Learning & Leaving

I've wrapped up week 2 of AD training. Completed the Intro course also known as PreSchool. I finished in the Top 3 of my class (out of 15). I'm satisfied with my results. My goal was not to be first. But to learn. To understand. To feel comfortable with the new career path I am on. I accomplished what I set out to do. 

I can't actually disclose what all I learned but I can say it was a lot of information. New areas of knowledge for me. But if I'm being honest, I think the biggest battle over the last couple of weeks has been feeling like I belong here. Not in a sense of "I can't do it" type of thing but more of a relational type of thing. At the end of last week, I felt distant from my classmates. There seemed to be a group of "cool kids" forming and I was often the odd man out. As I've gotten older I am more introverted than I once was. More forms of anxiety and mental battles going on than most know about. I made an effort to put myself more out there and it was a turning point for me here. Began to feel more included and accepted. I'm not in the core of the "cool kids" but I'm not on the outside either. 

When I decided to move to California, I expected there to be a few quirks. Generally and widely accepted things that would be bizarre to me. Finally experienced one. I learned that WalMart (and all other retailers) charge for plastic shopping bags. Now the bag I had to pay for was thicker than the ones we have in GA. And they are reusable. But I will most definitely be investing in a bunch of reusable bags to have stashed in my purse and car at all times. I also learned that every plastic bottle (Mt. Dew, water, 2 liters, etc) have a charge. And the charge is per bottle. So if you buy a case of water, you will pay a lot more for it. But you are supposed to get the money back if you take it to a recycling center. 

I leave tomorrow morning (very early -- like the van to pick us up is coming at 4am!) to head to Ashburn VA for leg 2 of training called Basic. Most of the day will be travel. But this time I will not be alone. About 11 of us will be traveling together. I will try to be better at pictures this time. I plan on watching some movies I downloaded on Netflix while we fly. We will have about a 2-hour layover in Charlotte. This time will be with American Airlines. (GA to CA was with Southwest) And this time we will have assigned seats. And I don't have a center seat on either one of my flights tomorrow. (same for the trip back to CA - layover in Charlotte & no middle seats) :D 

Time to take about a 4-5 hour nap before I have to get ready to leave.