Arlington

Hello! So I’m living in Arlington, Virginia just outside the capital of the USA. I love it here, and so far I love the job, which consists of training and orientation, so far. I’m meeting a bunch of people including my classmates and this makes me happy. I don’t normally talk to strangers so this is a new wonderful addition to my life. Within our group of 70+ people, there are people who have been hired because they speak Mandarin, Portuguese, Arabic, and Spanish. We’re working for the State Department so there’s lots to learn about how this organization functions and what they expect of us while working at an embassy. 

The Beat Generation

Also, I haven’t smoked tea leaves in over a month because the new job has random testing, which makes me happy because it’s not a healthy habit, not a really bad habit but not very healthy. Granted, it does make me happy and causes me to smile. Plus, it makes the state of ‘not being high’ not as fun compared to when you are not a habitual smoker. But, the lack of smoking has made working on my tedious projects, editing video and writing, more difficult, however studying Spanish and exercising regularly is still very easy to do. 

Miami Blues

I met up with an old friend of mine, Cullen from the Miami Days. He manages a beach club, The Cove, in Washington DC. It’s a swanky spot and is similar to a place he managed in Miami’s Wynwood district called 1-800 Lucky. He’s a cool dude who makes art himself, in fact, he designed The Cove. We met many years ago in Miami Beach. He was regular at a bar that I worked at called ‘The Sandbar Lounge’.

That bar had sand on the floor and mini life guard towers inside. I even filmed a web series there called ‘The Island of Doctor Taco’. 

James Bond

I met a girl. I was taking a bus back to my apartment and we met at a bus stop. My bus arrived and I said good bye. One stop later I got off and walked back and asked for her number. She’s Honduran and she’s only been in the States for a few months. We’ve been playing phone tag, she’s reluctant to hang out. But we’ll see.

Conclusion

Life is looking up and I am not only happy but simply relieved. I’m not carrying around a weight of stress everywhere I go, due to not being able to pay for anything nor knowing when I was going to run out of money. For example, during my year in Colombia I was everyday surrounded by happy reality and possibilities: parties, beautiful women and good times and good people who want to have a good time and wanted me to join them in their good times. But I couldn’t because I was always so worried that I wouldn’t have any money in the immediate future. I was negative and frankly had a bad attitude and I saw everything around me through a negative filter, even if on a conscience level I knew that life was wonderful and was extending me an olive branch of joy.