Miss Independent

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June 14th 2009

Published: June 15th 2009

Hey gang! Happy weekend! 😊

I'm really beginning to settle into my skin here in Gainesville with only two weeks down! Job is going well, I can navigate (at least some) of the area without Lucy the GPS, and I've had some social outings too, so all is better with the world. 😊

I did the "first round" of both of my presentations this week, and they went really well (better, I'd say, than my first run of KSU Admissions' Pretour... haha!). These presentations are for UF Preview students (incoming freshmen for the Fall)... one highlights the services provided by the CRC, and the other gets them thinking about Career/Major planning (And reassuring them that they aren't married to the major they choose during Preview. We tend to encounter some "I don't want to be a pre-med or engineering student anymore" meltdowns.). I also started observing some career advising appointments, and will probably fly solo on those by the end of this week. During these appointments I could tackle anything from job-search strategies to resume polishing, finding internships to salary negotiation, so I'm trying to absorb as many options for resources as I can. The questions that could be asked by students are bottomless, though; there's no way to know it all in 10 weeks (or five years...), so I'll still be asking lots of questions. Hopefully I'll be able to get started on some projects shortly as well-- I need to become best friends with our liaison for the College of Fine Arts!

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Saturday Adventures Update:

Last weekend, as I briefly mentioned, I spent an afternoon in Cedar Key, on the Gulf Coast. About an hour and a half from Gainesville, Cedar Key is a sweet little fishing town with some independent artist studios, gift shops, a community beach, and cottages near the fishing pier. For someone who isn't a fisherman, I maxed out at one afternoon, but enjoyed several hours of wandering on my own, taking pictures, and sitting on the beach with the next installment of the Shopaholic series. 😊 I also took some FANTASTIC clam chowder home with me... the New England style (cream-base)... but some of the best I've ever had. Definitely a day well spent for my first independent adventure down here.

Friday and yesterday I was able to be out with people (!!), and explore a bit more Gainesville/check another destination off my list. Several co-workers decided to take me to Satchel's on Friday evening, which was way more than pizza... it was something of a eclectic experience. Check out the website: (http://www.satchelspizza.com/-- and yes, you can sit at a table in that blue van to eat your meal!) The wait on a weekend was pretty substantial, but my calzone with tomatoes, artichokes, black olives, and fresh basil was worth the wait. It was fun to spend time with them outside the office-- much needed. 😊

Another suggestion given to me for "things to see" by my boss was The Springs, and it so happens that the church I attended last weekend (Thanks again, Jesse!) was planning to have their summer picnic at Fanning Springs, so I decided to go. If I understand this correctly, there are several Springs (sources of always-cold, fresh water) in Northern Florida that provide a much different waterside experience than any of the beaches or lakes in the state; I wanted to make sure I saw one while I was here. I rode with the pastor's family to Fanning Springs State Park, and wasted no time... into the COLD water we went. From all the rain that Florida's had since May, overflow from the Suwannee River (Yes, from the Stephen Foster song...) made the water kinda' murky, but was still as cold as promised. Definitely refreshing for a 90+ degree day. (I tried not to think of the snakes that were probably sharing that water with me... at least I couldn't see them. Haha.) The group ate lunch, then witnessed a pretty fantastic thunderstorm from under a pavilion, where we occupied ourselves with a few games and boiled (pronounced 'bowled') peanuts. (Yummy! A Southern must-have!) After the storm, we decided to spend the afternoon motor-boating, and I tried to work up the nerve for a water skiing debut. Unfortunately... (No need to spell out the rest. You know me well.)

A great day, none-the-less. It was a nice chance to get to know some people... I may have even secured a Zumba partner for the rest of the summer... so we'll see! 😊

So what's in store for this-coming weekend, you ask? I think it's going to be St. Augustine, hopefully with a couple of the girls from work. Should be able to solidify plans for that soon.

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Miss Toni facebooked me last week and asked if I felt "like a real Floridian yet", and I laughed out loud. There really is a different culture to being a native of Florida, and I fear that I'm nowhere close. Ha! Some things I've noticed include (but aren't limited to):

1. U-turns are not only expected, but seem to be encouraged. I don't think I'm good at them yet, because I'm always telling myself not to make them.
2. Apparently there's a big difference between Northern Florida and Southern Florida. My boss described Northern Florida, which is still part of the Bible Belt, as "Country Chic", and noted that Southern Florida isn't really "The South"... less sweet tea, and it's residents (especially Miami) tend to be relocated Manhattanites... when students come through Preview, it's easy to guess who's from where. Haha.
3. Just as Sleiby promised, I need to wear cardigans to work. When I packed, I left anything in the closet that I wouldn't wear in 90 degree weather in Ohio. But the A/C in the office (and everywhere else) is set so cool that everyone's freezing all day. Two co-workers keep blankets in their office. Weird. Floridians also insist that they have seasons just like the rest of us... when it's 50 degrees they wear scarves and gloves and Ugg boots with demin skirts... God forbid they actually end up in Cleveland for Christmas! 😊
4. "Ma'am" and "Sir" are commonly used down here, for everyone. I've never been called "ma'am" so much in my life... I mean, I grew up using these terms of respect at home, but don't hear them much now.
5. The whole Gainesville community has a fierce loyalty to The Gators. You better know when Game Day is and who the opponent is going to be. And if you don't plan to be at the game, you plan your travels based on traffic (two hours before, and a couple hours after). Team shops are all over and you can find anything your heart desires... I stumbled on Gator Paste when I was with Beth (Florida-made toothpaste?) and thought to myself "what have I gotten myself into?".
6. Sustainability and conservation are a big deal on campus and around town... take out boxes are made of recycled paper instead of Styrofoam, and people proactively shop with those canvas-type grocery bags. The trash cans at Cedar Key featured two compartments... one for trash and one for recyclable materials. It's impressive.
7. Other than a few independent stores, Publix is your option for grocery shopping. The local joke is not "where do you shop?" but "at which Publix do you shop?" Apparently Gainesville has twelve locations. And they're known for the quality of Publix-brand generic items, which is a nice money saver. So far, the Honey Almond non-fat yogurt and Key Lime Pie frozen yogurt are my faves. 😊
8. Critters in your home are common... big spiders, little lizards, palmetto bugs (like roaches), etc. I've done what I can to critter-proof the apartment (You'd probably laugh at me, but I don't care.), but I don't think I'll ever get used to this part of Florida life. There's a big spider in here somewhere... it's him against me... and I have the chemicals (a can of spider spray!)... so he can bring it!

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Time to wrap it up and get ready to tackle Week #3. Be well, and be in touch! I'm loving the calls!
Best,
Constance

BTW: I've decided that I don't like when people ask "which name prefer"; I've had a lot of that in the last few weeks. When I tell them that it really doesn't matter to me, they don't believe me ("Constance" must be too formal for them to call me by it voluntarily), so I tell them that 'Connie' is just fine. Seems to make them feel better when I decide for them.

Oh! And for what it's worth, I wore heels to work last week!! A day I've been waiting for since February, for sure. 😊 I don't think that Left Toe #3 is ever going to bend as it used to, but hope for my pretty shoes is in the near future...

Tan status: favorable! 😊

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