official...old fish hill...Danielle Fishel!

(OK, if you're not an avid viewer of Dorm Life, you are probably thinking, "What the heck is that title about?!" So if you're confused, I'm sorry. The theme here is "official.")

It's old fish hill: My days in Lafayette are numbered.

I just got a copy of my signed and approved contract extension, which says I'll be working here for about another year (till the end of July 2010). So...HIRE ME, PEOPLE!

Here's what I'm looking for in my next chapter of life:

-a home near or within reasonable driving distance of a beach
-a job that allows me to sleep during the night time and pays more than what I'm making now
-the opportunity to do something I enjoy, preferably in the media/entertainment field
-the chance to experience a different flavor of American lifestyle

I will go east, west, and/or south of Indiana but NOT directly north (so Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, North and South Dakota...and basically any place that reminds you of Fargo or Drop Dead Gorgeous is out of the question).

Dream spots (in no particular order):
-Georgia (Savannah or Atlanta)
-South Carolina (especially Charleston)
-Boston, Mass. or some other neat-o place on the East Coast
-California (at this time I'm leaving pretty much the entire state open to consideration)

But I wouldn't rule out several other places on the U.S. map, so if you know of anyone that wants to hire a hard-working, initiative-taking, relatively well-dressed and spunky gal in about a year...let me know!

In other news...

I said it before and I'll say it again: this is the summer of accomplishments. This week I hung on my wall three shelves that I've had in my car trunk for like, two years. Finally! I hung one in the little "hallway" between my living room area, bedroom, and bathroom and I personally love walking past it because it's hung rather low and therefore makes me feel tall! The other two are in my bedroom; one is short and holds picture frames and perfume on the shelf and winter hats and scarves on the pegs. The other is long and holds my favorite heels on the shelf and my purses and summer hats on the pegs (this shelf is my personal fave because it's almost like having a display case for my shoes!).

I love having all the white space on my bedroom walls filled, as well as being able to get my bags and several pairs of shoes off of the floor (and out of the reach of Lola's unbelievably sharp teeth!).

Oh, I also rearranged my bedroom furniture and got a little area rug and new decoration pillows for my bed...

You know what, I'm just gonna take pictures and show you sometime.

Anyway, my last bit of news is that today is ONE MONTH away from my 25th birthday! Now, if you know me well, you might also know that I LOVE birthdays. Especially mine. But this one feels a little bittersweet; as Marilyn Monroe says about turning 25, "That's a quarter of a century; makes a girl think." And while I'm very proud of who I've become over the past 25 years, I also am starting to feel like youth is sort of slipping through my fingers (if you're older than me, you're probably laughing at me right now, which is fine). Not that 25 is "old" by any real means, but I'm mostly just sad because in another month I will no longer be able to categorize myself under the "18-24" demographic!!! (Can you tell I work in media?) It's just a little sad to no longer fit into one of the most highly-targeted age groups. I'll no longer be the demographic of funky sunglasses, Bud Light with Lime, and American Apparel leggings...instead I'll be targeted for the complete collection of Sex and the City on DVD, subscriptions to bridal magazines, and memberships to Match.com. Ulch.

Oh well. No matter how many birthdays I have, the fact that I'm getting older and undeniably more "grown-up" will NOT take away from the fact that I LOVE BIRTHDAYS and I am going to enjoy mine! And just so you know, my birthday is not just a one-day affair; I feel that one's birthday should be celebrated for as much as a two week timespan surrounding one's actual date of birth. So the week leading up to my birthday will be celebrated while I'm on vacation with my family at the lake, and the celebration will continue into the week I get back into town.

Like I said, I love birthdays.

OK, that's the news from where I sit. Pictures coming, as well as hopefully more summertime accomplishments!