A month?

Wow. How has so much time passed already? My diligent blogging has fallen to the wayside after only two posts.

Well, Pittsburgh is amazing. It is about the same size as St. Louis and just as intimidating as I imagine St. Louis would be to an outsider. I don't know how I'll ever find my way around, but I also don't doubt that it will happen. Our taxi driver told us that Pittsburgh actually has more bridges than Venice if you can believe it! It is also so hilly. And so many trees! Chatham's campus is small--that being said it is still larger than any other school I've attended. It is actually situated on Andrew Carnegie's one time estate. His house is even the administration building!

There are beautiful gothic cathedrals, whose stones have been stained black from the young days of Pittsburgh when the steel mills sent smoke into the air. Not three blocks from my campus is also a strip of shopping and eating of the finest caliber--Apple store, Gap, Banana Republic, cafes, Peruvian restaurants, Thai, Chinese, Sushi, and gelato! Not to mention the coolest bookstore I've ever been into.

I also recently found out that I did get my awesome job that I went up there to interview for. You are reading the blog of the new Gate House Assistant Coordinator! I am very excited about the opportunity as I will be able to have an excuse to leave for the city a little earlier than expected so that I might learn her secrets to share with other travelers as they come my way.

I have been reading bits and pieces of this and that. Mostly required readings. They are all beautiful, but I can't seem to focus on any one of them for too long. I think I have grown more ADD with age. I like short story collections for this reason.

I have been writing as well. I have news about the book for those of you who have been eagerly awaiting the last thirty pages so that you might read my first full length novel:

I'm starting over. From scratch.

I know it sounds crazy, but I think it really will be best this way. It's good right now. It's fine. But it's not amazing or breathtaking yet. There may be exquisite passages, but not every word sparkles yet. Plus, I've decided to switch POVs so... yeah.

But here is a snipet of a short story I just finished for those of you who are curious. It doesn't quite have a title yet, but it is about a woman who discovers she has a parasite (tapeworm) growing in her intestines. If you're interested, let me know, and I'll email you the whole thing. It's only a page and a half--officially the shortest thing I've ever written!

Love to you all.