Just a Workin' Girl

ou know, it's totally true, what they warn you about. When you first get out of college the world is cold, scary, lonely, and you are tired all the time. It's not like I'm sitting around mourning that the "best period of my life" is over, I was prepared for the transition, and there is plenty of beauty all around me. But still, you don't know how good it is to have a college community and all of your bills paid for you till it's gone.

With that said, it's nice to feel a sense of self-sufficiency. There was an extent in college to which I always wondered: do I really deserve to live on such a beautiful campus with such wonderful people? What did I do that was so special? Now that I am living in the real world, and at least starting to be able to pay for my own food, and housing, and utilities, and internet, etc. on my own, I know exactly what I did to deserve it- I went into the world and worked for it. It's a kind of comfort.

After submitting many applications to the museums and universities in the area and other various secretarial-type positions on Craigslist, I was interviewed,
(Don't I look professional?)
tested, and signed-up by a temp company, which tries to find you a constant stream of temporary assignments to fill your coffers and increase your professional experience. So far they have been great, and I started my first assignment on Wednesday.

I'm working for the SPCA LA, which, if you don't know, stands for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles.


Through this job I am learning a lot about the ins and outs of animal shelters and humane societies in the greater Los Angeles area. Unfortunately, there aren't actually any adorable animals at the administration offices where I work...

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
...but I know that I'm helping them anyway, because of all the phone calls I've answered- directing people to the nearest shelter in their area, or which agency to call when they find a lost dog, a deer stuck in a fence, or kittens they want help finding homes for. It's been a great place to start because the people have been very understanding and kind, and I feel like I'm helping to do something important.

Wish me luck, because tomorrow is my first day flying solo; for the last three days I've been learning from the girl who previously held the receptionist position. Shadowing her for three days let me get to know her pretty well, and I feel like we could have been friends if she wasn't leaving. That's the trouble with temping in a city where you hardly know a soul- the people you meet won't invest in you because they know you'll be gone soon, and the people you like won't really be a part of your life in a few weeks. It makes me feel even lonelier in the second most populous city in the United States.

However, now that I have at least the promise of a permanent income, and am beginning to establish a routine, I can begin to look for hobbies with a clear conscience, and maybe meet some great people that way.

It's still an adventure!