The new place!

After many requests for another video of my apartment, here is the video, just click on the link below. It's HUGE compared the past few videos I've made of my apartments!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZPJ__FOunk

The Big Move

So I am officially all settled into my new place in Durham, NC. My dad flew into NYC and helped me move down to NC. I'm not sure I could have done it without his help! It was great to have him there and road trip it down from NYC. Dad was here for a week, I was able to show him around NYC, then we had our road trip, then I was able to show him around NC too. I live in a nice area, right across from a mall (which I will be venturing into this weekend), and some large shopping centers that have everything and anything you would ever need. I'm still a little lost and relying on my GPS on my phone to get me places, but I'm sure that will all change soon. My apartment is HUGE, and my dad can confirm that, compared to where I was before, my 1 bedroom is more room than Willy and I need, but it's so nice to have so much space.

I started work yesterday, it was a long day, with orientation and my first day of work it was a long 10 hour day. Today will be my normal day, 1-8. I will update my blog in the next couple days with more details about my job. I will also try and post a video of my apartment before the end of the weekend. As stated in a previous blog, I'm starting a new blog for my new chapter of life. However, this one will not just be writings about my life, it will be a combination or pictures, quotes, anything and everything that I come across that resonates with me. I will not have it set up to email everyone each time I post something, so those who read this regularly might want to bookmark the new site. It is http://chrissi-tempusneminemmanet.blogspot.com/

Bye for now <3

D-O-N-E!!!!

I am DONE!!! As of last night I am done with graduate school!!! I can't believe two years has passed so quickly. I have learned so much and have grown professionally and personally in the past two years in NYC. It really hasn't sunk in yet that I'm done with school, I'm not sure it will until the fall when I don't have to go back to classes! I guess I am jumping ahead of myself a bit, I still have to wait to get my grades to officially be a Masters in Social Work, but that shouldn't be a problem and I will be getting my grades in the next few weeks.

Now that I'm done w/ school, I am frantically packing my apartment up, because I move in a few short days! I swear I feel like my things keep doubling, every time I pack a box I feel like I turn around and find more and more stuff in my apartment that I still need to pack. This weekend is dedicated to packing up the rest of my stuff and saying my goodbyes to all my amazing friends I've made in the past few years, and goodbye to this wonderful city.

My dad has been gracious enough to take time off work and fly out and road trip down the east coast with me! He comes into town Sunday evening, and very early Tuesday morning we will be getting the moving truck and packing it up with all my contents of my NYC apartment, and driving 10 hours south. In less than a week I will be will no longer be a New Yorker, and will be a North Carolinian! For those of you who want my new address, please email me and I will send it to you, I just don't want to put it here on my public blog!

My tentative start date is May 16th for my new job. I guess this will be one of my last posts here on NYC, NYU, and MSW since I will soon no longer be part of NYU or NYC, and will in a short few weeks have my MSW. I will probably be starting a new blog once I move and will update you all on how to access it once that happens.

Back to packing!

Bye for now <3

Job offer!

For those of you that don't have facebook, I was received a job offer on Friday! It's not the best offer, but at least it's something. They are offering me a part time position working in their Intensive In-Home program. The office is located in Durham and I will be commuting around a neighboring county to work with the families. I'm not exactly sure all the details of my exact part in this program, but I will fill everyone in once I start. Since it is only a part time offer, I am continuing to apply to part time and full time positions to either get a second job or a full time job.

So now that I know I will be in the Raleigh area I am frantically trying to get the rest of the details figured out; ie. rent the Uhaul, find an apartment, rent an apartment, etc. I spent the weekend applying to jobs and figuring out the above mentioned details....I have applied to an apartment complex and am just waiting to hear back from them about the details of the lease. I don't know how everyone used to relocate without the internet, I'm having enough stress w/ the convenience that I can do it all online in an instant. I also set up another interview in Raleigh a few short days after my move, so things are looking good. Hopefully I can get a few more interviews after I move there!

As for now I'm trying to finish all my finals that are due this week and start packing for the big move, which is only a week away!

Bye for now <3

Interviews

So last week I flew down in North Carolina to have interviews. I had 3 interviews, 2 in Greensboro, and 1 in Durham/Raleigh. It was a hectic couple of days, driving back and forth between Greensboro and Raleigh. Big THANKS to Brian and Mere for letting me crash at their place, so I didn't have to pay for a hotel! In between interviews I tried to look at some apartment complexes in both cities to figure out which ones I liked the best. I felt pretty good about all of the interviews, but 2 out of the 3, seemed promising and interested in me. I now and patiently waiting, not very patiently, to hear back from these agencies. I did hear from one today, that I am one of the finalists, and they are proceeding with a background check and calling my references, and the other said in a weeks time they will be making a decision, so any day now I should be hearing from them. I will update you all again once I get an offer, (or two!), and what my final decision is.

Besides interviews, and figuring out the details of the move, I'm also in the mist of finals!! I have 1 week left of internship, and 2 weeks left of school! I can't believe it's been two years already and I'm about to graduate with my Masters in Social Work!!!! eekk! Back to working on these finals...

Bye for now <3

It's Official!!!

