Smells Like School Spirit

This entry is going to be difficult to write, since I'm not going to say the University name, use school colors, or our mascots name, but I am so filled with school spirit this week, I can't not write something. I suppose we'll just call it U- for the sake of this blog....

For some background info, I've always had school spirit and I've always loved the University. Going to U- and not to the other school that I was planning on was the best decision I've ever made. I give the school, my friends, and my mentors full credit for crafting me into the person I've become (and clearly that's a pretty awesome person....cocky, I know). That aside, I never ever imagined that being away from the school on this job would actually make me love the school even more! I suppose absence makes the heart grow fonder!

So far in every state I have been to, I've met someone who was from the state (one in FL even grew up in our tiny town); is an alum of U-; or has a spouse/sibling/cousin/great nephew twice removed who is an alum. At the college fairs I think I talk to more people who were alums/family of alumni than I do people who are actually interested! It's SO great see just how wide our alumni network actually reaches. I can't wait until I get to go to my kids' college fairs and find the U- reps!

I've always laughed that people from our state have no state pride, not like Texas or New Jersey for sure. But apparently I've been wrong. People Love (not the capital L) to come up to me and shout that they are from other towns in the state. They don't care that many of them are no where near the school or where I grew up. Heck, I've never been to most of the towns they rattle off, but they Love to see us represented all over the country. It's a great feeling of camaraderie made in 2.5 seconds!

Today I was in a fast food restaurant in Florida and I mentioned to the waitress that I had never been to a Steak N Shake before, because we don't have them up North. She asked where I was from and 30 minutes later she found some other customers in the restaurant who were from the same state. We shouted back and forth over a c0uple rows of tables and it turns out she's an alumna herself. I was beaming with pride. Small world!

I've even started buying school colored clothes. I certainly have enough t-shirts, flip flops and lanyards with the schools name on it, but now I even have "grown up clothes" to represent U-. I wish I looked good in polos or could wear a tie. I'd get those too. At the college fairs many reps wear their school colors. Plus, it coordinates well with the table cloth banner! What a great reason to go shirt shopping! I just read that another U- rep has U- luggage tags and people stop him at the airport. Next time I am on campus, I'm going to invest for sure. For now, the ribbons on my carry-on and checked baggage are school colored. It's the best I can do! Ah, I can't wait to go shopping at the bookstore!

I always laughed at a former supervisor who had so much LSU pride. How could one person have so much spirit? So much LSU themed office decorations, clothing, and LSU stories? It always broke my heart that he didn't have nearly as much U- pride, though he's working on it! But now I totally understand. I don't think I could ever have so much pride in any other school I work for in the future. It's truly love.

My friends have been known to complain about how excessively I talk about U- when other U- students are around. Hate to say it, but now that I am a walking encyclopedia on the school, I could rave on and on for hours more. Sorry, y'all! I am so proud to go to such a wonderful University with a phenomenal reputation and so much school spirit!

GO U-!!!!
Now, that just looks silly, doesn't it?
And how come I can't make the font bigger?
I want to shout it from the rooftop!

Off the Beaten Path

As I was driving late last night, I saw on my GPS that I was on a bridge over the Gulf of Mexico. For some reason, despite my bizarre hatred of being wet, I really enjoy dipping my foot into different bodies of water - just to say I did. I'd liken this to how people swoon over reaching out to touch celebrity's hands. If I've never been to Mexico, at least I can say I've touched water that's been to Mexico. So far, I've really only gotten the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean for big bodies of water. Touching the Gulf, especially after the whole oil leak fiasco, is a must. I was willing to do anything it took to dip my foot in. Here’s the play by play:

I was driving down the highway and saw a sign for a rest stop ahead. I was on a bridge, so clearly water was near by. I drove towards the rest stop and the road split in three directions. Clearly labeled were the fishing pier, left; the rest stop, straight; but the right was unmarked. My curiosity getting the best of me, I followed the unmarked road. There were no street lights but it was paved. I figured they don't just pave things for fun. It had to end somewhere! And so I drove about 3/4 of a mile and a sign suddenly said the road was ending. I came to a cul-de-sac and I turned around. Strange, I thought, there was nothing on the road. Not a house. Not a light. No destination. I did however pass a couple dirt roads, leading towards the water. I followed the bigger one and came to a very wooded area. There were a couple parked cars and a man standing outside. I couldn’t see water because it was far too dark and I felt rude shining my high beams on the stranger. My better judgment kicked in and I decided it would not be a good idea to get out and introduce myself to a strange guy, in the woods, well off the beaten path. And so I turned out, headed to the actual rest stop. On my way back, I saw another path.... well, I think it was a path. Perhaps not though, as it was just dirt ground that happened to have sparse trees, wide enough for the Jeep to fit though. There were no tire tracks. Determined, I drove down it. Put the high beams up and went up and over the bumps and stumps, hitting some puddles and bouncing around.

Pretty soon I found the Gulf and to my surprise, a flamingo searching for food. There was some other little bird there too, but I wasn't too impressed with him. From inside the car, I took photos of the flamingo, who was blocking the little entry way to the water. I didn't want to get to close and scare him. Do flamingos attack people?! I decided they didn't so I got out of the Jeep, kept the high beams on and ventured towards the water. About 6 steps away from the water, and my bird friend who wasn't even phased that I was hanging out with him, I realized other animals might be in my presence too. Getting to the water required going near some brush and reeds. Suddenly it hit me - alligators like brush and trees and warm Gulf water. These were not the lakes of New England where my worst enemy might be a slimy trout. An alligator was not something I wanted to encounter (unless from the safety of my SUV, in which case, that would be really cool and I'd snap 50 photos). I remember how crocodile hunter died - you cant mess with big hungry reptiles! Besides, off the beaten path, probably unintentionally trespassing on some wildlife reserve or private property, who would hear my scream? Who would come to my rescue? I was in dress clothes too. Certainly no attire to run from an alligator. I panicked and hustled back to the car.

