Newport, RI
This past weekend was my first trip to Newport, RI. The Navy boy I've been alluding to (whose name is Odis) lives down there, so I went for a weekend visit. And what an amazing weekend it was! I headed down on Friday afternoon, and even though the traffic sucked, I managed to stay somewhat relaxed, maybe because I knew I would be with him soon. Since we couldn't stay on the base at his place (military rules...), we stayed at this really nice Inn in Newport. It really made me feel like such an adult to stay at such a nice, non-chain inn. After dinner, we went on base to see the sunset, which my camera can't really do justice:
We had a good discussion that night about what might be in store for us. It seems early to talk about it, but I really appreciate his openness and his desire to really hear what I am thinking. I always say communication is so important, but it's just soooo much easier when you know the other person wants to communicate and be open as well and when they help to initiate those discussions.
The next day, we tried to go sailing, but there wasn't much wind, so we went to the
Cliff Walk instead. It was a gorgeous day outside, and we walked most of the 3.5 mile (each way) trail to check out the mansions, flowers, and gorgeous seascape. My allergies decided to attack me, but it was still awesome.
That afternoon, we went to the Sakonnet Vineyard for an OK tour and a great wine tasting. I think we both learned a lot about the types of grapes, how wine is aged and what flavor it gives to the wine, and what we, in general, like. We then went for Thai food (yum), a drive along the mansions (which are crazy huge), ice cream at Newport Creamery (yum again), and the movie Nacho Libre (moderately funny, but too much of the humor of Napolean Dynamite). The next morning we relaxed and stayed in till church, but then the service was cancelled, so we went to the downtown area to walk around and to get some lunch. Then it was time to say goodbye. :-(
I know I'm not being very eloquent, so I'm sorry about that. Just know that it was awesome and I had an amazing time. Odis is amazing with the little (and big!) things that just make a girl smile, and he really is sweeping me off my feet. :-)
Brokeback Mountatin
So I finally watched Brokeback Mountain last night, and it really wasn't all that great. Even with the slow, seemingly methodical development of characters, it still didn't seem credible. Maybe if I were a gay man, this process of events would be more realistic, but their story had me wondering how gay they really were. I do understand that some gay men have wives and some lesbians have husbands, but Ennis' and Jack's trists seemed to be more of a matter of convenience at first and a means of "getting away" as the story progressed. It became more apparent that both of them were really homosexual as the film progressed, but I think this part of the story was too ambiguous.
Both men, though, do seem unsettled and uncomfortable with the fact that they are at least partly homosexual. This desire to feel and seem "normal" applies to everyone, but after talking with some of my friends a while back, I do know for sure it's a feeling many gay people have. It's difficult and trying to be different, and sometimes getting rid of traits you were born with just seems easier than living with them.
Overall, I think this is a decent movie with great acting and gorgeous scenery shots, but it has been overhyped and overpraised for its social significance. The movie is overrun by conventional thoughts on homosexuality, and to the average movie-goer, I think the bigger (and more tolerant and understanding) picture will be missed. But I'd be remiss in writing a blog about this movie without saying that Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger and hottttttt. (You didn't think I could be serious for an entire blog, did you?)
MIT Graduation, but not for me (yet)
It feels like I just posted, but I was kindly reminded that I have indeed not and need to get back on top of my blog! My days are just going by so quickly because I'm working on so many different things - my own research for my thesis, a conference paper, and training and helping my new interns. I have seven interns working so far, and I'm supposed to get a few more international students in the weeks to come. So my days fly by, which really isn't something to complain about too much. I was worried I would be extremely bored without classes, and so far the summer has proven the opposite.
The weight loss is going alright, but slower than I wanted. But then again, I'm not being too strict on myself at all. I'm down 4 pounds with 2 more to go, but I have a feeling the last 2 will be the hardest.
The last random thought on my mind is that today is MIT's graduation. They don't have enough room for all the family and friends, so they broadcast it live through MIT's website. It was pretty cool to be able to watch while working and just see what it's like and catch some of the speakers. That's a whole lotta smart people in one place! It made me a little homesick to see all the parents and family with the graduates, so I'm glad my parents are coming up in two weeks to go to Cape Cod. And then I'll be home just after that for Beth's wedding, so we'll get a little more time together. Seeing graduation also makes me miss Georgia Tech a little. I missed it a month ago when I knew GT had its graduation, but seeing everyone in robes and thinking about moving on from undergrad brings back wonderful memories from down South. I have to say I'm glad I've moved on and am not there for graduate school, but today I'll admit I miss it more than a tad. But we go onward and upward (and in my case, northward!).
How the tables have turned
I've been wanting to blog for three days now, but I've just been so busy. I had six interns start yesterday, and preparing for and briefing them has been a big time-consumer. They're starting to get a little more settled now, which is good, but I have to constantly stay on top of them to make sure they're on the right track. They're doing well so far, though, even if it's only been two days, and I'm happy to be working with them. I just wish they were working on my research and not general Mars Gravity work. ;-)
We also had an ice cream social yesterday for the graduate students, faculty, and staff. It went really well, and we had a huge turnout for our department. Everyone really enjoyed it, and it just makes me happy that we do all the social activities that we do so that we can get everyone to take a break and mingle with other people in the department.
Finally, to what I really wanted to blog about...
So I've gone out on a few dates with this guy who lives about an hour and a half away. Things are going really well, but he has to move (he'll be re-stationed) in October (or around then) this year. We actually already talked about this fact, and he wants to not worry at all about the fact that the October move is coming. And my first reaction is that I can't do it. But then I think back about how those exact words came out of my mouth last fall, and I truly believed them. Why is this different?
When I was going through this with someone last fall, his prospective move date was 7-8 months away, and now it's 5ish months away. Maybe that seems like a huge difference to me? Maybe I see it as potentially hurtful (for both parties) and unproductive for my long-term needs? This might be analyzing the situation way too much, but after a "shorter" amount of time, I see two people breaking up if someone moves, but with a longer amount of time, you are more likely to stay together. I know I shouldn't think this far in advance, but I have to admit that's what went through my head. Moving is the crappy thing about being a student (or being in the military) - people's schedules just don't seem to overlap in the right way.
So I guess my plan is for now to not have a plan and see how it goes, as
Lindsay so aptly suggested...
