Jersey Girl Takes Columbus, Ohio

I have been staring at a blank page for over a month now trying to figure out witty ways to start off my new blog. Turns out I was making it a tad more difficult than it needed to be. So here is what is swirling around in that crazy brain of mine. I’m using this blog to ramble about my adventures in the grown-up world. I’m going to record all of my triumphs and missteps for the world to see and judge me for. 2010 is the year that could very well be the greatest year of my life, and I don’t want to miss it. I am turning 21 in April (finally!), graduating from The Ohio State University in June with my degree in English, and (hopefully) getting my first big girl job in New York City. So many amazing events are occurring soon, and I barely have the energy to think about them (or get out of bed in the morning). Mostly I’m just trying to live week by week and hope I make it to June.

My journey began in New Jersey, the Jersey Shore to be exact [insert joke here], and I absolutely loved growing up there, and I love spending as much time there as possible. With the beach, NYC a short ride away, and the best pizza known to mankind, why would anyone live anywhere else?! I wanted to discover the answer to that question so I decided to move away for college. The East coast is and will always be my home no matter where I am on the planet. I’m a true blue Jersey gal, sans the accent that really is not as common in Jersey as people think. I decided in high school I had four years to discover another world, another region of this country that I had not had the pleasure of living in. Let me tell you…the Midwest IS another world, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Ohio State is an amazing institution, and I don’t think I could have been happier anywhere else. I wanted big so I had a feeling that attending the biggest university in the U.S was a good start. Columbus, Ohio is a real charmer. The people are friendly (although sometimes I miss the rudeness of NJ – it seems more honest), the city is clean, and there are not cows walking down High Street like my friends from home told me there would be! It has been a wonderful place to spend my college years (which have been shortened to three because I’m crazy!). My roommates have become some of my closest friends, and they have all brought something to my life, which I’m eternally grateful for. My chances of meeting people from different areas of the country, Chicago and various areas of Ohio to name a few, would have been much slimmer had I attended school in the tri-state area. I will miss my BLENK (first initial of each of our names) girls so much! Yearly trips to the Bahamas will be a must!

In these last four months I have in Ohio I’m hoping to make the best of it. I don’t want to get so caught up with the future that I forget to enjoy the here and now. With that being said there is two feet of snow outside my window and a pile of books to be read for classes next to my bed, so I’m not sure how much I’ll be living it up in the next few weeks. It has been very difficult to balance work and play. Every second of free time available I feel can be used towards getting caught up with homework assignments. It is really important for me to remember that these days will be gone before I know it, and the last thing I want is to look back and say “Hmm maybe I should have spent more time with those four funny girls I live with.” With that said I have goals that I hope to accomplish before leaving Columbus for good…

1. Attend at least one more Gallery Hop in the Short North – That was fun last year
2. Eat at 3 more restaurants on High Street – Ali Baba looks intriguing
3. Go to Little Bar – That looks like the cutest bar in town!
4. Buy a birthday dress at Easton
5. Go to the market downtown to purchase fresh fruit.
6. Wine and dine in the Arena district
7. Cook at least two more “family” dinners with the roommates. Tacos last year were excellent.
8. Visit at least two of the homes of my roommates. They can duke it out who wins.

This is a very short doable list, but it is surprising to see how many easy fun things never happen. We get tired or busy and we do not take the time to enjoy the little things that can be fun (and cheap!).

I have an entirely different list in my head for what I have to do once I actually graduate (GET A JOB!), but I think that is for another day. We don’t want to get overwhelmed now do we? So this is my blog. I’m going to bring up anything that comes to my mind from the books I’m reading in class to my love of dark chocolate (Thanks N for bringing the candy!). I’m so excited for the journey awaiting me, and I hope that a few of you will take the journey with me. Growing up can be scary and so thrilling at the same time. As for now, I guess I have to go finish my homework.