But the water was so close! What if I drove closer to the water and used my high beams to look in the brush. They I could just jump right out of my car and in two steps be at the water. Thinking this was the best idea since sliced bread, I pulled forward. Mind you, the flamingo is still just hanging out, not even watching me. I got out, felt the ground, and realized the ground I was parked on was very very squishy. As an indoorsy girl who never lived near water, this thought hadn't occurred to me sooner. Duh, of course it didn’t just go from hard ground to water instantly. I got back in the truck and tried to back up. No luck, I was stuck in the mud. I got out again, did a full lap around the truck, trying my hardest to avoid the bushes and looked for solid land and tree stumps. Seatbelt securely fastened, high beams on, I reved the engine as hard as it went, the wheels spun, mud went flying by me and fortunately, I made it back to solid ground. I floored it on my way out of the woods and got back to the road as quick as possible. Off roading is terrifying. Not something to do alone, in dress clothes, in a foreign state with strange predators lurking about. Noted for the future.

Safe back on the road, I was still sad I never got to the Gulf. Sure, this would be a good story for the blog, but that’s not a happy ending. More determined than ever, I drove back to the rest stop, which also wasn’t very well lit. I parked and kept the high beams up and saw the water in the distance. If I climbed a few boulders, I could make it to the water. And so with my cell phone in one hand and the camera in the other I carefully inched on my rear end over the rocks and down to the water. Flip flops are not rock climbing shoes and I am also one of the clumsiest people I know. If I fell off the rock it might be a while before someone found me in the unpopulated rest stop. But, I made it to the water, dunked in just my big toe and took a photo. The water was so warm. Well worth the adventure.

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back.
Success!

Jeepy, the Jeep Wrangler

"Ma'am would you like an upgrade?"

Usually sounds like a good thing, right? I got a Florida Enterprise on Sunday and the location was all out of clean cars in my class, the intermediate class. Christian, the adorable Enterprise guy, said as a corporate customer he wanted to make sure I was well taken care of. "You ever driven an SUV?" Sure, I'll take it. Venturing into the parking lot, I hoped for a nice one. "It's a little sportier" he advised. My mouth dropped when I saw my car. A giant 2009 Jeep Wrangler. In case you haven't seen one, it's large, very large. Comparable to an H2, I'd certainly never driven an SUV quite so big and certainly not around unfamiliar areas which may require tight parallel parking.

I drive quite a bit. And I drive a lot of things. Last year my new year's resolution was to drive 5 different cars. I succeeded. This year I may make it to 20. Thank goodness my parents let me drive our big F150 truck, because it was good prep work for this Wrangler. Even with so much time behind the wheel, I had never been so scared to drive a car. Not only was I in a huge SUV in an unfamiliar world, but it started to downpour. My wipers couldn't go fast enough and the roads were flash flooding. I almost pulled over.

By day 2, Jeepy and I made it a great distance and started to bond. I even backed it into a parking spot (on the first try, I might add!) I really enjoy the Wrangler and would certainly take it again. Here's the official roadrunner review

4 out of 5 stars
Pros:

• Handles amazingly, very responsive
• The back window is huge and goes really low. You can just about see the curb behind you when backing up. Makes it really really easy. I wish my Focus at home was like this. A great plus!
  
• Rides great, you hardly feel a bump
  
• Turing radius is impressive
• Windshield is a nice slope and size. This is oddly very important to me.
  
• Its fun to be so high up
• Steering wheel feels great in your hands
• Steering wheel is designed well, so you can rest your hands on a bunch of different spokes (see photo) and it's comfortable to drive for a long time
• Really loud sound system (so you can hear it off-roading?) with an AUX port for the ipod
• The roof comes off and it appears the doors might too. This would be fun if I could store them somewhere! I'd definitely joy ride a little with the wind in my hair!

Cons:

• No private space - there's' no real trunk, so everything is visible at all times. This is especially rotten because I am in a new hotel every night, therefore carrying all my bags, suitcases, jewelry, and electronics with me at all times. This worries me and is the biggest flaw in the design. I'm sure there's a screen you can purchase as an accessory if you bought the car.
• It doesn't have much get up and go. Merging is a little challenging
• No power locks or windows - another big drawback. Because the roof and doors come off to be all Jeep-like, there's no way to put power cords in the door. It's a big pain to run around locking and unlocking doors. And the "trunk" is automatically unlocked and the only way to lock/unlock it is with a key. Just too time consuming for my liking.
  
• Since the top is removable and there's roll bars all over, the inside is very cold and rugged looking. Definitely not a "luxury" car like the leather, heated seats of Texas' Focus
• No scan button on the radio. A minor flaw, but in changing cities all the time, it's helpful to find new stations
• I also liked having the radio controls (station and volume) on the steering wheel as I did in Jersey's Mazda 3. Just a bonus I wish this had if I were purchasing it for daily use.

Over all, the Wrangler's great. Minor issues that simply don't fit my particular lifestyle, but I was highly impressed and would absolutely drive it as a rental again!

I should start waving to other Jeeps. I think the subculture's all into that.


JEEP SLOGANS:

The toughest 4 letter word on wheels.
Have Fun Out There
My Jeep is not an SUV and your SUV is not a Jeep
Only in a Jeep
When I Die, Bury me in my JEEP. 'Cause it's never been in a hole it couldn't get out of!
My JEEP won a war, your Honda mowed my lawn
Go Anywhere, Do Anything
Where the road ends, the fun begins
Eat, Sleep, Jeep

and my favorite

My Life is Pretty Much a Sitcom

Sometimes I just can't help but laugh at the ridiculous circumstances that I get myself in to. After yesterday's bathroom fiasco and today's issues, I just have to laugh out loud. Crying or pouting wouldn't do much good anyways. You gotta roll with the punches, go with the tide, take 'em as they come, go where the wind blows, take it in stride ... you get the picture.

