Sunday, August 5, 2012

Settling In

It’s been about five full weeks now since I moved into my new DC apartment and started my new DC job. Things are going pretty well!

The apartment is comfortable and well-placed, the residents are friendly and I haven’t encountered any real problems with my living arrangement. I’ve gone through a dozen nails and hung five pictures on the walls. The rest of my framed art is stacked in a corner awaiting storage or attempted hangings in the future. I’m set for furniture and, for the time being, appliances. There may be a new computer in my future, but that’s a purchase I’ll hold off on for awhile, most likely. As for the building’s amenities, the gym is usable if not impressive, the pool is lovely and comfortable and as I said earlier, the residents are very friendly and chatty.

On the job front, things are going along nicely. I have yet to confirm my enrollment in my chosen health care program but as I understand it, that’ll take a few more weeks. I have, however, gotten paid twice, and I can’t say that seeing the deposits in my account doesn’t make me extremely happy. The job itself is starting to solidify into specific projects and routines, which is nice. As it becomes more clear how my time will be spent and the kinds of responsibilities that will fall into my purview, I can foresee being challenged and busy – but not crazed – while at work. I’m still enjoying my hours (7:15am-3:45pm) and the ability to have a very separate work life and home life.

I’m trying to find ways to get involved with various activities and meet a variety of people. To that end I’ll be attending an event with a twist on speed dating: weeding in a community garden while meeting other weeders. It encompasses two of my desires: to get involved with a community garden and to meet some guys! It’s silly and I don’t expect much from it but fun, but that’s a good goal, right?

Also on my list is maybe joining a dance class for ballroom dancing, but timing and location are hard to coordinate. My desire to delve back into learning Spanish hasn’t quite kicked in yet… but hopefully I can start getting into some kind of routine soon. My more physical pursuits – hiking, working out, etc – are hampered by some real heel pain issues which I’ve yet to resolve. And I’ve decided to settle in to my new routine a bit more before hunting out English-teaching opportunities.

This weekend I took the train up to Massachusetts and joined my folks at a family reunion/birthday celebration, which was lots of fun. Not only did I get to visit with cousins and other family, but I got to meet ones I hadn’t previously. Also, a day on Lake Bule is always a day well spent! In any case, I’m now on the train ride back to DC.

Not an exciting update, perhaps, but I have to remind myself that it’s been only a month since I’ve “settled down” into this new phase, and I’ve got plenty of time for excitement and new experiences!

2 comments:

  1. good to get the current news ... and we had a most pleasant time with you at Sig's 90th. Best regards from the Farm.

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  2. Glad to see things are going well for you!! Btw, learning Spanish is awesome! hehe

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