So, I have been in Columbus Ohio, my current stopping place, since Monday now. This week has been a good one as my parents and I got me settled and explored Columbus a bit. It may seem weird, coming from someone who grew up in the middle of the metroplex, but for some reason living just a stone's throw away from downtown of a major city feels very different to me. It's especially different from Stillwater, where I spent most of my past four years. I'm also having to get used to being in a different time zone. I've learned to just do a quick calculation if I'm texting or calling anyone back in Central time, which is still most of the people I text or call right now.
My apartment is still in a bit of a state, but it's quite livable already. I have a lovely bed and I saved my favorite chair from my Stillwater apartment, so my parents and I put that together already. I won't have the internet or the rest of my furniture until Tuesday afternoon, but I'm trying to spend the weekend unpacking my boxes. Not a fun activity, by any means, but I have a ton of DVDs I can watch without the internet, so I'm using those to keep me entertained.
I've also met most of my neighbors already, although I did not meet one of them here in Ohio. The current intern at Calvary Lutheran, Ethan, is one of my neighbors as well as three other nice guys. I'm sure I'll be meeting some more people on Monday as my first class starts - and they will likely be as lost and confused as I am!
It's always weird moving and starting something new, and I am in the age where that happens more often than not. New classes every semester, a move every year for me, relationships beginning and ending, and it looks like I'm still up for a few more years of it. There's a big part of me that really just wants to feel settled, rather than in constant transition. It would feel like a miracle to me if I moved somewhere and stayed for five years. However, I do my best to settle as much as I can in each new place and I'm getting better at it. I'm also beginning to form at least a few relationships which I intend on keeping despite distance, which makes me very grateful for the many forms of communication we have handy now.
My first step of settling here, other than hauling all my stuff up three flights of stairs (thanks for the help Mom and Dad!), is to spend a bit of time at the sandwich/coffee shop just next door to my apartment. They have great sandwiches and free wifi, which is rather handy at the moment. This place might see a lot more of me in the future. Today has involved a couple of naps, due to odd bed and waking times, but tomorrow I expect to have more energy and I'm going to go check out some yarn shops and maybe some yoga studios. Because these are two of my favorite hobbies, it will make me feel more at home if I have places around here. There's also a fabric shop just down the street, which I'll probably have to stop in to as well. There are a couple of presents I need to sew in July.
I'm sure once my classwork starts I'll have to make dedicated time for my hobbies, but they are worth it. Also, I have already begun studying Greek a bit, and I have a good handle on the alphabet and the first chapter's vocabulary, which I think is a good place to begin. And I have an offer of help from one of my neighbors who was a Greek major in college and likes to help to keep himself sharp.
So, despite the initial loneliness and small amount of fear that usually accompanies a move and a new start, I have high hopes for the next few weeks and the next few years. I'm already looking forward to being done with school as I start a new four-year program, but the end goals are all worth the temporary unsettledness. I'm sure these four years will pass quickly, and I'll try to keep up this blog while I can go through them, so I can share my experiences with whomever might be reading.
Wish me luck and send up prayers,
Kat
P.S. This is a blog I've started and stopped several times before, so posts before this one will be rather different in nature.
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