8.21.2008

Thursday 13: Helloooo Florida!


Today's final orientation was much more my speed. As it was for my program, it was catered to me and I loved it. I met all 4 of my professors and I think I have the names down of all 9 of my classmates. I had lunch with one of my classmates who just spent the last 2 years on an Indian reservation. Very cool. Our class has really diverse backgrounds. I'm the only person who worked in news which surprised me. We also met 5 of the 2nd years who are in various stages of their final projects which we do in lieu of a thesis. I learned more about the origins of our program and how our professors met each other. They've been there since the program's inception 10 years ago and had been working together 10 years prior to that. I like that.

I will also be a party animal the weekend of September 12th. I have 3 cookouts or parties to attend between the doc school (part of the J-school), J-school grad students and all the grad students at UF. I'm also organizing a doc school gathering for the first years and whatever 2nd years want to come along concurrent with my birthday... ON SATURDAY!! I'll be 26 in two days! Wow! Anyway. I suppose I should get into the TT: Things I look forward to about living in Florida. I started this before I moved here so some of it has evolved.

1) A huge D-IA (the biggest of the NCAA sports programs) school. I wanted a team with a great football or basketball team and I got both! 3 national championships in the last 2 years is amazing. I can't wait to go crazy on game day! GO GATORS!!

2) Learning to play racquetball. This is absolutely a new one. Like 2 days old. Lol. I get these ideas and just decide, "Hey! I wanna do that!" and then I make it my goal. The classmate I ate lunch with asked about a tennis partner. I should've asked if he knows how to play racquetball. How different are the two? I don't mean that in the most ignorant sense. I know there's no net in racquetball and it's played in a little room and you're standing next to your opponent but other than that I don't really know anything about it. Isn't it one of those things you can also do alone? I bet it's a good workout.

3) Run a 5k. Another of those crazy ideas. I don't actually like to run but I decided to do it just because. Lol. Hahahahahaha. Liz and 1969 did it so why not me? About that training thing... I should really get on that and stop procrastinating. The awful gym schedule right now is not helping. The gyms don't open until 3 each day. I also don't know where the tracks are here. I see people running on campus. I need a pedometer so I can know when I've hit 3.2 miles. That's something you kind of need to know, huh? Mmm hmmm.

4) Watching free docs. We have a video library in our program full of docs AND student docs so we can critique them if we'd like, thinking about things we'd change. I've already taken out two. I started with student docs. I'll watch them after I complete this.

5) Living in another state. Prior to Florida I lived in NC, VA, and PA. I wanted to get another location under my belt. I think I'll probably have 2 more states up to and/or including the one I settle down in. I can't see my next stop being a permanent one and I also don't know how long I'll be in Florida. I changed my voter's registration and I may be here for a while. Wouldn't it be cool to live in Miami for a few years while you're still young?

6) INTERNET ACCESS!! I was like a lonely soldier stranded on a deserted island in a galaxy far far away at my mom's house without the interweb! Lol. And now I've been rescued! Now I have to properly manage my time!

7) My own place! I can't believe I have my own place-- with a shoeseum-- that's not a dorm or in one of my parents' homes for the first time in my life! So cool! Now I just need money. About that corner... lol.

8) Beaches! They aren't very close but not that far either. Actually 1.5 - 2 hours is not bad at all. l can't wait to finally put those 3 bikinis and all that working out to use! (Don't get me started on how much I've actually worked out in the last few weeks. *Cringe*)

9) Meeting new people. There are already 5 people I can see myself getting along with well who I've met in the last 2 days so I'm excited about that! Yay!!

10) Seeing Stace! Yay!! We're so close now!! I'm so excited to have one of my closest friends in really reasonable (about 4-4.5 hrs) driving distance of me for the first time in 6 YEARS! So exciting!

11) Getting my master's. It's something I've wanted for at least the last 8 years. I just didn't know the field in which I wanted to pursue my degree.

12) Making documentaries. It is so amazing to me the things I will be able to learn about funding, creating, self-distributing, and on and on and on from working professionals and my classmates. This will be an amazing experience.

13) Following my dreams. Can you beat that?

18 comments:

T Dot said...

Glad to see you're settling in and kudos to you for following your dreams! List looks fantastic -- but you're a brave one. I was in Florida for six weeks and tried to keep up with the running schedule I started at Hampton. Let's just say I made it like 15 minutes before the humidity completely kicked my butt and forced me back into the air conditioned dorm room I was staying. But you're in much better shape than me. Run, J, run! :-)

CNEL said...

Yay for following your dreams I might be making a life change soon to allow that.

Yay for that own place.

I never asked you this I don't think whose your favorite documentary filmmaker.

Do you check out the National Black Programming Consortium site?

Rashan Jamal said...

1. November 1st them gators are going down!!! GO DAWGS!!!

2. Pretty sure you swing the racquet at the ball. LOL

3. It's too hot down there to be training. You have to get up at 4AM to run.

I guess I wont comment on all of them. Following your dreams is amazing!

dejanae said...

good to see things are on track
good look on following ur heart's desire
i been sayin i was gon a marathon for a mminute
shit aint happened yet

Liz Dwyer said...

SO glad you're following your dreams! That's the way to go! Wow, only 9 other folks in your program? Nice that you have that diversity though. Are you getting all the rain from Fay?

Southerner in Suomi said...

"Your Gators" ain't all that. Just know that.

LMAO@ Rashan and racquetball. I'd stick to the running only, but that's cause I'm already ok at that. Plus, you'll have a gym so you can avoid the humidity.

Desy said...

i can just see the ear to ear... i'm surprised that you are still excited about florida living with Fran all up in our koolaid...

the joy said...

Ahem. *singing* live your dreeeeam, its not as hard as it may seeeeeem....
Thank you, thank you.

Shoeseum? Love it.

Jazzy said...

#6…lmbo!! I had a nosey busy body sitting next to me yesterday, so I couldn’t surf like I normally do at work. Withdrawal started setting in!

#7…lol!!! You could sell some of those shoes on ebay for some fast cash!!! Yes I did say that! Lol

#11 & 13…my faves of the list! You’ve really inspired me to go back…now I just need to narrow down which dream I’d like to follow!

Unknown said...

That's is so great that you set your mind to something and then go for it. That's motivation for ya. Good luck with school and congrats on doing something that you are dreamed about. That is SO awesome!!!

And Florida!!!! I'm so jealous. I'd be living on a beach somewhere.

Veronica Marché said...

This is SOOOOO exciting! :-) The sun, the school, the racquetball... you're starting a whole new chapter in your life, and who wouldn't be inspired by that?

(I'm mad you said "shoeseum" though. Just to let you know. I hate you for that. Lol.)

But yes, up with following your dreams. So many people don't do it and end up looking back at their lives wondering "what if...." And you know you are TOO fabulous for that.

:-)

cherry's kid said...

So happy for you about finding your dreams and following them!!!! Just keep pushing just keep pushing!!!!

Darius T. Williams said...

shoeseum? classic. hilariosity to the nth degree!

yet another black guy said...

oh, kudos to you! be mindful of that Fl humidity, it's a mutha ;D

Adei von K said...

awwwww. number 13 is enough for me!

dreamyj said...

yay for moving, following dreams, grad school and all that jazz. i've always secretly wanted to run some kind of marathon or mini marathon.

dreamyj said...

oh and disregard the comment asking how people are in your program, i got the answer here

Monie said...

Catching up. Glad to see you're doing well so far. Sky diving?! LOL Get it, girl!