Like, 12 days until graduation

December 8, 2014

Filed under: Fall 2014,Life in Waco — carlosgieseken @ 5:44 am

I can’t even believe it’s already Dec. 8. The semester is winding down nicely. Last week was my hell week. I’ve still got odds and ends to take care of but the worst is over. I’ve still got some GA work to catch up on, but the bulk of my stress is behind me.

And in less than 2 weeks, my friends and I will be at graduation. Which is going to be really, really weird. I’ve been daydreaming about that day for so long, I can’t believe it’s just around the corner.

Before I forget, this football season was awesome. I always tell anyone I meet who is in high school and starting the college decision process to pick a school that is high in academics and good at athletics. Because the school spirit you find at a school with good sports is not like anything else you will experience. Back in 1996, the Syracuse campus went balistic when the basketball team made it to the Final Four against Kentucky. It was the early part of spring where the days start to warm up a little bit and from one day to the next the whole campus became a carnival. It came alive after a long winter.

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Even though the football team didnt’ factor into my decision to come to Baylor, it really should have. Because I’m forming lifelong bonds with classmates while cheering for MBA classmate and offensive lineman Troy Baker and the rest of the Bears. This semester has been so much fun because of the football team. From the online football ticket distribution Hunger Games on Sundays to getting together for pre-game gatherings at my friend David’s house. Those are memories that are going to stay with me forever.

 

The search for shelter

December 5, 2014

Filed under: Career — carlosgieseken @ 5:30 am

The hardest part about looking for an apartment through the Internet in a town you’ve only been to once is the part where you are looking for an apartment through the Internet. In a town you’ve only been to once.

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I’ve looked at a million postings on Craiglist in the past few weeks, trying to find that perfect apartment or small house where my dog Bella, my Xbox, and I can all hang our respective hats when we settle in Pensacola next month. There’s a million apartment complexes to choose from along with tiny 700 square foot cottages. Some are in expensive, safe parts of town that have all sorts of character. Some are in safe, affordable, boring parts of town that would be no headache but I’d have to drive anywhere cool.

Others are on the fringe, sort of in a good part of town, from what I gather, but close enough to maybe a not so nice part of town to make it interesting. There are even some right on the freaking beach, but the commute to work would be a little longer than I’d like and the beach-going partyers would, I’m guessing, surround me for 8 months of the year.

The political cartoonist at the paper sent me this awesome map of town pointing out all the cool, safe neighborhoods that would be within a 10 minute drive to work. But it’s hard making a living decision without physically visiting the neighborhood to get a feel for what it’s like.