Quarter Life Crisis?

I am twenty four years old. That isn’t that old, is it? I feel like I have so much time ahead of me to live life, make mistakes, experience things, and learn lessons. But do I? I can’t keep pushing things off with the “I will do that someday” attitude. Brie and I went to see Knight & Day the other evening and normally I am not a Cameron Diaz fan, but her character said something that stuck with me: “Someday. That's a dangerous word. It's really just a code for 'never'”. I do not want to have regrets or wish I had done something differently so my new attitude is to live it up. Why not?

When I look at my life thus far honestly, it has not gone the way I thought it would. (Looking back, my vision in high school was so warped.) But slowly I am coming to terms with things and going with the flow. No, I am not married. No, I do not have children. No, I do not have a “career”. No, I do not plan on going to grad school. No, I do not know what I will be doing in a year. And while I struggle with some of those no’s I have to accept that my life is mine and no one else’s; I will do things in my own time on my own terms.

Cinematic Adventures

During my first week in town I have ventured out on two occasions for cinematic adventures. First to see Grown Ups (love Adam Sandler!) and then to see Inception (love Leonardo DiCaprio!). Both outings were super exciting for different reasons. When we arrived at the 20 screen Elmwood Theater to see Grown Ups I was pleasantly surprised by the price of my movie ticket. In Roanoke it is impossible to pay less than $7.00 for a ticket (and that is at the Grandin during matinee showings). So needless-to-say I was shocked by the $5.00 price tag for two hours of comedic performances by well known Hollywood actors! Apparently any movie playing Monday-Thursday at any time will only set you back one paper Lincoln (unless it is a holiday or the opening day of a movie: i.e. Eclipse opened on a Wednesday so it would have been regular price that day.) Awesome!!

My second trip to the cinema was slightly harder on the wallet but was a new experience. It was an IMAX experience to be exact! I accompanied Brie, her brother and a few of his friends to see Inception on the huge IMAX screen! (72 x 52 feet huge!) Great movie to view in this format; lots of action and special effects!!

For my next motion picture I want to scope out the Prytania Theatre that is located just a few blocks from my house. I get the impression it is like the Grandin and has very few screens.

A Project with a Price

Before leaving for New Orleans I knew that I needed to acquire a dresser of some sort for my clothes. I ended up getting two matching three-drawer units from the Habitat for Humanity store that I thought could look rather nice with a little TLC. So I used my dad’s power sander and roughed up the red and cream colored paint. Time ran out before leaving Virginia, so I figured I would paint them after getting to Louisiana. (The previous post concerning an accent miscommunication at Lowe’s was when I bought the paint for my project.)

Despite the nearly daily rumbles of thunder and threats of rain I decided to chance it and paint this past Monday. I worked on the drawers first converting them from an off-white cream shade to a cheerier October Bronze. While they dried, I moved on to the larger chests and covered the dark red a previous owner chose with a burnt orange Apple Spice that I preferred. During the process of transforming my new furniture I would like to add that I was without shoes, a decision I did not think much of until it ultimately cost me a functioning toe. The patio I was painting on is constructed of multiple square cement slabs that, like the streets in this town, have warped and moved with the swampy ground, therefore resembling the aftermath of a small earthquake. Being clumsy and not paying attention I inevitably stumped my toe on one of the elevated slabs. The pain was sharp and big as I immediately grabbed my foot and voiced a few choice words. At first I thought I had only scuffed my toenail but as the day went on my once beige colored skin began to turn a dark grayish purple that extended throughout my toe and onto my foot.

Luckily I have one prepared roommate (Nick) who had athletic tape and one experienced roommate (Brie) who used to dance and knows a thing or two about damaged feet that were able to wrap my toe to its neighbor. The pain has gotten better but the array of colors my skin has turned has been a natural masterpiece!

My "new" chest of drawers!

Accent Barrier

I have been warned by a few folks that the local accent in New Orleans can be difficult to understand at first. It is referred to as a “yat” accent and up until the other day I had not encountered any issues. (Understanding one of my New York roommates on the other hand has been a little trying. He probably thinks I am deaf due to my constant “whats?” and “huhs?” when he talks.)

With the help of Samantha I made it to Lowe’s to get paint for a little project I am working on when the communication dilemma occurred. I handed the gentleman working the counter the color sample and we discussed that I needed a quart of satin finish paint. As he turns to go begin mixing the paint he stops and says what I thought was “exact?”. *Awkward pause* Ummm yeah, I want a quart of satin finish paint in Apple Spice EXACTLY. The confusion I was experiencing in my head must have shown through on my face because he repeated again “exact?”. *Another awkward pause* Sorry, still not quite getting it. He stepped back towards me and said slower “satin?” Ohhhh! Yes, satin finish is correct!

Unfortunately I am sure this will not be my only communication mishap as I adjust to the local accent!

900+ Miles Later

I am finally here!! Not unpacked or organized in the least, but I am in New Orleans! Our ride down went smoothly minus the pouring rain in Tennessee and cracked windshield that resulted from a stray rock. We stayed in Meridian, Mississippi Monday night and made it to our destination Tuesday afternoon.

While my parents were here I attempted to show them around town the best that I could considering I am new to the area. We did Café du Monde for beignets and Parkway for po’boys, strolled along the Mississippi to see the Natchez, drove down Bourbon Street, wandered through a cemetery and circled the Superdome. The next time I have a visitor I hope to have a better sense of direction and be a cooler tour guide!

Now begins the acclimating to my new surroundings. Where is the closest Target? What is the fastest way to get across town? Do I even need to be across town? How is this sharing-a-bathroom-with-a-guy thing going to work? Where do I get groceries? Which neighborhoods are safe to look like an out-of-towner in? Which are not? I suppose all of the answers to these questions will work themselves out in time and probably with the help of my new BFF, Samantha, my GPS!! (Well, she may not be able to help with the whole bathroom thing.)

The Longest Move EVER

I feel like I have been moving my things from one place to another for the past month and let me just say: IT IS GETTING OLD!! The U-haul is full & we head out in the morning followed by another round of unloading and unpacking! And while I wouldn't call any of this "fun" it certainly would have been a heck of a lot harder if it weren't for my mom, dad, brother & cousin Marcus (who, poor thing, got roped into helping)!! They have hauled boxes and furniture, loaded and unloaded vehicles and spent many a hot hours helping me make this big move. So, my hat is off to them (figuratively of course since hats look awful on me!) (: THANK YOU FAMILY :)

Moving is Exhausting

When I began the process of going through my things in Roanoke I was amazed at how much stuff I had accumulated over my 25 months there. A quick spree through Valley View, an afternoon stroll around an antique mall, holidays, two birthdays, a small obsession with used DVDs and my mom making sure I never left Lexington empty-handed all added up! It took us four days, numerous Goodwill runs, a box of trash can bags, multiple trips up and down I-81 and a morale booster from Maggie Moo’s to get the job done—and dare I mention that this was all done while temperatures hovered in the upper 90’s!!

Now everything that was not trashed, recycled or donated is strewn around my parent’s house taking up nearly every inch of vacant space. And while I know this irritates my dad to no-end, I bet he smiles to himself when he realizes that in less than a week it will all be over 900 miles away!