Homecoming

Today was homecoming at the U of I. It was the first time in 13 years I wasn't in Champaign.

I woke up this morning feeling completely nostalgic - it didn't help that my FB feed was full of people going to the game and enjoying the crisp fall weather!!

IL won the game - it was a nail biter, though. 5-0!!!

Gut Check

I received a huge gut check this afternoon.

It has been a frustrating work week. Lots of data management issues and lots of frustration among co-workers. A majority of it stems from frustration and poor communication. Needless to say, I was looking forward to coming home and relaxing tonight.

Fast forward to me going to the grocery store & seeing a homeless man on the corner. I had no cash, only change, but I gave him that. But, it still bothered me so I went back to the store and bought him food and gave it to him. I don't know why but something about this man struck a cord in me.

My life is crazy and frustrating at times. But, I seem to forget that I have a million things to be grateful for every day. And, when I complain, I should remember all those things that are good for me.

10 Years - 9/11/2001

It is hard for me to believe that it has been 10 years since 9/11/2001. I will NEVER in my life forget where I was and what I was doing. Nor will I forget how much this changed my life & millions of others' lives.

My friend Kelly's birthday was 9/9 - a Sunday. As per tradition, most of us had gone out for her birthday, the night before, where we ran into a friend of ours, Lisa. Lisa had been a foreign exchange student at my high school during high school and came to the U of I and lived on my floor freshman year. Lisa was hit by a car that night, crossing the street, to go home. She later died.

My roommate, Cara, and I found out about her death on 9/10 - a Monday. We stayed up late on Monday night talking about Lisa and her friendship and her influence on our lives. I didn't have class till late (~11) on Tuesdays so I slept in for a bit. My friend Matt called me to tell to turn on the TV and I snapped at him because I was tired and wanted to sleep but he told me I really needed to turn on the TV. I was in shock - I thought we were watching a movie. All those people falling out of the buildings - the fires - the chaos - the smoke. It was surreal. And, I remember some U of I classes on the Engineering Quad being cancelled because U of I had the world's largest supercomputer. Admin was afraid we'd be attacked, too. I went to class but it was really just a day of healing and praying and remembering.

I remember how patriotic our country was those next few weeks and months. There was nothing Americans could not do. And, we were all proud to be Americans.

I hate our divisive our country has become. I hope today serves as a reminder that we are all Americans first and foremost. Despite all of our political and personal beliefs, the events of 9/11 affected us so strongly because we are Americans and we love this country.

It's good to be an American.

More Southern Living

Well - you can take the girl out of the Big 10 but you can't take the Big 10 out of the girl! I spent a lot of today watching college football and following the Big 10 either on TV or online.

Because I don't follow SEC football (at least not as religiously as the Big 10), I decided to go grocery shopping this afternoon when the UGA/SCar game started at 4:30. Went to the store - got my essentials - paid - came out -and DISASTER!!

Rhonda's passenger side mirror is BROKEN - OH NO!! No note, no nothing, not even an apology. The casing is cracked and the mirror is broken. I am just so bummed.

Good-bye Summer 2011

I cannot believe another summer is behind us!!

I remember when I was a kid I thought summer use to stretch out endlessly in front of me. Now, it is like a blink of the eye between Memorial Day & Labor Day. And, the older I get, the worse my memory is. I cannot, for the life of me, remember what I did on Memorial Day this year. I'm sure I went home for part of it but I cannot seem to guarantee it =)

It was a bittersweet summer, though. Turning 30 and getting my PhD was an awesome starting point to the summer but leaving my home and everyone I love and care for was so hard. I'm still homesick - although it hits me at different times now, like when I'm driving or sitting at work.

But - on to bigger and better things! I'm excited for my first fall in the South!

One Month Down!

Today marks my official one month anniversary with UGA! I started work on 8/1. I've learned a lot and really feel part of the UGA lab team.

In other news - I also moved (AGAIN!!). This weekend I'm going to spend some significant unpacking and rearranging my room so that I can be productive regarding my classes and my writing. I'd like to spend 2-3 hours a day writing but right now it has been difficult because my office has been like Grand Central Station.

First game of the football season this weekend: UGA vs. Boise State. Go 'Dawgs!

Dixie Land Living - 1 Month Down

So - I've officially lived in the South for a month now. I arrived in Athens on 7/25/11 and today is 8/25/11. I can't say it feels like home, yet, but I think 95% of that is due to my living situation. I'm hoping that once I get moved into my new place (latest a week from now - earliest a few days from now) that Athens will start feeling more like home.

Although my temporary living situation isn't the greatest and I am far from all the things I know and love, I am grateful for a work family that cares for me. I have no idea what I would do without my 10 friends at work!

