Where Have I Been?

I realize it has been nearly two months now since I last posted on here. I haven't died, been injured, or been abducted - I actually wanted to let everyone know that everything is going well. Actually very well.

I've settled in nicely into the house. The housemates, after a warming up period, are all pretty cool too. The house had its fair share of issues earlier this month - the plumbing in the basement was a bit wonky so we had to do a few repairs and the AC blew out at the start of September - but everything is good now. I worked hard to make my room my own little escape in case I need to get work done or just relax and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I've had it described as "Hyatt or Hilton-like" which I think is a good thing.

My classes are also going well so far. I'm only taking four this semester and will be taking only two next semester and dropping to part time. I'm graduating in May and got ahead with credit transfers and the like which is why I am able to get away with not having to do a full 15 credit schedule. Grades have been solid so far and I just found out I aced my Operations Management midterm which has me really happy. In addition to Operations I'm also taking a course on managing brands, a class on conducting business marketing research, and a class on sexuality studies for fun.

I'm still involved in the grilling club and despite saying I would retire from doing publicity work for theatre groups, I got pulled in to do be a mentor for another show this fall. I'm also still involved in the LGBT organization on campus which has been pretty hectic because October has coming out week and all sorts of events. Other than these, I've been trying to focus on getting a job for the Spring semester and also for after I graduate. I think I want to stay in the DC area after I graduate so that is where my search is centered around as of now. Of course, if an amazing opportunity presents itself away from home, I'll definitely give it a lot of consideration.

On the personal front, Brandon and I are still talking but things have changed. After summer ended, we realized that despite what I would have wanted, things would likely never work out for us given my school schedule, his work schedule, and the fact that he will be moving to North Carolina at the end of the year. What he do agree on is that we both truly care about each other and we will always be friends. At this point he's like a brother to me; we've shared our life stories to each other and spent many beautiful, memorable nights together, but I realized it was time to move on. It hurt and was tough, but life goes on.

Here on campus, I recently starting seeing a guy I've known since my sophomore year when he was a freshman. He's now a junior and while we were never very close back then, we have gotten to known each other much more this fall. Recently he was in the hospital to get a few surgeries and I've been spending the last few nights with him to keep him company. I don't know where this is headed and where we currently stand, but I figured that he could always use someone to keep him company when he's trapped in his sterile prison. He's a really sweet guy, really clever, and we can just talk for hours without getting bored; something very very few people could ever say. I know it's senior year and relationships built this late in the game are risky, but maybe I'll be willing to take this risk. It certainly is headed in the right direction so far.

So yeah, I apologize for disappearing. I know I have really dropped the ball this year on posting. Senior year was supposed to be easy and relaxing but in reality it is everything but that. I can't say when I will post next, but if anything major does happen, expect to hear from me.

Hope everyone has been well and if you're still reading this, thanks for the continued readership and support. It's been over four years since I started this blog and I've surprised I've made it this far. Here's to hopefully many more to come.

All the best,

JP