Conserving energy, or pinching pennies?

I started to notice something about myself today as I sat in my still relatively new apartment. Besides the fact that I still have unemptied boxes in most rooms and nothing on my walls, I realized that I was conserving electricity. This may sound silly or maybe even practical - who doesn't want to conserve energy? - but for me, it was a revelation.

When I lived at home, I usually didn't think twice about turning on the air conditioner on a hot summer day. I might have left lights on when I left a room by accident or forgotten to turn off the television when I stepped out for a bit. Even living in the dorms at college, sometimes these things would slip my mind. I didn't do them on purpose, of course, but I never really thought about.

But this morning I sat in my living room watching television & sweating because I didn't want to turn on my AC. I had the one in my bedroom on all night, and it really wasn't that warm, I kept telling myself. Whenever I leave a room in my apartment I am certain to shut off the lights or turn off the tube. Why am I now so insistent on saving power when I can?

I'd love to say that I was trying to be part of the energy conservation movement, to avoid blackouts such as the recent one in Queens (during which my parents had no power for a week and a half, mind you). However, my reasons are not so noble.

Now, living on my own and paying my own bills, I am trying to save money wherever I can. Electricity is just one of the bills on my list, and the easiest to manipulate. Other bills - rent, cable/internet/phone, etc. - are always a fixed price. Bills for things such as electricity, gas for my car, food shopping, etc., depend on my needs and usage. I guess I'm going to be cutting corners wherever I can.

This blog entry is making me appreciate my family even more than I do now. Thanks, mom and dad, for being so great and letting me get away with all that electricity-burning activity. You guys rock!

And so it begins...

It's not like we don't realize this will happen. College is over, and people need to head their separate ways. This is a given, and we think that we are prepared for it to happen. After all, we spent summers apart from each other, how different can it be?

Oh, so very different indeed. Last weekend I went to a send-off party for one of my closest friends. She is a Trumbull native, but will be attending University of Michigan for her graduate degree. I've known that this was something she wanted to do for a while now but it didn't really hit me until I got to her house Saturday: Jessie is leaving.

Now, I'm sure a number of my friends from home in NYC had the same realization when I told them I would be living/working in CT and not returning to Queens. I guess I never saw it from this side.

My friends from the past are home in New York. My friends from college are back in their home states or off to grad school. And I'm here, blogging in CT and wondering what I am going to do.

So while I try to figure out how to divide up my precious days off so that I can make as many friend and family visits as possible, I just want to say good luck to you, Jessie, and to all of the members of the Class of 2006 who are heading on to higher education. Don't forget about your pals back home, because we miss you already.

Hello, and welcome to my blog!

My name's Nancy, and I'm a Web Producer with the New Haven Register. I graduated from Quinnipiac University this past May with a B.A. in Journalism. Even though I'm from New York City, I decided that the best thing for me was to move out on my own and find my way in this crazy world. So, I found a fabulous job, moved into a new apartment and here I am - swirling in a sea of confusion, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I hope you'll join me on this journey as I discover what it's like to live on my own. I'll be looking for suggestions of places to check out, things to do and just reactions to ideas that I have floating around in my head. I also plan on discussing news events that strike me as well as my reactions to new places I discover. Please post comments on my entries, because I would love some help as I get started.

Thanks a million, and I'll talk to you soon!