Los Angeles

Los Angeles

Classes are over, summer is here and things are very quiet in 223 Lanier Hall. So quiet today that I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time Facebooking and looking back at my life through the lens of my Internet interactions. Last year around this time was major life decision time and I think I did a pretty good job with that. Two years ago was graduation and anxiety about upcoming adventures. Three years ago was a summer in Paris. I could go on I guess, but the most recent memories are the ones I miss the most.

But life goes on and we make new memories. And in my case, those memories are made wearing the same clothes. In the loads of downtime I’ve had at work today, I’ve been thinking about what I could possibly wear to the commencement tomorrow. After I settled upon the bare bones of an outfit, I realized the shoes are the very same I wore to my high school graduation and the dress I wore to my college graduation. And they still look good.

So now next year when I look back on this year with a slight sense of longing, I’ll see the pictures on Facebook and think about how the more things change the more they stay the same. But hopefully I’ll go shopping before then.

The International Club Goes to Washington

I miss blogging. I miss writing. I miss getting the inspiration that something happening in my life is worth blogging about. It’s not that my life is boring, but it’s just nothing is inspiring me to write. I’m trying really hard, though, to get inspired. I haven’t forgotten how, I don’t think.

Lindsey's Wedding

I’ve had lots of ideas for blog entries running through my head these past few days. I really can’t even remember them all, which means they probably weren’t that great. Several times while out shopping, I’ve caught myself talking to myself and then chided myself for doing so. The brain is a crazy place. I’ve said that before.

I suppose the most exciting of things that I haven’t said before is that I think I’m unofficially accepted into graduate school. I’ve mentioned my plan to pursue a Master’s here and I didn’t really anticipate any major hurdles, but now I can breathe a little easier. I took the Miller Analogies Test and scored a decent enough score to be accepted to Georgia College. Aside from the above-average grade, I’m proud of the results of this test for even more personal reasons. I’ve never been too arrogant, but I’ve always been really lazy. I hardly ever study and although my anxiety rages over the slightest things like wardrobe choices, test days don’t faze me. However, it seems a new, more serious student has emerged within me.

A few weeks ago, I went to the library to check out a book, How to Master the Miller Analogies Test and I actually read it. I took the practice tests and frankly, I was less than confident. Then I started noticing things I’d learned everywhere. I got the question about HMS Pinafore on Jeopardy and I knew what the New York Times meant when it described someone as hirsute. A win. And then, on test day, the real deal was so much less frightening than any of the practice tests I took.

So now I’m in and I think I might be ready for graduate-level study. All these little bits of information are circling around me and soon I won’t need to talk to myself anymore about which tangerines look best and what I did to make my foot sore. No, I’ll be taking notes and studying and filling my brain with useful thoughts. And then, I won’t just make use of this information on Jeopardy and in crossword puzzles, I’ll have a thesis or something. Don’t worry, I’ll still keep the blog for leftovers.

avec élégance

Recently, the time has come to renew supplies of some everyday items. Now that I have a monthly budget, I have to think about how the cost of these quotidian needs fit into the Plan. I’ve given up my Dior mascara for Maybelline. I’ve decided against a new bottle of magical Kérastase conditioner, but have yet to find a replacement. Yesterday, I read an article about the smartest ways to eat selectively organically for the greatest possible health value. Thinking of these small changes in my spending habits, I then start to wonder, why did I think I could afford this stuff before I had a real job?

The global financial crisis has not really affected me. I make more money than I ever have before and I’ve only just begun to think of a 401(k) and what that means. In fact, I consulted CNN’s Money 101 Web site and found a retirement planning calculator that allows one to see various saving options and outcomes. However, I encountered a tiny snafu when attempting to enter my personal information: the current age field did not allow a number under 25.

That anecdote out of the way, I return to my current budget situation. It’s livable. I’m putting away some savings even. But as I responsibly return student loan collectors’ calls, I can’t help but long for the days of listless and carefree spending. I never thought I’d say it, but there was a kind of freedom in getting a paycheck that paid few to zero bills. At the end of my time as a modestly-paid English assistant, I learned that one of my colleagues was able to save up 4,000 € from his monthly stipends. I still question whether they don’t pay more for Spanish than English, as that would be the only reasonable explanation as to why he was able to amass that much cash.

But now, I guess I am trying to follow this example and I believe responsibility is well worth the price you pay. I’m neither desperate nor destitute. My drugstore makeup looks pretty good and hopefully my hair will stay shiny with a more economical product yet to be discovered. I guess 24 is an appropriate age to discover some thrifty elegance.