how did i end up here?

On the Road Again

I have been grappling for days about what I wanted to say on this, my second post. My life has been officially picked up, flipped over and shaken. I no longer live within the confines of my comfort zone, but miles away from anything even remotely familiar. What a crazy week it has been for me! This time last week Aspen and I were pulling out of our driveway to make the longest trip of our lives...over 1,600 miles to Washington, DC. We made the trip just fine (even Roxanne did such a great job handling the drive!) The only hitch we had was when I hit a huge tire in the road on the Interstate…talk about a freak out!! Luckily we were fine and the car was fine, so no harm no foul.

Once we made it to Maryland, we stayed the first few nights with Lisa, Aspen's friend who has a daughter with WS, then crashed at my new pad. I love my new place by the way, it’s huge and I have my own bathroom, and a fireplace and a little courtyard out back where I can smoke cigarettes…well, if I smoked cigarettes that is. (Thanks for all the apartment hunting, Lisa.) I really dig it, but it’s quite a ways from work…like an hour and a half from work. But I am slowly adjusting to driving in the big city…those of you who know me know that my driving skills leave much to be desired. My biggest issue at this point has been the parking garages! For two days in a row now I’ve wandered the garages looking for my car. I’ll get this overwhelming feeling that my car has been stolen…when in actuality I’m just the idiot who can’t find her car. And yesterday I learned there are two car garages…yes two…I viewed them both looking for my car, lovely places, lovely places. I’ll get the hang of all this stuff soon, I’m sure of it.

Aspen left me on Monday and what a shock that was. I’ve never felt so empty and alone in my whole life. It was official…I’m here…alone…left by myself to figure out parking garages and such. I’m so glad she got to come out here and see “my stuff.” She knows and understands the trials of morning traffic, metro herding, and even jalapeno bagels from the Au Bon Pain. I feel like she has experienced what I do on a daily basis and that’s comforting for me. I only wish I could have taken her to a hundred more places…it’s very hard to narrow down what’s most important in this city. But we did enough so that she got some good ole blisters on her feet, and that’s what’s important.

Work…work is going okay. I’m having a hard time finding my groove here again. Yesterday I ate lunch by myself, sigh. It was really no big deal; I just hope I don’t have to do it very much. I have a very slow-to-warm personality…meaning, it takes me a while to get involved in a group and feel comfortable doing it. However, I was invited to a party this weekend…hmmm, can you say awkward social scene??? I have yet to decide if I’m gonna go. I won’t really know anyone and I won’t have an anchor person (which is huge for me). Yesterday I experienced my first “Net Meeting.” Wow are those freaky! It looked like ghosts had invaded my computer…like someone was looking through all my dirty laundry right in front of me! Like I wasn’t even there at all! Jessica popped up with a new IM that said, “What’s up hooker?” And I had no control over my screen to tell her to go away. The guy working on my computer just closed it out. *blushing, turning red…oops, sorry computer guys. Luckily they fixed my computer, but it was very strange to see. Like I said, all my woes will soon be eased…I hope. All this just takes time, right?

I’ll keep you guys posted on my city growing pains…thanks for being so patient for my next post. Now I need to figure out how to put pictures on this thing.

posted by taiautumn @ 8:03 AM