22 Hours in the DMV (minus the M)

Hello readers!

Usually I'm writing to you from the outskirts of Staunton, Virginia, but this week I'm in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) visiting my boyfriend. It's been a great break from job hunting, the kids and the regular routine in general. Routine is great for writers, most of the time, but being stuck in the same cycle day after day can drive me crazy. And when I'm with David, nothing is routine. Take yesterday, for example.

Contradictory to the title, I've been in the DMV since Friday night and been busy with David and his family since our trip to Tyson's Corner Saturday morning. The 22 hours happened yesterday morning, from 5:30 AM to 3:30 AM which included another trip to the National Basilica followed by Old Town Alexandria, and closed with two hours in the ER.

I woke up at 5:30 thanks to one of those weirdly stressful dreams about job hunting. I may have even had a job in the DMV area, but for some reason I wasn't able to sleep after it (graduate problems). So I had been awake for a few hours before David, his mom and I drove to DC for Mass at the National Basilica.

David and I went to the Basilica a month ago, but this time we actually made it to an English Mass. (Spanish Mass is great if you're trying to reintroduce oneself to the language, but when it comes to understanding the homily, well...neither of us had no idea what was said.) The Basilica is definitely worth a visit, and even if you're not Catholic there's a sense of wonderment at the design, especially the interior. And seeing it loom ahead as you're approaching the grounds is spectacular. 

After Mass, we met up with David's sister and her boyfriend in Old Town for lunch. The past nine hours were starting to wear on me at that point, but Old Town was fantastic: beautiful waterfront, lots of dogs (so. many. cute. dogs!!). It's a place I'd love to live at some point. Downtowns are great places and I've loved many, especially my hometown, Staunton, and my college town, Fredericksburg. But Alexandria is bigger, close to DC and a great location for young professionals. 

We returned to Quantico around hour 13 and for a while things were very chill. David and I took a walk on base to see a group of tuxedo cats (one of my big weaknesses) near the train station and went out to the bank of the Potomac. It was a relaxing end to the day, or so I thought. Until a few hours later, when I was nervously sitting in the ER.

For the record, I wasn't the one who needed to be rushed to the ER. David pulled a muscle earlier that day, and hours later the pain was replaced by numbness. He's fine, but even if you know the person is going to be okay sitting in the waiting room, waiting to hear any news is nerve wrecking. It reminded me of the times when my little brother was rushed to the ER, once for a cut in his chin, once for appendicitis. His conditions each time were worse than David's, but that didn't keep me from worrying any less. The last couple hours of the day melted together as soon as I was allowed back to see David; I faintly remember waiting for what seemed like eternity for him to be released and driving home. 

It's the closest I've been awake for nearly twenty-four hours straight since high school. Those long hours happened on a pretty regular basis which is probably what carried me through the day, but I don't plan on pulling another of those anytime soon :)

Till next week, 

Victoria

P.S. Hey, Twitter users! I recently started a Beatles' account, @DailyBeatle, which is exactly what it sounds like: a daily fact about the Fab Four. Give it a follow! 

Graduate Life 101

Hello readers!

I learned a lot during my four years of college, probably more than I've collectively learned prior to becoming an undergrad. Obviously a great deal of this knowledge was academic, but not exclusively so. I learned firsthand what it's like to procrastinate and think you have everything under control until the week before the exam (ohhhh...) and still come out on top with decent, even good grades. (Only thing is I can't tell you how that happened because I forgot it all after three consecutive all-nighters.) I learned how to overcome my introverted personality in leadership positions and how to stand up for myself in stressful situations.

But one thing I never learned was what to expect as a graduate. Sure, I had my expectations. Get a postgraduate degree. Find a job in media and publishing. Travel the world. Write. Write anything. And at Day 44 of Graduate Life, none of it has happened. Yet.

I say "yet" because it's only Day 44 and because Graduate Life has taught me that there's more to being a recent graduate than trying to accomplish your set goals, whatever they may be, in the shortest time possible. So this is what Graduate Life 101 has taught me these past several weeks:

1) Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it never will.  
     I'm not going to lie: I've spent a lot of nights staring at my bedroom ceiling wondering what the heck I'm going to do with my life and questioning all the decisions I made in college. Especially after my plans for grad school changed. I'm a person who feels most confident when my goals set in stone, and if there's any change to that it can shake my confidence. But I keep telling myself that a setback doesn't mean that it's permanent and even if it doesn't always feel convincing, it's a good reminder that things will get better.

2) Family can drive you crazy, but be glad you have them.
    I'm currently writing this in the room I share with my seven year old sister (if that doesn't indicate my need for personal space I don't know what does). In uni, I could map my own schedule and have spontaneous nights out. Now, I have to brief my parents on where I'm going, who I'll be with and when I'll be back (lest I get kidnapped or...whatever their reasoning is). Family has always been the number one priority at my house and although it's not easy readjusting to my family's hectic schedule, at least I know they'll always be there for me.