Missing the Prairie

"Maybe you had to leave in order to really miss a place; maybe you had to travel to figure out how beloved your starting point was." - Jodi Picoult

This quote could not be any truer for me right now. My whole life I felt I was being held captive by small town life. In my mind, I had places to go and people to see and Central Illinois was bringing me down. Flash forward and now all I want is the prairie and Central Illinois life. I miss the openness of the land and the corn and the soybeans. I miss driving down gravel paved roads and country lanes. I miss seeing as far as the eye can see. I miss the rich, black soil of Central Illinois - some of the finest farming soil in the world. I miss the bright blue sky and the way the sun feels when it is shining down on you. I miss the wildflowers on the side of the road. It just all feels different in the prairie - my home.

It has been one month to the day since I left Central Illinois to go on this great, big Southern adventure. And, while I have learned much and grown in my short time here, my heart still yearns for the prairie. If home is where the heart is, then my home will always be the vast farmlands of Central Illinois.

Things I Want to Tell My Students

1) I have been in school longer than you have been alive. Perhaps there are things I could teach you.

2) Talking in my class, while I'm talking, will not earn you any points.

3) I could have, theoretically, given birth to some of you. Keep that in mind when speaking to me.

4) I don't care whether you were valedictorian, class president, most beautiful, most popular, star athlete in three sports, or all of the above. I don't care who your parents are, how much money they make, and what kind of car you/they drive. I do care, however, about teaching you. I want you to learn. I want you to enjoy learning. In an ideal world, you'd be as passionate about the subject I am teaching as I am. I would settle, though, for you to at least feign interest for the hour to 3 hours a week that we are together for the next 16 weeks. I want you to understand that learning is a process and that while you may forget the material you learned in my class next semester, I hope you learned things about life that you can use in your college career and beyond.

Go Dawgs!

Today was my first day teaching as a real "PhD." I unknowingly wore school colors today: black top & red skirt. Students here are very polite - called me "Dr." without any prompting. I'm excited to be down here & do something I enjoy. Even though I am still terribly homesick, at least I enjoy my job.

Missing Home

Random things I miss about home:

1) The Central Standard Time zone - My body is having the hardest time, for some reason, adjusting to Eastern Standard Time zone. I know it is only an hour but for some reason - it has been incredibly hard. I'm just used to eating dinner and watching the news with Brian Williams at 5:30, going to bed after watching the 10 pm news, and getting up at 6:30 am. Now, the news doesn't come on till 6:30, the local news isn't on till 11 pm, and I have to STILL get up at 6:30 in the morning.

2) Meijer - I just haven't found a grocery store that makes me as happy as Meijer did back home. Publix is fine but it does not have EVERYTHING I want or need.

3) The rich, black soil - Seriously, how can they call this red clay soil!?

First Day of Work

Today was my first day of work at UGA. Guess it is officially - I'm now a post-doc!!

The Culture

The South definitely has its own culture. In the Midwest, khaki shorts and a nice shirt would be appropriate weekend wear. Here - it is sundresses all the way!

Pros and Cons

Pro: Most people are extraordinarily friendly.

Con: It's not home.

Pros & Cons

Pro: In the South, they can call you ma'am without making you feel old.

Con: Red clay passes as soil.

Athens, GA - My New Home

I got to Athens, GA late afternoon yesterday. The drive from Nashville to Athens wasn't too terrible. Although, once I got past Nashville and towards Chattanooga, the hills became steeper & I had to go MUCH, MUCH slower than the posted 70 mph. Rhonda & I made it, though.

As silly as it sounds, it gives me great comfort to know that my car, Rhonda the Honda, is here with me on this adventure. She has been with me for a lot of adventures & helped me accomplish a lot of my goals. She drove me back and forth so I could get my Masters & PhD. She drove me to Springfield, then Champaign, and now to Athens!

The people are nice here but I sure do miss home.

Athens, GA or Bust

Left Central IL yesterday morning & made it to Nashville, TN yesterday afternoon.

Passed by Clarksville, TN - Gateway to the New South.

Looking forward to my new Southern adventure!

Dixie Land Living

After living my entire life within a 60 mile radius of my hometown, I am branching out and seeking new adventures.

I left my home in Central Illinois today for the Land of Dixie, where I have taken a job with the University of Georgia, Athens.

I look forward to my time in Athens, learning more about the people and the culture.

As a Midwesterner & die hard Illini, it will definitely be different living in the South & cheering for the 'Dawgs. But, as you know, you can take the girl out of the Midwest but you can't take the Midwest out of the girl.

Georgia is DEFINITELY on my mind!