The Company We Keep

Being with Jeff and Kyle this weekend after being away for four weeks has made me realize something important about the next step in my career. While I've always valued my friends, I don't know that I ever recognized how much time I actually spend with them. Literally, I can't tell you how many times I've reached for my cell phone to call or text someone just to see what they're doing that night before I made the connection that we're a few hundred miles apart!

It’s been somewhat frustrating to spend so much time not really doing anything of substance. Granted, I’ve never been one to go out partying regularly or be the center of attention. But, since high school at least, I’ve almost always had a group of people around me just in case something came up. There’s always been something to do even if it’s just sitting around doing nothing.

More likely than not, I won't have many close friends living in the same city where I accept a position initially. I don't know that it will be very difficult to make friends; however, with moving, starting a new job, and getting settled into a new town, I wonder how much time I'll have to devote to new acquaintances. Talking with another friend tonight made me realize that I’m not alone. It was really good to just hear from him and hopefully he felt comforted by the similarities of our situations and struggles that we’ve had. I suppose that I’m good at preaching but not so much at putting it into practice.

Please don't misunderstand—I very much enjoy the people I work with at Auburn. The professional and student staffers have all been very welcoming. I'm extremely grateful that they've been accepting of me even if I am one of those other Tigers. It’s just something different, almost indescribable to others.


So, to combat any possible homesickness or “friend-sickness,” I've taken to being productive and proactive (well, as much as I can be considering). I’ve gotten to work on a number of things that have become necessary evils in my life.

Since I still haven't found a place to live when I get back in July, I've been weighing my options. Much to their dismay, living at home is out of the question for me--my parents live too far away from campus and, despite the fact that I'm nearly 25, would still have problems with me coming home late at night regardless of the reason. One factor that has become somewhat difficult to overcome is my uncertainty over what the future holds. If I find a job that starts in January, it may not be feasible or responsible for me to seek out a 12 month lease. However, it is getting down to the wire and I may have to make do with what I can and start looking for someone to sublease fairly soon.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have gotten the opportunity to flex my creative muscles! Though it isn’t much, I’m very happy with the results and the positive responses the project has garnered thus far. Again, BIG news if this goes farther than the planning stages but we’re not much beyond that yet.

Additionally, I decided that it’s getting close enough to my graduation date that I can begin to seriously consider job opportunities as I come across them. I had originally planned to actively begin the job search process once I returned to Baton Rouge in July. However, an email about an opening came this week that I couldn’t pass up even though it is a very long shot. While I would like to ideally work at a large, public university in the southeastern part of the country, I think I’m fairly open to anything. I’ve heard from others about the job search process that when the right school and position comes along, you’ll know it. I’m really just putting myself out there as much as possible, getting to know the field and hoping for the best by devoting a great deal of myself to looking for what’s right for me.

This week, I'll be taking part in student staff evaluations and even conducting a few of my own. This will be a great opportunity for me to really see advising and interacting with students on a more personal level that can have the potential to influence their growth and development for the rest of the summer. Session four is also right around the corner, but with this much needed break, I'm ready for it and all of the others too!


War Eagle and Geaux Tigers!