Symbols

About a month ago, I graduated from grad school. Because of how messy things were with trying to finish, I hadn't lined up anything for when I finished. I had to move back home for the first time in a over 8 years. It was weird for me, since I had basically been on my own for a long time.

On the drive to my parents' home, my car engine blew up. The car that I had gotten in high school, when I first gained the ability to call home and let us my parents know if I was spending the night by a high school friend. The car that drove me to college. The car that I used to visit friends who had been scattered across the US after. The car that I drove to my first job, every day to college, and that I took across the country one summer.

Losing that symbol of my independence was rough for me.

It made me doubt myself.

I had taken a step back and gone to live home for a while.

It almost made me feel helpless.

Sometimes things happen that put things like this in perspective.

I now realize that this is an opportunity to do what I had wanted to do anyway. Spend some time with my grandparents in their retirement. Help my parents around the house a bit. Explore non-academic interests. Think about the past couple years.

Nothing like a break to clear your head. And life popping up to remind you of the things that matter.

Edit: Bonus Comic!

The house always wins. The house being the inevitability of the universe.

Photo Credit: LKM PHOTOS

Lyric of the Day: Friendly Fires - Blue Cassette
"As I hear your voice,
It sets my heart on fire.
That with all the noise,
It sets my heart on fire."

The Radio

Heard the Arctic Monkeys on the radio and I was inspired.

And drunk me thinks you are really hot.

Photo Credit: LKM PHOTOS

Into the Memory Jar

Up late tonight spectating friends playing Magic. All we have learned is that Esper Delve loses to U-Tron and goes 50-50 with Muggle Wizards.

Had a weird dream a couple nights ago that was an alternate past. It was kind of interesting and reminded me of a story that I don't think I've posted.

For my 21st birthday a couple friends and I drove down to Orlando. The three of us powered through it in a single sitting. Leaving at 9am (early for us), we actually got in at 2am the next morning. I was really inexperienced at driving long distances(we all were). We rotated drivers every two hours and yelled the name of each state out the window as we entered them. Classic high-school stuff.

A couple days in Orlando, we decided that we wanted to go to the beach. I drove the 2 hours to Tampa. This was before I had my smartphone, so I had printed out directions and had my copilot telling me when to turn. Low-tech, but it worked.

In the actual story, we had a fun time at the beach, then piled in my car to head home. My co-pilot had placed the directions on the dashboard as he dried his hair. I put down the windows so that I could have the wind through my hair to help it dry. This is one of my favorite things to do when my hair is long. Our first turn was around a circle, and I took it a little faster than I should have. As we spun around, the directions flew off the dashboard and though the window. We all had a "well, that happened" moment, and I followed the signs and roads I remembered back to Orlando. I played it off like I was glad to be on an adventure (and part of me was), but I was secretly terrified that we would get lost.

In the dream version, we actually did get lost. We end up driving all over the state and my friends and I end up spending the entire day trying to get home. It was like a much lamer version of Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.

I hadn't remembered that trip in a while, so it was kind of strange that it popped up. Good times nonetheless.

Cop out

I haven't made a real post since I graduated and moved down to FL. Mostly because there is so much I want to record that it is overwhelming.

Here is a comic instead. I call it "Boundaries"

It gets blurry when I'm drunk.

Photo Credit: LKM PHOTOS