So...

I'm moving to Philadelphia!

"Why in the world are you moving to Philly?" you may ask. That, my friend, is a legitimate question. I'm definitely not a city girl -- besides that weird stint in Moscow (complicated, and I was 8), I've mostly lived in the burbs. Public transportation kind of freaks me out. I'm used to people smiling and saying hello when they pass on the sidewalk. I don't really want to be mugged. Buuuut I just graduated (hallelujah) and it's time for me to get a big girl job, and I got offered a pretty sweet one at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (called CHOP...really). 

It's one of the best children's hospitals in the country, and I'm still waiting for them to call and tell me there's been a mistake and they didn't actually mean to hire me, but until then, I'm going to fake it 'til I make it. I get to do speech therapy and diagnostics with kids with autism (my love). I start in June. Holy crap.

I'm sure I'm going to be learning a lot of things (usually the hard way) when I start this new phase of my life. Here are a few nuggets I've realized in my past few visits:

1.The liberty bell is smaller than you think it will be.

2. Camden, NJ, one of the most dangerous areas in the US, is right across the river from where I'll be living. Yes.

3. I need to get a cute little dog to walk around town if I ever stand a chance of fitting in.

4. Everyone honks their horns. A lot.

5. Ben Franklin was kiiind of a player.

6. People will look at you funny when you say y'all. But I continue to stand my ground: it is a very useful word. What do you want me to say? Yous guys? Blehhh.

7. Cheesesteaks should be ordered with cheez whiz, referred to as just "whiz." I would never eat whiz in any other context, but holy crap, it is so good.

8. You have to have cash to buy said cheesesteaks.

9. The cheesesteak workers will make fun of you tirelessly if you don't have cash.

10. Sometimes your hotel won't have water. Then you'll have to go take a shower at the local Y.*

*This may not be a common occurrence in Philly, but it's happened 1/3 of the times I've been there, so it's hard to say.

Oy

Some pretty big life updates coming soon. In the meantime, enjoy this video. I wish I was this girl.

Night to Shine

I don't mean to brag, but I'm pretty sure I had more fun on Saturday night than you did.

This is kind of a roundabout and boring story, but basically I found out that UNC's homecoming queen was putting together a prom for people with disabilities for her service project. She contacted local high schools, advocacy groups and group homes to invite people with varying types of mental and physical disabilities to do something they don't get to do often enough - have fun and be themselves.

I'll admit something to you. At about 4:00 on Saturday, I was less than enthused. The past few weeks have been unbelievably busy (less than 2 months until graduation!) and I had spent the morning running all over the Triangle assessing kids for a research project (yet another thing I agreed to do without really thinking how little free time I already had). Anyway, I was definitely regretting my choice to give up the gorgeous sunny day to hang up Christmas lights in a stuffy room.

But two hours later, when these awesome individuals started to arrive, I could not stop grinning. It was obvious that some had taken all day to get ready - the girls had their hair curled and looked beautiful, the boys looked so dapper in their tuxedos. I loved peeking out the windows and seeing them exchanging corsages in the parking lot. The moment that gave me the chills was when Monica, the queen, came out in her crown and sash and immediately put them on each girl to take a picture - they were the real queens of the night!

I spent the rest of the evening cutting a rug with a bunch of studs. It's okay, you can be jealous.

So long, Chick-Fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich...

I'll see you after Easter, my love.

I'm giving up fast food*/fried food for Lent. It's not that I eat a ton of it, but it's definitely something that I should cut out of my life. And I do have a tendency to swing by Chick-Fil-A when I'm running late and need to grab some lunch. Lent is such a nice time to rid yourself of something you don't need, because it gives you a reason and a timeline. In the past few years, I've cut out soda, facebook, and sweet tea, respectively, and been relatively successful. After living for 40-plus days (unlike some people, I do count Sundays) without something, I usually find myself not really wanting it anymore. Although that obviously doesn't last, because I consume soda and tea on a regular basis and probably checked facebook about 20 seconds ago.

I miss you already fried chicken, cheeseburgers, and fries. I hope I can keep this up!

*You might be wondering what constitutes "fast food." Just kidding, you probably don't care. But in case you were, don't worry, I've set boundaries. Fast food = a restaurant that typically has a drive-thru. This includes the McDonalds on Franklin Street (even though that particular one does not have a drive-thru). It does not include the likes of Subway and Chipotle - a girl's gotta have something to eat, right?

The End of an Era

Get ready, it's another sentimental post comin atcha.

Today is my last basketball game as a student. As lame and unimportant as that might seem to some people, it's pretty meaningful for me. I've been at this school for the better part of six years, cheering on the Heels during all that time, so the thought of not being able to waltz into the Dean Dome for most of the home games of the season (for free) is a little distressing. To commemorate the occasion, I decided a new t-shirt was in order. Given the fact that I could easily do an entire load of Carolina blue clothes every time I do laundry, it was probably unnecessary, but it gave me a chance to walk through campus on this Saturday afternoon.

I was thinking a lot about Eve, who died 3 years ago today, and her quote that is now hung up on hundreds of walls across Chapel Hill:


"I love UNC. I love the quad in the spring and the arboretum in the fall. I love the Pit on a sunny day and Graham Memorial Lounge on a rainy one. I love Roy all the time. But what makes UNC truly special is not our beautiful campus, our distinguished reputation or even our basketball team. It's us - the student body - who makes UNC what it is."

As I walked through campus, I thought of all the memories I have from every part of it. The pit, where I heard the Clefs sing, watched an Indian wedding ceremony (?), and couldn't help but stop to listen to the Pit Preacher. My favorite part of the quad to lay on a blanket with friends on a perfect spring day. The desk on the sixth floor of Davis with "KB" written on it (not by me) where I spent too much time looking at facebook and whispering and not enough time actually studying. The spot where I stood and hugged strangers and sang "Hark the Sound" at the impromptu memorial service for Eve.

I was sad at the end of my senior year, but I knew I would have two more years to soak up Chapel Hill. Now I feel like I've overstayed my welcome. I have no idea where I'm going to be three months from now, but I know that where ever I am, I will be cheering on the Heels.

God bless them Tar Heel boys!

This Time Next Year...

I have a tendency to get really sentimental around the holidays. Okay, let's be real: I get really sentimental all the time. But honestly, tearing up when you hear a Faith Hill Christmas song is probably not normal. 

Ever since my senior year of high school, I've thought "This time next year, I'll be...[fill in the blank]." For some reason, I had this idea that once I went to college I'd never see my family again, so I got really sentimental because I thought it would be my last Christmas at home. "This is the last time I'll ever hang up this ornament," etc etc. Surprise, that wasn't true at all; I've spent the past 6 Christmases pretty much the same way I always had.

But this time, I can safely say that next year will be different. This time next year, after 18 consecutive years in school, I will finally be truly on my own. This time next year, I will (hopefully) be in a job that I love that pays a real salary (!!!). This time next year, I will probably not be able to come home for 3 weeks of leisure time around the holidays.

It's scary, but I'm ready for it. I've loved every minute of my time at UNC, but after 6 years, I think it's finally time to be a big girl. I've got two big comprehensive exams in the next couple of weeks, and then the huge job hunt starts. How do you even look for a job? How do you do a real interview? Gah.