So after much contemplation and many discussions with friends and family, It's official...I will be moving to North Carolina after graduation. Although I love NYC, and have had such an amazing experience here the past two years. I can't afford it. It's RIDICULOUSLY expensive, and being an entry level social worker, even with a Masters, I will not be making enough to live in NYC. I recently made the decision, that job offer or not I will be moving, because after many hours of research and job searching, many of the jobs require a NC driver licenses and SW licenses in their state to even consider you for a position. I have applied to many of those, stating that I would be obtaining them as soon as I move, and IF i hear back they usually say contact them once I move or once I move and have those documents. So, I've decided that it is more beneficial to continue my job hunt from the state I am applying in. As of yesterday, I have 2 interviews in NC scheduled for mid April, one in Greensboro, and one in Durham. Just thought, now that I finally made my decision I would let you all know about the next BIG step in my life. :)

Bye for now <3

Last Spring Break EVER!

It was a bit bitter sweet, to know that I will never get a break from school, work, life and reality like this again. I had a "staycation" for my spring break, like all 6 of my college spring breaks have been. I literally did not leave the house for a few days except to walk Willy, then I went shopping, got a mani/pedi, wandered the city, went to dinner/happy hour with some friends, and wandered Central Park. It was all about focusing on me! And doing whatever I wanted when I wanted. I was ready to get back to work after the week was over, but NOT ready to get back to school. This last stretch is always the hardest part for me, especially since I know this is THE END!

BUT...

Only 6 weeks and counting....until I graduate!!! I can't believe that I have already been in NYC two years. This has been such a wonderful experience, and I have grown so much as a person in the two short years I've lived in NY. NYC has been such a positive part of my life and helped mold the person, and social worker I am today. I think there isn't many other places like NYC to get your MSW, the experience you get in this city isn't like any other, and I'm *hoping* that it will help me in my job search, having the experience of NYU and NYC populations I've worked with. I have been applying to jobs feverishly and there really aren't many jobs out there. :( Unfortunately, although there are those in need of mental health services no matter what the economic climate, maybe even more in the current time, that doesn't matter to those funding the organizations (usually the local or federal government)and mental health funding seemed to be one of the first things cut to help balance budgets. Please everyone keep their fingers crossed that I will find some employment, in some relation to social work, in the near future. I will hopefully be updating you all soon on the good news of interviews and/or job offers! Until then, I guess I should focus on the next 6 weeks, and leaving my academic career with a BANG!

Bye for now <3

NC for the weekend

I had a wonderful trip down to NC last weekend! I went for a long weekend and spent some time in Greensboro with Brian, Mere, Hailee, and Hannah; and some time in Charlotte with a friend from college, who is going to law school there. It was so great to see two more towns in NC. And seeing my nieces was amazing. They are so adorable and since it's been a year since I've seen them last, they have changed so much. The weather was amazing down there this past weekend, and I loved the trees and openness. Both things that are scarce here in the city. I have to admit, it's made me miss suburbia... Here are a few pictures from my trip (Sorry Amanda-somehow we took no pictures)

I also updated my pictures so those of you without facebook and click on this link to see pictures from my trip! https://picasaweb.google.com/cmwright121

Bye for now <3

LAST semester!!!!

I am SO happy that I am in my last semester of school!!! I can say I defiantly have senioritis. I have been going to school, without a break, since I was Kindergarten, or technically pre-school, so I am ready to not have school anymore. Although it's only once a week, and I work the other days, I'm looking forward to coming home after work and not having to think about my readings, papers, and presentations I have to work on that week. Most of my fellow classmates, took a year or several off between undergrad and grad school, some are even coming back as a second career, so many don't share the same desire to hurry up and be done already! My internship is getting more and more demanding, more like how a real job in this field would be, I suppose. I now am running 5-6 groups a week, have 3 individual clients that I see as a case manager, and then 1 client I see for individual therapy, and I'm doing 1 intake (initial assessment) a week, then follow those clients for a month or so until they are admitted. It's exhausting, but everyday is entertaining at the office.

School is going pretty good, I'm a month in...I've started the countdown to graduation! I have 10 more weeks of classes, and 9 more weeks of internship! I'm taking two children classes that are electives, Practice w/ Children, and Maladaptive Behaviors and Life Stressors with Children and I'm really enjoying both of them. One is even interactive, we play games and act like children to try and see things from their perspective, very interesting. My other two classes are required, Practice, and Advanced Policy. So we discuss policies in the one, and how social work and policies intertwine, and then in Practice we talk about what to expect next year, about the licensing exams, jobs, etc. I don't like my practice teacher, but that's ok 3 out of 4 is the best record I have so far, for liking my classes! That's about all going on here...just counting down the weeks until I'm DONE, and trying to figure out what my next step after graduation is.

Back to my homework, 10 hour school day tomorrow. :)

Bye for now <3

Words of Wisdom

I read this on a friends blog once and really liked it. Thought I would share it with others!

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I've learned that no matter how much I care,
some people just don't care back.

I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to,
doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust,
and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned that it's not what you have in your life
but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes.
After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do
but to the best you can do.

I've learned that you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned that no matter how thin you slice it,
there are always two sides.

I've learned that it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.

I've learned that it's a lot easier to react than it is to think.

I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned that you can keep going
long after you think you can't.

I've learned that we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.

I've learned that either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done
when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly,
but just don't know how to show it.

I've learned that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I've learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing
and have the best time.

I've learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you
when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I've learned that maturity has more to do with
what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them
and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish.
Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I've learned that no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned that just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned that we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.

I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.

I've learned that there are many ways of falling and staying in love.

I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I've learned that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains.

I've learned that the paradigm we live in is not all that is offered to us.

I've learned that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.


~ Author Unknown