New London, CT

A shot of New London from the Orient Point Ferry, en route to Long Island.

Covert Consumption

Sneaky, sneaky, stealing my beverage at Border Cafe.

Aside: Clearly, I've figured out how to post or "publish" (if you will) photos. Oh, technology, how I am endlessly entertained...

Um, is it fall already?

I was unaware that the latter part of this week would bear a startling resemblance to fall. It's breezy, almost crisp, and on my jog this morning I swear I even saw some foliage that had begun to change. Having sent home my first round of boxes this past weekend amidst a heatwave of oppressive swampesque humidity, I am lacking any sort of jean-like garment and have but one hoodie. With no appropriate attire, I shall try to combat the impending chilly evening(s) with copious amounts of red wine.

Despite my best efforts, I guess you can't plan for everything. Also, having sold my bed, I now lack a place to sleep for the next two nights. The red wine should also help out in that situation.

Day two of terminal unemployment: still weird.

So, here I am, disoriented and bleary eyed, taking in the morning talk shows with a steaming cup of coffee from Petsi's Pies. My plans for the day include cleaning, grocery shopping, and should I muster up the motivation, a jog around the river. Is this comparable to being a housewife? All I need are curlers and a screaming infant to nurse. That is not wishful thinking by the way, I'm overjoyed that the only thing screaming right now is Kelly Ripa (easily alleviated by the click of a button). Yesterday morning, I woke up with a start as if out of a coma. My alarm failed to go off (probably directly related to the fact that I had accidentally set it for 10:00PM) and it literally took me 30 seconds to figure out what day of the week it was (what?! 10:30AM, am I late for work?! Wait, is it a weekend?!). The 9-5 schedule I adhered to for nearly 4 years is so ingrained in my daily, weekly happenings, that it's tough to break. This still feels very much like a vacation (featuring a tornado that has managed to rip through my room and tear apart my closet, leaving it's contents strewn about my floor).

My first month of rent for Seattle has been mailed. My room is in the process of being boxed and relocated. And, most importantly perhaps, my plane ticket to Seattle has officially been purchased: One-way, Thursday, September 17th. It was also rather cheap ($109 Jetblue), so make sure to keep that in mind when you're contemplating the best time to come visit the Northwest. For the past few weeks, I put off purchase mostly because I couldn't committ to an actual date (too finite and final), but now that I have, I feel like a weight has been lifted. Now my only concern is figuring out how to maneuver that boat of a Chevy Trailblazer I've rented for Sunday on and off the Port Jeff Ferry. Oh, good times...

Sidenote: I just realized that there's no spellcheck here, the gramatical crutch for 20th century adolescents. Chelsea will inevitably mock me for spelling something like "C'est La Vie" wrong, or some such nonsense (I mean, really? I'm not French. And there's not a hope in hell of looking for any phonetic cues). Try not to judge; and, Chels, try to contain your giggles.

The Foreword: UDubb(s) Plural

I, have a blog. After weeks of toying with the idea of spilling my guts virtually, I've finally gotten around to taking the 3 minutes out of my busy day to sign up. I dislike Twitter (for no particular reason) and frown upon those that use Facebook as a diary, but, as hypocritical as it may seem, here I go. My first foray at blogging.

In 48 hours I will no longer be an employee of United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, leaving me officially unemployed. The thought is rather overwhelming, as I've spent the last 3.5 years commuting to and from 51 Sleeper Street. That's roughly an hour each day, five days a week, 52 weeks a year and, much to my surprise (year two was a rather trying time) I'm actually really going to miss this place. United Way (or "UDubb" as it's affectionately referred to by some) has been the epicenter of my social existence in Boston. Strenuous campaign seasons, debaucherous happy hours, ridiculous rabblerousing in our respective cubicle rows... Overall, it's been the ideal workplace for a single 20 something seeking both supportive coworkers and friends. I've been fortunate to make quite a few here. And, I'll miss them more than I care to elaborate upon (I’m scratching sentimentality here).

Ironically enough, my impending unemployment is the result of a decision to begin graduate school at the University of Washington, otherwise ALSO known as, UDubb (coincidence? Um, yes, probably). Conveniently located on the opposite coast of this fine country, I will tragically be transplanting myself in Seattle this September. This leaves me t-minus 3 weeks to get my “ducks in a row” (if you will), including: saying my goodbyes, packing up my belongings and soaking up East Coast culture in all of it’s glory. Of course, I also still need to sign my promissory notes (bring on the loans, baby), purchase my plane ticket, and figure out what exactly I’m going to do once I arrive in said city, but those are simply logistics, minor details…

The courses I’ve registered for sound amazing (time to tap back into intellectualism), the campus is absolutely beautiful, and Seattle is an amazing city that, for me, has always held a certain allure. In layman’s terms, this is an exciting time. To be more verbose, I’ve spent countless hours over the past 4 years trying to figure out what my next steps will be. Fortuitously, I fell into fundraising here and have enjoyed my time but in no way was it, or will it ever be, my passion. Though I’ve definitely made it my home, Boston has never truly felt like the place I belong permanently. I’m leaving behind 3.5 years of learning and professional growth, 182 weeks of hilariously unique and fabulous friends, and 1,274 days of memories as a resident of Greater Boston. I’m looking forward to graduate school at the University of Washington, a whole new host of acquaintances and hopefully friends, and anticipated ups and downs and who knows what else, in Seattle. And, really, that’s the best part.

So that, in short, sums up the purpose of this blog. This will hopefully document the aforementioned impending change.

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