Hello, sorry I haven't posted in a while but as you may have guessed things have been a little bit crazy.
My last day at A&F was July 16th. I just had my exit interview that day which was impersonal (I sat in front of a computer and filled out a survey) and caused me to go a little bit nuts in my opinions (I had intended to be reserved and polite)...I
literally typed the sentence "I believe [so and so] personifies everything that is wrong with this company." I hoped they liked that one.
That evening I had a goodbye bar night at a restaurant downtown called The Little Palace because I am a Princess, clearly. There were many handsome men there. My friend Michelle from my running group was nice enough to come, and she spent the first five minutes commenting on how everyone at A&F was attractive (everyone at my party, at least)
...I guess I hadn't really noticed. We'll see how it compares to UA.
It was really nice and really fun, even though it was bittersweet. The shitty part of the night was that I got my first speeding ticket driving home :-( Believe me, I deserved it, if not for that night then for the past 10 years when I have willfully and gleefully driven recklessly and ticket-free, but it just pissed me off that it was the first time that I got pulled over ever and he gave me the ticket. UNCOOL, OFFICER DOUCHEBAG. That meant that I had to go to court this past Monday to contest the points being applied to my ticket (I didn't contest that I was guilty and deserved to pay the fee, but I contested that I should get points). Lucky for me, they reduced my speed by 21 mph to get me within 5 mph of the speed limit (yeah, I said I deserved it) and gave me no points on my license. Phew. And yes, if you're wondering, I've stopped speeding. Quite as much.
So then the next day I went skydiving with John! I'd always wanted to go, and one day a "Groupon" landed in our e-mail inboxes for 50% off skydiving, so John called and said he wanted to go and we bought the Groupons! So then I knew I had to go within the next year...but we never really planned when we'd go. Once I found out I was leaving Columbus on the 26th, I knew I had to jump out of a plane prior...so we booked our appointments and drove 2 hours away to Middletown, Ohio. We waited quite a while once we arrived and got more and more excited...and then it was our turn and we got all geared up and went up in the air! And what goes up must come down....
I know Lizzy has done it, I don't know if any of the rest of you have...I know Annie hasn't...anyway if you haven't and you're open to it, I HIGHLY recommend that you do it someday. It was an awesome experience, unlike anything else I've ever done in my life. When you're in freefall it really just feels like you're standing outside on a windy day, and then when your chute is opened, it's just like floating down towards the Earth on an amusement park ride or something. Totally awesome. Plus, being strapped to a big burly dude isn't so bad!
After skydiving I spent the next week trying to forget what it was like to work at A&F, reading Grisham novels by the pool, meeting up with people to say bye one last time (I think John was the hardest. We both cried. He said "Why is everyone leaving me?" like the dad from My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and having panic attacks regarding the move.
Eventually moving day came. The packers arrived promptly at 7 am on Monday and were all done with my apartment by 12:30. My mom and I finished up in the apartment, got some lunch, packed the cars, and were on the road to B'more by 4. I arrived here around 11:30 that night and moved into my temporary housing (see Facebook for pictures, they're too boring to repost here). My mom chose to drive south to McLean instead so that we didn't have to unpack her car that night, and she met me back in B'more the next day.
So, drawing from an e-mail I sent Lizzy earlier this week:
I am living in Fells Point. (please see map for your reference). I have put the little walking guy exactly where I am living - I'm right at the end of the pier. Over down by Boston Street is the area called Canton. It has the Safeway and the local library so I have been there a couple of times. Then down by Light Street on the left side of the map, that's Federal Hill. We went there for lunch today. I am going to work in Locust Point (bottom right) Do you see in the bottom of the red circle where those streets kind of form an "H"? That's where Under Armour is. If I want, I can take a free "Water taxi" from fells point directly across the harbor over to where Under Armour is! It's pretty cool. Otherwise I have to drive all the way around the harbor which would take like 20-30 minutes. I think so far I like Fells Point the most -- young people live in Fells Point, Canton, and Federal Hill, so I'll look at all of them, but I like Fells Point so far. Lots of shops and places to eat. Lots of places to walk, too.
SO. That is life right now. I start work on Monday. I'm pretty nervous. I would like you all to come visit as soon as possible. Please. Thanks.
ALSO - Smolls (and anyone else, if they happen to have information that falls into the following categories) -- where are your favorite restaurants in B'more? Where should I be checking out? Would any of your friends here be willing to share some of the same information with me and not think I'm a creep? xoxoxo
