Lyrical Whimsy: Or Everything I need to Know About Ari can be summed up by a James Morrison Song

"Once you've had a taste there's no going back." - Under the influence

"You give me something that makes me scared alright...this could be nothing, but I'm willing to give it a try." - You give me something

"Sometimes I just feel so full of love/it just comes spilling out/ It's uncomfortable to see/ I give it away so easily." - Wonderful World

"I can't explain why it's not enough/Coz I gave it all to you/And if you leave me now/ Oh just leave me now/ It's the better thing to do." - The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore

"I've got one last chance to get myself together/I can't lose no more time it's now or never/ And I try to remember/who I used to be" - One last chance

"I'm not lost/Just undiscovered" - Undiscovered

"I can't forget her." - The letter

"I can't do nothing if I can't do something my way...call the police/coz I've lost control/and I really wanna see you bleed." - Call the police

"I'm still here/but it hasn't been easy/I'm sure that you had your reasons/I'm scared/Of all this emotion/For years I've been holding it down/I love to forgive and forget so I/try to put all this behind us just/know that my arms are wide open/ the older I get, the more that I know/ It's time to let this go." - This boy

"

Wait for the Beep: Or Why I Hate Customer Non-Service

I think people on the other end of the customer service hotline hate talking to me as much as I hate waiting on hold to tell them my problem so they can fix it. Surely we can come to some sort of mutual agreement?

And whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy is it that I'm generally on hold for something my dad needs done? No comprendo.

Happy Trails to Me: Or Last Day at Work

When I woke up this morning, it suddenly dawned on me that today would be my last day at work...for threeeeeeee years (okay, not counting summer internships). That seems like a long time, but I bet it will fly by so quickly.

I am quite sad at the thought of leaving my current position. I work in a hospital with a bunch of really great people, and they seem pretty bummed that I am leaving...maybe that's just because they haven't hired my replacement yet.

But I am also over-the-moon excited about all the new changes coming up in my life. Suddenly any door I want to enter could potentially swing open - and I just have to figure out where to start. Here goes nothing.

Well, maybe I'll take a little beach vacation first. :)

It's a Small World After All: Or Sangria Brings Out the Truth

I am still reeling from the shocking encounter I had last night!

A few weeks ago, I went to an HBS happy hour in Buckhead to meet some alums and prospective students. One young lady, T, turned out to be a Gtown alum who was there when I was, but we didn't know each other. We swapped info and decided to meet up for drinks and tapas at Noche, one of my favorite places in Virginia Highlands. Well, after too many sangrias (for me) and some yummy dishes, the weirdest thing happened.

Last night, after we grew tired of discussing b-school applications and GMAT scores, T and I got onto the topic of growing up in Atlanta. She mentioned she went to Pace Academy. I said, "Oh! My ex went to Pace. Do you know O?" Well, not only did she know him, but her best friend, who also went to Pace, lives near him in another state and is still good friends with him. T even recalled hearing about "some girl up in DC" that O was dating. And there I was, sitting in front of her a year later! How extraordinary. The two of us could not get over the coincidence.

Straight out of the Twilight Zone, I tell ya...

It's about that time again: Or what I have done lately (Part II)

It was bound to happen again, and hey, I like lists!

Recently I have:

• Rented a U-Haul


• Been on a roadtrip


• Had trouble sleeping


• Seen a funny movie with a good friend


• Had a hissy fit


• Hurt someone who loves me and begged for forgiveness


• Been angry


• Been jealous


• Doubted my self-worth


• Been humiliated and ignored and offended


• Been cut off emotionally


• Worrying and biting my nails


• Been spending lots of time with Molly


• Been spending lots of time with Charla


• Seen Beyonce and Robin Thicke live in concert


• Had too much to drink


• Met a cadre of new people


• Had butterflies in my stomach and alternately, that sinking feeling


• Encountered a former coworker


• Not been working out as much as I would like


• Been trying to avoid social networking sites for my own well-being


• Had a philosophical/political debate with my intellectual equal


• Been tricked into a kiss, and I followed it up with a swift kick to the nads


• Seriously considered the possibility that there is something wrong with my outlook on this whole love thing


• Bought a laptop (er, had grandma gift one to me)


• Said goodbye to a friend


• Said goodbye to my favorite city, Washington, DC


• Asked myself: "Is healthcare a right or a privilege?"


