elements

I haven't been around much the past few weeks, mainly because 1) I took a trip and 2) I moved apartments. In brief:

Trip: You wouldn't think a person who's unemployed would need a vacation, but I really did. I was depressed, constantly slipping into being nocturnal, just feeling overwhelmed. Even once the stress of finding a new apartment and signing a lease was over, I still felt like I should be spending every waking moment applying to jobs, and of course that was counter-productive and made me miserable. Then a good cheap option for flights came up, and so I decided to go visit my sisters & nieces in Phoenix. And then it turned out I could also go visit smallness and another relative in Raleigh/Durham without the flights costing more, so I did that too, and managed to see a few friends while I was at it. I really needed it - I've been much more productive ever since I got back, felt a lot better. And since my sister L got laid off the day before I arrived in Phoenix and I just happened to be there for moral support, it worked out. Plus, I got to help one of my nieces study for her French & Bio finals, which brought back fun memories and reminded me of things I'd long forgotten.

Oh! And while in Phoenix, I got my ears pierced! I'd never done that, and had always meant to have my sister L go with me if I ever did, so it seemed like the right time. I wanted needle piercing, not a mall store gun piercing, so we went to the tattoo parlor where my brother-in-law gets all his tattoos. They did an excellent job, less painful than a blood test with no pain at all after, and it's healing perfectly. I can't wait to experiment with fun earrings. I also am hoping that earrings will help people perceive me as a little older/slightly more put together - it's frustratingly hard to be taken seriously as a woman when people read you as in your early 20's. It totally shouldn't be that way, but since I *am* 30 I'd rather read as at least 25, darn it!

Moving: I have long been a compulsive pack-rat, raised by pack-rats, and I had always had a really hard time getting rid of anything I thought I might ever need or be able to creatively re-use. But I was really feeling the weight of all that unnecessary stuff. My best friend from elementary school came out to visit and for 4 solid days we sorted, organized, threw things out & recycled & bagged stuff to donate. By the time we were done, I had taken a storage unit worth of stuff in the basement and condensed it to 4 bins of archival papers & CD cases, and some jewelry & clothes to keep. I ended up with a massive trash mountain stretching the entire length of the sidewalk in front of the house after the move - though to be fair some of it was from my other housemates' trash. We also filled up a car trunk & backseat with stuff to donate, plus more that had to go in a second trip. It was deeply liberating, to the point of feeling like a physical purge - it felt like I had been ill with too much stuff and finally broken free.

Now I am still unpacking in the new place, which I LOVE. The landlord is (for a change) local and responsive, the place just *feels* like home, and even the cat likes it better! Plus we are closer to the subway. I really love my new room, and I love knowing that it isn't going to be full of crap when I finish unpacking. Also, who'd have thunk it, but it's a whole lot easier to unpack when everything you own was packed after being sorted & categorized! I am unbelievably lucky to have such a good friend to have helped me get to this point, because all the intention in the world doesn't make this kind of purge easy to do on your own. I am now hoping to pay it forward by helping a local close friend clean up her stuff at her parents' house.

I also had a couple job interviews in there. The most recent one I am really crossing my fingers on because it would be super cool, amazing work with amazing people. Please think positive thoughts for me!