Day 124-- Life updates, first fall post-college

I figured it was time for a general life update.  Here were my goals for my first year post-college and this is how I'm doing:

1.) Get a job. Preferable a good one.

Well, this one has been good and bad.  I have been working (as an unpaid internship) at a book publisher for the past 2 months and have really loved what I do.  I help with author signing, do social media promotion, find venues for book reviews, and read manuscripts.  I've also spearheaded a contest to get one San Diego high school student published.  It's more or less everything I want to do for my career in life. 

However, there is no room for another employee there so I'll be handed a letter of recommendation but no job.  I'll be applying to publishing houses for a job by the end of the week, but I think there may only be two in the area.  If I don't get a job with them, I want to focus on getting my fiction stories published and some freelance articles published and try again at those jobs at the beginning of the year.

For money I've been stripping.  No, no, just kidding.  I've been working front desk at a hotel downtown which has been more or less as awful as I thought it would be.  I love the guests, and what I do isn't that hard aside from the occasionally fussy customer.  But.  But the management just sucks.  All of them are 40-something overweight, unattractive, stuck in marriage women who hated me when I first got there because I was skinny and 23.  It's gotten better but I get no social interaction except for the bosses, and I NEVER go home on time because they are always late or take smoke breaks right before I'm off.  Hopefully I get a publishing job and I'll quit the hotel.  Otherwise, I'll stay till the end of the year when I'll try again or look for a new job entirely.

2.) Live in a cool house

I've been living with my boyfriend and two girl roommates for the past few months and have really loved it. 

I can't tell you enough how much fun it's been dating the bf in the same town after 4 years of long-distance.  I love cuddling up next to his warmth in the morning and going for walks holding hands, and we dance in the kitchen together as we cook.  I'm not sure if I'll be living here next month though.  I'm in the guest-who-pays-utilities-and-a-little-rent middle ground and it may be best to get my own place for a few months to have that space and time for me, meet some more people, and if I do move back it will be on an official basis and not temporary guest thing.

3.) Make friends

I was working 56 hours a week with no day off for 4 weeks, so it's been hard to make friends.  I've hung out quite a bit with my cool roommates, so that's been really fun.  Still, I would like to get my own circle outside of the house.
 

4.) Eat things besides Mac&Cheese and pizza

My diet has massively improved.  I cook or my boyfriend cooks with me a few times a week.  This month I'm making soup, soup, and soup throughout October.  This week alone I made French Onion Soup and steam broccoli (while the bf bbqed steak), and am planning on making Mexican Black Bean Chili closer to the weekend.  We also have ingredients for chicken fijitas, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken pasta primavera, turkey sandwiches, and a frozen Safeway combination pizza.

5.) Do yoga at least twice a week and jog a few times a week

I only have one day off a week and I tend to get home around 8pm-12am (and I'm not a huge fan of exercising in the morning) so this goal has not been happening at all.  When my schedule opens up next month I was thinking of joining a gym. 
 

6.) Make a financial investment 

I've been thinking about this one lately, but haven't gotten to it yet. So far most of my money has gone to books, food, and parking tickets.

7.) Have better style

I just bought a yellow coat and some sexy brown boots so it's a start.  I finally got into the leggins trend and ballet shoes.  I really need help in my tops though.  It's really hard to find shirts that fit my tiny size so shopping requires more patience that I usually have.  I think I need to have a 1 new item a week goal to make it happen.

8.) A year from now, be able to be proud of something I've made and become.

So far I'm pretty proud of what I've been up to.  I'm really excited about my publishing contest and it it does work I'll know that I made a difference in someone's life.  If it doesn't work, it was my publishing house who dropped the ball, not me (I'm only going to be there one more month unless they hire me).  If I get published this year I'll be proud of that too. 

And really, I can tell you how impressed I am by this wonderful city by the beach and the truly interesting people I've met here, not to mention how much in love I've really fallen with my boyfriend.  We can do the romantic thing by him surprising me at my work dressed up and taking me out to a fancy dinner or me surprising him while he shaves in the morning by making him breakfast.  We can do the sexy thing with making out against the refrigerator as we cook or have sex against the wall with nips and bites as the shower stays on forgotten.  And we can do the typical thing of us both on our computers looking over to each other every once and a while to smirk or touch hands. 

San Diego has been really good for me so far and I have really high hopes for the next few months. :)