One Year Later

It has been nearly one year since I graduated college. What has transpired during this time? I moved to North Carolina for a job. The geographical location, being on the other coast of my childhood and college years, has opened a different perspective.

I was originally anxious to leave San Diego last May as I was becoming stagnant. While I knew I would be sad leaving, I could not have foreseen feeling empty as I packed up my belongings, tears streaming down my face as I was unable to avoid thinking of all the friendships and memories I was leaving behind.

I was going to be in San Francisco though, living and working there. It would be easy to visit. And then, I was off to Durham, North Carolina; off to a state where I did not know anyone. With a self-proclaimed outgoing personality and a genuine interest in meeting new people, however, I was excited, even relished the opportunity to move, at least for the two years that I plan on being here.

I took it for granted how easy it was to meet people in school. Now, I see it objectively difficult to meet and make friends outside of your nine-to-five walls. I have asked guys for their numbers in an effort to grow the friend group from three to a few more. Yup.

More recently, I have begun to feel alienated from many people I called friends while at school. I have made an active effort to call friends on the phone on a semi-regular basis, but for those that I do not, I only see their lives through the lens of Instagram.

There is an adjustment from school to working. No more homework, no more studying; when you leave the office, the rest of the night is yours. It is easy to fall into the trap of returning to your place, mindlessly binging television shows or passively scrolling through your newsfeed: swapping one screen for another.

Outside of trying to remain active, I have come to realize that this remaining free time is time for me to take advantage of. To consider my passions, to find value-add avenues and pursue them.

I recently finished taking an improv comedy class and am signed up for a stand-up class.

Another goal is to become a more active reader. I have always enjoyed reading, but I now strive to get more out of a book: to write a summary while providing my opinion and jotting down words to enhance my vocabulary, all so I can better apply the newfound knowledge to my life.

Two books that I have recently read that I think are worth reading:

• Just Mercy — describes the discrimination in our justice system that is still prevalent in our country, primarily in southern states. Growing up in suburbia in the Bay Area, I was largely ignorant of these realities.
• Let My People Go Surfing — from the founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard. Yvon explains that he wanted to create in Patagonia a model other businesses could look to in their own searches for environmental stewardship and sustainability. I found it compelling and true when reading that we are consumers of clothing, not owners. Instead of looking to repair and to originally take better care of, we are quick to discard items and buy into fast fashion, directly contributing to the environmental crisis.

I should be looking to do more. I am a few meager miles away from a top 10 university in the country, and I have hardly taken to google to look into extension courses Duke offers. To move beyond the binary frame of mind that an undergraduate business degree taught me, to a class that encourages me to be thought-provoking and to think critically.

This is the first time in my life where I have made any significant amount of money. While it is nice to have the financial freedom from my parents, whom I was fortunate enough funded my education and helped broaden the horizon for my brothers and I through traveling at a young age, it is a curse in disguise.

I feel consumed by consumerism. Our society thrives and grows by spending more. Amazon Prime makes it too easy to buy and buy more when most items are unnecessary. Yvon’s book tells the reader that producing a t-shirt from raw materials consumes seven hundred gallons of water.

Looking through my closet, I know I consume far more than the average American. When I studied in Australia, I brought more belongings than nearly every other person in my program, albeit I did stuff a bag with peanut butter based on the rumor that Australia does not have any (they do). This all has compelled me to cancel my Prime membership.

I hope to stick by this and allocate spending on experiences.

I have grown to be more conscious of the footprint that I leave on the environment.

I have been disheartened to see my adopted state’s stance, or lack of, on reducing waste. My apartment building basically does not recycle, which has led me to bring in my recycling to the office after agonizing over the extra waste I was creating. I have asked my company to compost coffee grinds and leftover lunch. Two simple acts.

But, I am stalled by complacency. The macro issues do not have a direct effect on my day to day life. It sounds nice in my head: knowledge that has granted me ideas with a desire to bring and inspire change, coupled with a passion to entertain and spark laughter, but it has largely led to inaction.

I hope to rise above the inaction: to make sure dreams today do not turn into nightmares tomorrow.

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