This morning I got into my rental car, a Jeep Wrangler, and a little exclamation point came up on my dashboard. You see, I don't know cars too well, but I do know that orange exclamations don't mean "Good morning! Its nice to see you today!" While en route to my fist school, I called Enterprise to inquire about any potential danger. They said that as long as I felt safe, I could keep driving. If not, I could go swap it for a new car. I like the Wrangler, affectionately called Jeepy (original, right?!), and so I drove on. The next time I started the car, my little light came on and the screen said "Low tire pressure." I know tire pressure is kind of important and I didn't want to risk a blow out or damaging the car, especially since I have an hour drive tonight at 9pm. On my way to my last school, which was conveniently near the airport where I got rental car, I had an hour to kill. I was going to fill up the tires myself but I really didn't know which one was low or how much air to put in them. With my luck, I'd probably blow up the wrong tire and it would pop. I don't think that's in my insurance plan.

So Garmin took me to the Enterprise at the airport, which somehow wasn't the one I initially went to. They weren't much help and I didn't get a new car (bummer). They just redirected me to a Firestone tire store who later told me the tire needed to be replaced. So here I sit in a mall waiting for my car to be fixed. I found a comfy spot near a fountain to relax for an hour or so. They have random leather recliners, very comfy I might add. Apparently women leave their husbands here to nap while they shop, as I am the only female, and the only person under 65 years old. I also seem to be one of the only conscious ones. Such a rough job I have gotten myself into!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Post Script: Just got back from Firestone. Two new tires! Apparently they were both really low in tire pressure and their treads were worn too thin, so they were beyond the fixable point. Only 20,000 miles... is that even new tire time?

Dear Enterprise, even though it wasn't a huge bummer for me to spend an afternoon reclining in a mall, I missed work. Therefore, if you would be so willing to bump me up to a convertible while in California, I wouldn't hold it against your company. With love.

The Stuff Memories Are Made Of

Last night was my very first college fair. It went amazingly, met a lot of super friendly admissions reps from other schools and over all had a great time, except that I almost missed the fair....

In 5 years from now when I am talking about my very first college fair at my first real job, I wont be talking about the wonderful tablescape I made or the people I met. No, I will be talking about the time I crawled on the floor. Here's the story:

Being a very prompt person by nature, I was one of the first people at the fair. I got my table all set up, had a snack. Things were great. Five minutes before students were supposed to start coming and I decided I should use the bathroom. (This is going somewhere, I promise.) So I head over to the womens' bathroom in the lobby. I go in the door, which leads to an empty room with two doors - one with a solo bathroom and the other with a bunch of stalls. I opted for the single one, went in, and shut the door. (Sidenote, single bathrooms freak me out. I am always terrified someone will walk in so I always shut the door, lock it, open it, and lock it again. Yes, it's rather OCD like...I'm aware. But to make my phobia worse, two weeks ago some male military sergent walked in to the solo bathroom I was using. Fortunately, I was fully clothed and washing my hands. Guess I locked the door wrong!) Back to the story. I went to do my second lock of the bathroom and I realized the bathroom door had no handle to get out. The handle was broken off, the broken piece long gone. I was trapped in the bathroom. All that was left was a stub of greasy metal. I jiggled the remaining piece, stuck my finger in the hole, getting really greasy. Nothing moved. I knocked on the door, casually called out "Hello?" No response. Surely, someone else would come use the bathroom soon, right? After about 5 minutes I started to get worried. Finally, I started screaming at the top my lungs, "Help! Can anyone hear me! I'm suck! HELP!!!!" and pounding as hard as I could. My very best Resident Assistant door pound wasn't nearly enough. By this point, the fair was starting and hoards of families we pouring into the lobby outside the bathroom. No one would hear me scream. Now, I'm sure it was in my head, but it was sure getting hot in there. I could feel the oxygen disappearing. My table was left unattended, the fair had begun, and I was trapped in a stupid bathroom. Ironically, an hour earlier I had noticed that the person running the fair had left us with her office phone number and cell number, in case of an emergency. Who ever would have such an emergency at a college fair? Me. And ridiculous me left the emergency contact info back at my table, far outside of the bathroom. I tried googling the phone number to the school, but to my great disappointment, this bathroom was not 3G capable. I had no signal at all, just enough to make 2 quick phone calls and send a text to my mom and close friends, in case I died in the bathroom, of course. The signal dropped each time and all the poor person on the other end got was "Im stuck in a bathroom!" Click.

The bathroom door had a little bit of space under it, similar to a stall. I'd been eying this crawl space for some time, but didn't particularly want to crawl on the bathroom floor in my suit right before a fair. Finally at my last resort, I dropped to the ground in an attempt to shimmy out. I'm not a teeny tiny person, but even my head wouldn't fit through the gap. There was no way I was getting out that way. Apparently, I can't judge distances and height too well either.

After 15 minutes of pounding and screaming and pounding and screaming, someone finally came into the bathroom lobby. HELP I'M STUCK! I shouted and this woman (a Navy rep, actually) opened the door from the outside, saving the day. She wasn't even remotely phased that I was stuck. No "sorry for that No "Are you okay?" Not enough a laugh. She just walked away, unphased. Thanks.

And so I dusted myself off, plastered a smile on my face, and went back into the fair.

Always check the locks, folks.

Goodbye to Shy

I'll warn you in advance, this post is long and is pretty much a semi-structured steam of consciousness. Lots of self disclosure and lengthy details lie ahead of you. Perhaps more than you actually ever wanted to know. All I ask in advance is for your respect on the topic. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Here's mine. Please, read on:

So it all started yesterday as I was sitting alone at the Cheesecake Factory eating dinner. Three things make this scenario bad - First, Cheesecake just is not a place people go alone. Second, eating dinner alone is miserable and feels unnatural. I grew up in a family that ate dinner together nightly. If nothing else, people should eat dinner together. Third, dinner is also a time when a lot of people are busy. Every night I call or text just about everyone in my frequent contacts, in hopes of some dinner company. Maybe once every 3 days does anyone ever answer or respond to me in any way. Fourth, yes, I am adding a fourth because it just occurred to me, ill planning and being that dinner is at the end of the day, my phone battery is always blinking red, meaning that I usually can't spend 30 minutes texting, browsing, or twittering. As you can see, these elements make for a rather melancholy and despondent dinner. Like the fancy words? Sounds like a thesaurus, right? Fact. I googled synonyms. I'll own up to it.

