alexthegreater ([info]alexthegreater) wrote,
@ 2007-06-24 20:47:00
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Well, once again I haven't updated thing thing in quite a while, not since I got back to the states. So far the Summer is going OK. I have a job at least, though its only part-time. They needed some office help at the athletic club my mom works at, and since I worked there years ago and knew how to do everything, they hired me for the summer. The work itself is pretty boring, but it's easy and the pay is pretty good for part time work.

I've also started working out routinely, about 5 days a week or so, though only 3 of those are weightlifting. I'm also trying to eat more and I'm even seeing a personal trainer once a week to help me get started. It's going well, though I still feel goofy when I am doing it. At least it helps me feel a little bit better about myself.

Last weekend I visited Richard in Key West, and that was pretty nifty. We spent a lot of time biking around the island, going to the beaches, eating, and going out at night. It was a fun time. I had only been to the Keys once before, and that was many years ago, so it was really nice to see the islands. Plus, it was great hanging out with Richard.

But even though things seem like they are going well, I'm feeling pretty down. Some days are OK, but on others I feel really depressed. I'm still not fully over what happened between Story and myself, but that's only half of the picture. I just don't know what I am doing anymore. In a few months I will be finished up with grad school, but that does not thrill me at all. Hell, at some point I stopped caring about my studies at all and now all I want is that piece of paper so that the last year and a half of my life wasn't a total waste. And when I am done with school, what then? Where will I go? I have no idea. It feels just like when I was graduating from New College two years ago. And on top of that I feel really lonely and isolated. So yeah, things are not really going that great. I'm trying to stay positive, to tell myself things will get better, that I will meet new people, but it's hard. I hate being alone and being lonely. And I do have friends and and all, but those that I have are mostly scattered across the state and far away. So yeah, that's what been going on in my life the past couple of weeks.



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[info]lexabear
2007-06-25 01:18 am UTC (link)

It's great that you're taking steps to get what you want, though. Don't feel bad about weightlifting "only" 3 days out of the week - you're not really supposed to do more than that. It's also good that you got a personal trainer; lifting weights the wrong way can be anywhere from ineffective to harmful.

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[info]blackdove24
2007-06-25 02:14 am UTC (link)
ugh, i know i've remarked before about how much of a post-college funk i've noticed around me (though don't ask me when or to whom), but seriously, this post-college stuff can blow sometimes. i feel like i've spent the last two years of my life in stasis, waiting for the next big step in my life to begin... and it seems like i see this in a lot of the others around me.

personally, i'm thinking the life of a nomad is what i need in the near future, so that's pretty much my advice--that whole live it up and travel thing, etc., while you're still "young and unattached"--though i realize that is not something for everyone... and that you've already been doing some traveling... but take what you will from this.

also, you should totally come up to sarasota and visit some time. the next month looks like it might be very busy for me, since i want to visit tallahassee and a friend coming in from army, but st. pete pride is next weekend...

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[info]lemur_cat
2007-06-25 03:23 pm UTC (link)
Post-college sucks because everyone wants at least two years of experience. Also it seems to me that all jobs ever totally suck and there is no such thing as a job that does not suck. (Even things that I find appealing, even IF I had a hope of ever ever ever getting paid to do them, which I absolutely positively don't, I suspect that since it's a job they find ways to make them into torture.)

Alex, *hug!* Fluffy kitten puppy.

If I can't get a job that I don't hate, I'm going back to college to study language stuff. My parents can pay tuition once in my life. And hey, I have saved up... the entrance fee. -_- For me, a big part of employment is not getting deported.

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[info]alexthegreater
2007-06-28 01:16 am UTC (link)
I'm not really that concerned about job stuff, I can find a job somewhere doing something. Instead I care more about finding someplace where I am happy, where I have friends and community.

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[info]lemur_cat
2007-06-28 08:21 am UTC (link)
Okay, but, although I don't have a lick of friends or community, even if I did I would have no time for them because my job destroys my soul every day and I am only alive for about half of Sunday.

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[info]lemur_cat
2007-06-28 08:24 am UTC (link)
I wouldn't say I'm pining for community, really, but I certainly do miss having at least one friend. Aside from my cat. If I came back to America I could visit my college friends, but not all the time. I am good friends with my mother though, so I'd be dragging her to action movies and things. That might be sufficient except that I'd feel like a complete failure living and hanging out with my parents.

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[info]alexthegreater
2007-06-28 01:14 am UTC (link)
The odd thing is, right now I don't want to be unattached and roaming around anymore. I want someplace where I can call home and a community of friends. I'm tired of moving around all the time at this point in my life. I though I had that future laid out before me, and then it all went away. Now I'm not too such how to begin rebuilding it.

