A Spring in Winter...

           The new year seems to be going alright for now. For the first time Buffalo has been really nice this winter. It has snowed here, but very little compared to last year. Since I have been back it snowed about 3 times, currently at the moment it is snowing, but it isn't too bad, maybe 6 inches at most. It does look pretty though and it melts the next day.. temperature is still in 20s-30s sometimes even 40s. I have been lounging around enjoying my time while I can. My degree has been confirmed and I don't need that Spanish II class after all! I am so happy now! I can finally relax and feel at peace. I will be picking up my diploma tomorrow! I can't wait! Also, I start working on Friday! The job is at a call center for Sykes Enterprises. I will be training for a month, full time, and the pay is slightly more than my JC Penney job. Once I am done training it will be even slightly more pay. I am really happy now, it is the first full time job I have ever had. It is the first job in which I will work in an office space, I will have my own cubicle? I believe.. The customer service is for these medical devices that diabetic patients use, and basically my job will be to help with technical difficulties. This is what I know so far. I had to got my first interview online and on phone, the second interview was at the building site, and then I went for a drug test. I have never gone for a drug test either... So a lot of firsts. I know it is not in my field or career interest, but it is better than no job.


   
I know it is a little bit sucking because I am only doing this job to save money and move to Texas. I wish I could stay longer, but I know my mom would not be happy. Plus I do have to start and apply for school there. I have started the application I just need to submit it with the $60.00 fee. I am waiting for my diploma to do that. Plus I need money. I am actually very low on money, so I desperately need this job. I really hope and pray that I can keep this job for the time I am here, I don't want to mess this up at all.



But I also have another opportunity that just happened recently.. Well, one of my cousin lives in Italy.. She has two sons, one is eight years old, and the other just turned one years old. My cousin is a speech pathologist and she works in the school that her son goes to. I had posted a Facebook status that I was finally done with school and listed the goals I wanted to achieve now. I had said that I can finally look for a full time job. So she messaged me asking if I wanted to come to Italy and work as an Au Pair. She said she was already looking for someone and thought it would be easier to have me since I am her cousin and she would trust me more than a stranger. So now, I am so excited but again overwhelmed. I really want to do this, but I don't know how or when. She wants me to come ASAP. But I am just starting my job, and I want to start school in fall which is usually late August.

Now, I don't mind working and starting graduate school in spring, which is January. So basically, I could start my masters program next year in January if I do go to Italy. I did tell her about my new job and plans for graduate school. But I also want to travel and get some experience working  with kids. Since she works in a school, I could tutor there, or even be a substitute teacher. I could even help her kids with their English. An Au Pair is a baby sitter from overseas. It is usually for college students that want to travel and have a certain study. Like some students might go to learn the language, the culture, or history. Some students do it for the experience of working with children, and some people do it for travel. Most of the Au Pairs work with agencies that help pick the families, and they live with the family, have their own room, and basically help out with children, chores, and daily tasks. Some Au Pairs cook and clean, it all is in a contract and they get paid a weekly stipend. Meals are free and room as well. The Au Pair is supposed to be treated like family, they get days off as well, and usually live with the family for a year.

Since I am her cousin, it is completely different. I know how my cousin is, I know her kids, and her husband. Her father is my father's older brother. She is my first cousin so we have a good relation. My cousin lives well in Italy, she has a nice place and she goes on vacation and what not, so she probably could just hire a babysitter from Italy... which is why I wonder, there might be more to it. I do feel she might be lonely. She is the only person in my family that lives in Italy, I am sure she has family there but it is from her husbands side. Her mother (my aunt) and father (my uncle) visit on holidays all the time, but again its not the same since she only comes once or twice a year to New York. I saw in the summer for my cousins wedding, before that I probably saw her on Skype last year in Spring Break while my uncle (her father) was chatting with her. And before that I probably saw her in 2012 at the end of the year during Christmas time.


My plan now is either I go to Italy and wait for spring semester, or I just stay and start school in fall. I believe it might be better if I worked and traveled, only because going to graduate school is much different and many people in graduate school usually have similar jobs or job experience. I know that as a teacher I will be able to get more experience with my masters too.. I know I will have more traveling opportunities, that is also why I am not sure if I should just jump to the first opportunity. But again, it is Italy! That would be great for my first country. I have been to Pakistan and Canada.. if the airport of Manchester counts, than I have also been to England. But other than that, I am stuck in America, back and forth between New York and Texas.

I really really want to go to Italy, the issue is my mother. She is all worried after I told her. She keeps thinking I will be gone for good and that I will live there. But I told her I will start school so I can't and I don't want to.. and why would I want to???? I just don't know how my mom can come up with a theory like that. Yes, I want to go but I don't want to live there. I guess my mom is scared and maybe wants to see me, so she thinks I won't stay long in Texas. But I know I want to move to Texas by April or May.. and I told my cousin it would be easier if I could start in August or September, also it would be better for her too, since I could stay a little bit longer. If I went now, it would be only 3 months. Since she wants it during school year, if I went in mid-August I could be there till December. Then at least her mother can come during the holidays and I can go back. So she will not have to worry about finding someone else and plus her son will be 2 years old by then. I don't even know.. if it will happen. I wish I could, it is my dream to travel. If I go I could also see other countries like, France, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, England, Germany, Austria, Netherlands....maybe even Portugal and Ireland. That would be so amazing for me. I could even possibly find my future husband... how romantic and exotic that would be. I know my cousin met her now husband in Italy when she was my age and traveling as well. I really hope it all works out. I know my cousin is ready to have me anytime, I know I can do August, I just need to move to Texas first, and convince my mom. SO for now my goal is save money, move, and than spend time with mother, apply for spring term, than Italy!



In terms of my weight I have been doing pretty good. I have to say that not having money is a key factor in helping me lose weight. It is silly, but true, I tend to splurge on snacks when I have money, but like now I am on a budget, I only buy what I need. So I have stopped snacking, and I eat healthy and simple meals. I haven't had meat for a while now, may be about 2 weeks now. Even if I did eat meat, it was like one or two meals worth. I do still enjoy my sweets, cookies and ice cream on occasion. I have been fasting more now, I kept about 5 fasts from January and now. I kept one yesterday and on Sunday, and one last Sunday. I am just making up the fasts that I missed for Ramadan last year. Now, I have only 10 fasts left! So that means I have kept 13 fasts since Ramadan. I only kept 7 fasts during Ramadan, so 7 and 13 is 20 fasts. I believe I have lost weight, but I haven't checked yet. I do feel a bit slimmer...

As to my relationship status, I am still single.. maybe even more now. I was talking to some guy, but even that I ended. I didn't say I ended but I just ignore him, I think he got the hint. I am not a fan of flirting, so this guy really tried to flirt with me a lot. I felt really uncomfortable and I hate it, so I tried to flirt. I noticed this guy only wants to talk at night and only wants to flirt. So it got kinda weird.. since the last text when I saw it, he was talking about my lips.. I just felt extremely weird, and I know if any guy ever tries to do those kind flirting styles, I just block them... so I didn't understand why I was letting this guy do the same and get away with it. So I told him I hate flirting, and I confronted him. Since then I ignored him now and he has not texted me or tried to skype with me. He was a nice guy, he lives in England and we talked for about a year or two. We met on a matrimonial website, but I have lost all hope on those types of relationship methods. I want someone I can see and meet in person. I want to live in New York hopefully after I complete my masters. My goal is to buy a house someday in New York. I don't want to live in England, and I have no desire leaving my family again. I need someone who is in the U.S and close by.. a real person.