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I have just returned from my adventures in the far away land of Alexandria. Of course for me it was only an hour bus ride, 10 min. taxi ride, and 2 1/2 hour train ride, but for most of you it is half the world away. Like most things in Egypt, the trip began with the typical Egyptian run-around, and only by God's protection and support we were able to make it to our destination. Moral of the story, with God's help, a little Arabic, loads of patience and perseverance, and a couple of bribes two white girls from the US can do whatever they what.
We began our adventure by catching the bus into downtown Cairo from campus. This was pretty uneventful and after a quick meal at McDonald's we caught a cab to the train station. Our cab driver, while still a crazy Egyptian driver, was helpful and didn't try to rip us off. When we got to the train station, we went to 3 different windows, only to be turned away and told there were no tickets for the day. We sat down distressed and ready to decide a plan B. I guess the tourist police recognized our despair, because in approximately 30 sec. 2 of them were by our sides explaining that they may be able to "hook us up" so to speak.
First, they asked for $, which we refused until we had tickets in our hand. After about 15 min, and a scary Egyptian cat rubbing on my leg, we were told that they had 2 tickets if we had 50 pounds (the equivalent of $10). My theory is that they phoned to the station 20 min. away to see if they still had tickets, but the more cynical Mika suspects foul play and scamming. Whatever the means, we ended up with 2 tickets and only had to bribe the police with 20 pounds...lol. I was so thirsty after our drama. I got this Sprite from a vendor that had enough black soot on it to paint my face. I sanitized it as best I could and tried to pop it open...and the tab BROKE OFF!!!! Now I have a half sanitary, unopened Sprite and I am SOOOOOOOO thirsty. I guess a man saw my distress, and to save me, he pulls a 2 ft. knife (no protection, just a knife out of his coat) and pops open my drink. It was so ridiculous and suprisingly in kind. In the US, no one would have even noticed, my small, but tragic problem. Otherwise, the train ride was cold, but otherwise pleasant enough. However, as the only foreigners, we attracted many confused stares.
After arriving in Alexandria, the first thing we discovered was cab drivers are far more kind there than in Cairo. Because the driver got lost, he didn't want to take our money. We figured it was more important to him and his family, so we paid him anyways. The only unfortunate thing is, Alexandrian cab drivers still insist on driving the wrong way on a one way street in reverse instead of driving around the block.
Our hotel was cheap, we were the only foreigners, and we pretty much got what we pai
d for. I have to give you a picture of our shower, because it was so ridiculous. Needless to say, we didn't take a shower while we were there. It doesn't matter though, college students are supposed to rough it while seeing the world.
Friday began with a hotel breakfast of bread, jelly, and tea. Mika and I decided to begin our morning by purchasing our train tickets for the next day so we wouldn't have the same problems we encountered in Cairo. We then headed to the National Museum, which we got into with $0.20. It was ridiculous. There was some really neat things to learn and see in there too. We spent the rest of the day seeing the Roman ampitheater, the Bibliotheca Alexandria, and taking a carriage ride along the Mediterranean Sea.
The trip home was much less eventful, and I am happy to report, that I now feel confident traveling around Egypt. I feel excited to do more exploring while I'm here. If I can spend a 3 day weekend in another city for $60, I can't wait to have new adventures. Don't worry, I will report them all to you, just in case you are living vicariously through me. I hope you are all having great weekends. Class starts tomorrow.
This is a video of the dancing we experienced tonight at our cultural party. I must admit, it was way more fun than I expected it to be. We ate, we watched a group of child whirling dervishes, and we danced. Luckily Egyptian dancing doesn't require a lot of skill or rhythm, and there are very few here that have either...lol. Overall it was a great night.I finally got to sign up for my classes today: Modern Standard Arabic, Colloquial Arabic, Creative Writing, Palestine in Literature, and Marriage in the Middle East. I'm pretty excited, and since I don't really need the credits, I plan on taking it pretty easy this semester. Now if I could only get a notebook before classes start...lol.
I am super excited because Mika and I have planned a weekend trip to Alexandria. We are going to leave tomorrow. While I am really excited, it is worse news for you. I probably will not have access to the internet, so I won't be able to blog until Saturday. Don't worry, now that I have figured out how to upload my pictures, I will have plenty to show you when I get back. You should also check out my Nile cruise post, because I added some pictures to it. Happy Wednesday!
