The Silver Lining To Being A Loser

So I have a ton of free time. (I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before). Even employed, I have a plethora of free time.

I am fully a loser. At this point I have chosen to convert my lack of a social life to becoming a complete nerd. Nerds everywhere will look up to me. They will wish that they had the time to get as dorky as I have become.

In the past 2 months (give or take) I have advanced my level of expertise in Photoshop. I have learned Illustrator and InDesign. Today I began to learn HTML & CSS. I WILL learn how to build and design my own website by the end of this month. I may not be great at any of these things individually, however, I will learn a basic level of all of them. Lynda.com is my new best friend, my only friend.

I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Erin, why don't you just hang out with your real-life friends?". Well, the short answer is all of my friends are in relationships. Where all of them have managed to make 2012 the best year of thier lives by getting married, moving in together, having babies, or just meeting someone they have fallen in love with, I have managed to move backwards.

I don't blame them. I was in a relationship with someone I loved as well. I know how it feels.

The second answer is that I am broke at the moment- and probably will be until 2014 or so (assuming doomsday doesnt come first).

This is the standard track of my friends and average people my age (29):

Birth> Grade School> Highschool> College> Grad School> Getting thier first real job> Meeting the love of thier lives> Advancing in thier career> Moving in with the love of thier lives> Getting Engaged> Getting Married (Between the ages of 25-30)> Having babies> (we will end this here because most of my friends are 28-30).

This has been my life thus far:
Birth> Grade School> Highschool> College> (Note: this is where it changes) Meeting the love of my life> Getting my first job> Moving in with the love of my life> Advancing slightly in my career> Moving back to Miami with the love of my life> HUGE downgrade in my career & salary, not to mention a NEW career> Advancement in my career> Complete change in my career for no fault of my own, mostly due to the work of midly retarded, egotistical, incompetent criminals> Demotion of everything work wise> Breaking up with said love of my life> Applying for grad school.

So basically I am back to the point of being 23, but actually being 29. I am now applying for grad school and trying to start my life over again with very little hope and no prospects. I feel awesome.

So, I am learning HTML and CSS. I am reading furousiously. I am watching every episode of Boardwalk Empire (which I am not a HUGE fun of, it's ok- it passes the time). I am blogging. I am waiting to hear from school. I am waking up each day and going to bed each night trying to fill the time inbetween with sleeping some more or learning.

So, the silver lining to this crap situation? I will come out on the other side being a bigger nerd and huge loser. At least I'm a little pretty. So that helps, if I ever decide (or can afford) to leave my apartment.