Well, not right now I am, ha ha.

Then again, I just woke up only to find that for once this ENTIRE YEAR that I have lived here, is my shower taken and ALL THREE of them are taken as well.

Sigh…

Either way, I thought I would give everyone a little update on what’s been happening with the whole apartment situation:

Well, I’m not going to get one. At first I was really upset about it, because I would have to buy lunch a lot and this is something that I really wanted to try out…

In the end, I realized that my mother was right: That I would be saving a LOT more money this way if I were to just go ahead and commute, even if I have to pay 25 bucks a week in gas, Dan and I figured out that it would only amount to 300 for the entire summer, plus roughly about 80 bucks for a parking pass at ISU for the summer, only puts me in the hole about 380 — Where I would have had to spend about 350 per MONTH…not to mention food, gas, stuff that I needed for the apartment, etc.

You get the picture.

Either way, guess what else I found out?

I got accepted to go to Washington DC to represent my college! :-O

It’s for the National Women’s Leadership Conference, which also happens to be out there.

Did I mention that it is an all-expense, FREE paid trip?!

Yeah. I’m definately going. :-)

I set up an appointment to fill out some paperwork, because, obviously, I have to sign my life away and assume no liability towards ISU or anyone on this campus really, although I am still representing them. ;-)

Good times.

Now you see why I’m ecstatic?

My friend, Jeanette, and I figured out that I would also be making roughly about four thousand dollars or more, depending on how much taxes are taken out…for working this summer at my seven-dollar-an-hour job.

Ahhhh…Money. :-)

Speaking of money, FAFSA (USA Funding for Colleges) gave me TRIPLE what I got last year in loans. Yes, even though they are loans, unfortunately my family and I are not eligible to get grants, etc. So, we have to live with the loan amount they give us.

Last year, I received roughly about 454 dollars per semester. That amounts to about 900 bucks (I don’t have a calculator) for the whole year.

This year, I filled out my FAFSA practically on the FIRST DAY that it came out. (Januray 1, 2005) And, guess how much I got?

3,500 — Oh yeahhhh.

That’s about 1,750 per semester!! Yay!!! That will help a lot more, even if it IS a loan. :-)

My smile gets bigger and bigger every time I think about all of this.

It makes me so happy. :-)

I had several major hopes that came to me at the beginning of this year.

Not to be confused with Dreams…like dreaming of making lots of money, etc.

Hopes are something that you want - your hearts desire.

“hope v.
To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment.”
Taken From: Dictionary.com

My first hope was to go overseas and study abroad. I wanted to go to England so badly during my Sophomore year at ISU.

Then, my parents said that it would not be a good idea. Maybe I’m not mature enough to go overseas my Sophomore year, they said, and why don’t I wait until my Junior year where I will have enough time to raise some money…

Yeah, okay mom and dad — Sounds like a plan.

Then, I started thinking.

My parents said it was too much work to go overseas; I would have to get a shot and a whole bunch of stuff before I would have been able to go. I was starting to believe them. So, I started looking for ways to satisfy us both.

My friend, Sherika, is going to Louisiana next semester through the National Student Exchange. It’s less paperwork, AND it costs less in 90% of the states people want to go to.

I want to go to Hawaii.

I told my mom this, and her immediate reaction was,
“Oh, I think that’s a really good idea Jillian. I wasn’t so sure about you going overseas…”

Yeah, I know mom. My dad felt the same way.

Now, just a week ago, I had an interview with Tech Support, and guess what? I got the job. My mom was so happy for me.

Then, I started looking at my options. They said that they would hire me full-time during the summer, but what with the commuting time and gas prices rocketing…I figured I may as well stay up here for the summer, right?

At least, this is what everyone is telling me I should do. That it’s very much worthwhile, that I can get great deals if I look now and try to sublease an apartment for this summer.

For those who don’t know, subleasing is where a current resident of an apartment has to move back home or something (just be out of the apartment) for usually a semester-long. This is where a sub-leaser comes into play. The sub-leaser will sign the contract for the amount of time the actual resident is gone, and the sub-leaser will have whatever space the resident is currently taking up, and the sub-leaser is also in charge of paying any bills, etc.

So, I started to look into it.

My mom said it would be okay if I looked into it and now and opportunity and a problem has arisen…

Almost simultaneously.

I found an apartment.

Not just any apartment, I might remind you. But a 350 dollar-per-month apartment. I will be subleasing it from someone named Sarah R. She has a single apartment, and that price includes ALL utilities paid.

No roommate and no bills? Sounds like a deal to me!

Of course, I confront my parents about it, and my mom said she would talk it over with dad.

She gets back to me today, and says that she doesn’t think it’s a good idea. She says I will be saving money if I commute back and forth daily.

But, I will have to buy lunch everyday since I won’t have anywhere to go to eat when I get hungry. And, the commuting time is horrendous.

“I just don’t think you are ready for an apartment.” My mom said today.

Not ready?? But when WILL I be ready? :-(

All I have to say if I lose this battle, I am going to school in Hawaii for a semester no matter WHAT. Even if I have to lie in the middle of a four-lane highway, throw myself on the line, you know.

I need to have one hope fulfilled at least, because right now I’m feeling like my hopes are a little to high.

…At least, for my parents they are.