Welcome to Columbia

Finally, I am in my apartment and settled. I have been able to meet some of my neighbors and their dogs. I have taken the past week to get all of my things in order and admittedly still have a few boxes of things I just don't know what to do with, but will eventually figure it out. Good Will is going to love me after this week. I also have a few boxes for them.

Since I've been here, I've learned a few things.

1. The gated community in which I live seems to attract a pretty good sort of people.
2. The gated community in which I live seems to attract only people with dogs.
3. There is little to no recycling in all of Columbia, particularly NONE in my community.
4. There is amazing shopping on the Northeast side, mostly in one place.
5. I have a squirrel friend who lives in the trees that lead to my porch.
6. The Lizard's Thicket exists in many locations in Columbia, including by my house. This can confuse the average person trying to use it as a reference point...

Number 3 is very disturbing to me. Once I get to know people a little better, it's my goal to get something in place here. I'll have to see if people charge to take recycling, that may be the problem. Now... I wonder if the zoo is involved in recycling? If not, that's definitely going to be a huge project for me. Maybe one to implement with the Zoo Teens. It could be pretty educational as well.

My plan was to head out to the beach, but considering my decreasing funds and the fact that I still need things like furniture and maybe even a microwave, I think I'll hold off on the extravagances for a while. Not to mention I need to go clothes shopping. I just can't justify wearing some of the stuff I have to an office job...which is mostly jeans. Not happening with business casual. Two years of dressing in outdoor gear for Camp has morphed my wardrobe into unusable in most of society. While comfy is amazingly great to wear to work, I feel like I belong on that show "What Not to Wear"... I might not have five grand, but I'm starting to build it to something socially acceptable this weekend. Fingers crossed that it doesn't cost a fortune...

In other news, I'm missing people. It's good to hear from those I've left behind, and in other cases, I already feel like I'm losing touch after just over a week. I know some have said they'd like to visit, and there is plenty of space here! Feel free to do so. It's really a nice and safe place. Promise! Maybe you can be the reason I finally get to the beach.

One person I'm definitely not losing touch with is my new guy, Sevon. I'm finding all that I wanted in him, and can certainly say that I'm finding love in him. I'm looking forward to a visit, or two, or...? There is some real promise in this relationship and I know it because it has just hit us both without warning and in the same way. Even though it all started right before I left, it's worth keeping up. I'm quite a bit happier than I've been in quite a while (in relationship terms anyway), if ever, and I'm 1300 miles away for now.

Well, these are the last two days I have before I start the new job, and I'll certainly be keeping up the info when it begins. I'm feeling so lucky to have found this job not only in these times of the country, but one that I know I'm going to love so much. Who doesn't want to justify working at a zoo? And NOT be scooping poop? Can't get much better than that.