanish and Computer Science) on May 10. And yes, I did indeed graduate with a qualifying GPA to officially graduate from the Honors Program and J.D. Edwards (now Jeffery S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management... whew that's a mouthful... typeful... fingerful... what?). I was pretty sad that grades weren't in in time for commencement so that I could wear the pretty red and white things with everyone else in JDE, but hey, it's on my diploma now and that's all that matters. I started my job at Hewlett Packard in Omaha, NE on June 23. I moved into my new apartment (more like a townhouse) at The Tradition at 157th and Pacific on July 5. I have a one bedroom and at first it was weird to have all that space to myself, but now I am just in love with it. My roommates are my plants that I have on my balcony: my beautiful red hibiscus and my herbs. I can't wait to get everything decorated the way I want, because right now I have a hodgepodge of inherited furniture so it still looks somewhat like a college dorm room. I never thought that I would STILL be in Nebraska (I have tried to get out a handful of times), but I am truly loving Omaha. It's funny that I know hardly anyone from college living here, but I have a ton of family and a ton of friends from high school living here. I am really excited about my job, and right now I am going through a crazy training schedule, but soon enough, I will earn my wings and take off. Ask me about what I do then and I'll be able to explain it MUCH better than I can now.

I went back and read all my posts (all 7 of them... ha) and some were pretty funny to read, like the very first one, and some are still pretty accurate but kind of ironic now. First of all, my first post when I talked about what kind of job I wanted to have when I graduated was WAY off... except for the vineyard thing... and medicine. First and foremost, I still have my dream of owning a vineyard someday, however, I have failed miserably and my first attempts to grow a vine... I am still deeply depressed about that. Secondly, I am still highly interested in medicine, however, I can't justify flipping my life upside down at this point and time to go back and see if I could do it. The good news is, my entire social network in Omaha so far is made up of my doctor friends... and by that, I mean UNMC students and my cousin who is a Med Tech at Lakeside. I LOVE talking to them about what they do... even if I do squeal and squirm when Marie tells me about adventures in phlebotomy. So it satisfies me for now. Oh... and I'm still very green-obsessed: I recycle just about everything, I just bought a bamboo blanket, and Planet Green is my new favorite channel. Also, when I talked about finding an apartment in downtown Lincoln because it's so "my style", I did indeed live in Federal Place for my last year of college and it was just about the coolest apartment ever... and yes, it was very much "my style". However, it's ironic that I live in suburbia now in Omaha... mostly because living in downtown Omaha would have made the commute to 108th and Dodge a living hell. I would have LOVED to find a loft in the Old Market, and maybe I will change my mind in the next few years, however, I really liked the idea of having my own garage/private entrance/driveway, a balcony, a pool, and a nice fitness room. So I found a place that had all those... oh, and a rockin' floorplan. My favorite rooms in my apartment are my kitchen and bathroom, mostly because they're so big I don't even know what to do with myself in them. It's so fun to work in a big kitchen, with lots of counterspace, and a glass of wine in hand since I can store so many bottles in my pantry now (dude... I have like... a mini cellar). Oh... however, my balcony just might be tops... I just love to be outside when the weather is nice. And let's face it, my hibiscus is just the prettiest thing to look at... yes, I'm very proud of it and it loves me too. I think I should name it.

Anyway, I'm still at this giddy, fresh, naive point in my life right now because I love starting out fresh with a blank slate and I think the world is mine, I can make of it what I will... however, I need to figure out what I want to do. First and foremost, I'm anxious to meet some new people... unfortunately, there really isn't anyone at work who is even close to my age (I am the youngest by about 7 years) but there is still great comraderie, and the same is pretty true for my apartment complex, that and the only time you really see anyone else is when they're driving past your apartment. I think I've seen some fellow youngins driving by, but I have no idea which apartment they live in. I guess there's hope for the awkward introductions at the pool and fitness room... but hey, I'm good at that stuff. Also, I want to get involved in some stuff that will occupy my weeknight... nights. I'm thinking about joining a USTA tennis league, but I'll still have the same problem with not meeting anyone my age (unless the old ladies have young, handsome, and eligible sons... HEYOOOO). I wanted to join Young Professionals but I discovered that Omaha doesn't have one! How weird is that?!?! I thought maybe finding some rock climbing wall here and getting into that because I enjoyed it the few times I did it at UNL. Maybe some volunteering with Humane Society as a dog walker (but my mom says she doesn't think I could take it because they euthanize most of those dogs). I thought maybe I'd invest in an easel, canvases, and paint and have a go with that... I used to LOVE painting. Anyway, I need to start nailing down some of these things and get going... because I'm getting bored! Ideas welcome by the way.

I'm excited to think about what my weekly routine is going to be in a few months, but I've gotta make sure I get going on that now. It's so exciting to start planning a new life... but it's scary because it isn't gonna be so new one day. Of course, any one can start new things at any point in their life... but everyone will agree that it's harder to do once you already have an established routine. It's bittersweet.