Category: Uncategorized

Recent Grad, Uncategorized

Moving Day

by TaylorLeave a Comment on Moving Day

Today is my official move in day to a house in Loma Linda with my cousin and a friend. I’ve known since I took my job that eventually I’d move out on my own, but I just didn’t know when. My home with my family is only 15 minutes away from work, there’s no rent and I have all the comforts of a home that anyone could need. Despite all the reasons to stay, I have been anxiously awaiting my own place for years. I think it’s a great symbol of independence and since the rent is so cheap (split three ways), this opportunity was impossible to pass up.

I’m so excited to move in today and get situated but these past couple of days have been really hard on me. You see, growing up, I always had two homes. I had the my most cherished home in Montebello and then I had either an apartment/condo/townhome/house with my mom all over the LA country. My mom and I moved a lot but it was always an upgrade from the last, so I never minded. But since I left for college in 2007, my mom has realized that she doesn’t need a big place since I was only home for a couple months of the year. So she began to downsize and after I left my job in Newport Beach, she moved once again to Corona del Mar into a one bedroom/one bathroom place by the beach. In that process, whatever possessions remained in Newport were boxed up and sent over to my dad’s. There just wasn’t any space. And as I’ve been packing up ALL my things at my dad’s, I’ve had to go through over two decades worth of stuff and decide what was trash, giveaway (mostly this category), storage and for the new house. My room that I’ve occupied for almost exactly 6 years has been completely stripped.

No matter where my parents live, I know I’ll consider it “home” even if I’ve never lived there with them. It’s a pretty sad thought that neither of my two houses contain anything to call my own, but I guess that’s just how life is. We settle in and when we do decide to move on, it’s not about the possessions that make it your home … it’s the people you always come back to.

Wish me luck!

Tay

Recent Grad, Uncategorized

Thanksgiving break…what’s that?

by TaylorLeave a Comment on Thanksgiving break…what’s that?

I purchased my first pair of nylons this summer. I was feeling so mature and sophisticated at Nordstrom but now that I actually have them on, they’re itchy and cut into my tummy. These things are terrible.

This week hasn’t been my favorite. I was dreading this week. So many of my friends are leisurely enjoying their week off from school while I’m slaving away just counting down the hours until 5 p.m. What. A. Bummer.

So here I am. At my desk. Scratching my legs every two seconds. Daydreaming about the comforts of being a student. Oh the life of an adult.

Recent Grad, Uncategorized

My Sworn Enemy

by TaylorLeave a Comment on My Sworn Enemy

For the past month I’ve been breaking out and could not figure as to why. I went through middle school, high school AND college without more than a few pimples a YEAR (if that) and in the past month, it’s been all over my face.

Found out yesterday, my morning snack of almonds for the past month have been causing me to break out. I HAD NO IDEA! So if any of you weren’t aware, consider yourself warned.

Bahhhhhhhh.

Recent Grad, Uncategorized

Settling in.

by TaylorLeave a Comment on Settling in.

I’m a planner. I scheduled my permit test when I was exactly 15 years and 6 months old. I took my driving test 6 months later. And I started my first job as soon as my nights freed up from volleyball practice that year. Believe me when I say, I am a planner. 

Where am I going with this? As a planner, these past five months have taken their toll on me. I’ve moved four times (and come December, it’ll be five times). I went from student, to unemployed, to one job and then another. I’ve had to adjust and then readjust to different environments, work settings, peer groups and friendships that have slowly become more estranged each passing week.

I started to feel as if I would never see the light at the end of this depressing tunnel but it occurred to me last week as I was looking into graduate programs: I am going to commit myself to a minimum of three years at LLU. I’ve had seven jobs since the age of 16, but none of them have lasted more than six months (except Enrollment at PUC. It’s still weird to think I worked there for three years … but that’s only during the school year). Having a full-time job doesn’t just mean 40 hours a week. With my position, I am solely in charge of my responsibilities and there is no one else to cover should I up and leave. I know I shouldn’t feel comfortable giving myself a requirement to stay in one place but I feel staying put could actually do me some good. I need to learn what it’s like to settle in and make a job my own. I’m in a position where I can do everything I’m asked to do on my own terms. I want to give myself an opportunity to experiment and evolve and then measure my success/failure with past years. I want to be able to settle into a home and make it my own. I am yearning for consistency.

As I continue to look into graduate programs (and man, I feel bad for the 10+ schools I requested info from because I just have not had the time to sit down and sort through all the information packets/emails/voicemails) I don’t have to worry if I’ll be close to the school in another year or so. I find comfort knowing I will be in one place for the next few years. Growing up in two homes since birth isn’t quite the recipe for solidarity. But now that I’m becoming even more independent … I am granting myself just that.

If you need me, you’ll know where to find me.

Recent Grad, Uncategorized

Closing the gap between the distance

by TaylorLeave a Comment on Closing the gap between the distance

I don’t know what is considered “long distance” for most couples, but for Steven and I, we had two years of seeing each other every day (and I mean every day) so even being an hour apart was an adjustment for us this past summer. Now that he’s up at PUC finishing up his degree and I’m in Loma Linda, we were forced to adjust our relationship into long distance mode. 

These past four weeks have felt like an experiment. We were so not accustomed to being apart, adjusting our entire schedules to make time just to talk, and figuring out what to do with our free time–but we figured it out. We had our first “checkpoint” on Wednesday and every day since then has been the perfect remedy.

Work keeps me super busy throughout the week but it doesn’t take away from the fact that I miss him all the time. Being long distance just appeals to the organizing freak inside me and allows me to plan dates and trips and everything else so that our time together is not time wasted.

Of course I’d rather have him with me all the time, but something’s telling me that next eight months are gonna be better than we dreaded.

It’s a good thing I adore Southwest’s customer service, cuz they are makin’ bank off of us.