In two days I will be 31. Let me review some highlights of my 30th year (details could be found at my Facebook or my Tumblr or by contacting me though an in-person conversation would go faster than a typed text/IM/email. There are also a lot of pictures on my Facebook and Tumblr):

-I graduated from graduate school and I now possess a Masters in Education with a concentration in Multicultural Multilingual Education.

-I received my teaching license for the state of Virginia! I am licensed to teach Japanese and English as a Second Language for all public school grade levels.

-I am a teacher at a wonderful elementary school. My fellow teachers are amazing, I have a great support system, and I love my students. The commute is also nice and short - 15 minutes! It beats the 1 hour commute that I had to Mount Vernon (45 minutes on a good day). I interviewed for this job on a Monday and signed the contract three days later. While my school is a Title 1 school, I find the lack of resources really don't matter. (Well the lack of computers matter since all the standardized testing is done on computers. Kids need to practice on the computers.)

-I attended AwesomeCon 2015 where I met John Rhys-Davies, William Shatner, and George Takei. Each was a unique and wonderful experience though my 2-3 minute long conversation with George Takei truly takes the cake. We spoke entirely in Japanese which was a bit nerve wracking for me. I still get quite emotional about it because he reminds me so very much of my deceased grandfather. In fact, they have both called me amazing. I will remember that for years to come. (This is definitely an event to read about on my tumblr.)

-I also went to Wizard World Richmond where I not only made new friends but met Billy Boyd. It was quite nice!

-I attended my first annual meeting of the American Friends of Lafayette down in Yorktown. We watched the Hermione reach America and it was amazing! I also got to see it as it paused outside of Mount Vernon. I made more friends that weekend and though it never made it to French TV, I was interviewed!

-I also toured France for two weeks this summer with the American Friends of Lafayette. France is a gorgeous country and I found the people to be quite nice, especially in the countryside. I was unable to stretch my French muscles as almost everybody spoke English. (I did speak Japanese though.) It was a real treat to see all the homes of Lafayette and to be an ambassador of good will. As I have been a docent at Mount Vernon for nearly 4 years now, I took gifts from the estate to pass out to whomever we encountered. While some of the receivers were rather nonplussed about it, there were some who were genuinely touched by the gesture, a Freemason in particular. The point of the gifts was to show my gratitude for their hospitality so I hope for years to come they remember that some Americans do value their continuous friendship. While I loved seeing all the castles, I thoroughly enjoyed the cathedrals, especially Notre Dame. I don't think you have to be a Christian to appreciate and be in awe of such gorgeous architecture. I admire the dedication of the artisans not only to their craft but to their faith as well. I am also proud that I climbed all the way to the top! If you know my tumblr and Facebook, please take a gander at the hundreds of pictures I uploaded.

-Back in March I visited my friend Liz who lives in California. We toured the Las Vegas strip, saw a silver mining town named Calico, and of course visited Disneyland.

-I visited with friends which is always nice. My brother who is in the Navy came home for a week and it was nice to see him. I also went to the Renaissance Festival with my mother - a yearly tradition now.

-My father retired from his government job and I got to be a part of that event which was eye-opening for me.

-I saw a lot of movies, be it in theaters, or on an airplane. Or rewatching old ones. The nostalgia of my younger years has been hitting me hard, especially in regards to music. One of my favorite bands in the old days has reunited and I am looking forward to their new releases! I also watched a lot of tv.

All in all, a wonderful year, so much so I had trouble remembering it all!

The only downsides of course are I have chronic dry-eye now, take an anti-anxiety pill along with my ambien, and the keyboard on my laptop has decided to misbehave. I am dealing with all of these the best I can

Onward, to year 31!

I am still terrible at checking livejournal to see what my friends are up to. I miss the days when we all used to pour our thoughts out into enteries here. Where we had conversations that were easy to follow, not made up of reblogged posts or private messages like it is on tumblr.
But I suppose some of us have grown up and moved on. I know I am often too tired to put all my thoughts down. I get through the day and then bury myself in fandoms - be it fanart or fanfic or just the canon. Social interaction is so low on my list for my job involves being social. I give my all to strangers day in and day out. And soon I will give it to students, but the ones I am working with in my internship make me wonder...

