People make the experience

After having a day like Wednesday (a.k.a. Marybeth and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day), I didn't believe things were going to look up anytime soon. I mean, it didn't start so well yesterday - I was running late for work, due to... you guessed it... traffic - but things really improved quickly.

I learned about CPS orientation, and I found myself very interested in the intentional messages sent by the program to both parents and students regarding expectations for students' academic lives. I mean, it's hammered into students' and parents' heads that this is a rigorous, integrative, active learning experience. Um, hello?! I'm in my own version of student affairs-academic affairs heaven. When we had a break in the morning, I hung out in the office of campus programs with Julie, one of the women in my cohort, and she commiserated with me over my present woes of the commute, apartment hunting, and generally seeking a balance in this new life of mine. I feel like it's hard to focus on much else, but in spite of my egocentrism I did get to learn some things about her, too. :) Turns out her husband used to work in the wine business, and so we were able to chat about another favorite thing of mine! And, Julie and I will spend even more time together starting on Monday when we begin our stats class together. Thank God I won't be alone in that challenge!

As well, I met some faculty who work with the College Park Scholars program, along with another doctoral student in my program who's about to finish. She was giving me some info on how much money she took out in loans, and that helped ease some of my present discomfort with taking so much money for the year. It also didn't hurt to hear that in December she'll start a well-compensated teaching position at Syracuse, and that will give her a head start on paying the aid money back. Another wave of relief washed over me when I heard her say that after the first $40,000 in loans it doesn't phase you so much.

On the whole, have I mentioned how much I enjoy the Scholars staff? It's such a comfortable, mutually supporting environment. And, it's a place filled with sarcastic, fun-loving people. Ah, to feel at home again! I enjoy all the banter in our area. I really want to tell you all about my new colleague Kevin, BUT I gave him this blog address, too. So... I can't mention that I probably have more awards than him, even though he's younger than me (by a measly six weeks) and technically is a superior of mine. :) In all seriousness, it is people like this guy that make life around the office fun. I will never say anything nice about him again, though...

I digress - but not really, since this entry is about the people in my life here. When I left Scholars, I ventured to the city of Greenbelt, a co-op experiment developed during FDR's presidency. I decided, after seeing more apartments this week that weren't going to work for me, it was time to submit a lease application for the unbelievably expensive University Square apartment complex. Long story short, the people in the leasing office were not very attentive or helpful. I left feeling defeated, and so I went to the New Deal Cafe, where I tried to journal. It wasn't happening. As I left (after a little nudge from Danny), I called one last apartment place that was posted on craig's list. Little did I know I was about to meet the most amazing potential landlord known to man. I don't want to jinx it (I submitted an app and am waiting on a credit check), but the apartment is a cute and reasonably priced place in historic Laurel, MD - right next to their little downtown area. Cross your fingers for me. The connection to my "people here rock" story is that this guy was so helpful, funny, and kind. Unfortunately, he's a Cubs fan, but we can let that go for now. He and his wife own just a few small buildings, so he really knows his tenants well, lets them personalize the place, and does the maintenance work and upgrades himself. I think (but I could be wrong) that we clicked in that elusive landlord-tenant way. I'm just spitballing based on his offering me a box spring and mattress, asking where I thought I might put the t.v. (so we could have the cables in the right place), and the rest of our 1 and a half hour long chat, but I may have found a good place provided the background and credit reports come back alright.

Can it get better? Really, shouldn't the entry end right here? Well, no. I drove back to Adam's (still got lost, but not as bad this time) and when I got home this really nice girl across the street (whom I met briefly Wednesday night) waved me over. For the next two hours or so, I sat, hung out, and drank jack & coke with Hannah, her partner Yanni, and their duck. Seriously, they have a duck named Guinevere. Several other neightborhood types came around and chatted. It was just a really neat time.

The moral? Even though people here seem to have absolutely no care for humanity while racing their cars, if you get to know them beyond the steel frames of those wheeled beasts they're pretty darn nice.

That... and every once in a while it's nice to have something to drink other than coffee.