the Guppie Life

One year ago today I had no idea I’d be living in Northern Virginia. (But then again, I had no idea where I’d be. Maybe California? Or Wisconsin? Or North Carolina?)

One year ago today I wouldn’t have dreamed that I would quit my first job out of college after less than a year. (Let alone find a better one doing something I like.)

One year ago today I was single. (I still am.)

One year ago today I thought I was going to find a job in science. Or consulting. Or go to grad school. For more science. Or maybe business. Or computers.

One year ago today I didn’t know how much I could learn in a year without being motivated by a GPA. (Turns out, a lot more.)

One year ago today I couldn’t imagine being out to my mom. (A few weeks ago, for the first time, I told her about a date that went really badly. And she consoled me.)

One year ago today I said goodbye to close friends I knew I’d never see again. (Because that’s how These Things go.)

One year ago today I graduated college.

One year ago today I was scared.

Today I am confident. (Imperfect, but confident.)

In the course of a year, I have become a new person.

How have you changed in a year?

During the 7 mile, 30 minute commute from the new job this evening (which is considered quite good for the area, by the way) , I was stuck behind a late model BMW 3-series. The license plate read “YUPPIES.”

Then I smiled to no one in particular and cranked up the NPR. Things are going to work out just fine.

Being gay on Superbowl Sunday is like being Jewish on Christmas.

Last weekend, my mother came up for a visit. But instead of our usual Black Friday mania, she announced that she wanted to buy me one of my holiday presents early since it was on sale for a limited time at one of the local big-box electronics retailers.

I was thrilled when she took me to the GPS navigation aisle. Although I have been living in NoVA (that’s Northern Virginia to you outsiders) for a few months now, I have barely visited the neighboring McMansion towns, let alone taken a trip into D.C.

You see, I’ve got a terrible sense of direction. Absolutely horrid. After all these months, I only know one way to get to work, and that’s courtesy Google Maps. (Although I did manage to find the local ‘premium’ outlet mall within a few weeks of moving, which I attribute to some sort of gay genetic survival instinct.)

It’s only been one week, but I’m in love with my GPS. Specifically, it’s a Garmin StreetPilot c550, and it’s got a lot of nifty features that I could really care less about, like MP3 playback and optional traffic reporting.

What I love is that this baby knows how to get me ANYWHERE. For many businesses, I don’t even need to know the street address, just the name of the business. Or if I’m feeling peckish, I can just hit the “Restaurants” button, and instantly I’m presented with a listing of nearby eateries. In just one short week, I’ve become ten times more geographically adventurous! (The only thing my GPS lacks is gaydar— it’d be nice if it could present me with a list of local single boys, but I’m sure that’s in the works for 2008.)

So why didn’t I buy a GPS before this? I’m ashamed to say that I was almost completely ignorant of GPS technology. I knew, for instance, that you could get instant directions to addresses, but I had no idea that these devices came pre-programmed with millions of local attractions and “points of interest.” Also, I was convinced that there was some sort of monthly or set-up free. But nope, it works straight out of the box.

Gentle readers, if you’re behind the times like me, I cannot recommend this device enough. It’s a minor life-changer.

“I like you, but I’m not in like with you.”