• Wondered where the hell my money has gone


• Completed four online courses required for registration in my MBA program, along with a lengthy checklist of "Honey-Do's"


• Played along


• Patronized someone


• Wondered what the hell just happened

A long time ago, in a blogosphere far, far away: Or the Return of the Mack (the Mack being Ari, of course)

The ostensible ego in me keeps drawing me back the blogosphere. Honestly, how long could I really go without talking/writing about myself? It's all just too predictable, if you ask me. Somehow, someway, I knew I'd be back...and you knew it, too.

Cliff notes: Let's recap the last year or so, shall we?

Summer comes and goes: When we last saw Ari, the healthcare practice at her ho-hum consulting job was falling apart at the seams. No, matter...it was summer, and lots of fun left to be had...including a few regular trips to Assateague Island. The best of the last few shining moments of what would be her last summer in Washington...for the forseeable future.

Professional props and pratfalls: The fall started off with a bang and a great surprise - a promotion and a long-term project in Atlanta! Ari became very excited about the prospect of seeing Moms and Pops more often and settled into a fairly cushy gig...or so she thought (to be continued)

Hoya Paranoia! The winter didn't seem too cold as the Hoyas fired up the basketball court, dominating the Big East and making their first appearance at the Final Four in a looong time! Ari didn't miss a moment as a first year season ticket holder...she even witnessed the best.weekend.ever with some fellow Hoyas in Atlanta for the tournament.

All is not lost! Poor, pitiful Ari (tongue firmly in cheek) was nearly sideswiped in March by some unexpected news: her company's practice wasn't doing so hot, so she got laid off! Not to worry, as always, Miss Ari landed on her feet and found a cool new position just a week later...but it could only get better from there...

So long, sucka!

When you wish upon a star: Unbeknownst to many (except a small, determined band of friends and family who greatly tired of hearing about it) during much of '06, Ari had been hatching a plan to leap from working to graduate school. After studying for the GMAT during the winter and working and re-working scores of essays and personal statements, Miss Ari learned her fate:

"Congratulations! On behalf of Harvard Business School, I am genuinely pleased to
offer you a place in the MBA Class of 2010."


"Congratulations! I am pleased to offer you admission to Harvard University ’s John F. Kennedy School of Government ..."


You've heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a child...well, it takes two cities, multiple prayers, countless friends and family members, and a lot of anti-anxiety medication to get Ari into Harvard! Seriously, though, anyone who has ever been through this process can attest that it is a loooong, sometimes lonely, journey of self-reflection, but I wouldn't change a thing if I had to do it all over again...except I wouldn't apply to so many schools, thus saving myself a few hundred dollars.


So, there it is: for the next three years, I will freezing my tookus off in Boston, studying both business and public policy (healthcare and international development are my focus areas). In 2010 I hope to graduate with two master's degrees and the inspiration to achieve pretty much anything I set my mind to do. I am still, four months after receiving those letters, overwhelmed, humbled, excited and terrified about this transformational experience. Just don't ask me what I want to do after I graduate...I can't even think that far ahead.


Summer 2007: All in all, it's been interesting. I've been working at a hospital with people I absolutely adore, living it up on a beach with new classmates while saying goodbye (for now) to old and dear friends, and just generally trying to mentally prepare myself for the next steps. As my parents and I can both attest: no 25-year-old should be living at home. I've definitely worn out my welcome, and I will probably have to write to the Vatican to ask that my parents be canonized for what they've had to put up with this year. They still love me and are proud of me and support me no matter how awful I've been...and for that, I owe them. Big time.


As for the blog, well, I expect this will become a place to capture my next life experiences for posterity and preservation. Hopefully I can keep up. You've been put on notice, blogosphere: The mack is back.