3) Your first job may not be your dream job, but it can lead to different opportunities. 
     I'm working at a winery tasting room and I love it. It's a sweet job, even if it's not going to turn into a career. And even though I'm not using my writing skills, working at Ox Eye has been great for me as a writer. My boss is also a writer and gives me a lot of suggestions on lit journals, and during a slow shift last weekend she let me read a piece of her flash fiction and critique it (!).

4) College is a great time for spontaneity and adventure, but don't give it up after graduation.
    I spent today with two of my best friends on a wine tasting tour in Charlottesville (which is especially fun if you work at a vineyard i.e. free tastings :) ) and ran into my adviser at a bookstore in the Downtown Mall. This weekend I'm going to DC to be with my boyfriend (!). A month from today my brother and I are going to see U2, and a few weeks after that we're going to a Brandon Flowers concert in Richmond with friends. Point is, my social calendar is just as busy as during my undergrad years and there's no reason it shouldn't be. I may be an actual adult, but I'm still going to make time for new experiences in my life.

(My favorite picture from this afternoon. 4.5) Wine will always be there for you. Enjoy it.)

5) Know who your true friends are, and they'll pull you through.
    I thought this was important in college, but it's even more true as an alum. Despite all the positives of having graduated, being in the real world can really suck. And you're not going to be surrounded by the people at your university. You're going to lose touch with most of them, and that's okay. As long as you keep in touch with the people who you can call at 3 AM when it feels like your life is falling apart, everything will be okay. Think of them as an extension of your family because they are. I know I can talk to my sister and roommate about anything that's bothering me (and I'm not talking about the seven year old) and she knows she can do the same with me.

Anything I forgot for Graduate Life 101? Any suggestions? Comments welcome!

Cheers,
Victoria

New Name, New Blog, New Plans!

Hello readers!

I'm finally back after having graduated from Mary Washington (whooo!) and now that I'm your typical semi-unemployed college student, I'm finally able to take up writing again. (As if I didn't do enough of that during my undergrad...)

You might recall that I mentioned Wales a lot in my previous posts. And specifically a Bangor University to which I had applied and was planning on attending for my postgraduate degree in September. Well, I finally got my final answer: I was accepted to Bangor's postgrad Creative Writing program!

And then I made another big (and a very hard decision) to defer a year before entering grad school. In many ways, it was a necessary decision. My parents and I had agreed that any further education after completing my undergraduate would be on me financially, and as of a few weeks ago I had not raised enough for the year.

In retrospect, however, I feel that it was the best decision. I had a very long, serious conversation with my boyfriend when I first began to question my decision to go to Bangor in the fall, and the big question he asked me was what I wanted in five, ten years. (The conversation is a few weeks old, so my paraphrasing is probably quite off; sorry, David.)

"I want to be a writer by then. Maybe it won't happen in five years, but I can see myself there in ten."

"Do you think that graduate school is going to help you get there?"

"Well, what I really see in graduate school is the opportunity to become a professor in the future. I need an MA for that."

"Is teaching something you're really passionate about?"

I didn't have a good answer for him then, but I now realize that it is truly something I want. My opportunity to assist my adviser last semester with the Beatles seminar proved that. But I'm just out of school. I have a couple years to make that decision to attend grad school. And right now what I'm looking for is some stability. It didn't matter so much as an undergrad student. I didn't worry about a job then, despite the fact that I was working part time (and loving every minute of it; Simpson, will you take me back?) and taking courses which would make me more marketable in the future.

But lately I've been feeling more concerned about being financially stable in the future. A lot of it stems from graduating and having student loans staring me in the face. And partly due to dreams for the future (that's another blog post, maybe ;) ).

So, you're probably looking at my new name (Tia Travels the World; I think it has a nice sound to it) and wondering why I've chosen to go under the alias of a world traveler as I step back from my Wales adventure. I'm trying to take on a more optimistic attitude, and I honestly think that just because I'm putting Wales on hold for a while it doesn't mean I'm putting adventure on hold. Maybe I'll have to content myself by being a mental traveler (nod to Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa; if you haven't read it do so NOW) until next year, or whenever. Perhaps the adventure is about to happen in the next few weeks, or days or even hours (I'm being optimistic here). Honestly, I questioned whether I should be changing the name now, but why not? I could be in London a month from today and not even know it (probably not, but hey! who knows?)

And looking back on my first month since graduation, it's been exciting. I've been up in NOVA and DC to visit my boyfriend which resulted in a Basilica tour and finding the church where my Irish Monsignor met Robert Kennedy (yes, that happened). I'm currently applying for job opportunities in the DC area, specifically in writing and editorial positions. Until that pans out I'm working for family friends in their winery/tasting room, Ox Eye - if you're ever passing through Staunton stop by and say hi!

And (drum roll...) a few weeks ago I won tickets to see this Irish group at Madison Square Gardens for their iNNOCENCE tour. Maybe you've heard of them; U2? Yep!!!! I'm just a little bit excited....

I don't know about you, but I think they're going to be good ;)

Until next week,

Victoria