Soooooo......

Here I am, joining this modern thing called technology. Eh...I for the most part have a love-hate relationship with computers and my only saving grace is dating a computer geek. God bless him for keeping me from throwing this thing out my window and taking pictures of the wreckage below.

But I thought it would be a neat way to talk about me and keep up with my friends and their lives. Thats my motive...hope you find it entertaining anyways...

Here I am in Chicago. Been here about 2 months now, and studying to be a "professional." Now I do think I'm on the right track here as far as aspiring to be such a person, but my classmates (err..excuse me...colleagues) must have a different idea of what it is to be "professional." If it means letting your boobs hang out..well I'm wearing too much clothing (nothing new here, I've always had that affliction..haa!). If it means drinking til you fall down, well hell...I've never fallen from boozing it up (stilettos are a thing of beauty) and have pretty much outgrown the hard core partying (which I can honestly say I only did for a whole 4 months when I was 22). A glass of wine is a very good thing. If it means cussing out a prof because she wants you to spend money on a research article for class but that cuts into the beer fund...that poor prof for making the suggestion that one is here for professional development. If it means, having a ridiculous sense of entitlement and trying to prove yourself just to prove it to others...well I don't have the time. I'm here for me, just me and only me. I am not a competitve person by nature, one of the reasons I dropped out of music in undergrad. I do things for my own satisfaction and for the good of the group. I don't step on toes, I don't climb up backs. I climb the proverbial ladder being honest, hardworking and ethical...and keeping my cleavage reserved for randy nights at home.

So I guess that is my biggest frustration is that these people are not so professional at all and I surely hope they'll grow out of it soon. Because like it or not, I'll be compared to these "boobs" when I am ready to get into the real world and I don't like the comparison sample.

But I am trying. I have made leaps and bounds since getting here 2 months ago. I'm not as homesick or lonely as before, though I still haven't made any friends outside of school. I have a job...crappy and totally unchallenging but its a paycheck and I get to talk to tourists all day and that can be the fun part of the day. I still dont like going out at night, mostly because I would be alone and thats just plain stupid. I live in a safe, high class area, but its still downtown Chicago and anything can happen and it does. There was a freak stabbing from some road raged morons about 2 blocks from my apartment...kinda weird and out of place. People are dumb So I stay home quite a bit and study just as much.

Grad school is exactly what I expected. Many people said, good lord, its the hardest thing of your life. Thus far I'm not thinking so. Its more in depth, more accelerated, and more work...but its not the end of the world. I spend every spare minute studying and reading and trying to keep up. I still have time to relax but its all about time management and priorties. And since I want to be out of here in 2 years, school is my biggest priority.

Chicago is a great city. Its exciting and noisy and full of interesting sights and people. On the other hand, its different, fast paced and HUGE!! So I'm still getting used to it. Slowly but surely...

So tomorrow I work and then I'll come home to study more, probably read up on some of my research topics for the 8 bajillion papers due in a month...graaaaaaand!!!

Tootles!