From the 205 to the 502… (I promise I’m not going in reverse!)

Earlier this year, I decided that I was going to be more spontaneous.  Although my usual well calculated decision-making had not failed me, I felt like I was boxing myself into behaviors that did not allow me to explore and embrace the woman that I was becoming.  My time in Tuscaloosa revealed a women that I had not known in prior years.  I was no longer consumed with the everyday hustle and bustle that I had grown accustom to during my undergraduate years.  Because I was entering a graduate program and living in Tuscaloosa, life was much slower, but it was still very full.  During this time I was much more reflective, more driven, and more emotional.  A few weeks before my birthday, I was emotionally drained from the most dramatic “situationship” I had ever experienced. I didn’t pull a Bernadine (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGwV4mrOCJo), but I did schedule an appointment for a haircut. I was ready for something new and haircut would be the best way to start my year.  I hated my haircut…initially! I didn’t know what to do with it, but it started to grow on me after a few days.

My birthday final rolled around and I wasn’t exactly excited. Birthdays have always been a huge deal to me. I mean HUGE! But, this year was different. I canceled my normal weekend extravaganza with my friends and did something on a smaller scale.  I decided to have brunch with a few good friends in Tuscaloosa and a couple of my professors.  The brunch was great! (If you’re ever in Tuscaloosa, you should try brunch at Five! (http://five-bar.com/tuscaloosa/)) After my regular Sunday nap, I decided to challenge myself to do something for the first time. I thought for hours, and I was completely stumped.  It finally came to me! So, I went to the movies by myself for the first time.  It wasn’t so bad, especially since I was the only one in the theatre -_-! I made it back home, got settled in and started responding to student emails.  To my surprise, someone besides my students wanted to talk to me on a Sunday evening. The Director of Graduate Studies for the English department at the University of Louisville emailed me with an admissions offer for the PhD program in Rhetoric and Composition (http://louisville.edu/english/graduate/doctorate-in-rhetoric-and-composition.html) . Well, this news was certainly unexpected! (I had already accepted a doctoral admissions offer at University of Alabama, but I always said Louisville would be the only program that would make me have second thoughts.) After days of reflecting, I made the decision to accept Louisville’s offer.

During the summer months, I prepared for the move from Tuscaloosa to Louisville and from the Masters to the PhD. Around mid-June, my anxiety began to kick in and I was worrying about EVERYTHING! What is the city going to be like? The winter? The school? The people? I think I worried about everything you could possibly worry about when moving! Deciding where I would live consumed me most! Every apartment community didn’t seem appealing or wasn’t in my price range.  Towards the end of July I was officially stressed! Thankfully, Ashley rode with me to Louisville to look for apartments.  I had lists, suggestions, reviews…the whole nine! We met Dr. Robinson in Louisville and she helped us navigate the city. After a few hours of searching, I found a few places, but I wasn’t completely interested in any of the places we viewed. 

I was getting discouraged and I was hungry. Before going to the restaurant, we turned into a neighborhood that Michelle remembered as the area that she would take her kids trick-or-treating.  After turning on the first street, we spotted this gem!

We immediately contacted the landlord, and he agreed to show us the house after we ate dinner. My anxiety was lowered and I found a house that was close to campus, comfortable enough for me and my things, and cute enough to call home for the next four years! So, after hours of packing, moving, and getting settled, I’m ready to begin my 502 adventures!