Nerdy&Fabulous: Not your typical Spring Break

I do not know what I was expecting for Spring Break. Maybe time to lay out by the pool and relax or spend lots of time with my buddies who are currently co-oping at Johnson Space Center. But I didn't really get either. The purpose of my spring break was to apartment-hunt in the Clear Lake area so that when it came time to sign for an apartment, I was not signing blind. And my Purdue bestie, who landed a one-year internship closer to downtown, wanted to find an apartment. So two days were spent visiting apartments around Clear Lake while two days were spent driving around the Westheimer area looking for her. It was honestly kind of exhausting.

Do not get me wrong: it was a great spring break. We both found apartments we loved, and I got to eat a lot of Tex Mex food. But there were some things I was not prepared for.

I was not prepared for driving in Houston again. Indianapolis looks like a small town compared to the crazy, bustling, sprawling city that is Houston. I can't tell you how many times I got honked at for stupid reasons. I am going to miss Midwest patience and kindness. Also, I did not have my car, so I had the added stress of driving an unfamiliar car.

I was not prepared for the fact that I would hardly get to see my friends. Two of them were busy trying to make up time from last week, when they took off time to hang out with their girlfriends who visited, and another was trying to spend a lot of time with his girlfriend before she left JSC to study abroad. So it was basically my Purdue friend and I. It actually made me miss working. It was strange to see them leave for work while I was trying to plan what to do with a whole day.

I was not prepared for the emotions that I would feel, and I had no time for myself there. So no time to sort out my crazy, jumbled feelings. I realized that it is hard trying to 'be where you are' and stay in touch with far-off friends. I spend my time at Purdue investing in my Purdue friends, but then I felt a gap when I tried to reconnect with my NASA buddies.

I did not intend for this to be a gripe session. I got to sit on the beach, enjoy beautiful weather, find a place to call home come July, and see so many friends again (even my best friend, Kirstyn). I was reminded of how much I love Houston and Texas and NASA.

I learned that I need time to myself, so living by myself is probably my best option. I learned that I have changed a lot, and that is a good thing. I feel more prepared for my job that I did when I co-oped there. I feel older and smarter and more self-sufficient. I realized that time and space changes us all. I need to keep looking forward and not dwell on what may have been. I saw something on Tumblr that read, "Old ways won't open new doors." That stuck with me. Time for new ways. Life is changing, and I'm going to keep racing ahead.

Okay, I am done with all my thoughts. Enjoy some pictures from my trip. :)