April 19, 2023.
393 days.
That’s how long it’s been since I wrote a blog?! Not to sound like an Old, but I am rapidly approaching 30, so I’ll say it — where in the WORLD does the time go? It feels like just yesterday I was sitting in my parents’ kitchen before the Blue-White Game, loosely attempting to do my recruiting job but blogging about NIL partnerships instead, knowing I was probably going to be fired soon regardless of the effort I gave. It feels like just yesterday minus a few days that I actually was fired and had a rather delightful month off of work, where I alternated interviewing and baking in the blazing Nashville sun. Getting fired: kind of a life hack if you can afford it!
For once in my adult life, I decided to approach my job search in a way that didn’t reek of desperation (i.e. “I need to get a new job so I can move home, so I can move to Nashville, so I can get out of this job because it’s quickly diminishing my will to live”). I decided to take my time, interview for every possible fit, and plan for this job to last longer than my typical year + some change. Millennials, am I right? (Or am I the only one who’s had six jobs since graduating seven years ago?) Talking about myself that much was exhausting (imagine me smirking when I say this), but it had to be done.
After a month of interviewing and achieving such a magnificent level of tan that the dermatologist scolded me (I even wore sunscreen last summer??), I landed back in accounting at a start-up healthcare company. Ten months in, it turns out, I’m actually pretty busy at this job! While it is fulfilling to feel like I am contributing to company success for once, sometimes, this results in a bit of a disappearing act on X (calling it this feels so lame), especially this offseason. There’s not much going on though, is there? The Blue-White game has come and gone, the spring portal was a snoozefest, and as we approach summer (worst season) waiting for NCAA 25 to release, I am bored.
If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably bored too, which is great for me, since your bar for entertainment is almost as low as my bar for dating in Nashville. Well, congrats! You’ve landed yourself the opportunity to read some random thoughts and musings that probably should’ve just stayed in the drafts. Hope this helps you kill a few minutes today as we slowly inch closer to the 2024 season.
It’s kinda crazy how I became one of ~those people~ and threw away my Yurcich SZN t-shirt after the Ohio State game last year. I mean I didn’t burn it or anything, cause I’m not a psycho (lying through my teeth lol), but it was still pretty nuts. Nuts, but long overdue. People had been mocking me for awhile because of that shirt, asking “Caroline, is it Yurcich SZN yet?” And man, it rarely ever was. Yurcich has since unfollowed me on X as well. RIP. I guess it makes sense, since he doesn’t coach here anymore and I literally threw away a shirt with his name on it and posted it online, but it still hurts. Then again, so did watching our offense for most of last year, so we’re even.
I’m over the Peach Bowl. To be honest, I was mostly over it by the time I was sitting at my gate ready to fly home the next day. Every now and then I’d get a little riled up after reading someone’s angry tweet about a myriad of topics that were floating around online in the coming days, but for the most part, I was just ready for next season to start. Opt-outs, meaningless bowl games, getting slaughtered by an SEC opponent who clearly wanted to be there way more than we did… I have moved on! Really! I promise!
Totally didn’t have to re-read that tweet just to remind myself that I am indeed, over it. In all seriousness though, I did have a very memorable time, and I’m not concerned about that performance being any sort of indication of what we will see in the fall. Three new coordinators, four new B1G teams, and a QB with a full year of starting under his belt and a chip on his shoulder? It’ll be a whole new ballgame for us. Unlike last year, you probably won’t see me shouting 15-0 before the first game, though. I’m going to be cautiously optimistic this year instead… saying that doesn’t even feel right.
It’s so hard to get to home games anymore. That being said, I’ll see you all for UCLA. Why do new apartment buildings keep popping up around State College? Why did we get rid of Days Inn (and more importantly, Mad Mex)? I’m nearing 30 years old, I don’t have frat houses to crash at, an RV to sleep in, or an endless budget that can afford a $1500/night hotel room for freaking UCLA WEEKEND! It’s ridiculous. This is why I’ve gone to more away games the past few years than I have home ones. It cost me less to stay in downtown Los Angeles for the Rose Bowl at a nice ass Marriott than it does a hotel in State College. Luckily, I found a cheap Airbnb about a month ago and decided to bite the bullet on it with my brother, but damn, what’s a girl to do?
What’s going to be the first thing everyone does when they start up NCAA 25 for the first time? Dynasty? Road to Glory? Ultimate Team? Link up with a friend for a quick game? Back in the day, I typically stuck to Road to Glory and offline Dynasty. Never really played online — that way, I never found out if I was good or bad at the game and just had fun in my little bubble. Actually, I did play against a football player at South Carolina (no, not Deebo — IYKYK — pretty sure this guy is an accountant now) and beat him. He left my dorm immediately after that, mad that he lost, but then texted me and said, “Well what if I let you win so that I could come back for a rematch?” He never came back, so for the last decade, I’ve chalked that one up as a fair win.
Not football related, but… I’m getting an itch to move back to PA at the end of my lease. It’s not until next summer, because I just signed a long one, but it’s been crossing my mind a bit more recently. I’m telling all of you this because most people in my life will be biased one way or the other, so if anyone would like to come forth with a third-party opinion or similar experience, I’m all ears. If you’ve been here for awhile, you know this isn’t the first time I’ve solicited a bunch of strangers on the internet for venting and life advice. It likely won’t be the last, either!
I’ve been in Nashville for almost four years, which is the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere postgrad. It’s been a wild place to spend that latter half of my twenties, and I love that there’s always something to do, and it’s usually just a walk or short drive away. I have friends here, a stable job (that I’d probably ask to take fully remote), an incredible boxing gym that I’ve been going to for two years to keep me sane. It’s also extremely expensive, but what isn’t these days, I suppose.
The one thing I’m obviously lacking is my family. My parents, two brothers, sister, and nephew all live back up in York. York, which is um… a little different than Nashville, in case you were unaware. I’m a 29-year-old newly single mother (to my dog), I don’t know many people there outside of my family, and making friends at this age is simply exhausting. But I do miss my family, and I love spending time with them. My parents are getting older (but tbh you’d barely know it if you saw them), my sister is gonna keep popping out babies, and I feel like I miss out on a lot. I’ve been fortunate to have flexible jobs that have allowed me to travel home for extended periods of time, but at a certain point, it’s just not the same. While it’s fun to see everyone, being trapped in your childhood home without a car for a month eventually wears on the psyche.
The biggest bonus of all, of course (jk mom and dad), is that moving home would make it so much easier for me to travel to State College, NIL events in the area, etc. When I lived with my parents in 2019, I was going to nearly every home game, which I hadn’t done since I was in school. It was beautiful.
Anyway, like I said, I’ve got awhile to think about it. Any advice or personal stories relating to the matter are welcome.
In the meantime, make sure to enter yourself in this giveaway I am doing for the 2024 season poster:
Sup Caroline? 