4 Week Update

Hi all. I swear I've been meaning to write an update but haven't been able to use my computer. The charger broke and my new one won't be arriving for about four more business days. It's annoying to have to type things on my phone.

Full disclosure: It's been a dreary few days. I feel like I might as well just be honest on this blog. School is going well and I am able to follow my classes in Spanish better than I expected. The teachers I work with are very nice and supportive and so they're very helpful as I ease into my work routine. I'm becoming more confident about navigating the city and going places. The work/school week always seems to go by quickly.

But then the weekends have been hard. If you've ever studied abroad alone/moved to a new place by yourself, you know it's hard being the new kid. I felt it when I was in Ecuador and I have to go through it again now. People are very nice; I really am making friends but it just takes time. I think I'm just about to the outside-of-school friend level with a few people so that's good. I can be quite shy and introverted so it's work fighting that impulse. I also have three-day weekends right now which I'm sure I'll love in the end, but they feel long to me now.

Today I've been stuck home from school, sick in bed. I'm really looking forward to going back tomorrow. I have things to keep me busy but I generally don't do well alone with my thoughts for too long; they usually drift back to home. A couple people in my life just started college and most of my friends from high school are starting their careers; I've just been feeling a little off-step about life. Classes at Webster started today and as I was throwing up this morning I couldn't help but wish I was waking up with Andy and the cats in our apartment and starting school at a place where I feel in my element.

What can I say, it's hard! I want to tell you that I'm partying it up here and just having fun but I won't lie. I'm still adjusting. I've done this before and I know it gets better. Someday, when I look back on my experience here, I won't hardly even remember days like these. But in this moment, they are a real challenge to overcome. Even though I know overcoming makes me stronger, whenever I'm actually in the overcoming process I think, damn, why did I not remember how hard this is? There's no way out but through it.

On a more positive note, I had some delicious food this weekend, the trees are budding and I can't wait for spring to arrive, and Andy's coming to visit me the week of Thanksgiving. That'll be here before I know it, right?

Hope to have sunnier things to say next time! Also I'd love to add some photos but my phone is being a pain about it so I guess they'll just have to wait.