So as I left my favorite restaurant which I've decided should never be dined in alone, I was rather sad (that's my own adjective. Powerful!) and grumpy. I headed over to the Barnes & Nobel to pass the time between dinner and sleeping, for I had nothing else to do to fill the hours. Entering the big brown double doors was the beginning of my solitude revelation. Apparently, book stores are the place to be for the companionless. Every single seat in the book store was taken up by someone just sitting and reading, sipping a coffee, and just chatting with folks. The book store crowd was a nice one. Albeit, eclectic and sometimes quirky (again, my adjectives), they were nice, calm people. As one who doesn't enjoy meeting strangers in loud bars or in crowded gatherings, the bookstore people seemed much more approachable. In an effort to join them, I searched for a book to read myself.

First I grabbed a picture book on Atlantic City. As pretty much my favorite vacation of all time with many a fond memory, flipping through photos of AC in 2000 and their 1900 counterparts brought a flood of happy emotions to me. I was all smiles in the book store, curled up in my oversized chair. Also on my quest to find books, I perused the self help section. This is my favorite genre of literature, not because I think I'm a total nut case, but because I don't particuarly like reading as it's a big time commitment that totally inhibits multitasking. At least 30 minutes of reading some self-improvment lit allows me to feel like I learned something useful that I can then go out and apply to the world. Walking down the aisle, I saw another young man looking at similar books. It hit me that the self help aisle is NOT the place to meet friends or companions. I couldn't help but creepishly eye the title of the book in his hand, jumping to the assumption that he must have a severe case of whatever the title was. I couldn't see it, but I grabbed a book quickly and headed out of the aisle ASAP (read A-SAP, as that's how I'm saying it in my head as I write this).

The book I happened to pick up was called Goodbye to Shy. I'll admit this wasn't a total random grab, but I certainly didn't stick around long enough to thumb through it or read the back cover. Sitting down in my chair, I delved into the book.

Now, a sidenote. As mentioned previously in this lovely blog, I don't like talking to strangers at great length. I've never considered myself shy, per se, as I have no problem asking questions to most strangers, ordering food, talking on the phone, asking directions, etc. I also have no problem talking to strangers when its my job or its the role I am supposed to be playing. Fortunately, I can put on my Admissions hat and I'm Miss Friendly at schools, fairs, and airports. Whether I'm asking a person of authority a question, or someone asks me something, while I'm in a role of authority, I have no problem with stranger talk. However, as soon as both parties on a level playing field, I get tied up with my words and freak out. Conversations with my peers are the hardest. Give me the President of the US any day, but forcing me to talk to a random attractive guy on a bus is like asking me to dive off Niagara Falls. In general, quick conversations with purpose aren't of issue. It's the potentially extended small talk that gets me.

Back to the story. So I'm reading this book and get really into it. There were some rather useful tips. Here's a few paraphrased for my closet shys out there:

1. Practice eye contact - start with babies. They dont judge you. Then make eye contact with kids in grocery stores. Then teens. Keep going up the age brackets until it gets to hard, then skip to old people. No one ever smiles at old people. Make their day by smiling at them. They get to feel appreciated in the world, you get to practice eye contact.
   
2. When Making eye contact, said "I Like You" in your head. The time it takes to do this is a good amount of time for eye contact. It also makes your mind focus on something positive, not being scared of being judged. Your face will be positive too.
3. People like others who are high energy. Even if it's hard on a crappy day, tell yourself all you need is a 10 second zap of high energy when saying hi to a stranger.
   
4. Set a goal to smile or say hi to a certain number of people per day. If you meet it, treat yourself and up the ante the next day. Or have a friend set a goal and count for you. If you don't get the set amount, you owe them dinner.
5. Men should smile female strangers they like twice. When women get smiled at by new men, they are taught by society to look away. But when she looks back appx 45 seconds later, if you're interest is real, you should be looking at her, smiling and making eye contact.

Interesting, right? So I bought the book. I felt like I owed it to myself (and the store for taking up a seat for over an hour) to improve my shyness. Baby steps. So last night I went back to my hotel room and kept reading my book. Already in a chipper mood from a successful purchase, delicious piece of cheesecake waiting in my fridge, and the remnants of fond AC memories in mind, I went back to reading and realized that I was missing practical applications of new knowledge by sitting in my room. Like the book instructed, I challenged myself to get up, get dressed and go to kareoke in the bar downstairs. With friends, I would have been the first one there, but going to a bar alone is rather terrifying. I dont want to make small talk with strangers. I dont want to make friends. So I told myself I had to stay for one hour in the bar. Im proud to say mission accomplished. At first, I stood on the far back wall, looking like I just wandered in and was curious what was going on. The people on stage were having a ball, singing Love Shack and dancing around. Granted, everyone there was my parents' age, except for a young gay couple who had no interest in talking to me. In time, I crept forward, eventually finding a seat near the front of the stage. And so I sang along, gave loud applause and tapped my foot to the rhythm. While I didn't talk to a single stranger and didn't sing, I'd like to say going alone was a big step in itself. Success! It was probably the most fun I have had the last two weeks traveling. I wish it were happening again tonight. Later that night, I met three people in elevator, all on different trips. The first two made the first move and said hello to me. We chatted about the unique vibe the hotel offers and the weather and NJ in general. The third time, I said hello to the gentleman in the elevator with me. Baby steps.

Today, I couldn't resist reading my book at lunch. When my waiter arrived, I made some small talk about Friendly's Restaurants in my home state. A booth of two older women sitting next to me chimed in and noted that I was far from home. I chatted with them both for five minutes or so, all about my job, the places Ive been and those where I am headed, my future career plans and of course, my favorite small talk topic of the week - NJ left turns. (Today I actually saw a sign that said "Be Alert for Left Turns" .... like Moose X-ing or something, left turns are so rare, sometimes they pop up and then just hit you. Ridiculous.) I couldn't help but laugh as I looked down at the book on my table. The irony of it all. These ladies probably thought I was the most outgoing, sociable person in the whole state the way I was chatting it up. And to think I was reading a book on how to talk to strangers.