So I am having a serious crash course in patience around here. Everything here turns into an adventure. I mean EVERYTHING from getting a student ID to going to the market. The ID system here has been down for 2 days, and we can't get into our rooms without them. So an RA has had to let everyone in their room whenever. When the system gets back running of course we all want ID's. It took me 2 hrs. to get through a line of maybe 50 people to get an ID. Not to mention that Egyptians have no qualms about cutting everyone in line. Then I had to find the room to get my card activated, another experience. But now I have an ID and access to my own room. It is freedom in a card!
The biggest adventure of my day was going to the market. My roommate and I had the wrong time, so we missed the bus. We opted to take a different bus from campus and just grab a taxi for the rest of the trip. The cab driver of course tried to rip me off, but I am getting pretty good at this haggling in Arabic. Then this man was showing us which direction to go to find the items we set out to find, and the tourist police got the wrong idea.
Have you ever been questioned by a police officer carrying a large gun in Arabic? Well I have! It was intimidating. I was trying my best to explain that this man was only helping and that there was no problem. But I only speak formal Arabic, the police officer only responded in rapid fire Egyptian Arabic. I think the man ended up having to pay off the officer, but I turned my head to that sort of activity (lol). Well I guess I at least didn't pay off the police officer just paid my way out of customs.
We were able to take the bus back. Even with a van load of AUC students and an RA, the bus driver got lost and had to back up on the interstate the wrong way twice and make 4 U turns. I'm telling you, each journey I wonder what story will I have to tell next. I think my brain has taken in a month's worth of experiences already, because I feel like I have been here a month already. I am having a great time though. I miss you all! Happy Tuesday!
So tonight was not really what I expected, but it was still fun. I went on a cruise on the Nile River. It was a lot like going on the Belle of Louisville. However, there was a band with a belly dancer and a whirling dervish. The belly dancer was not very good. She mostly moved her boobs instead of her belly, and I'm not going to lie, it was hard not to stare at her barely covered, lavishly embellished chest. She pointed at several of us to go dance with her and I was one. Not really a great experience. I am a terrible dancer, I don't think I could ever be confident doing these things. I must say, in my embarassment, my attempt was little more than a feeble shimmy.
The singer was actually terrible. He kept singing songs in English and Spanish instead of Arabic. Jake cheered him on by asking if he knew songs by Elvis, Shakira, Michael Jackson, and Enrique Iglesias. It was over all a fun night. If I can get my computer to work with my camera, I will upload the pictures tomorrow.
I have met my roommate now. Her name is Jamese. She is more talkative than I am, confident in everything she does, highly amusing, and does her own thing. So far so good. We have already started a ridiculous list of roommate responsiblities. I must know what she has eaten in case she dies from poisoning. If she is singing, let her sing, she has to let it out. Tell her 20 min. before time to go and she will only be 5 min. late. LOL! She must give advice on all wardrobe decisions. Tell me if there is something in my teeth or a booger in my nose. She must kill any spider within a 10ft. radius of our room. I hope things continue on this happy first day.
During the day today I signed up for my Arabic classes. Wednesday I have an appointment to sign up for my other classes. The university has successfully lost almost all of the records to the courses we signed up for, and the ladies today were frustrated by the number of students needing help registering. Go figure! I also was able to take a nap. That was great except for now I'm awake while everyone else is sleeping. I am going to have to force myself to sleep. Happy Monday.
I have decided that if something happens to me in Cairo...it will definitely be in a car...not wars, not late night street walks...definitely in the car. Lane lines mean nothing here...once today our cab drove the wrong way backwards because he missed a turn. You must also honk at everything you see. It is essential. I also determined today that I am scared of Egyptian cats. They definitely look like they need to eat something and they look at you like they want it to be you.
I made a friend today. Her name is Mika. We had adventures in Cairo together, our cab driver got lost, and we are in the same level of Arabic. It is nice to know someone around here. We took a bus to a place we knew nothing about, bought cell phones that will work in Egypt (for safety purposes), ate dinner at a random restaurant, got a toothbrush and water, and got a cab. It was fun to wander around and get to know the city without looking for anything in particular. It was great.
Tomorrow is a big day. First I have to meet my roommate which I still haven't seen, but her stuff is here. We have breakfast at 9 am, followed by various preparatory activities. We get to finish off the night with a cruise on the Nile. I'm pretty excited.
So far I can tell you: Egyptian men can speak enough English to hit on you, Cairo's polluted air makes my hair feel like straw, Cairo's streets feel safer than Durham's, Sprite here has more of a lemon flavor, and you can buy 6 L of water for less than $2. I miss you all, but am already having fun. Happy Sunday!
