refreshed

my head feels rested now. ah...i desperately needed to get away for a few days. now i'm back and i feel good, ready to take on the world at all angles (now that i have the mental/physical strength that requires).

i escaped to new hampshire after an adventure tuesday night at the pirate's ball with christa and leslie. despite my strong aversion to being one with the goths, i always have fun getting in costume and performing as if it's a weekly halloween you can just join whenever you're up for it. usually about twice a year, as it turns out.

i was the designated driver, as we headed back after the festivities were over. it's always sort of liberating to leave, especially when i haven't left this town in so long. and i really needed to this time! i ended up staying at my mom's house for a couple days, taking the bus back today in time for work.

august is almost here and i can feel a new era beginning...

abandoning dumb ideas

right before the storm hit northampton yesterday afternoon i walked away from an emotional storm with the conclusion that i had to leave town by the end of the month. it was just one more thing on top of everything else. i devised a plan to move down to the cape for the rest of the summer, live at my father's house, and try to get my old job back at the orleans whole food store. then i wouldn't have to pay rent again and could just focus on finding something better for the fall.

luckily, i thought that plan through before i called my dad. now i don't have to rush to find someone to move into my room in the next 14 days, abandon my responsibilities with the radio station, and have to leave all my amazing friends here. instead, i found a job.

tomorrow is my first day training at the evolution cafe in florence. ah, back to work...

getting it together

so, i finally got my shit together and applied for the position at ak press today.

leaving western mass is beginning to make more and more sense each day. we'll see what happens...

home sweet home?

when i was leaving ocean park with my grandmother saturday morning we drove by a carwash that was blaring "home sweet home" by motley crue. i smiled. after a lovely week-long vacation i was strangely excited about returning "home" to northampton. i was more excited about being back with my friends than confronting my overdue rent, unemployment and related financial hardship.

i attended two birthday parties during my weekend of return. they both served well as an escape but also as a space to connect with other people in this area who are somehow making it work. i found, however, that most decent, rewarding jobs in the valley are mostly found on the periphery and are only accessible by those who can drive to westfield, whately, east longmeadow, etc.

i think i'd rather live in oakland and ride my bike to work.

vacationland

i'm in maine for the week on vacation with my family. we've done this every summer of my life so it's nice to be back and share more memories.

it's also nice to avoid reality for another week.