Wait, what?

So I'm looking at a shorthand list I made of stuff I wanted to write about in this entry, and I can't for the life of me remember what "Bj" was supposed to stand for...I know it wasn't what it sounds like, because that definitely didn't happen, and that's not something one forgets very easily...hm.

Well anyway, today was quite the exciting first day in Charlotte. I spent a lot of the day just unloading boxes and trying to make my new room feel like "me". I also got new car insurance today and am playing around $1200 less per year than I was in NJ, which is very pleasant (anyone wanna come move here with me? :) ). I told the rep I was talking to on the phone what I'd been paying before and she just went, "Yeah...I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised." So much for New Jersey prices.

Don't worry, car insurance was not actually the most exciting part of my day. This evening I went to North Davidson with my parents. North Davidson, or "NoDa" as the natives like to call it, is a New Hope-esque funky town full of ale houses, head shops, live music, cafes, galleries, and crazy stuff like that. Basically it's like New Hope except with a lot of young cats instead of old hippies. I love old hippies, they're the coolest, but it's really nice to see so many people my own age for a change. And really interesting people! The food place we were going to eat at had a long wait, so I took off on my own to do some exploring. I started talking to a woman selling handmaid shell and coconut bracelets; her name was Omega. She just moved here pretty recently as well and loves the city, and I'm hoping maybe I'll run into her again. It'd be pretty damn cool to have a friend named Omega. Maybe I could find someone named Alpha, and if it's the same person, I'd be friends with Jesus. That would be cool.

(Get it?)

So yeah. To be honest- OH YEAH, BJ STANDS FOR BILLY JEAN!!! I remember now. There was this really awesome brass band when I first got to NoDa and they were playing Billy Jean (my favorite Michael Jackson song), and I thought that must be a good sign. So, as I was saying: To be honest, I was kind of intimidated when I first started walking around this place. Like, holy crap, this is an actual city, a city that's ALIVE, and full of YOUNG PEOPLE, having FUN. Like, whoa. I've never felt more like a farm boy before. I kept feeling like I was dreaming; there was live music all over the place, really good music, a comedian, people spinning rainbow glow-in-the-dark hula hoops, and a guy that was dancing with fire. I kept thinking I was dreaming: I've never lived in a place like this before. Even writing this feels a little like I'm making it up. I mean, there were a lot of fun things to do around TCNJ, but they required travel and were never quite as...well, hopping...as this. The people seemed so interesting and friendly too, I hope I get the guts to talk to some of them soon. There were even a good amount of gay couples! Maybe I actually do have a chance at meeting someone here...

As if all this wasn't enough, there's going to Shakespeare in the park just about every day this week and I tried an amazingly creamy beer called Shakespeare stout. Even my English nerd is satisfied.

As awesome as all of this sounds, and it is, I'm definitely still in a period of adjustment. I need to stop thinking in terms of ending and start thinking in terms of beginning. It feels like this can't be the setting of my new life, since the culture is so incredibly different from everything that's come before. I'm actually a little bit nervous about fitting into all this. But I think once I realize I'm gonna be here for a while, I'll start to enjoy myself more. I'm already getting a little lonely without being around everyone like I'm used to, but I know I'll be fine. And it's a little weird living with my parents again, they demand quite a bit of attention, but I think I'll be fine as long as I remember that I have a car and can get out on my own whenever I feel the need.

So yeah...let the sinking in begin.

Tomorrow night I'm gonna take my first solo excursion out to a club called the Dharma Lounge. They promise sake, sushi, and Godzilla attacks, and how could I pass that up? Godzilla's the best. I hope this will be as over-the-top and crazy as it sounds. This place also gives free yoga lessons on weekend afternoons, so if I like it it might be a cool place to frequent. Even if I don't, at least I'll have put myself out there. I'm not so into the club scene that this was the first thing I wanted to do, but it just sounds so wacky that I wanna check it out.

I think that's all that's going on for now. I guess I'm using this mostly like a journal, which is fine, and I'm glad people can read it if they want to. It's nice to be able to get all these experiences out in writing since I don't have as many people to talk to as usual.

Here was my horoscope for today in Charlotte's magazine, the Creative Loafer:

"I hope you have begun to shift gears and are ready to begin a new phase in your life. You may feel as though you have stepped onto a roller coaster. You desire freedom and are willing to do what it takes to get there."

I only wish it was a little more appropriate... :)

(they even used the word "phase!" Geez!)