Life on the Road Part II
My Halloween was a lot of fun. At work, I dressed as a giant FAFSA form. FAFSA is the free application for student aid, and every student who wants to receive some sort of assistance from the feds or state must fill one out. My office loved it and they don't think I can be something better next year. At night I had a fun time at a Halloween party in a funeral parlor. The casket was upright with a fridge in it for beer. I was a Hooters girl and walked around with chicken wings. The day after Halloween I drove down to south Jersey again. It was 70 degrees and sunny and I was on the Atlantic City boardwalk. It was a perfect beach day, so I collected some sea shells. The following day was a giant NACAC college fair. Pretty much anyone who's from south Jersey who was interested in going to college was there. During the intermission, I made friends with a representative from another college. It turns out that she lives a few towns over from me, and a girl I went to high school with is her cousin. Small world! We gambled and played Skee Ball on the boardwalk. I lost around fifty dollars playing roulette. After the night portion of the college fair, I drove over to Camden/Gloucester to visit high schools the following day. That weekend I spent in Burlington county with a friend, and we saw Borat and Saw III. Borat is the funniest movie. It's all anthropology, but no respected anthropologist would agree to show the world how awesome anthropology can be.
Last week I was back in Atlantic City again on Monday for a huge financial aid conference. All the universities in the state of New Jersey were there. I got to walk around and get a lot of free pens and giveaways from people who want me to use their business. Considering I'm the new person on the block for financial aid, I didn't know anyone other than my co-workers. Everyone has been in the financial aid world forever, except me. I didn't know very much about financial aid, but the conference gave me a great understanding of the vocabulary and different programs that are out there. I went to a whole lecture on loan consolidation!!! oooo fun! I really got to know my co-workers better as well, which is great because now I don't feel as stupid asking them questions which I don't know the answer. I got to gamble some more. After losing another twenty, I finally won 70 dollars playing roulette and walked away even. Everyone in my office thinks I'm a gambler now. I only bet ten dollars in order to win $70. My office also thinks I'm a slob. I lost the company cell phone for four weeks and had to get a new one. The cleaning lady found my old phone for me, even though I checked the spot she found it several times.
Last Wednesday I visited my last high schools for the season. I was in Burlington county which is only two hours from my house. It took me four hours to get home because of a overturned tractor trailer on the turnpike. That morning I sat in an extra hour of traffic. The high school I was visiting called my office thinking I had died. I had called them and told them I was going to be late because of traffic, I just had no idea I would be an hour late. Talk about ending travel season by sitting in the car three hours more than I should have. The only travel I have left to do for this season is I have to go up to Albany tomorrow to give an information session to some students. Since I started traveling, I have clocked over 5,000 miles. That's about a thousand miles a week in the car!
Living on the road has its ups and downs. I never see my house or my family. I'll go two weeks and only sleep in my own bed for a night. The hardest thing about the whole thing is coming home, dropping off dirty clothes to get new ones and have to leave in ten hours again. It's just better to stay away as long as possible, which is why I haven't spent the past two weekends at home. The dining gets to you, too. Because I'm unfamiiar with most of the areas I visit, I stick to chain restaurants. Yes Clare, eating at the Olive Garden once a week, sometimes twice, can get old pretty fast.. believe it or not! I had a cycle going of Olive Garden, Pizza Hut, Red Lobster, Chilis, Friendlys, Wendy's, Subway, TGI Fridays, Applebees, etc and all that food is so unhealthy for you. It's sad when you start craving a home cooked meal and vegetables. I've gained about five pounds. Now that I'm the office every day, I will work out after work. My commute is supposed to take 45 minutes, but because of traffic it takes 1 1/2 hours. I have to leave at 7:30AM and I get home around 6:30. It's not fun. I've been reading more than ever. Having books on CD can help the car ride seem not so bad, unless it's a really bad book.
At times I feel lost and confused wandering around. I've had people in schools tell me that I looked confused or lost. It's hard making yourself be as professional as possible. I keep having these "real life moments" or feelings of "so this is what it's like to be an adult." I never get carded for booze because I'm by myself in a suit. I had a waitress give me two margaritas because she felt bad for me. I guess she thought my date didn't show up or something. I walk around in my free time in a mall or wherever, and I'm the only one of my age group. It's hard to find new friends. Even though the admissions people you constantly come in contact with are your age, they already have their friendships and see you as the new guy or girl. Most of the guys are married or engaged. No one is my age in the financial aid world. Being in a hotel by yourself really keeps your guard up. For some reason, every time I'm in an elevator with a male, he feels the need to talk to me. I've heard everything from "It's getting chilly outside" (it was 70 degrees at the time) to "hey. you're a woman, does this outfit match" to "twelve huh" (in reference to the floor number I pressed) Why are they talking to me? I don't want to talk to them, I'm creeped out enough on my own.