And so my learning experience continues. This job, while its a rewarding to see the world, make some spending money, an of course, promote a school I absolutely love, it is teaching me a lot of far more valuable skills and life lessons.

Now get out there and smile at a stranger.

You Cant Do That In Jersey...

I just don't understand automobile laws in Jersey. They just don't make sense to me. First, you can't pump your own gas and second, half the time you aren't allowed to turn left. It makes life a little frustrating.

I know that people in NJ don't pump their own gas, which I think is bizzare and ill prepares residents for life elsewhere, but when I went to get gas the other day, as a creature of habit I got out of my car. Of course, the attendent stopped me and pumped the gas for me, but I can't help but think it's awkward. I am fully capable of pumping gas. And I feel bad just sitting there on my phone watching them. I feel like they are gas slaves. I dont want a servant. I dont think they get tipped so lets just save time and effort and just let me pump it myself. It's like valet parking! (see a few blogs back from Texas). Drives me crazy. I suppose it's nice that you don't have to get out of the car in the rain or cold, but then you have an awkward 6 minutes hanging out with some random guy. That just makes me uncomfortable. This particular gas guy (do they have an official title that sounds better than that?!) sang me a song, in Spanish. No clue what it was.

My other gripe about Jersey driving is the lack of left turns. Today, I was right next to Macys. All I had to do was turn left off the main road into the parking lot. Other cars, coming from other directions of the intersection were going into that entrance and I didn't see any signs saying I couldn't, but when I slowed down and put my blinker on, THREE cars behind me laid on their horns. I figured they were in a rush. The woman behind me was flailing her arms and screaming at me. I wasn't happy with these pushy folks, but I kept driving straight, right past the mall. Then every time I would try to turn left, there were big signs saying I couldn't turn left. I drove for a long long time, into another town because I couldn't get off the road (there were 3 lanes of packed traffic to my right and I couldn't get over). I actually ended up at a whole other Macy's. Probably because no one could get to the first one. It's like that Macys is for people who live on that side of the road. The others aren't allowed there. So frustrating! Only later did I find out that this is pretty common in New Jersey. Why cant you turn left?! Why can't you pump gas?!

People in the other states seem to manage alright pumping their gas and making left turns. I haven't heard of too many people blowing up gas stations.

Being the curious person I am, I tried to Google this left turn rule and couldn't find anything about it, but as for the gas situation, here's what I found:

New Jersey and Oregon are the only two states which you can not pump your own gas. Only a gas station owner or employee can legally pump gas in these states. New Jersey passed the law making it illegal to pump your own gas in 1949. At the time, legislators felt it was too dangerous to have untrained people dispensing such a flammable liquid.

Who knew I was so highly trained and capable.
Can that go on my resume?

America's Armpit?

Today is the beginning of travel week 2, the first of my two weeks in New Jersey. I've been to Jersey before and enjoyed my last experience immensely, but so far today my views of Jersey aren't so hot. Before you read on, if you are from Jersey or some Jersey aficionado, I am not speaking on behalf of all Jersey, but just my experience so far. To sum it up, Jersey stinks. Like actually smells. As soon as I got into Jersey after the bridge, the air smelled so retched that I had to roll up the windows. I think it was sewage. Then, I went to Walmart and the inside smelled horrifically and on my way to the hotel, it was like 100 dogs farted right infront me. I just don't know how to say it in a more polite manner. To top it off, when I took a shower, even the water smelled like mold. Delish. Over the weekend one of my perfume bottles exploded in my toiletries bag, so now everything smells like Gap pink, which is a fabulous smell. It's more than a little over powering but at least something smells good.

With the exception of one person, every I have met so far really hasn't been very friendly. The concierge doesn't say hello. The hostess was far from verbose. "Last name? Sign here. Initial here. This is your room number." The Texans were much friendlier. Even the random people in the hotel, at Walmart, and the gas stations were unfriendly. I think it's the proximity to the city to be honest. Very different way of life. I am NOT a city person. In fact, I pretty much despise Manhattan (though when driving by it today, blasting Jay Z's New York was a must...3 times)


This week's car is a 2010 Madza 3 in gunmetal blue. It's an awesome color. It definitely tries to be sporty and rides a little rough like a sports car. I enjoy that. The armrest console has an aux port in it, as well as a second cigarette lighter port. Interestingly, there are two indents to let the power cords out from the console, so the phone can charge sitting in the cup holder. I think all cars should have this. I like these features but that's pretty much where it ends.

First, this particular one doesn't have power locks. My friends cars don't have power locks, so I'm used to manually locking things, but I forgot how totally inconvenient it is. Also, I just really like the little reassuring beep beep Foci makes when I double click it. Another flaw is that the Mazda's dash lights are red. While one may say I'm being too picky (but then again, I'm overly picky about food, hotels, guys, schools, etc), I would never ever ever purchase a car with red dash lights. I just don't like the reddish orange numbers or radio buttons. It's ugly and less easy on the eyes. White or blue all the way. While this may seem trivial, if you were going to spend $16,000+, wouldn't you want to get exactly what you like? Other flaws include space. The car has great trunk space, but I dont think two adults could comfortably sit in the backseat for any period of time. This car also has the option of driving it as an automatic or manual transmission. It's supposed to be sporty, so shifting, even as an automatic, requires you to follow a preset design. It's not just a straight line of P, R, N, D, 1,2. Because of this, I am always in the wrong gear. Not good. As I pulled off the lot when I got it, I didn't realize I was in manual and I stalled all over the place. Then today I got a little curious if I could drive a stick, and drove around the parking lot shifting when it seemed right. Now, I have no, NO, training on how to drive a stick. All I know is you shift when it starts to sound like it needs shifting. And I think there's general rules about 10mph then maybe 20mph and 40mph are different gears. I honestly have no idea. I'm going to Google it later. It was my New Year's resolution to learn how to drive a standard. I want to learn but I stopped trying in the parking lot in fear of completely ruining the car that I had to drive around for a week. I don't think our corporate contract covers educational self-discovery moments.

For now,
Zoom. Zoom.

