The Post Before the Move
It's hard to believe that I've come to the week where I'll be moving out of the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area for the first time. I have mixed feelings about this move, sometimes being excited about the prospect of being more independent than I ever have before and working at the sweet job that I've been anticipating working at for the past four months, and sometimes being nervous about being in a city where I know pretty much no one and where all my friends and family are an hour-and-a-half away. Mostly I've been focusing on getting what I need to get done one task at a time.
There will be some things here that I'll miss, and plenty of other things I won't. Walking on the bike trails on a calm, sunny day is something I'll miss. Almost getting hit by a driver who shouldn't have pulled out yet when turning left when my roommate and I had the walk signal, then getting flipped off after my roommate flipped the driver off is something I won't miss. Neither will I miss the people yelling out the windows of their cars heckling me as they drive and I walk. Getting together and watching TV shows on Jeff's TiVo, our Sunday night Perkins runs, and late nights with Vik, Logan, and their co-worker Kurt playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl are also things I'll miss. And yes, I'll even miss my Monday night visits to my parents' house where I got to do laundry for free and get a home-cooked meal while my parents try to find out what I've been doing.
As you might imagine, this past week has been a series of doing things one last time before I go. Last Sunday was the last Sunday night Perkins run. Last Wednesday was the last trip to Iowa City that Jeff, Logan, and I made, and before that my last visit to Old Chicago with Logan (and my only one for happy hour and drinking at the bar). Last Friday was the last game night at Jeff and Meri's, with Hickey, a friend of Nate's, bringing what a few years ago became my favorite board game: Betrayal at House on the Hill. Saturday night was my last ham radio club meeting for this area's ham radio club and the last night Jeff and I went to Perkins. Last night was my last big family gathering as we got together for my dad's birthday (we also were at his retirement party on Friday, even though he really won't be done until Thursday) as well as my last visit to the station while I'm still living in this area. And tonight was my last Monday night at my parents' house for laundry and dinner. It's been interesting how I've started to appreciate what I had here when I know I'm doing these things for the last time before I move. I know there will be some things I'll want to do again after I move.
On the other hand I'll be working the best job I've ever had a little less than a week from now, and I'll have an apartment all to myself for the first time ever. I have a general idea of how I want to lay things out at the new apartment. My main concern is that I may have too much stuff and will probably have to either get a storage unit or part with that which I really don't need anymore. Once I get settled in I'll have to get to work on learning the three Unix OSs that I'll be supporting, though I don't see that as being too much of an issue. On Monday morning I start my six weeks of training, which goes from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday, and then I'll be in my job for real after that, and I have no idea what the schedule will be at that time. I'm willing to bet money that, since I've worked overnights and weekends before that I'll be doing it at this job as well.
And thus ends my last LiveJournal entry before I move. I'll be packing everything into the moving van tomorrow and then actually moving on Wednesday. I won't have Internet access at the new apartment until Thursday, so don't be surprised if you don't see me online for a few days. Good bye hometown and college town that I've been in for so long. Hello new town that I've only passed through until recently!
There will be some things here that I'll miss, and plenty of other things I won't. Walking on the bike trails on a calm, sunny day is something I'll miss. Almost getting hit by a driver who shouldn't have pulled out yet when turning left when my roommate and I had the walk signal, then getting flipped off after my roommate flipped the driver off is something I won't miss. Neither will I miss the people yelling out the windows of their cars heckling me as they drive and I walk. Getting together and watching TV shows on Jeff's TiVo, our Sunday night Perkins runs, and late nights with Vik, Logan, and their co-worker Kurt playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl are also things I'll miss. And yes, I'll even miss my Monday night visits to my parents' house where I got to do laundry for free and get a home-cooked meal while my parents try to find out what I've been doing.
As you might imagine, this past week has been a series of doing things one last time before I go. Last Sunday was the last Sunday night Perkins run. Last Wednesday was the last trip to Iowa City that Jeff, Logan, and I made, and before that my last visit to Old Chicago with Logan (and my only one for happy hour and drinking at the bar). Last Friday was the last game night at Jeff and Meri's, with Hickey, a friend of Nate's, bringing what a few years ago became my favorite board game: Betrayal at House on the Hill. Saturday night was my last ham radio club meeting for this area's ham radio club and the last night Jeff and I went to Perkins. Last night was my last big family gathering as we got together for my dad's birthday (we also were at his retirement party on Friday, even though he really won't be done until Thursday) as well as my last visit to the station while I'm still living in this area. And tonight was my last Monday night at my parents' house for laundry and dinner. It's been interesting how I've started to appreciate what I had here when I know I'm doing these things for the last time before I move. I know there will be some things I'll want to do again after I move.
On the other hand I'll be working the best job I've ever had a little less than a week from now, and I'll have an apartment all to myself for the first time ever. I have a general idea of how I want to lay things out at the new apartment. My main concern is that I may have too much stuff and will probably have to either get a storage unit or part with that which I really don't need anymore. Once I get settled in I'll have to get to work on learning the three Unix OSs that I'll be supporting, though I don't see that as being too much of an issue. On Monday morning I start my six weeks of training, which goes from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday, and then I'll be in my job for real after that, and I have no idea what the schedule will be at that time. I'm willing to bet money that, since I've worked overnights and weekends before that I'll be doing it at this job as well.
And thus ends my last LiveJournal entry before I move. I'll be packing everything into the moving van tomorrow and then actually moving on Wednesday. I won't have Internet access at the new apartment until Thursday, so don't be surprised if you don't see me online for a few days. Good bye hometown and college town that I've been in for so long. Hello new town that I've only passed through until recently!