I don't know Spanish. How am I supposed to teach ESL if I can't even talk to the families of my students? It makes me want to give up. And I want to teach Japanese, but how can I teach a language I never mastered? I wouldn't be much more proficient than my students. And it would show to any native speaker.

I don't know what to do with my life. Sadly, Middle Earth is not real so I can't run away and live a life of adventure with hobbits, dwarves, or elves. But I wish it was.

I am 30 years old and wishing I could live in a realm of dreams. I am most likely very lonely but it is hard to get together with friends when everyone works on different schedules or lives far away or forgets the other exists. Or you know the weather - one minute it's good, the next it is terrible.

But really, I am disappointed that Livejournal will not let me go more than 20 posts back. I have no idea why. I refuse to pay for the privliage of reading what you guys wrote.

http://www.youcaring.com/tuition-fundraiser/support-jessica-sensei-/273068

Very soon I will be going into student teaching, which is an unpaid 5 month internship. Of course my bills do not stop for 5 months. So I have put up a little fundraiser for myself. If you cannot contribute, it is fine, but feel free to pass it on to anyone you like. I feel quite ashamed about this but my coworkers and friends have urged me to give it a try. I don't expect much if anything at all.

I know I don't post here much but I figured I'd spread the word here too. I use tumblr quite frequently. In case you follow me there, I want to let you know that I changed my URL. I forgot to make a blog using the old one so I could make a redirect page and now some spam account is using it. Oh well. Not much I can do about it because tumblr staff are usually very unhelpful.

So here is a link to my new tumblr: http://freetilltheendoftheline.tumblr.com/

I am in Japan. It is great minus the summer heat and humidity. I do not like my ear infection or the fact it has not been cured within a week's time.

How are all of you? What has happened since...let's go as far back as April? May? June? I know I did not read LJ at all during June.

I know it's been a while since I posted here but I am hoping that a post here will help me out.

I am trying to raise some money for my study abroad this summer. I probably won't get much, if anything, but it doesn't hurt to try...you can check out my donation page here: http://www.gofundme.com/6zalxg

I have been wanting to watch those concerts - the reunion lives (all 3 days), the hide memorial summit, the Hong Kong Live (remember the wedding dress? or was that Taiwan?) - all of those glorious lives that we could download from 2008 - 2010.

I don't have them anymore due to a computer crash 3 years ago. Having gotten back into their music again, I really wish to rewatch their recent stuff - I can watch their older stuff whenever I wish as I own actual DVDs.

If you happen to have copies and would be willing to make me some DVDs or tell me where to download them, I'd be very grateful. I am willing to pay postage and money for DVD-R!

I'll ask around on the LJ communities too when I get a chance...any ideas on where to ask would be appreciated!

I try to check livejournal every 2 weeks since I can only go 60 posts back, but some weeks I forget or I am incredibly busy with my life away from the internet.
Has anything happened with anyone? Marriages/births/deaths/divorces/new jobs/new places to live/anything they want me to know about?
How many people still use livejournal I wonder?
I miss it, in a nostalgic way.
I feel everything is very...dispersed now and that I must work even harder to find people to talk to about the things I am interested in.

And let's face it, sometimes tumblr feels very cliquish. To the point that I feel like I can't even get to know some local people into what I am into because they already have their perfect little group.

Anyway, life goes on I guess. I am not sure what you want to hear about on my end. I go to work, I go to class, I see friends when our schedules and finances allow, and I never feel truly happy or content.

And more and more I seem to have no real aspirations.

But I do enjoy watching Free! Iwatobi Swim Club and I really wish I could visit Japan. Alas for me being able to cover my bills and not save.

I finally have all my grades in from Spring Semester. All A's of course. Summer semester starts this week. And I am set up for fall classes - I just have to see if I can beg anyone to trade days with me because working all day Monday and then jetting off to campus is not my idea of fun. But somehow I doubt anyone will willing switch with me. =/

My grandfather died a week and a day ago. I don't cry uncontrollably too often about it but I think I am still sad about it. I am glad I saw him back in November and that the last time we talked on the phone that he was still coherent.

