Here I Am

Ten days after making the treacherous journey across the country I find myself finally settled in southern Florida and feeling like I am home. I am tempted to ask myself "So now what?" but I have decided this is going to be the first time in my life that I am not going to try to meticulously calculate my next move or obssess about what I need to do over the next few months. I am diving head first into this new chapter of my life with my eyes wide shut.....and my mind wide open. I am starting not only a new job but a new career. My major focus right now is going to be succeeding and exceling in my new position as a clinical pharmacist. I am sure fun and new friends will find their way into my life eventually but I am not going to get too distracted just yet.

The one thing I have decided to do is to leave behind much of my life in Chicago. What does that consist of? Well, to say I had my share of "fun" in ChiTown would be the understatement of the year. Obviously I kept a well balance between work and play because I wouldn't be here otherwise BUT the amount of "fun" I was having in Chicago became simply overwhelming. I reached a point where I felt I was no longer being approached by new people because they had a genuine interest in getting to know me but that they were simply interested in...."fun". I take full responsibilty for having allowed myself to develop such a "fun" reputation but alas, once the time came for me to leave all that behind it became very evident that it wouldn't be so simple reestablishing myself as someone new in a city where there is a 0.25 degree of separation in the homosexual community. Nevertheless I know now what I need to do to avoid repeating that down here.

I am also amazed at how GOOD everything is turning out. After just one week at my new job I can honestly say this was the best decision I have ever made. I can't believe a new graduate like myself could snag a job like this. I didn't exactly have job offers knocking down my door and the ones I did have in Illinois were not exactly ideal. It's ironic that this new job made me rethink all of the plans I had for after graduation. I was so sure I was going to take a crappy retail pharmacy job for 9 months and then do post-grad training.....but instead I ended up accepting the type of postion I was hoping to find with all of that extra training. Go figure. All I can say is that I am grateful someone was willing to give me a chance.

Apart from work and unpacking I have started the awkaward process of meeting new friends. It's hard to find the normal people in this world with so many weirdos standing in the way but I am confident that I will find my niche down here sooner than I think!