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[info]alexthegreater
2007-06-28 01:17 am UTC (link)
Oh, and I have been thinking about visiting Sarasota sometime in the near future, but there are a couple of things going on in the upcoming weekends that I want to go to down here. It would be really nice to see everybody though.

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[info]alexthegreater
2007-06-28 01:12 am UTC (link)
I don't feel bad about only weightlifting 3 days a week, just that of the 5 days that I am at the gym, 3 of those are weightlifting and 2 are just cardio stuff. The hardest problem I am having with all of this is not lifting the weights, but eating enough food. I really have to force myself to eat more, and it starts to become a real chore.

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[info]audesapere
2007-06-25 02:11 am UTC (link)
man, can i ever relate. to all of that. i think it's pretty normal to feel that way in grad school, though. it's harder to make friends, it's harder to feel like it's worth it (unless it's some professional program like med school or law school or business school or whatever).

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[info]blackkat59
2007-06-25 01:37 pm UTC (link)
Not that I'm an expert or anything, but I feel like the key is to find something you're passionate about. If you're in grad school just to kill time, it can seem sort of meaningless, but if it's a means to an ends that you're looking forward to, it's not so bad. If you work at a job just to survive and make ends meet, you'd probably be miserable with that too. You have to find something you care about (and love to do) and find a way to make money doing it! LOL. I think Matt had it just right...video games were clearly his passion and now he's figured out a way to make it into a career! As for the lack of friends bit, I noticed when I was in my first year how disconnected I felt because I didn't get along fantastically with the people in my cohort of my program, but then my next year, I started meeting people from departments across the university. Most of my close friends here now are in different colleges entirely, so I'd suggest trying to branch out. The Grad Student Association here at PSU would occasionally hold grad student happy hours to facilitate meeting people from across the university. I met Nicole on LiveJournal and through each other we've each met a ton more people, so online networking can help also. I hope this was helpful, or at the very least, not worthless! If you ever wanna chat, give me a call. :)

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[info]zannaz
2007-06-25 10:49 pm UTC (link)
I second this. I was really bummed when I first came to medical school because I had expected a bunch of fellow nerds and all I saw were former frat/sorority members. Teh answer seemed to be using the internet and random contacts to find people. Now I'm satisfied with my social contacts,but it took me a full 2 years to get here.

Also, if you start travelling, you should totally come to Chicago and visit me. And it is looking very likely that I will be living in Sarasota from Nov 25-Dec 15th and working at the Planned Parenthood off of South Trail.

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[info]alexthegreater
2007-06-28 01:21 am UTC (link)
Yeah, I have resolved that I need to be much more proactive in developing friendships and social contacts, and I have a few ideas on how to implement that once I am back at FSU. But as for passion, well, I though I had a passion for history, but I quickly discovered that I hate doing original research, so that pretty much killed that. I don't know if I really care about anything at all.

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[info]blackkat59
2007-06-28 02:12 am UTC (link)
I don't think that's true. You never wanted to be a researcher so for original research to be depressing for you isn't terribly surprising. I thought you were more interested in teaching history...and you'll be able to do that once you graduate. And if that's not what does it for you anymore, you'll have to test the waters until you find out what that is. Clearly you're a passionate person given the determination you displayed upon coming back from Europe about improving yourself. You just need to find new outlets to channel that passion into.

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[info]spellfilcher
2007-06-25 07:38 pm UTC (link)
good hear you getting the chance to get started off right foot with working out, really you shouldn't do more than 3 days of weightlifting a week and alot people suggest not doing workingout more than 4 days in a row. But really just take it slow and steady, also change up the routine every month or when you stop making head-way. Try different types of cardo along with changing the types of sets you do with weightlifting, it always stuck when I would get bored from doing the same sets in the same order 3 days a week for 3 months. As for feeling disconntected with world I would follow Maryjo advise. Well anyways I will be in town for the first two weeks of July, let me know if you want to hang out.

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[info]alexthegreater
2007-06-28 01:24 am UTC (link)
Right now I am doing weightlifting 3 non-consecutive days of the week, and then doing cardio stuff 2 or three more times per week. It's going pretty well I think so far. At least I don't feel like keeling over and dying after each session now.

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[info]asurapuji
2007-06-26 02:16 pm UTC (link)
come see my show! that'll solve all your problems. yeah, nothing like seeing jeremy in a police uniform to give you a new purpose in life. seriously, post-grad funk is made about 30% worse by being experienced in Tallahassee. granted, Sarasota isn't much better, but i'm in Sarasota and isn't that what really matters.

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[info]alexthegreater
2007-06-28 01:26 am UTC (link)
Until when does your show run? I want to visit Sarasota soon and see everybody, and your play as well, but there are some events down here in Ft. Lauderdale each weekend that keep me pinned down here.

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[info]asurapuji
2007-06-28 02:54 am UTC (link)
it runs until July 15th. gimme a call when you're in town!

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