Last time I posted about my homesickness as well as my beginnings of a recovery. I'm well into the recovery now but of course still miss you all desperately (as made fairly obvious by my frequent postings). I feel that I'm starting to find a place for myself here and everything is starting to tick away, it has a very clockwork feel. I can see why people would say the time flies, it's because once this groove begins time and events sort of start to blur together.
Just in case anybody cares, here is a vague outline of my routine:
I wake up about a half an hour before the sun (yeah, I get up and it's dark) and do the things I need to do in my room, such as make the bed and put all my school supplies back into my backpack and get my shoes on and basically anything else that needs doing. Then I make my way out to the kitchen and eat a delicious breakfast, typically of something with some of or all of the following: potatoes, eggs, tortillas, beans, avocado, and/or meat. I get a juice box to bring with me to school (!!) and sometimes a piece of sweet bread as a snack. I walk about 15 minutes to the bus stop and catch one of three different buses. That makes the wait time very minimal. I ride the bus about ten minutes to school, get off and walk another three to five minutes past a bunch of primary schools (lots of adorable hispanic children running around in school uniforms) and arrive at the university. I have class for the next three hours everyday. Same classes, each one an hour long with a nice fifteen minute break in between. After class I ride the same bus home, but because it turns at a weird spot I have to walk about 20 minutes home (which kinda sucks because it is much hotter by this time). I get home, do the first half of my work-out routine and then do my homework. After this (right around 2:00) is comida, which is basically lunch, but with the family significance of dinner in Holiday movies or hallmark cards. Then siesta, futbol, more homework, or just sorta mill about and converse or read my book. About five (I'm thinking later in the day in the future though because today was BRUTAL) I go for a run, come back and finish the rest of my work daily workout, gratefully take a cold shower. After which is any home that needs doing (by this time of the day, that never happens unless I've slacked off), read my book, talk more with the family, or post blogs that are probably really really boring to everyone.
I am liking it here and my classes are both exhausting and not too hard at the same time, it's kinda odd. Listening, speaking, and (sometimes) thinking in Spanish is exhausting, but the classes don't require too much homework, and what they do require is typically readily available with the internet or my family. I am happy and safe here, I'm doing by best to enjoy by time and really get a lot out of the experience, but I know I have a lot to look forward to with all of you when I return home.
-Police here sometimes carry automatic weapons (most often the ones on motorcycles, how bad-ass can you get?)
-When wiping after going to the bathroom, toilet paper goes in the garbage next to the toilet, not in it.
-I've said this one before, but I'll go ahead and repeat: buses are hardly stopped when they expect you to get off. You need to be on your way down the stairs before the bus has slowed down to a safe exiting speed, but long after the doors have opened for you.
-Attention. I get a lot of people who just stare at me.
-The intensity of the sun. Stepping out into the light you can really feel it, especially if you're wearing black. It isn't a "Mmm, warm glow" it's "oh damn, I should probably find shade in the next twenty seconds".
-People here are often very friendly if you just give them a nod or a buenos dias. Sometimes that is completely unnecessary.
-There are a bunch of stores here that sell, as far as I can tell, exclusively costumes, especially for children, and they are opened year round the same hours as you would expect any other store.
Love you all, comments accepted and expected.
-Connor
I am glad that you have access to a routine, they always seem to help in new places. Having something to do, places to go, people to see - it gives you purpose in a strange sometimes terrifying new place, which in turn makes sure that you get out of the house and experience things. :)
ReplyDeleteDo they have random costume parties year round? That seems so curious to me, I wonder why! You should ask a local if there is a reason they are open all year!
Glad to hear you are well, reply back to comments once in a while you loser, or just email me! :) I miss your face, Alexandria
Hey toots,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear you are well and thriving! Whenever I imagine what you're describing it's typically very lively, tinged with hot saffron sunshine and (inexplicably) lots of distant music. Can your camera take videos? You should take a few short ones to bring your trip to life. :) If you have a laptop equipped with a webcam, you could even do something of a vlog.
Things on the home front finally turned from drab, spring-ish weather to gloriously warm days and beautiful nights. For some reason it made me miss our random midnight excursions in search of ice cream or DoughCo :)
I miss and love you very much.
<3 M