Games that kids don't play

Tomorrow marks the end of week one. What a week it's been! Lot's of learning and high stress but overall a very successful first trip. Here's my final thoughts on Texas:

If any of you ever plan to go to Austin, plan ahead of traffic. I know I discuss it in about every blog, but the amount of cars on these roads is unimaginable. I drive at 7am, traffic. 11am, traffic, 2pm traffic, 9pm traffic. Don't these people work or sleep?! Every where I go takes about 10-20 extra minutes just because of the traffic, though today I started using the access roads (or I think that's what they are called). Basically there's 3 or 4 main highways, all way up in the air. Below them/a little off to the side is a road that runs exactly the same way as the highway. If you follow the low road and put up with some street lights, it's quicker than sitting in traffic up in the sun. I hear that everything is worse on game day. That would be football for UT (University of Texas) which has the biggest football stadium in the whole state. It's massive. Quite a sight from the highway. Someone told me it holds over 100,000 people. Though UT has 52,000 undergrads, so clearly it's a big place. Lots and LOTS of UT pride around here. Everyone either went to UT or wants to go there. Almost every young counselor I met here is a UT alum. One (rather adorable) counselor I met today was shocked to hear that we even sell UT shirts in New England at random stores like Walmart and Kohls.

Austin definitely has more hills that San Antonio. Still no where as many as New England, but it's not flat. The highway ramps still amaze me. I've taken so many pictures just because I am so in awe of the infrastructure. I know, nerd. The cars are so high up in the air! And these huge overpasses are every where. Like every 5 minutes on the highway is another giant overpass system. Texas is not for the faint of heart.

On a slightly related note, it has occurred to me that Texas is a massive state (duh) and it takes along time to get to the other surrounding states, unlike New England. This is obvious, but driving around for 6 days, I think I have only seen 2 cars with non-Texas license plates. Both of these have been in Austin, but I saw New Mexico and Kansas plates. Kansas' plate is actually really pretty. I'd never seen one before. I guess little Texans on a road trip don't try to see how many states they can find. Sad. That was always a favorite of mine.


Today I saw my first fight at a high school. I've decided to keep a fight count on the main page of this blog. We didn't really have fights at my high school so this was something new to me. Two boys, both about 5ft 3inches were pinning one another to the wall. Apparently thinking they could choke each other to death. Fortunately, a teacher was near by and stopped it, but had someone not showed up before I got there, I was prepared do something. Regardless of if it's my current job or not, I'll always be an RA!

After a full week on my own, eating alone is still the strangest thing. I don't ever feel lonely, though I keep busy, unless it's dinner time. It's just something I may never get used to. Breakfast and lunch are fine, but sitting alone at a booth is sure to make you feel awkward. In an effort to ease my worries and occupy my solo self, I googled "eating alone" while I was waiting for my food to come. To my absolute surprise, almost every hit was about the joys of eating alone. People love it! More people than I thought like to go out alone and people watch, try out a new restaurant, read the paper, etc. Most found is stress relieving. There were lots of people who wanted to try it but never got around to it. Who knew solitary eating had such a draw? The search results were almost a support group for unaccompanied eaters and it made me feel a little more optimistic on the situation. Here's my favorite post:

You just must remember that anyone that would judge a person for eating alone at a restaurant must be lonely and pitiful enough themselves that they need to seek out others to judge to feel better about their own sordid lives. And just because someone is looking at you as you sit by yourself certainly doesn't mean they are judging you. Perhaps it's someone wondering why such an attractive individual is sitting all alone, and they are pondering how they might approach you to join you for a moment.
And if that's not enough, eating alone announces, perhaps, that you are so terribly popular, that you need a break from all of your social engagements to meet your caloric quota for the day, less you starve to death :-) If anything, it illuminates a beautiful degree of self confidence-- that you know that you are so wonderful, you don't need a "shield" of friends around you to make apparent what a fantastic person you are.

Adios and vaya con dios!

Almost

This is a story about a day that almost wasn't....

First, I set my alarm for 6:14am and I almost didn't wake up. I didn't hear the obnoxious buzzing about 8 inches from my head. I'm a very very deep sleeper, in case you didn't know. Fortunately, I know this about myself and scheduled a wake up call.

Then I had breakfast at the cafe here in the hotel. The waffle is the cheapest breakfast item and is also my favorite breakfast food. Good news, right? The waffle comes out looking giant and delicious, all covered in powdered sugar. It was almost amazing, except it was ice cold. I'm talking “just took it out of the fridge” cold. Being late, I ate it anyways.

Now, I knew it was only an 18 minute ride to my first school, but being a smart kid, I looked up 8am traffic and realized it would take closer to 40 minutes to get there. Being one who likes to be early, I left a full hour to travel. As I've said earlier, Texas has crazy insane overpasses. I get nauseous looking at them. I'm not afraid of heights but today going over the top pass, I thought I was going to drive right off the edge and die. Anyways, as I was driving, I was stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on the "Texas Loop" (Austin has lots of loops; not route numbers). So as I am sitting on the freeway, the alarm in my car starts beeping. "15 miles until gas is empty...10 miles...9 miles......8miles.....". Frantic that my school was still 11 miles away plus a lot of idling, I started to panic. Really panic. I almost ran out of gas. 5 miles left in my tank. I’m all for waiting until the light comes on to fill up, but when you drive for a full day on E, that’s a bit too close for comfort.

After stopping for gas, which was in the opposite direction from the school (there’s shockingly a lot less gas stations around here than in the Northeast. We have 2 on every corner. Here there’s only like 1 every 10 minutes), I get back up on the highway and keep sitting in traffic. As the minutes continue to go by and my car doesn’t budge, I get worried that I’m going to be late for my first appointment. I looked up the phone number to the counselor, typed it in and almost hit send. Miraculously, traffic cleared and I made it on time. 3 minutes to spare.

My day perked up from this point on. People came to my first 2 visits. I gave great presentations and headed to my last school. I sat around for a bit and no one came, almost. The counselor felt bad that the students who had signed up were no-shows, so she went and got them out of classes. Success.