I am - as always - having doubts about what path I am taking in life. Some days I don't want to be a teacher. Some days I don't want to teach Japanese, but history. Except I only care about US history from 1776 - 1800. =/ Not exactly a tangible teaching position. And Japanese? Well, I've forgotten how to really speak and write it. I have to pass some tests - and at high levels - to be considered proficient enough to teach. I understand why but well I have no faith in myself and no patience to sit down and relearn a language that I don't use.

So what do I do with myself?
I have no idea.
I am 28 with no dreams, no goals, and I fear the rest of my life will be just as unremarkable.

Well now I can only go back 60 entries on my friend's list. Is this some form of bizarre punishment?

I'm still alive. End of the semester so doing final papers.

Last time I checked the old friend's list was April 11th so if you made a post between that and April 21st, I did not see it. If you want me to, just direct me to it. If not, no worries, I won't see it!

You know livejournal, I would be more inclined to check you more often if you let me go as far back as I wished on my friend's page. But by limiting how far back I can view things, you make me hate you.

And if it's because I don't pay to use you, then screw you.

Why oh why can I never go more than 80 entries back on my friends' list?
Well, if you wrote anything between January 4th - 10th and wish for me to read it, drop me a link. I follow too many of you here to try to go find it on my own.

And I suppose if you want me to talk about myself, I can, but ask me questions. Because life goes on as normal: I work, I go to graduate school, I eat, I sleep.

I also blog a lot on tumblr: http://foundingfathersfbconvos.tumblr.com/

So follow me there if you wish to learn about my oddest obsessions and read about my days at work.
I am afraid I have in a way abandoned LJ for tumblr.

I see that there is an Elrond magnetic bookmark being sold in the UK. We can't get it here in the US. So if one of you kind UK residents would kindly purchase one for me, I will be happy to reimburse you.

I just really want one. Please?

LJ won't let me go past 80 posts on my Friends Page.
Does anybody else have this problem? It's rather annoying.
Since I am unable to fix it for the time being, if you have posted between October 4th - 8th and wish for me to read what you posted, let me know. Everything before and after those dates I have been able to read just find on my Friends Page. (And yes, I am too lazy to go to every single person's LJ and check to see if you updated because I still follow quite a lot of people on here and I do not have the time for that.)

As for me, busy with work and graduate school.
I'm 28 now.
And my social life is pretty much non-existent but this is what happens when you go to graduate school, and also have to work every other weekend. Your free time is limited, though never in high demand.

I am sure this post would sound cheerier if I wasn't making it this late at night.

I promise, I am!

Fall Semester has started up. I think I should do okay as long as I keep on top of my work like I have last year.

Work at Mount Vernon is fine. The crowds are thinning out so we're not as busy. I can't wait to see the autumn colors take over - I bet it'll be beautiful.

I hope all of you are doing well in aspects of your life!

For one, my LJ is no longer paid for. I realized that in the past year (maybe even two years) I don't really post here enough to justify paying for it or paying for extra icons. So now I am down to the standard 15 icons for a plus account. I don't even notice the ads.

Secondly, I can only go back 200 posts in my friends page. Which means the most recent thing I see dates from June 13th. I recall reading a post made on June 4th. So, if anything you think I need to know about happened between June 4th and June 13th, please comment here with a link or PM me or something. Otherwise, I will continue to never know.

Things have been interesting in my life. Work keeps me busy. It's very enjoyable and I wouldn't give this job up easily. I like it a lot and I hope I continue to get better and better at it.

School is unfortunately boring. I know we are doing a lot in a short amount of time but to be quite honest, I feel the teacher does more preaching instead of teaching. It's the second class I've had like this. I'm rather tired of paying money for learning nothing.

And I suppose I saved the saddest for last. My Uncle Albert died, as did my Grandfather on my father's side. I am not overly affected by their deaths (they were a week or two ago now) but it has thrown some of my family members for a loop.

And really, that's about it. My weeks consist of going to work and going to school and then running errands. I update my facebook and my tumblr a lot more than I used to. I am not sure why but I do. (Tumblr is where I talk a lot about history related stuff. LJ seems to be where I find and read fanfiction these days...)

