I've officially lost track of how many weeks I've been in State College, which must mean that I'm sort of settled in. I feel that when you stop counting, you've created some sort of home. You're worrying less about where you came from versus where you are now, which the counted weeks help to remind you. One week since I left xyz...one month since I left xyz...etc. Now you're just in this new spot and probably won't think about milestones until the one year mark. In some ways, my time in Urbana seems so far away while the past couple of weeks in Pennsylvania still feel fresh and sort of a blur.
I am still liking the job. I am still liking my apartment. I am still liking being here. And the biking is getting easier.
Weekends are my new favorite thing. I love having two whole days to do whatever I want to do. I know that this feeling of absolute freedom might change (because you know I can never stop being busy) but I'm soaking up sleeping in or waking up early for long adventures.
From the arboretum: a neat pot with kaleidoscopes to enhance looking at the plants.
Last weekend my (new!) friend/co-worker Paul and I went exploring on campus. We just walked around, found some buildings we had only heard about, got the infamous Penn State Creamery ice cream, checked out the sweet arboretum, and found the local comic book store. It was a beautiful day and I was so content. When I think about how I want to approach living in a new place, this sort of exploration is exactly what I want to be doing. It makes me appreciate State College and feel like I've found a home here.
I also have been reading up a storm. I have started a weekly routine of making a trip to the local public library where I roam the shelves and check out far too many books at once. All those books I had been wanting to read during graduate school I finally have time to read right now. The one series that I have fallen in love with is comic/graphic novel series Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. The illustrations are SUPERB (or at least I think they are awesome) and it's a story of war between two planets/groups of people. After purchasing Volume I, I immediately checked out 2-5. Finished them all in one day. I'm very committed to this series.
My adventures sometimes come in the weirdest forms. I found myself in a soda aisle for the first time in a long time and discovered the Sierra Mist I knew as a small child had changed
It's moments like those where I just have to chuckle at myself. The world is silly and sometimes it's nice to just laugh at those weird moments.
And of course, when I'm tired of adventuring or reading a book, I have a pretty good fail safe plan.
I'm adjusting and as I've said to everyone who has asked, "So far so good."