Almost to the End, Approaching the Beginning

I wish there was a way to take a picture of the circumstances of my life at this moment. I want this circumstantial snapshot in part because I know that I will treasure the memories, I will laugh at the past, and I will smile at who I once was with the wisdom and life experience of whom I’m going to become…. The other reason I want this little remembrance is because hindsight cannot hold the depth of the stress, frustration, anxiety, and complexity of what I am currently facing today. The next best solution is a little journal token that I invite you to enjoy.

Here I am in my last two weeks of college. I’m so exhausted, I almost feel like a zombie most of the time. It’s not just the semester, but the last 6 years that have brought me to this place. The entire time I have been in college (on average of course), I have worked between 15 and 60 hours, worked out 5-6 days a week, taken a full course load (12-15 hrs), maintained a fairly active social life, cooked 95% of my meals, had pets (most of the time), travelled, paid my bills, used a bike as my only form of transportation for the last year (but used it to commute for the last 3), and maintained an A/B/C (for those tough ones) grade average. I have accomplished a lot! I’m tired.

This semester has been unique. I have worked hard!

There are pockets of time where I am on campus in the quiet and a wave of rest comes… and I can’t help but break down. I’m filled with joy, gratefulness, relief, and longing for the bittersweet memories that I know are fleeting and short lived.

For the next two weeks, the campus is mine… after that, it will change. It will still be mine… but I won’t know it in the same way. I won’t have that disgusted familiarity that I’ve grown to hate… yet learned to love and adore. I won’t have to take the same bike route every day. I won’t sit in the same seats in the same rooms of the same buildings. I’ll walk around campus like I did before I got here, knowing that I am no longer a student.

In addition to what I’ve just mentioned, I have two kittens. Yes, I know, that may seem like a mundane fact about my life… but it’s about to blossom into a huge mess. On top of work, school, finals, friends, church, cooking, commuting via bike, and just wanting some time to rest from it all… my precious new kitten has come with ringworm. That’s right… ringworm.

Ringworm is a fungus (not a worm). I almost wish it was  a worm or a parasite or something else though because this fungus is actually exceptionally hardy. Little sores form all over your body and itch (mine hasn’t itched that bad but I have over 60 spots). It can live years in an environment without a host. With treatment and decontamination, you can get rid of it in 2-4 months.

So, I’m taking oral meds, the cats are taking oral meds. I have to “dip” the cats (aka bathe them) in this solution once a week. Just imagine bathing a cat in a solution that smells like rotting eggs…. Dolly ended up on top of my head and Donte left me with some pretty impressive battle wounds all up and down my arms. 

Too bad I can’t say that some wild, untamed man did that… well, I guess it was a wild, untamed, wet, man cat!

In addition to the dip, the cats must live in the bathroom for the next two months and I must deep clean the bathroom 2-3 times/week with bleach. Deep cleaning means ALL surfaces, everywhere and everything that is on the surfaces (if you didn’t know).

Then there is the decontamination of the house.

I have officially washed all the pillows, rugs, slip covers, placemats, clothes, towels, etc. that has come into contact with the cats (basically my entire house). After having to wash all that stuff at the coin machines ($$), 

I have to mist everything I want to keep with bleach. I have officially misted all the laundry, curtains, furniture, carpet, surfaces, and baseboards. I have to do that once a week or so until the ring worm is cleared up.

I’m still not sure if I should clean out my fish tank. I might just bite the bullet and do it… I just don’t want the fish to catch anything.

As far as I go, humans don’t spread it as easily as cats. That’s fortunate. Still, I have to wear pants and long sleeved shirts when I’m in public and I can’t touch anyone. So far I have been successful!

Ok so while all this is going on, I am job hunting (which feels like another job). I am looking for flight attendant jobs and just did my first interview in Houston a couple of days ago. A friend allowed me to use her car and another friend let me spend the night, so God really provided!

I am pretty sure I got the job. I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch, but I got my background check, signed my new employee paper work, and got drug tested (so thankful I haven’t done any drugs!).

They tell me I may start my unpaid 4-6 week long training (with no days off during that time) Jan 7^th. I can’t bring the cats… so I will need to figure out what to do with them. Also, I need to find a subleaser for my apartment so I won’t have to pay rent. I think I can afford the unpaid training if I find a subleaser. So I’m actively looking, putting ads online, posting flyers everywhere I find a bulletin board, etc.  

Aside from finals, there is one other aspect of my life that I’m trying to juggle… my graduation/25^th birthday/goodbye party… also in 2 weeks. I’m trying to plan a murder mystery dinner party and unfortunately, I’m having to do it single handedly… I love a party though and I can’t help but seek a special treat since I’m working so hard on everything else.

My relationship with God is better than it has possibly ever been. I’m finding time in the mornings and in the evenings to spend with Him one on one. I love that! All through the day I am full of praise. And in those moments where the stress and pressure wash over me, and I feel like I’m drowning.. He is there comforting me, reminding me that He will help me through all this.

So… I think that sums up my life right now. A very taxing, stressful, joyful, exciting end to an adventure!

Fasten your seatbelts ladies and gentleman, I’m preparing for take off! 

Oh, and yes, I will be a blogging FA!