I suppose if you have any questions for me, you can just ask.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it on here but I work at Mount Vernon now. (George Washington's home - not the school or anywhere else.)

I just got cleared yesterday after about a week of very intense training. So if you come to visit, you might see me in one of the rooms in the mansion, dispersing information while also doubling as security. Please be on your best behavior because the guest relations part of the job has been the hardest for me emotionally.

It's part time so on average I'll work three days a week which leaves me with time to still substitute teach for the remainder of the school year. I can't do summer school but that's okay.

I start summer semester on Monday. I hope that goes well. I've never done a college course in six weeks...

I have lots of that. I mean it's why I got shingles back in March.

I hoard money and stay home because I am afraid I will need the money for something or will lose my job(s) and thus need a lot of money.

But also my mother's stress rubs off on me.

She can't afford rent every month. Our landlord refuses to lower it or sell the house to us and she can't find a new place within her price range/loan range to buy (because she's tired of renting). He is at least nice enough to not hound her for the rent being late - he might complain a little but he doesn't give us any ultimatums and I think it's because he is too lazy to actually fix up the house in order to put it back out on the rent market. If someone's in it, why bother repairing/replacing things? He's not the greatest but he's not the worst landlord - he's just really lazy.

She's had to borrow money from my grandfather to make sure the rent gets paid the last two months. She might have to again this month.

It stresses me out because it affects me too. I can't afford to live on my own and I don't have friends I could really move in with or get an apartment with. I have no problem with my mother taking more money from me each month (yes, I pay her some rent of my own but it is minimal) but she kind of refuses to for some unknown reason.

I don't like her coming home and basically blowing off steam to me about how she can't pay things because I can't fix our situation.

And so I end up hoarding my money some more because what if we need it so we can keep a roof over our heads.

I feel like the rest of my life I will have a stunted social life in order to pay for bills. That's no way to live but I see no way out of it. Not unless I somehow get all my student debt forgiven but like that will ever happen.

How is that possible?! Well, uh, stuff happened in April, like work and school and I guess that's about it? I believe I got to see Layne for lunch one of those days in April...

I can't believe I didn't write anything for all of April! I wish I could remember what happened but I have a feeling I spent most of it in a graduate school/working haze!

Well, as far as May goes, school is done until June. I've been working a bit more which is good.

And I got the part-time job at Mount Vernon so within the next few weeks I should start training/working there! If you're ever in Northern Virginia, come check out George Washington's Mount Vernon! I'll be one of the people who is in the mansion guiding people around!

Also I got to see the Avengers. (I can't believe I didn't have a Thor icon on here yet. I am so behind the times.)

I think it is fair to say I update here rather sporadically. In a way, I have sort of moved to tumblr but I also have not. Tumblr is where I get my history geek on. Facebook is where I play silly games. LJ is where I update about my life yet...I don't.

Perhaps I have reached that age or that point in my life that if I don't talk to you directly via IM or text or in person, you won't know what is going on. Not that anything is going on. Or maybe chronicling my life has gotten old because I am not doing anything worth telling any of you, devoted readers that you are.

Work is work when I do work. School is school - as frustrating and rewarding as always. It's all very stressful and due to my lack of job security, I never go out. I never do anything with anyone. Thus my life is rather dull.

The weather has been very warm lately. All the trees are blooming so hello allergies.

I suppose the one exciting thing is I have the shingles. It sucks. But the medicine I got for it is helping. At 27, I'm a little young to be getting them but stress can activate the virus.

And so it did.

And that's really about it. I hope the rest of you are fairing better than I.

I actually have work tomorrow subbing! February has been a lean month in regards to working.

But I have the observing/teaching for my project sorted out. Now I can apply to work at Mount Vernon. For every job. I wonder if that's allowed. I'm not sure...

But I wouldn't mind getting paid to talk about George Washington all the time. Or to roam about the estate as a job - cleaning up this or that. I could do that.

Though really, I have never seen trash on the ground there. NEVER.

Seen plenty of lost hats and mittens though.