August! Whoa!

I really enjoy observing my own adjustments to the move, new city, and new people. I might still have moments of loneliness or loss, but the differences between the Catie that moved to Seattle on June 8th and the Catie who is perusing the streets like a true Seattleite on August 1st are obvious and immense. The best part about it is the lesson; because we all know I'm going to be adjusting to several new, big cities in my future. These obstacles, these observations, they're all preparing me for the adventure that is my future, and the fact that I walk the streets with confidence and eagerly head to work in the morning gives me great hope.

Thank goodness I am getting used to my new office at SSCC! Being the new person is something I have always hated; the constant questions, the awkwardness, and not knowing exactly where to be or what to do all drives me crazy. Though I'm struggling with the vast amount of freedom I have in this position, it's nice to have that for a change. Last week the other Activities Coordinator, Nathan, and I took groups of international students to the Microsoft Visitor Center on Friday and volunteered with them with EarthCorps at a trail in West Seattle on Saturday. It was the smiling, laughing international students that reassured me, once again, that I am going into the right field. Some of them got to Skype their families in other countries when we were visiting Microsoft! Others learned a ton about identifying local and invasive plant species when we were volunteering. In the future we have planned some hikes, historical tours, and tourist attractions planned for them. I'm most looking forward to new student orientation this fall quarter; Nathan and I get to spearhead the whole day! Maybe I'm just still in the honeymoon period, but right now I'd say I love this job so much I'd do it for free. (Just don't tell them that!)

Now that it's August, that means my first day as a graduate assistant is less than 2 weeks away! I think I have a solid schedule hammered out between my two jobs. It will be soon enough that classes get added in to that as well. Though nothing can compare to my ridiculously over-involved undergrad experience, this will be a challenge I know. But hey, what's a better way to grow than to challenge myself?

It's another day at the grind for me tomorrow. I am already looking forward to the weekend, though. My mornings have just been super crappy; but maybe that's just because my body is used to waking up at its leisure.

Sidenote: Odin is psychotic right now. For those of you who know him, yes, his pupils are 100% dilated, he is running top speed around the studio, and every so often grabbing someone's limb and biting it before dashing off again. Psycho kitty! And now he is begging Zach hardcore for some yum yums. I guess that means it's time for me to go spoil my cat.

While I'm gone, check out this picture I took of a guy washing windows on a skyscraper:

I believe it's the One Union Square building!