After work, I decided to head downtown where all the action is. Before I left my mom recommended that I check out a top rated BBQ restaurant that David Letterman went to last week. She couldn’t remember the name but knew it was “Iron _____.” I typed Iron into the GPS, saw “Iron Cactus” and headed over there. I sat alone on the roof patio and checked out the menu – Mexican. I love Mexican, so that was fine, but this was no BBQ. Only after ordering did I look it up and realize Letterman went to “Iron Man” – a very different restaurant. I almost go there.

After dinner, I went to see the Austin Bats. Earlier in the day a student told me to go. Yes, bats, like little furry flying rodents. Google agreed that the bats were a must-see for tourists. Apparently, at dusk and dawn, 1.5 MILLION bats fly out from under the Congress Bridge. It’s the largest urban bat colony in all of North America. Sounds impressive, right? So I went really early to this bridge, found parking and decided I’d catch the Bat Cruise, a $10 boat trip that takes you into the lake so you can see the bats up close. I almost made the boat, but 10 minutes of looking for a parking spot made me miss it. So I sat around in some dog park for 2 hours. Of the 200+ dog owners and runners in the park, no one else seemed interested in the bats. I was the only person with a camera. And so I sat. And sat. And walked. And sat. (Thank you to A, H, and A for keeping me company on the phone. I appreciate it!!) After 2 hours of sitting in what was now a desolate, very dark park, which I figured wasn’t safe, I decided to give up and leave. Being stood up by 1.5 million animals hurts your ego a little. As I got into the car and turned Garmin on, I quickly realized I was at the First Street Bridge, NOT Congress. Two hours of sitting in a park alone and it turns out I was in the wrong sport. I was close – but one bridge too far down the river. I almost saw bats. Rather upset with myself that I never double checked the GPS, I decided to go to the actual Congress bridge, where I found other tourists with cameras. Why didn’t it occur to me hours ago that in such a big tourist attraction, it would be weird if I were the only tourist?I parked a second time and walked across the lake a 4^th time. Looking into the water, I saw about 30 tiny bats zooming by. I missed the major cloud of bats but at least I saw a few and met some nice people.

That’s pretty much how my day went. In the end, I wasn’t almost shot or almost mugged, so I guess I really have nothing to complain about. I made it to the schools, didn’t run out of gas, ate a decent dinner and saw some bats. A moderate success story. While some people may enjoy a good cocktail to relax after a day like this, I’m going to head to the restaurant/bar downstairs and get a hot cookie and a Diet Pepsi (almost a diet coke).

Hi, Im not from here...

Today I tried out 2 new restaurants: Church's Chicken and Chick-Fil-A. Church's is pretty much like KFC. Nothing special, though the honey biscuit they gave me was one of the best biscuits ever. It also came with this tub of white/yellow chunky cream sauce. It looked gross so I didn't dare try it. Chick-Fil-A (pronounced Chick Fillet, I asked) was pretty decent. Waffle fries and a plain chicken sandwich. Just a fried chicken breast and pickles. No ketchup or veggies. Strange. But pretty good tasting. They have crazy advertising along the sides of the highways so I thought I'd give it a go.


I'm totally using the "I'm all alone and not from around here" card and it's working in my favor. Today it got me a free soda at Chick-Fil-A for talking with the guy behind the counter. It also helps on getting some local tips and advice, not to me. I think I'm going to keep tabs on free stuff I get during these trips! Love it!

A Ghost Story

Now for an update on the ghosts. Yes, I said my ghost pleas aloud, both in English and Spanish. Though I don’t remember too much Spanish, so it was more “Hello sir or ma’am. I am alone. Please don’t hurt me. I am sad (couldn’t remember scared) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” On a good note, there were no ghost sightings or weird occurrences. Hallelujah! To be totally honest, I slept with the bathroom and living room lights on, as well as the TV. Both nights. I figure ghosts like dark, not light, as it increases their chances of being seen…or something along those lines. I did give another shout out to the ghost(s) on night 2 as well, just to be safe. Maybe they forgot! “Hello sir or ma’am. I am still alone and sad. You were good yesterday, please do it today. I want you to go away. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” I am very glad that I kept my reservation here and didn’t leave because of the ghosts. This is by the far the most impressive room I have ever stayed in, though it’s probably the nicest it will be one I stay in all season! The hotel personnel were so so friendly and everyone greeted me by name. I had to valet park my car as it was the only option. As a feminist who runs around saying she’s an independent woman who doesn’t need a guy, it was weird to have someone open my door, shut my car door, and always offer to bring my bags and packages up to my room. I know it’s their job but I’m not sure I like it. It makes me feel rushed. What if I don’t want to get out just yet? Or what if I want to run things out to my car in separate trips on my own time? Planning in advance for when the guy can have my car ready is too much effort. Call me ungrateful, but I’m glad I get to self park next time!

Since many people are asking, yes, I took a bath in the big jacuzzi. It took 58 minutes to fill it up about 2/3 of the way. Then I turned it on for 4 minutes and realized how much I really hate water. There's nothing calming about a bath to me. Just sitting in your own dirt, while four big jets hit your legs really hard. Not fun. Instead, I drained it and showered. But if you notice from the photo, there's a 6ft tall x 2 ft wide window in the shower. I put some music and decided to have a dance party in the giant shower. Easily could have fit 4 more people in there. I just hope the frosted window was frosted enough!

When booking all my hotels, I read reviews on www.tripadvisor.com. If any of you are ever booking a room, I’d highly recommend the site. Lots of reviews and real photos from people who recently stayed in the establishment. Since the site was so incredibly helpful to me, I’ve decided it would only be right to give back and write reviews of my experience for my fellow travelers. I’ve done this for the Emily Morgan so far and plan to continue with my next 15(ish) hotels! Tomorrow night I’m on to a new hotel – I’m a little sad to leave this place. San Antonio and the Emily are really fantastic places!

That’s about it for now!

Adios, Muchachos!

