For those who know me personally, you know that July has been a busy time for me. I finished up six and a half weeks of digital literacy with the kids of Urbana Neighborhood Connections Center (UNCC) and packed all my belongings for a trek to Pennsylvania. The move was due to my new (and first "adult, full-time" job) as a reference and instruction librarian at Penn State in State College, PA. I'm two days in and figured it was time for an update.
Leaving UNCC was very difficult. I have learned so much from those small children and I'll devote a whole other blog post to these kids (they deserve it). Once I was finished at the center, it was time to finish packing. Luckily, I had been slowly chipping away at packing so when moving week rolled around, I was definitely on top of things.
My family (dad, brother, and sister) arrived Wednesday night and Thursday morning, we began packing a 15' UHaul bound for Pennsylvania. We also had the help from the ever-so-helpful Cameron (my BF) so with the five of us, we got my apartment stored away. However, due to some car problems outside of our control, we got delayed in leaving Urbana-Champaign.
I'm not going to lie -- it was a little tough to leave Chambana. I had become pretty attached to this place and to see my apartment all packed and driving east was tougher than I expected. However, I see how important Chambana was, both for my educational pursuits, but also my personal growth. I was fortunate to be surrounded by some great people who are cheering me on.
Hailley in front of her new apartment building
My dad and I arrived in State College on Friday and began the process of moving it all in. My apartment was just how I imagined it, a little bigger than what I came from in Urbana and in need of my Hailley decorating flair. We spent the weekend unpacking boxes and adding some much needed touches to get me started off on the right foot.
And then I started at Penn State. Jumped into the thick of things. It has been a great, welcoming start. Although it has only been two days, it feels like a good fit. People seem genuinely excited for me to be on the team and are happy to share their perspective on what is happening with the Penn State Library. The library is full of energy, even with the students not filling the computer work stations and group study rooms. I'm excited to see what I am able to do in my new position. It feels good to start my professional career at Penn State. Of course, I do need to learn the bus schedule, all the PSU lingo, and probably treat myself to some Penn State Creamery ice cream at the end of my first week :)
Now comes the tricky part -- settling in to State College. I've got a few boxes left to unpack, lots of decorating to do (both in my apartment and my new office), and a whole new space to figure out. I'm not always the best at venturing out on my own, but hope to do some stuff this weekend and build from there.
I'm also still in the market for a hobby. If you have any suggestions, I'm willing to accept them. Hopefully, all this free time (more in my entire life it seems right now), I can blog a bit more, write a bit more, and read a bit more. But I'm still looking for something else to keep my mind busy and my creative juices flowing.
Well, this new nittany lion is signing off for now. More updates to come.