It has recently come to my attention that it has been quite some time since I’ve posted about the happenings in Olympia, WA, and needless to say things are good and I’ve been rather busy.
In the month of November I got a job. You are now reading the blog of a Forza barista. Forza is a coffee company based in WA and has one location in Denver, I believe. It’s a pretty sweet set up and things are going well so far. I’m meeting a lot of people and getting to spend after hours hanging with some coworkers. Being a barista wasn’t necessarily my plan when I went to college for four years, but according to USA Today the unemployment rate for college graduates is at it’s highest since 1970, lucky class of 2010 eh? However, I think Forza is a great place to work temporarily. They can only give me part time right now, so after my trip home for Christmas I’m hoping I can pick up another job at another coffee shop somewhere else like the Starbucks in Tumwater, Mud Bay on the west side or Oly Coffee Roasters downtown. We’ll see how things go though, one day at a time.
Thanksgiving was fabulous. Prior to I was thinking I would be missing home and wishing I would’ve bought a plane ticket in order to spend the holiday with my family. But Thanksgiving in the Northwest was one of the best Thanksgivings I’ve had yet, no offense friends and family in WV. I was invited to have dinner with some church planters at Kyle and Terry Lewallen’s house. Aaron Dawson, a friend from home, was visiting that week so he got to come along as well. It was a great time of fellowship and bonding with the Surround the Sound team and it’s always great to spend time with Aaron. It was all something to be very thankful for, that’s for sure.
Aaron’s visit was wonderful. Picking him up from the airport was one of the greatest moments in the past four months. I’ve felt so alone over the past three months, being without a job and not in school made it a bit hard to make friends my own age, and it was an indescribable feeling to be amongst my best friend again.
We spent time in Seattle at Pike Place and downtown and also hung around the U-district. Aaron looked at UW as a potential grad school and we did some coffee shop hopping around town so he could get a feel for what he would be in for in case he decided to apply. Obviously he loved it. This place fits him to a tee. We also spent a lot of time in Olympia at the cities various coffee shops and delis reading comics, essays and The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (aloud mind you). It was a wonderful visit, and I was so glad to have him here for the holiday.
In other news, Sound City is growing and we’re now looking to rent a new venue because we are outgrowing Russell’s house. We’re hoping to find a new home for the church by Feb or early March, at the latest. It’s exciting to see the new faces and who has been consistent in attending our monthly meetings. I have yet to get any of my friends to attend. They’re pretty much uninterested, which is totally okay with me by the way. We may have different worldviews, but we agree on most anything related to music, coffee, art and literature, so we enjoy each other’s time.
Thus ends this brief update about my life in the Northwest. Find me on Facebook for more updates that are less sporadic.