San Antonio

Howdy! Greetings from Texas! So much has happened in the last 48 hours, I’m not sure I can remember all of it! Currently, I’m sitting in a Starbucks, drinking and Naked orange juice (That’s the brand name, I’m clothed of course). The OJ is actually really really good, maybe some of the best I have ever had. As a non-coffee drinker, Starbucks isn’t my usual place of choice in the hot weather, but now they offer free wi-fi and this delicious juice! I feel super trendy to be blogging from Starbucks, especially since I am wearing nice clothes, heels, and pearls. Very legit. Why am at Starbucks you may ask? Shouldn’t I be working? I went to my first school this morning and checked in, only then did the secretary tell me that the principal scheduled a last minute senior assembly and I couldn’t meet with students during my time slot. And so I left, with an hour and 15 minutes to kill and I found myself at this lovely location.

Starting from the beginning – My flights went well. The second one was long, in an uncomfortable seat, with a screaming child. But I put on my headphones and fell asleep for at least an hour of it. When I woke up and looked out the window, I could see a lot of farm land and rivers. I really wanted to know what some of the things I saw were, but even as we got closer, there was no way to tell. I decided I have Google Map Syndrome (GMS). Normally, the only time I see things from that high up is on a computer screen and I can click it and find out what it was. I really wanted to click something in the plane and just have giant letters that say TEXAS pop up over the land. How awesome would that be? Maybe one day the TVs in the seatbacks onboard will be able to do that. Despite obnoxious passengers and cramped seats, I really like flying, especially the take off part on the plane. If it was socially acceptable, I’d throw my hands up in the air and scream “WOOOOO!!” the whole way up. I try to silence these urges and scream in my head with a smile on my face.

Today is day 2 of work and my last day in San Antonio before I change locations. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my time here and I would definitely love to come back in the future, though I’d rather come with another person. San Antonio is a little city that was shockingly quiet and impeccably clean. I stayed right down town and never saw so much as a piece of trash on the ground, broken bench, or graffiti on a wall. There was no gross city smell (yuck, Manhattan) and really no traffic at all. It’s almost like there were no people in the city. That’s my kind of city! As a small town girl, I’m pretty much terrified of cities and all the people in them. I’ll own up to my naivety and ignorance as I just don’t have much city experience. Despite my worries, I ventured out alone for dinner and some sightseeing both nights. At first, walking alone was a little unnerving and weird. No one to take pictures with! But I just took a bunch of photos of things and sites and architecture and eventually got used to being alone. Eating breakfast and lunch alone doesn’t bother me, but sitting alone at a booth is weird. Eventually, I plan to go eat at the bar with the bartender, but talking to strangers AND eating alone is too big of a step for now. So I just bring a book or newspaper or play on my cell phone while I eat. Last night the owner at a Mexican restaurant felt bad for me and sent me free nachos. How nice! In fact, everyone I have met has been really nice to me. I met a nice couple from Chicago who were lost in San Antonio. They loved to travel and had been to 45 states but never New England! Who goes to see Nebraska before going to New York?!

A special thank you to all of my friends and family who get constant texts, g-hats, and phone calls from me. I promise I won’t call you all 4x per day for the next 10 weeks. Being alone will get better, but it’s taking some adjustment. Everything here is so gorgeous, I can only imagine how much more fun it would be with a companion!

Since I’ve been here I’ve noticed a few things – the accents are not nearly as strong as I was hoping for. I really wanted to come back with an adorable southern accent. People actually do wear cowboy hats around , though not as much as I was expecting. I’ve maybe seen 10 guys in 2 days, most of which were driving in their cars. In general, people here are just like people at home. People are people, I guess!

They do have some really different restaurants from us though. Of course there are McDonalds, Burger Kings and Wendy’s, but they also have the following. I hope to check them all out before I leave, but we’ll see what I have time for:

· Jack in the Box

· Sonic

· Whatabuger

· Church’s chicken

· Taco Cabana

· CiCi’s Pizza (which we get ads for and don’t have any!)

I went to Whataburger yesterday for lunch. The burger was massive, as was my soda. When you order inside they give you table tent with your number on it. You go pick your seat and they bring you your food. So I got my food, took a bite of the burger (pretty good) and then reached for my massive diet coke, only to spill all 44oz all over my tray, completely drowning the burger and saturating some fries, not to mention getting it all over my blazer and dress pants. By some random chance, I was wearing clothes that are stain resistant or something magical because the soda just stayed on top and beaded up, allowing me to wipe it off and carry on with my school visits.

School visits have been interesting. I definitely have high school envy. I’ve been inside 4 schools so far; 1 private and 3 publics, all of which were nicer than my high school. One was on a military base and the students were kids of active service members. I’d never been around so many military brats (though I don’t like that term. They weren’t bratty at all) before! It was cool because everyone I spoke to had lived all over the country. Selling a school in chilly New England wasn’t that hard. (It got to 98 degrees yesterday at 4pm. HOT!) Two schools have cancelled visits on me and at one no one showed up so I left early. In reality, I’ve only spoke to 2 students who actually wanted to talk to me and weren’t being bribed by a teacher. Oh well. You cant win them all!

Driving around San Antonio has been quite an experience. The highway speed limits are 70 (cool!) during the day and 65mph at night. They don’t have any HOV lanes and people actually slow down to 20mph when they go through school zones. Every single car. I was shocked! The roads themselves are really confusing. There isn’t always lines so I never know if it’s two lanes or one. They have little bumps in the road instead of double yellow lines diving up the two directions. Sometimes there’s yellow, but it’s tricky. There’s also a lot of weird merges and yields. One 3-way intersection had no stop signs or yield signs! Lots of crazy zig zag roads that all overlap and merge all over the place, making weird shapes of road designs. I’ve taken the wrong road many of times. What was wrong with two parallel roads and intersections with perpendicular roads?! Makes me appreciate local driving at home much more. On the upside, I have only gone over 3 hills in 3 days. Yes, I am counting. It’s a rarity. There’s not a lot of trees on the roadsides either, so you can see everything, unlike those crazy winding, hilly, New England back roads.

I totally love my rental car – a 2011 Ford Focus, gray. Leather seats and satellite radio. It has a moon roof but it’s too hot here to open it, even if you kept the A/C on. There’s also heated seats, which seems a little ridiculous to me in Texas!