Folks,

I have arrived in my new town and have mostly unpacked. I am still alive. I am doing well and, frankly, couldn’t be happier.

I am still doing some amount of unpacking and needing to pick up various supplies that I forgot to bring or buy in my recent trips to the local shopping…areas. I am officially living in the middle of nowhere (but that’s what I wanted). My school is pretty much right in the heart of the city, but is honestly only a 15-20 minute drive. I am thoroughly enjoying being able to only be 20 minutes from life and activity…or from quiet seclusion in the middle of nowhere.

Being completely and totally alone hasn’t really sunk in yet. I have a friend in Asheville who is planning on coming to visit me in 2 weeks for my birthday. Hopefully she can make it for the weekend. I think I will greatly enjoy seeing a familiar face at that point.

And what move would be complete without a complete lulz moment. My lulziest of lulz so far? Trekking the old microwave all the way from Pittsburgh to Fayetteville to have it literally blow up on me the 2nd day. Now I need a new microwave. Outside of exploding microwaves it’s been a pretty easy move and adjustment period. We’ll have to come back and evaluate that statement in a few weeks time and see if I’m still so chipper.

It’s going to be a completely insane first few weeks, but I want to get one or two Pens Previews done this week, both as a means of keeping my sanity as well as getting geared up for hockey season, which is right around the corner.

Many thanks to all the kind words and well-wishing I got from everyone. Tomorrow is the first day of school for me. Things are about to get real.

-Walt