That is how I woke up today. Granted it was 11 am, but I didn't get here until 3 and I didn't get settled until 4. Things are already adventurous here and I haven't even left my dorm this morning. I woke up to the neighbor girl bringing housekeeping in because she saw a mouse in her room...great news. Better news, they never found it. I'm hoping she was crazy, but I believe her. The dorms here are brand new and really nice, but you can tell they are still in the construction process, not to mention with the looks of the grout in the bathroom and the drywall of the ceiling in there, I wouldn't buy it if it were a house.
The airport was an experience. God blessed me with a couple sitting by me on a plane. They live in London for a month and then Cairo for a month for the husband's job . They have a daughter and a son around my age. When we got off the plane they told me to buy my visa for $2 more from this man. I trusted them and it turns out since I did, I didn't have to go through customs. He kinda just guided me through the airport...lol. I had just gotten to the country and already paid a guy off.
I could totally drive in Egypt. All you have to do is speed up ridiculously fast, slam on your brakes to slow down and honk your horn at all times. It is pretty nuts. Well, I'm off to begin my adventures for the day. When I get my room set up, I will post some pictures.
Apparently Kyle, like the dancer's at Tell City once danced with his head and upper body inside a pillowcase to show school spirit. I think he was a little embarassed that I was going to write about him on my blog, so I decided to make him the main event.
Of course what you all really want to know is where I am and how I am doing. I am in the heart of the international terminal of Heathrow airport in London. I was bored out of my mind, so I payed 2£ to sit on this uncomfortable chair at this internet kiosk to write to you (the sacrafices I make for you...lol). Not to mention the keyboard has keys in all the wrong places, and the spacebar is terribly inefficient. I think this will take me three times longer to type my blog.
If my calculations are correct (which it is quite possible that they are not), I am in my 18th hour of travel. And during my time in Heathrow, I have created great list of wonderings: 1)Why do Americans always dress like slobs compared to everyone else, 2)How does a Punjabi man develop such a brilliant British accent, 3) Why do European women insist on wearing shorts, tights, and high heels 4) When did fanny packs come back into style?
I have met some interesting characters along my journey. A Hungarian gentleman, 75, traveling back to Hungary to bury his sister. He told me stories of Atilla the Hun and his immigration from Hungary, to Germany, to the US. He says, do not speak to others louder or slower to help them understand. It will not work.
I met woman going home to see her mother in India for the first time in 3 years. It has been an interesting journey. Only 8 more hrs. to go. I miss everyone already.
Well, I will be back again, but today is the day. My flight is set to depart at 4:35. With the weather predicted to be very mild for late January. It is actually possible that even flights traveling through Ohare will be on time. I still can't decide if I am nervous or excited. I think right now I am just a little stressed to get everything done. The Shelton's have to hit the road at 1 pm. I have 4 hrs. and 20 min. to tie up all loose ends here.Yesterday was pretty stressful. Between luggage drama and AUC's technological failures, I was in meltdown mode on a couple of occasions. However, I am now packed, temporarily signed up for classes and am still in shock that I am leaving.The best news about yesterday is we finished our puzzle! YAY! There is a piece missing (we are pretty sure Arena our cat stole it) and there is a piece that looks suspiciously out of place, but it fits. So by our standards on this puzzle, we are done. Justin, dad...we told you so!I probably won't be able to write you again until Sunday because I am embarking on a 26 hr. journey. But I hope you all have Happy Fridays and Saturdays!
I
have decided to dedicate this blog to friendship for several reasons. 1) Our family and our church lost a dear friend today 2) I got to spend the evening with Tiffany and Braden (love that kid) 3) I got to talk on the phone with my girlfriends @ Duke...God has his way of reminding you what is important.We got a call today that the lady at my dad's church who teaches Sunday school passed away. It was so sudden. She taught Sunday school on Sunday. Her name was Mae Lee, one of those names you just have to say together. When we first attended I thought her name was like LeeAnn or Anna Mae, but turns out Lee is her last name. The church is so small there is only one class, so in 5th grade I attended it with my family. I remember thinking, "This lady makes Sunday school w/old people fun." If you didn't know her, you would have loved her. Everyone did.I got to spend my evening with Tiffany. I forget how much I miss her, until I with her again. Of course Braden is precious too. He sat across from me tonight telling me he loved me and saying "Aaaahhhh" after every drink. I got to help him take his bath, read him a story and say goodbye. It is sad to leave, but I'm glad I got to spend time with them before I go.The conversations I have had with my friends at Duke, whether it is e-mail, im, or phone have made me very happy. I am sad because I miss them all so much, but just knowing I have friends missing me makes me realize the blessings in my life. I love you all! Happy Wednesday!
