Winter has Come. Happy 2014!

I've made more promises than I have been able to keep when it comes to this blog. From when I first started writing back in 2009, this became my way medium for expressing things I could otherwise not say and also as a chronicle of my everyday life. Today, it's been neglected. I'm sorry, Une Vie Compliquee, I have let you fall into disrepair. Here, then, is m latest attempt to revive you.

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Soon 2013 will be coming to an end. It seems crazy that it's happening so soon. Over a year ago I returned from Denmark and possibly the best semester of my life. I have completed another semester of college and now only have one left. Heck, I remember talking about how I though graduating high school was crazy on this blog; now, heck, I'll be entering the real world. 2013 has, in fact, flown by.

Nostalgia aside, many things have changed since I last wrote in October:

1. I finally found a job for the Spring semester. The search that I began back in October bore fruit in late November. I'm currently working at the university over winter break and will be working the same job in the Spring as well. I'm dropping to part-time student status in my final semester since I only need two more classes. It will be nice to be able to earn some money while I look for a permanent job as well.

2. I rocked this last semester. I pulled off the amazing my first semester of senior year. I ended up getting the highest grades I have ever gotten at college, pulling off straight As for the first time ever. I worked hard and it all paid off in the end.

3. The guy I mentioned in my last post, the junior who I have known for a few years now, we're now together. I don't know how much I will write in the future on this blog (I'm not gonna say I will because, well, we know how that turned out last time), so I'm hesitant to give him a name, but I will. We'll call him Clark. Clark and I bonded over his hospital stay, and since then, things have really progressed. We went on many dates and we made things official during this past finals period of all times. He's a fun, smart, hot, and all around amazing guy. If there is a way to sum it up, he makes me happy. He is, I guess, also my first official boyfriend. 

4. I got a smartphone. Yes, my few remaining readers, I only just got a smartphone. I broke off from my dad's cell plan and will now be paying for everything myself since I have a source of income, and well, because I think it's the responsible things to do. No, I did not get an iPhone; i'm an Android kind of guy.

2013 ended up being a pretty great year. I'm still really excited to see what 2014 has in store and the new adventures that await. Hopefully it will involve a job, Clark, and happy memories.

So, my dear readers, at least for those of you who have stuck around and listened to the ramblings of a now 21 year old near college graduate from since he was in high school. I wish you the happiest of new years and good health.

All the best,

JP

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

Sunday

Sometimes the inevitable are the hardest things to accept.

The last thing I want is for us to just slowly grow apart; that's worse than any harsh falling out could ever be in my mind.

Summer 2013: Work, Sleep, Go on an Emotional Roller Coaster. Repeat Daily.

Is this what adulthood feels like?



Move in: T-minus 2 days

Senior Year: T-minus 4 days

A Snapshot

My Current Book: The Kite Runner

My Current Book On Hold: Freakonomics

My Current Obsession: Getting lost in my imaginings of hyper-romanticized scenes of an uncertain future.

My Current Love: Brandon

My Current Favorite TV Show: How It's Made

My Current Mood: Pensive

My Current Guilty Pleasure: Excess sleeping on the weekends

My Latest Purchase: B&N Nook HD+ 32GB, Nova Launcher Installed



And finally, a story for thought:

"Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know he was Zhuangzi. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuangzi. But he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi...."

-Zhuang Zhou, Philosopher, 4th Century BCE.

-JP

And So It Begins.

Ah summer. When the humidity reaches 90%, the sun is unbearable, and I hate driving as my butt burns on my car's leather seats (first world problem, I know). I guess I'm kind of an odd guy when I say that I'm actually not the biggest fan of summer. Give me a nice cool, breezy fall day any day. Nevertheless, this summer is a bit different than my previous summers. Let me explain.

To fully put things in reference, how summer 2013 got its start begins back in January. That's when I began my internship search as you guys heard about way back when. Well, after a long, long process, many interviews, many non-responses, and lots of sleepless nights, I finally got myself an internship in DC for the summer. Basically, the reason why I basically didn't write anything for the past few months is because of this search and also trying to finish off junior year well (which I did!).

So what's making this summer special is that for the first time, ever, really, I have a real job(ish). It's an internship, but basically I'm working Monday through Friday, 9-5:30 at a large and well known non-profit and PAC. I'm working in the marketing department with one other intern. My first day was about two weeks ago and my first full week went well. So far I've met about 2/3 of the interns, another third is starting over the next two weeks. It's a big group of characters which makes things pretty interesting. Considering I have a much more laid back personality than many of the interns, it can make for some quiet personality clashes but it's not really an issue. So far I've been doing  lot of research and administrative work but later on once all the interns arrive, there will be more group level projects.

The rest of the summer looks pretty tame for the most part. Mostly finding time to relax on the weekend, chilling with friends in DC, and spending time with Brandon. After how hectic and crazy junior year was with study abroad and school, I really am looking forward to a chill, calm summer.

Sorry for the brevity of this post, but once I get more settled in to a routine, I'm positive I'll have plenty of stories to share from work and the crazy shit that inevitably will happen when you get  a couple dozen 20-somethings together to work in DC.

Until then, enjoy the weather and Happy Pride!

-JP