therapy

Throwing out and giving away things you have accumulated over time but no longer have a use for is extremely therapeutic.

a horse is a horse of course of course

Yesterday I went to ride my old horse and former AIM screename namesake, Salsa. My girl is doing so well, which makes me extremely happy. I poured hours of time, blood and sweat into that thing in the three years I owned her to train her to be the best horse she can be, and it makes me immensely happy to know that her current owner has dedicated just as much to keep her heading in the right direction. Salsa was wonderful to ride yesterday, still a little stubborn when you don't push, but she seems to be doing very well. I loooooove her, she still makes me happy just to look at. And I am extremely lucky to have been able to sell her to such a wonderful woman who kept her at my old barn and lets me ride her when I ask. Truly, I am thankful.

What I am not thankful for is me being ghastly out of shape and panting through my ride yesterday. My sore butt also is not thankful, hehe. It is strange that someone can be in shape, hell I have seen people in much superior shape to myself try and ride, but nothing prepares you for riding. The muscles you use and the type of stamina you need to ride horses are so much different than any other type of exercise. To everyone who has ever told me I "just sit there" on the horse, I challenge you to ride a horse for an hour, or better yet, just 15 minutes. I promise you will wake up in pain the next day, guaranteed. My butt, calves and back were screaming at me yesterday, which just means I will have to go back and work those muscles out some more.

After the barn I traveled to my new apartment in Morrisville, which is much closer to some fine eating, drinking and entertainment than I knew, and I drove around the area to regain my bearings. In 4 years I have avoided Cary, NC like the plague, desperate to leave that little town behind. And now, I find myself living next to it and working in the depths of Cary. So, I need to remember my way around, which should all come back to me very very soon, it'll just take a few treks through the town, which is literally about twice the size as it was when I left.

And then...I got lost. Driving back to Chapel hill from Morrisville I drove the wrong way down the wrong road home, and made a wrong turn on the initial wrong road. That folks, is a bad idea, let me just tell you...I ended up in Butner, NC, which I have since been told is famous for its mental institution and prison. Thankfully, I did not come across either, because I would have been much more scared than I was. I am lucky to have been able to garner some sort of phone reception for long enough to call Paul and get him to mapquest me home. Or mapquest me into civilization. Then it was Cara and Spence's turn to mapquest me back to I-40, from where I could then actually get home. Interesting drive, fairly stressful actually, but good lesson learned...won't be taking that road trying to get to Chapel Hill again. ;)

people

People can be inherently different and difficult, which can make them hard to deal with at times. At the same time, I greatly enjoy the differences humans have between them that make us all unique creatures. To each his own.

But, friends should not make your life more complicated. They should not be stressful. Sure, a certain amount of responsibility and minor stress comes with a bond of friendship, but everything worthwhile in life has a little stress and some responsibility attached to it. The point being that when a friend is constantly and consistently making you feel bad, sad, stressed out or angry, that person is not a good friend.

All that said, I love my friends and I am not talking about anyone I know, just some observations I have made seeing relationships evolve around me.

new things, new places

Well, a lot has happened since I last posted.

1. I graduated from college!

• 4 years gone, and so fast too. I sat next to my friend Erin at graduation, and it seemed like just yesterday the two of us were graduating from high school. What happened? Where did the time go?
• The graduation speaker was great, he was funny and entertaining and the whole ceremony was very nice: short, to the point, and the speakers all did their job in being interesting and not at all boring.
• Now I can't believe I am really done. No more classes, no more noon wake-ups, no more skipping class and other responsibilities just because I feel like I want. Welcome to the real world Antonia...
  

2. I got a job!!!

• I am the newest Media Coordinator at MRPP, Inc. in Cary! I really am so excited.
• I start June 6th and I really can't wait. Although I am pretty sure that as the time nears, I will be a little nervous knowing how much I will be expected to know and learn in the first few weeks. I am sure it will be slightly overwhelming, but it is going to be a challenge I will be more than happy and willing to tackle.
  

Wow.

And with all that comes the fact that I will need to move in the next few weeks. No more living at my wonderful home of 4 years here in Finley Forest, which will be extremely strange. Its been such a great place to live, and some of my very best friends who live next door will be a car ride away now. Strange.

At the same time, I am excited. New place, new beginning, new chance to prove myself. It will be nice to hopefully get my own place. I am trying to live by myself, which I things would make me happiest in the long run. Roomates can be stressful, and although mine have been wonderful this past year, not having to deal with other people's things and schedules, etc. will be awesome. I also plan on hopefully getting new couches, maybe a new bed, something like that when I move (my graduation present from my parents).

I am also going to see what I can do about finding new wheels. Victor is just giving me such a hassle recently that I feel I need something more reliable if I am going to be expected to get to work on time every day. Working A/C would also probably be super in the North Carolina summer heat. :)

Today I spent hours organizing my belongings and trying to get rid of the junk I have accumulated over the last few years. After 4 trash bags, and 4 more bags for goodwill, I decided to stop for the day, but the organizing will continue early next week I think.

Maybe I will write a little about the new job soon. For now, that is it...

Dinner time!

wonderful

I don't know what to say or where to begin. Things are good, things are changing, I might be an "adult" soon, whatever that means. ;)

Today is the first day of having nothing to do but get myself a job. So I began the day with my second interview at MRPP. I met with the president of the company and I think it went pretty well, I definitely hope so.

Hmm, this blog is getting to be a hassle. Maybe I will write more later. Sorry guys!

Oh. Uchenna and Joyce won last night on the season finale of Amazing Race. Woohoo! They were my pick, I'm super glad they won. I'm such a dork...

hello real world

Finished! Done! No more school forever!

This afternoon I officially completed my academic studies, just waiting for graduation on Sunday now. Craziness.

Tomorrow morning I have a very important second interview, which I am studying up for right now. While I was taking my last exam ever, I got a phone call for another interview next week, which is super. I am just hoping that I don't actually need another interview after tomorrow, because I want this job at MRPP, Inc. more than anything!

Well, I'll write more later. I must go celebrate! :)

goodbye ITRC

I am sitting here an hour away from the end of my last day of work ever at the IT Response Center, the part-time job I've kept for almost two years now. Half of my best friends work here and it has been one of the only sources of stability in my life for all this while. It is a sad day for sure. At the same time, it means I am moving on, I have places to go and things to do with my life, and that means all kinds of great, wonderful opportunities, hopefully.

In two years, my classes have changed over and over again, friends have come and gone, my goals have changed, my schedule has readjusted itself constantly, but I always knew I would be coming to work each week at the ITRC, no matter what. It will be strange indeed not to have any responsibility here anymore. I almost feel as though I am going to be a fairly useless excuse for a human being in the next few weeks (until I find a job). I will have no class or work responsibility, only my own desire to get up and be a functioning part of the world as reason to get up in the morning. Strange...

And as two people have said their goodbyes here already, making me cry just a little, I will finish this post. All's well that ends well, right? A little sadness, but, eh, time to keep on keeping on.