School's Out For Summer!

Yes, as I typed out the title to this blog, I was singing Alice Cooper's song in my head. Definitely the song for every student at the end of the school year. I'm really, really, REALLY glad that I'm out and was able to get through the first year. Just 4-5 more years to go. It's depressing to think about it like that.

Now that I'm out, I'm face with a new challenge: returning to life (briefly) without school everyday. It seems like it would be easy, but in the back of my mind, I know it won't be. I've finally gotten the break I've been wanting for a while now, but I also know how bored I can get. Like today, for instance, my husband is home (sick) and I was off today for the first time in a LLLLOOOOONNNNGGGGG time. I'm bored. I've finished a book, started on another one, did some nail care, inquired about a car (still), surfed the internet for a couple hours, I did have a final (last one), ate, pet my cats, even spent more time on "primping" myself this morning because I could, and hell, I know I've done other things but I can't remember them. And I'm now bored.

 I grow tired and restless easily over doing something that's the same thing for a while. You know, like reading a book. The book I;m currently reading is Gender Codes: Why Women Are Leaving Computing, which is really a good book on why women are no in the computing field like they were from 1960s to mid 1980s. Buutt, I got tired of reading it and put it down.

I really don't have any way to go anywhere. No vehicle + limited funds = staying at home way more & cabs are expensive. And even if I did have a car, where would I go? This town is pretty dead for a grown up. Really, all there is is Wal-Mart. And some clothing departments. That requires money. It's a never-ending circle, really.

I hope to give some humor to some soul out there that's reading this. I know I'm humoring myself whilst typing it. ;)

In other news, the plans for moving have halted. We really feel like we can't go until we have a car. We still have to move from our current position since the landlord will be renovating the property soon. So, in search of a car, we are also in search of a temporary place to live. Yay, even more fun. *enter deep sarcasm into voice*

I think it's best to say that I shouldn't be bored, but for some reason, I am. We haven't packed ANYTHING, and we haven't even started our search for a new place. Personally, I hate moving, and I'm pretty sure most others do as well. It's a part of life though.

I feel like I'm rambling on, and I probably am. I just felt the need to talk, to type, to give my own thoughts at this time. Sorry to have wasted some of your time, BUT if you possibly have any advice or comments on the current situation, please, by all means, please share. :D

Thanks.

An Agreement

I generally disagree with what my American History prof will say or cover in class. He likes to get off on wild tangents and rant about things that have nothing to do with the lesson. He's a much older man, and his nickname around the History major peeps is 'Dinosaur'. I would definitely have to agree. He does like to talk about his much younger wife and his two very young boys'. He likes to say that he's a pre-industrial worker. He likes to rant about Sears' bad customer service. He goes on about things that are pointless.

His exams are hard and his classes have a high failure rate. But still, he's here. And he'll probably stay until hell freezes over. I can actually see him crawling into the classrooms just to teach (or rant, your pick).

BUT, one day last week, he was talking about The Great Depression and also relating to today's Great Recession. At some point in the lecture, he was talking about the percentages of the unemployed persons in the nation, states, and so on. He finally said something that caught my attention. He started to talk about if a person wanted a fulfilling, well-being life, to get the hell out of Tennessee. Get the hell out of Tennessee. GET THE HELL OUT OF TENNESSEE. Wow. What a small but significant statement, to me.

You see, my family has struggled as far back as I know to just have enough to get by. I grew up in a happy, but poor home. By the time I was in HS, I was embarrassed to get a waiver form at the beginning of the school year in order to get free lunch, but I had to. All my life, I was not in the know of my family's financial status. Both of my parents worked hard. Real hard. My father was a supervisor at a wood factory and my mother worked at a factory as well. I was an only child until eight, when my sister was born. Little did I know that soon after that, my parents filed for bankruptcy. We moved. By the time I was in the eighth grade, I had three younger siblings, and everything that I wanted to do could not be met. The only thing I got to participate in on and off was softball.

Now, after moving out (by force) and living on my own,I happen to be in their shoes. I've worked two jobs and still didn't have enough for my bills. I've lived with roommates who have ended up screwing me over. I've had struggles to stay afloat.

I decided to go back to school, because I was simply tired of being broke. I knew (and still know) that I would be broke throughout college, but also knew I would be better off to endure that hardship and be rewarded than to continue with what I'm currently doing.

Now, to move on with his statement, I had thoughts of moving to where my husband is from, which is not TN. I brought the idea up to him, and he didn't like it at first but come to terms with it. We didn't want to live being broke for the rest of our lives. Soon after we came to this agreement, we decided on the how and what and etc. for moving. It will be hard. But we'd be better off. After a week of this decision being made, I was sitting in class and heard what my prof said. He is actually from where my husband is from, and I think he probably wishes he could be there now, but his wife probably wouldn't. Oh well, his loss.

Tennessee may be a gorgeous place to live. But, it's more a place for retired people to live. There seems to be nothing for the youth or the young adults to do here. Maybe the greater Nashville area has more to offer, but not where I live. And throughout Tennessee, it's hard to find a computer science fielded job without the proper connections and status. And that's not just for comp sci people, but for most others as well. The only way I got my current job is because I was connected to the right friend of a friend of a family member who would get me hired. And I work at a convenience store! My first job as a day care child coordinator was the EXACT SAME WAY.

I may seem to be ranting a bit, but I think I have a point. There's only a few things here for someone to  strive for and those careers/jobs really do not pay a lot unless you have the right connections.