CT ' s NP

Memorial Weekend

Oh what a weekend.

Finally touched base with some old college friends. Grilled and hung out on a rooftop in Brooklyn for the better part of the day. It was awesome to see them again. Not too mention the new people I met. Will hopefully be heading down there a bit more now.

Also hung out with the coworker twice. Friday night and then pretty much all day Saturday. Went to a beach here in Stamford. The sand was… how to be nice… not up to par. I hear other beaches are better but require much more travel. Odd to be saying that the beaches on Lake Michigan are better but they are. Best beach I heard of was from my college friends who described it as similar to what you find in Northern Michigan.

Got a bit burned. Which happens but I’m content. Starting to build a new social circle. Now it is close to time for bed. Next week could be hectic.

A week in review

First legitimate full week has been spent here in Connecticut. The first week I was way too messed up from the drive for it to count. All I did was sleep until work started. Didn’t do anything on the weekend either. I even got groceries!

But a full week of work that was spent in meetings, online training and trying to get all the systems up and running that I need. I still don’t have a phone or my client computer… However things are starting to come together for work and next week I will have a lot of free time to get through these trainings. That has me excited.

As I recapped before I went to trivia with one of the roomies and her friends last Tuesday. Hoping that won’t be a one off event. Then on Friday left work an hour early to have a few happy hour drinks with 2 coworkers and one client coworker. After those beers we met up at the older coworkers house. Had some wine, pizza and played with her kids a bit. Smart kids too.

After that wound up going to the coworker’s place who is the same age as me. Did some shots and had a beer there and then hit a bar downtown with her roommates and friends. Had a hell of a night. Bar scene is a bit different than Michigan’s but I think I’ll adapt just fine.

Speaking of Michigan, heard it was around the 90s and sunny all weekend. What I’d have given to spend a day in Grand Haven… So strange in these early months of the summer (well we’re still officially in spring but whatever) when it gets this hot but the lake is still 60. Nothing shocks the system quite like jumping from the pier in burning hot conditions to very cool water.

Haven’t gone to the beach out here yet. Heard the Long Island Sound isn’t exactly… how to put this, clean. All in time though, all in time.

Trivia Night!

Went to a local bars trivia night here in Stamford last night with one of my roommates and a few of her friends. Also ran into one of my coworkers there.

I didn’t do so well. Maybe got half the ones I said right. Haha oh well.

Everything has been going good on the work front. At least from my end. Been here in Connecticut just over a week and hasn’t even quite been a week yet for work. Still have to see if I can maintain a positive outlook when the shit hits the fan next week at work with all the changes that will be happening but one step at a time.

Another point of interest has been how people in the service industry react when I actually say ‘Thank you’. Some actually do have a look of shock and surprise. Us from the Midwest just must be that more hospitable than the East Coast…at least the metropolitan East Coast.

Also am starting to pick up the biases of each area (doesn’t quite fall into the realm of states) and stereotypes. So far I have not identified the Indiana for the east coast. That one area that everyone looks down on.

East Coast

The sun rises too damn early here. I guess that’s what I get for switching from the western edge of a time zone to the beginning of it.

Have hung out with most of the roommates once so far. Seem cool. Thinking on Saturday afternoon or maybe all of Sunday hopping on the train and riding it into Manhattan and do some exploring.

Trying to find ways to get out and meet people. So I signed up with meetup.org, cool site. Will probably attend some of the functions.

But… some cross between what I put down as interests (probably singles) got me an update that a new group was formed - New York Pick Up Artists. Yeah… no. First profile listed included the phrase ‘60 years young’. The people you surround yourself with have a huge impact on yourself, whether or not you even realize it. I am most definitely not going to surround myself with a bunch of douches who sit around all day talking strategy about talking to girls rather than, oh I don’t know, talking to them? Like they are an actual human being (hint: they are!)

But whatever. I’m close to one of the greatest cities in the world, something is sure to pop up.

On Momentous Occasions

I’m a pretty stoic person, extremely even keeled. Likely to the point of it being a fault. The shell got obliterated.

Started choking up before I even finished packing. Very difficult saying goodbye to my roommate and the pup. I stayed strong when friends were more or less crying on my shoulder as we said our final goodbyes (yes, alcohol was involved). I stayed collected when my mother said repeatedly “I’m not going to cry” while choking up, I stayed calm while I said goodbye to my 5 year old nephew, felt sad as I noticed my grandpa is starting to show early signs of Alzheimers, but once I got in the car with the rain pouring all around me I finally felt it all.

The fear, all of the regrets of actions taken and those avoided. The imposing understanding that I am on my own. No family to fall back on or just to stop by and hang out with for a bit, 2 friends who live in the heart of New York City, a $2k advance that would need to repaid if I don’t last a year, a year lease with total strangers, an unfamiliar town, and a new job.

The new job, really the beginnings of my career. While without my previous experience back in Grand Rapids I would never have gotten this position it just never quite felt right or real. The new job… it sounds like I’ll get some say on when I start my day, the people I have talked to have all been fantastic, everyone I have spoken with sings praises about this company. I extremely excited to get started, hell I’m thrilled to finally meet my coworkers tomorrow for lunch.

The exquisite joy of taking a huge step forward, the mystery of who I will be meeting, understanding that everything is new, the chance to define myself as I want to be and shaking of the weight of past mistakes.

People cry when they are happy, we cry when we are sad. For me it took a mix of both. I’ll get to see the a lot of my college (well all of one group) friends for a wedding in Chicago in July. Maybe I’ll get a chance to head up to Michigan that weekend but that is doubtful. I probably won’t have the PTO saved up to make a trip back to Grand Rapids until September or maybe even October.

Goodbye Grand Rapids. I love and miss all of you.