A Year in Numbers

I graduated from college a year ago today. I was expecting graduation itself to be a teary farewell mess, but surprisingly I was dry-eyed through it all. Perhaps I was too cold, perhaps the speeches were too inane,* perhaps I knew that the people I really loved and cared about I would see again and talk to fairly often, but in any case I stayed pretty stoic. Mostly I just wanted to drink something celebratory (and bubbly), hug some professors, eat some cake with my friends, and go to sleep (which is, in fact, exactly what I did.) I feel like a lot has happened in the past 365ish days, and alternately that nothing has happened. I didn't chop off my hair, or get an amazing job. I didn't travel anywhere exotic, learn another language, or take up any thrilling hobbies. I did, however, move to Brooklyn. So things have changed, of course. Here are some figures:

Number of blog posts written: this makes 91. Word.

Number of jobs held: jobs--2, internships--1.

Number of weeks unemployed, in Jamestown, or on sick leave: 16ish (egads)

Number of cover letters written: at least 30

Number of job interviews that resulted from said cover letters: 5?

Number of graduate school admissions essays written: 5

Number of months it took me to completely apply to grad school: 3 1/2 (egads, again)

Number of Amtrak journeys: at least 20

Number of cross-state bus journeys: not counting transfers--4, counting transfers--10ish

Number of times I had to spend 5 hours in the Buffalo Bus Station--2 (fun fact: one was New Years Eve)

Number of operas attended: 3

Number of hours spent waiting in line for opera tickets: 12

Number of plays attended: 4? 5?

Number of states visited, other than NY: 4

Number of Art History books read: 6ish (bad, very bad)

Number of German verbs which I still remember how to conjugate: 2 (bad, very bad)

Number of novels read: a LOT (good, very good)

Number of times I exploded soup while pureeing it in a blender: 2

Number of immersion blenders received as a birthday gift from a friend who was concerned about my inability to make soup: 1

Number of nun themed or Virgin Mary themed presents received: 3 (and so it begins)

Number of Red Bulls consumed: 2 (by contrast, number consumed in the month prior to graduation: at least 15)

Number of different curries tried: 4

Number of museums visited: at least 15, most more than once

Number of scarves acquired: 4

Number of days when I have missed Geneva, at least in some sense: 365

Number of days when I was glad I was not in college, at least in some sense: 200, give or take

Number of days when I missed high school: 2

Number of different NYC subways I've taken: all except the M, J, and Z

Number of boroughs visited: all 5 (I think the most I've done is 3 in one day)

Number of live sporting events attended: 3

Number of times that our apartment has ordered ginger noodles from the Thai restaurant up the block: well, a lot

Number of bagels consumed: weekly? 2 or so. You do the math.

Number of days I've missed sleeping on a bed: 365

Number of days I'm glad I live in Brooklyn: 355
Number of days before I move to Indiana: 97

*(side note: I think they should not spend money on someone boring and platitude-spewing and instead have a professor make the main grad speech. They're a lot more interesting and insightful, by and large. Or, hire someone with a lovely voice to read Adrienne Rich's "Claiming an Education.")