Even working on campus is hard because I know so many people still attending the school. I don't want to hang out on campus for fear of running into someone I don't want to, like an intern or someone who will think, "wait, she does my financial aid and she's getting trashed in a dorm room." That doesn't look good, so I don't even consider attempting it. If I were to ever go to a party, the risk of getting caught around underage people and getting in trouble is huge because I'm a staff member now. Some days I wish I was still a student. I don't miss classes, homework, dorm rooms (other than their convenience), or the food. I see my college friends maybe once a month if that, and it's hard to keep in touch. If it weren't for facebook or myspace, I wouldn't know what happened to several of my classmates, mainly because I never talk to them anymore, nor have a desire to keep an acquaintice alive.
The rest of the week I will start my training for financial aid. I will also learn how to read an application and decide whether the student should be admitted or not. I will be in my office from 9-5 until April or so when I start traveling again. I can't believe it's less than two weeks until Thanksgiving.
Last week I was back in Atlantic City again on Monday for a huge financial aid conference. All the universities in the state of New Jersey were there. I got to walk around and get a lot of free pens and giveaways from people who want me to use their business. Considering I'm the new person on the block for financial aid, I didn't know anyone other than my co-workers. Everyone has been in the financial aid world forever, except me. I didn't know very much about financial aid, but the conference gave me a great understanding of the vocabulary and different programs that are out there. I went to a whole lecture on loan consolidation!!! oooo fun! I really got to know my co-workers better as well, which is great because now I don't feel as stupid asking them questions which I don't know the answer. I got to gamble some more. After losing another twenty, I finally won 70 dollars playing roulette and walked away even. Everyone in my office thinks I'm a gambler now. I only bet ten dollars in order to win $70. My office also thinks I'm a slob. I lost the company cell phone for four weeks and had to get a new one. The cleaning lady found my old phone for me, even though I checked the spot she found it several times.
Last Wednesday I visited my last high schools for the season. I was in Burlington county which is only two hours from my house. It took me four hours to get home because of a overturned tractor trailer on the turnpike. That morning I sat in an extra hour of traffic. The high school I was visiting called my office thinking I had died. I had called them and told them I was going to be late because of traffic, I just had no idea I would be an hour late. Talk about ending travel season by sitting in the car three hours more than I should have. The only travel I have left to do for this season is I have to go up to Albany tomorrow to give an information session to some students. Since I started traveling, I have clocked over 5,000 miles. That's about a thousand miles a week in the car!
Living on the road has its ups and downs. I never see my house or my family. I'll go two weeks and only sleep in my own bed for a night. The hardest thing about the whole thing is coming home, dropping off dirty clothes to get new ones and have to leave in ten hours again. It's just better to stay away as long as possible, which is why I haven't spent the past two weekends at home. The dining gets to you, too. Because I'm unfamiiar with most of the areas I visit, I stick to chain restaurants. Yes Clare, eating at the Olive Garden once a week, sometimes twice, can get old pretty fast.. believe it or not! I had a cycle going of Olive Garden, Pizza Hut, Red Lobster, Chilis, Friendlys, Wendy's, Subway, TGI Fridays, Applebees, etc and all that food is so unhealthy for you. It's sad when you start craving a home cooked meal and vegetables. I've gained about five pounds. Now that I'm the office every day, I will work out after work. My commute is supposed to take 45 minutes, but because of traffic it takes 1 1/2 hours. I have to leave at 7:30AM and I get home around 6:30. It's not fun. I've been reading more than ever. Having books on CD can help the car ride seem not so bad, unless it's a really bad book.
At times I feel lost and confused wandering around. I've had people in schools tell me that I looked confused or lost. It's hard making yourself be as professional as possible. I keep having these "real life moments" or feelings of "so this is what it's like to be an adult." I never get carded for booze because I'm by myself in a suit. I had a waitress give me two margaritas because she felt bad for me. I guess she thought my date didn't show up or something. I walk around in my free time in a mall or wherever, and I'm the only one of my age group. It's hard to find new friends. Even though the admissions people you constantly come in contact with are your age, they already have their friendships and see you as the new guy or girl. Most of the guys are married or engaged. No one is my age in the financial aid world. Being in a hotel by yourself really keeps your guard up. For some reason, every time I'm in an elevator with a male, he feels the need to talk to me. I've heard everything from "It's getting chilly outside" (it was 70 degrees at the time) to "hey. you're a woman, does this outfit match" to "twelve huh" (in reference to the floor number I pressed) Why are they talking to me? I don't want to talk to them, I'm creeped out enough on my own.
Even working on campus is hard because I know so many people still attending the school. I don't want to hang out on campus for fear of running into someone I don't want to, like an intern or someone who will think, "wait, she does my financial aid and she's getting trashed in a dorm room." That doesn't look good, so I don't even consider attempting it. If I were to ever go to a party, the risk of getting caught around underage people and getting in trouble is huge because I'm a staff member now. Some days I wish I was still a student. I don't miss classes, homework, dorm rooms (other than their convenience), or the food. I see my college friends maybe once a month if that, and it's hard to keep in touch. If it weren't for facebook or myspace, I wouldn't know what happened to several of my classmates, mainly because I never talk to them anymore, nor have a desire to keep an acquaintice alive.
The rest of the week I will start my training for financial aid. I will also learn how to read an application and decide whether the student should be admitted or not. I will be in my office from 9-5 until April or so when I start traveling again. I can't believe it's less than two weeks until Thanksgiving.