So This Is Stockton

I am so tired. I had a very long day that began at 9AM, when I headed for Collingswood to pick up the PATCO to Lindenwauld, where I would pick up the train to Atlantic City. I missed it by one second. The train was just pulling out as I puffed upstairs.

I knew I'd never make the 9:37 train to Atlantic City, and the next one wouldn't leave until noon. I wouldn't be able to spend time shopping, but I would make it to Stockton. I remembered the 554 bus from Lindenwauld to Atlantic City stops on the corner of the White Horse Pike and Pomona Road, which is also a stop for the (only) bus to Stockton. I took that bus when I went to The Nutcracker at Stockton with my friend Amanda in December 2008. It also came in handy for Lauren and me when the train had to be abandoned and we ended up taking the bus to Atlantic City in June 2010.

Thankfully, unlike in 2008, I remembered to get off at the right stop. There really isn't much at Pomona Road - a small pizzeria, a Chinese restaurant, a Thai restaurant, a massage therapy office, Pomona's post office, a bank (now Wells Fargo), a groceria, a very charming little old-fashioned pharmacy/convenience store. I have especially fond memories of the groceria. I used to make short shopping trips there when I lived in the Housing IV apartments at Stockton. Their prices aren't great and their produce is lousy, but they're closer than the Shop Rite in Absecon.

I considered taking a bus to the Hamilton Mall, which is about 15 minutes from Pomona Road, but the bus was so late, I finally just went across the street. (And of course, as soon as I did, I saw the bus come.) I ultimately just took a 2PM bus to Stockton and arrived there early.

I'm really glad I did. So much has changed there since my visit with Amanda in 2008. As I wandered across the main buildings, I noticed many additional lounge areas and heavily revised offices and classrooms. The old swimming pool near the theater had been filled in and turned into an art gallery. The theater had a new box office. The little quick-service food booth between A and B Wings was an Au Bon Pain. The newspaper and radio stations that were in G Wing were gone all together, replaced by more offices. The second cafeteria was a smaller coffee shop.

I assumed the Career Center was still in the same offices as the Counseling Services, as they were in 2008. Counseling Services told me otherwise when I arrived there. It seems that the Career Center, along with Financial Aid, the newspaper office, the radio and TV stations, the campus bookstore, and a food court, moved to the brand-new Campus Center building two years ago. Thankfully, it was only a few minutes from J-Wing. Even with all the confusion, travel problems, and fuss, I still found the Career Center with 10 minutes to spare.

Dayna, my counselor, was very helpful. She said she was very impressed with my resume and how organized I was (I brought along the list of job ideas I made a few years ago, along with the personality tests I took online for Mrs. Stahl in February, in addition to my resume), and what I need to do now is go through job openings for companies that interest me - libraries, publishing, media - and see what job descriptions there are. She said I need to focus on just beginning and not jumping ahead and worrying about things like interviews and relocating that comes later. I need to figure out what jobs I'm really interested in and how to tailor my resume to a specific job before I can go after that job. I was happy to hear that my resume was well-written and that I had plenty of experience. It was just a tad too long, and not tailored to specific fields well enough. I told her I'd work on looking up job descriptions and would e-mail her next week.

I had enough time to explore Stockton's changes a bit before heading home. The Campus Center is amazing. All of the group offices that were once squashed into the second floor F, G, and N Wings are now here, including Stockton's student newspaper Argo, the TV station SSTV, the Student Senate, and the Events office, along with Financial Aid, the Career Center, and an expanded Bookstore. There's a beautiful lobby with a massive fireplace (unlit at this time of the year, but still impressive) and a large Duncan Donuts and food court.

Wandered across Lake Fred to the apartments. Lake Fred was as beautiful as ever. The pathway going across the lake had been widened. The old causeway was now a lovely bridge. Housing I, the oldest student apartments on campus, had been remodeled. The Housing I Student Center was now more rustically known as The Lodge at Lakeside. While Housing IV (where I lived in 2000 and 2001; it opened in 1999) looked pretty much the same, there was now a series of smaller apartments in what had once been parking lots and an empty grassy area where students used to sunbathe and play ball games.

I dashed back around Lake Fred to catch the 5:04 bus to Pomona. I needn't have hurried. It was late again. It didn't arrive until 5:15. That was the worst thing that happened going home. Once I got to Pomona, things went more smoothly. The bus to Lindenwauld arrived on time (although I did get scolded for standing on the wrong part of the road); the PATCO to Collingswood came and went with no problems. I was so tired when I got in, I just stopped at WaWa and bought a quesadilla for dinner going home.

In addition to Dayna's advice, I learned a few things about making business trips. First of all, from now on, no more mixing business with pleasure. When I'm making a long trip for a business purpose or some kind of an appointment, the appointment comes first. I probably could have left a lot later than I did and saved me time and money if I hadn't wanted to get time at Atlantic City or Hamilton Mall in, too.

Second, always have a back-up plan. I'm glad I remembered about the 554 going past Pomona. The NJ Transit train schedules are so darn erratic, there are times when it might actually be easier to just bite the bullet and take the bus to Atlantic City. (And some places, like Atco and Pomona, where you don't have much choice in the matter.)

Third, always be prepared. While I was ready for my appointment and my bus ride, I neglected to prepare for the weather. It was cloudy, dry, and very cool all day, probably no warmer than the lower-mid 70s. That did make for a much nicer trip, but I didn't bring a sweater or coat because I didn't want to carry it around. I probably would have been wearing it instead; I spent the day freezing. From now on, I'll bring some kind of light covering, even on hot days (buses and other public buildings and transportation are notoriously over-air-conditioned).