So this is life?

Don't get me wrong-- I am thrilled that I graduated college with two degrees and one certificate from UW-Madison. I can't even count the number of times I wanted to drop out and actually almost printed the withdrawal forms. College kicked my ass, but it is nothing like the real world (at least this is what I am slowly learning in the weeks following graduation).

My parents have prepared me far better for life post-graduation than college. Never once in college did anyone tell me about renter's insurance, applying for jobs for which I am over-qualified for, the necessity in learning to cook, or the month-long depression/hibernation that follows college graduation. Nope, none of it. Instead, I have spent the three weeks following my graduation trying to figure it all out by myself without losing my sanity.

There really should be a place that you can go and access the mess of information necessary to function as a new "adult." There also should be a place where you can go and vent, ponder, and cry about the craziness that has now become your life. Hence, the recreation of my blog! So please comment and share your own experiences!

So time for today's discussion: Packing without actually having somewhere to move.

My lease is up on June 30, so logically, I need to find a new place to move into in the new city I am moving to before June 30. Well, I have been apartment hunting and found an apartment that is within my budget, meets the minimum requirements I have for a place to live, and is in the city I am moving to. Issue? I don't have a job with a "verifiable" income. I do own my own business, but I am still growing it to a point where I am making enough income to live-on. So, now comes to story about getting jerked around...

As I neared graduation, I was working to grow my business, but had two (what I thought) back-up jobs in mind. The first would be returning to the company I temped/interned at for three summers and the second was getting placed through the temp agency I worked for three summers. Long-story short, I applied for a job I knew I was not really qualified for at the first company (after being urged to by three+ employees of the company), only to be told by their HR department that I was not qualified and that they wanted someone with experience. They said I could put in for an entry-level job that requires a high school diploma and involves doing work that I, at this time, do not understand. Fine, I applied. I then went to my back-up plan at the temp agency and was told by my contact that she would see where they could place me. Three days went by. I called back to talk to her and was told that she was on vacation for a week-- good thing she mentioned this before leaving... NOT! Anyway, the guy who answered checked the status of my file and said they had no clerical openings. Fabulous.

This double-blow of insanity led to me calling six more temp agencies in my area looking for placements. Five said they did not have any clerical openings and one (who I had a negative experience with several years ago), offered a slight glimmer of hope. They took my new resume and had me complete several assessment tests online and will be following up with me this week. FINGERS CROSSED! I plan on calling them on Monday to see if they received my assessments and see if they can meet with me on Monday to place me... PLEASE LET THIS WORK! If they are able to place me, I can go back to the apartment I want and submit my application! The lady who manages the property said they would have the apartment I want available by the end of this week, WHICH MEANS I may be able to start moving this week! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!

Realizing there was nothing I could do this weekend to speed up this process, I began packing.  My logic?  If I am packed, I can begin moving IMMEDIATELY into my new apartment.  Minimum, I will be moving even more stuff to my already crowded room at my parents' house pending my move to my new apartment.  Creative procrastination?  Maybe.  Sanity protection?  Oh yeah!

Other noteworthy news: the twitch in my left eyebrow has come back this morning.  Welcome back my tell-tale sign of stress!