Category: Uncategorized

This past week, I’ve felt the need to have something I focus on in my spare time. I may not have a lot of spare time these days, but I don’t have nothing, and I’m happiest when I spend that amount of time doing something fulfilling. I thought about getting into a video game I played a few years ago, and I even tried it for a few days, but I quickly remembered the reasons I put it down and decided against it. I’ve felt sad that I haven’t managed to do much writing these past couple months, and I …

In February this year, I entered my book in a writing contest. I sent in two copies of the first 30 pages and a 1-page synopsis. The best part about it was that I’d get two critiques, no matter if I ended up a finalist or not. I hadn’t had an editor (let alone two) with no relation to me take a look at my work and give me honest advice before, and it was a great opportunity.

I found out sometime last week by email that I wasn’t a finalist. I was a little let down, but not heartbroken. …

I am in a very unique position in life, and I don’t quite know how to deal with it.

Nine months after graduating with a BSc in Computing Science, I’ve moved country, got settled in a new apartment, and been hired into a well-paying, rewarding full-time job. This may sound great–and it totally is, mostly–but there is one big challenge that comes with it that I’ve really found difficult: my social life.

I am a young woman in a software development role. I am younger than literally everyone else at work (because I graduated a year ahead of most students …

When I travel these days, it is often alone. Maybe I’m meeting someone at my destination, but the actual act of traveling is done alone. I don’t resent this at all, in fact I think it helps me enjoy the journey more. I have so much more freedom to go at my own pace, visit shops and restaurants as I see fit, or linger in a place just to people-watch. My introverted nature can be at peace.

Something comes over me when I travel alone. No one I know is around me to judge, so I occasionally do things out …

I’ve fallen behind on my book reviews, and I don’t intend on catching up. I feel it would be more appropriate if I just blogged about books that really meant a lot to me, positively or negativley. So, here I am.

I don’t often read dystopian fiction, and I don’t often read classics, but quotes and ideas from this book have started to feel so ubiquitous to me that I thought it was about time I read it myself. I think I appreciated it more because it wasn’t something I had to read for a class, I could take my …

Every single day on my way to work, I am reminded of how glad I am to be in Seattle. To be working downtown, especially. There is a small bridge my bus goes over that has a fantastic view of the city skyline, be there rain or fog or sun. Once we get downtown, there are cafes open along every street–not all of them Starbucks–serving coffee or pastries or other goodies. Particularly on days like today, when it’s sunny, the city is out in all its glory in the morning. It’s true, the dreariness of the usual clouds are so …

I went to Deck the Hall Ball this year, alone. And I am so glad I did. It was the most incredible concert I’ve ever been to–I haven’t been to many, but I don’t expect to go to anything nearly as good anytime soon. I wanted to share a bit about what I thought of each band, and suggest a few good songs. I wished I could have done it via Twitter during the show, but any kind of phone service in a stadium full of people is impossible. The event was put on by my local radio station, 107.7 …

After a long time in limbo, my new life is (almost) finally started. I’ve got a car, an apartment, and a job, I just have to wait a couple more days to start work. The far corner of my living room is filled with boxes of old stuff that I finally have time and room to go through. I’m starting to walk and drive around the neighborhood and not just get used to where everything is, but actually enjoy the location and get used to being here (and of course it helps that it’s finally not raining). Went to the …

Almost every morning now, I walk my dad’s Sheltie, Sara. I’ve always been a morning person, and these walks help me get outside and enjoy the world when it’s quiet. When I take the time to notice things around me–foggy roads, morning dew, squirrels, sun on rare occasions–it feels like they exist just for me. I’ve been enjoying seeing leaves on the trees turn red and fall to the ground over the course of a few weeks.

Since Sara is getting older, and doesn’t get to spend a lot of time outside, whenever she stops to smell something I …

Earlier today I got a response from the last job in the UK I’ve been waiting to hear from, which was a “no.” I didn’t have enough specific knowledge/experience for the position. My student visa expires on the 1st of October, so this means that I have to leave Scotland. I’ve already started to make plans to, since they’ve taken so long to get back to me. I would have barely had time to apply for a work visa if they’d offered me a job.

Truthfully, I’m glad I don’t have to make the choice between Aberdeen and the US. …