Poignant

The way we were taught how to spell in high school was anything but effective. We were given a list every week, and were expected to memorize each word on it and the accompanied definition. Only to relay it onto a test that was worth an insignificant percent of our overall grade in the class. Most of the time, those new words were forgotten the minute I turned in my test. I'm not sure why, but ever since "poignant" presented itself on our list, it was one I could not forget. Amongst the monotonous clusters of spelling words, this one stood out.

Perhaps it's because the sound of the word itself almost evokes the emotions it's supposed to portray. Instead of smoothly rolling off the tongue, there's a sharp stop in the middle of the word. In my mind, that sudden halt represents the sudden surge of pain and sadness. There's something so hauntingly beautiful about it that captivated me.

Despite the fact that this word is supposed to recall forlorn feelings, it has become a favorite amongst my vocabulary. 

Big Things Come in Threes

Well, dang. It's been a while since I've posted. I kept telling myself that I would post after something big happened. Well, over the past month, I have gained a roommate, moved apartments, and went home for a week. I'm pretty sure those all qualify as something "big" in my life, but for some reason I wasn't compelled to write about any of it until now. Maybe everything needed to settle a little before I could figure out how I felt about everything.

New roommate: Cassie and I met through a mutual friend in college. Eventually, she joined the sorority, which is where she and I became good friends. Even through her year abroad and even with my graduating, we stayed close. It wasn't until a few months ago, when she got an interview for a great company, did we ever imagine living together. Cassie moved down before we had an apartment, so I did what any good friend would do, offer to let her stay in our apartment...in my room. Nothing tests a friendship more than sharing a bed for two weeks.

New apartment: Cassie, being the amazing friend that she is, decided that instead of living on her own and close to her job, she would rather commute and live with me. We searched for quite some time before falling in love with an apartment complex less than a mile from my place of work. Man, oh man. I'm not sure we would have pursued this place if we knew how many rings we would have to jump through. Nevertheless, between all of the paperwork and back-and-forth with the manager, we got it and moved in this past week. To say that I love our new apartment would almost be an understatement. My room has this HUGE window, which opens everything up. We have a balcony that Alfie (my plant) is happily soaking up the sun on, and our kitchen is basically perfect. There is storage galore, and the apartment is air conditioned!!! I know this is the honeymoon stage, and I'll probably find something I don't like, but for now, I'm enjoying my bliss.

Going home: A week before we moved in, I had a week off of work for summer, and decided to fly home to see my parents. Aside from all of the drama from the apartment that I was dealing with, it was a good trip home. It was nice to see my parents and visit with old friends. I was able to go to my two favorite coastal restaurants, go shopping, and relax for the first time in a long time. My last day there, I ran into some good friends who I hadn't seen in over a year. They kept commenting on how happy and great I looked. Even my mom texted me, after I got through security in SFO, saying that I seemed happy. It was such a great feeling to know that my happiness shows.

I can't even begin to express how happy I have been in Los Angeles. I have my bad days. I have dating/relationship issues. I get frustrated with friends. I miss my family. I complain about work and the heat. Yet at the end of the day, I am happier here than I have ever been anywhere else.