I thought since today we got a new President, I should use something political as my quote. Truth is, I am trying to use it in my daily life as my mom and I struggle to piece together this HORRIBLE puzzle! We sit for hours rejoicing over every piece we put together, because they are so few and far between. My mom frequently clenches her fists and shakes, imitating my frustration release methods of childhood. We have not given up hope yet. We will not accept defeat, because "Yes we can!"It was nice today to watch the inauguration festivities as we worked. No matter who you voted for, the emotion of the day was palpable even through the TV in Indiana. Today, we witnessed history. It is one of those moments you feel like you are living during something really important. It always makes me feel special and accomplished. I can't explain it really, maybe you feel the same way.I also got a haircut today and packed. WOOHOO! At least that is out of the way. I hate packing. I don't care how exciting it is where I am going, I wish wiggling my nose would put it all in the suitcase, because I HATE packing. Oh well, one less thing to do. 2 1/2 more days and I am on my way. PS. All of you enjoying the NC snow...I CAN'T BELIEVE IT SNOWED WHEN I LEFT!!! I am jealous and angry, and I miss you all so much. Much love and Happy Tuesday!
I apologize for not blogging last night, but I had technical difficulties. I am not sure if it was the computer or the internet, but I couldn't get the blog to work. For those of you who have already tried to read my blog, I am sorry. For those of you who didn't even notice, ignore what I just said.Nothing extremely exciting happened yesterday, but I spent my last day with Justin before I leave :(. It was sad when he left, but we really had a perfect day. Of course I can't tell you about the day without explaining my quote. In southern Indiana we got between 1-2" of snow which is no problem for the main highways to handle, but Justin lives down a winding backroad at the top of a very steep hill. Since he is home and running low on cash, he went to work for his dad. On the way to work his grandpa drove the car into a ditch because he missed a curve and slid on the snow. Later, Justin was driving home and tried to make it up their hill that was so covered with snow, kids were sledding down it. Needless to say, he also ended up in a ditch. When his father came to help him get it out, he exited the ditch, only to slide into the ditch on the other side of the road. That is how the same car ended up in 3 ditches, by 3 people by 11 am. Sadly that story was way more interesting than the rest of my day. I found it very enjoyable, but it was pretty low key. The good news is, I beat Justin, his mom, and his sister in Yahtzee! Now I have to get packing. I will write you all again tonight.
So, I'm sorry about skipping out on blogging yesterday, it totally was not in my mind when I got home last night. Nothing spectacular happened yesterday anyways. Although, the most exciting thing is happening right now...IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been waiting for a good snow since I got home 1 mo. and 4 days ago.My mom says I'm going to make it snow on Friday which will only cause me delays and pain. Ted tells me I'm going to scare away spring. Justin tells me I should move to West Lafayette, all they have is snow. I say, this snow is wonderful, not too much, but everything will be pretty. Weather will clear up by Friday, and sorry to everyone in Indiana, but I'm going to the desert. I don't think spring even exists in Egypt. Snow has lightened my mood significantly.I have been a little sad today. Today was the last day I got to go to church. I would like to find someplace in Egypt, but I'm guessing my options would be slim and very inconvenient. I hate realizing that I left a church family in Durham, a worship service at Duke that lights a candle for me every week, 2 churches in Indiana, and support that most Christians could envy. I hope I find the same Godly love in Egypt.Thanks to all who support me. Happy Sunday!
Poor Taniesha, well I guess you shouldn't feel too sorry for her. Tonight was homecoming, and she was in the homecoming court for the 6th time. Sadly, she lost for the 6th time. Now normally I would say feel sorry for her, but in reality, everyone loves her enough to nominate her 6 times. We have been joking that she is Susan Lucci. Besides, she looked gorgeous. In my opinion, she was the prettiest out there. And her purple dress made me wishing I was skinny enough to wear it (in my dreams). I think her friends are starting a petition to help her actually win prom queen. LOL! Don't worry, she isn't offended, she is laughing with us.Today I knocked things off my list to do before I leave. I have gone to the dentist, visited my favorite teachers, and seen just about everyone at basketball games. I can feel Jan. 23 getting closer. I have 3 more days to see Justin, 7 to chill with my family, and 5 days to pack (too bad I haven't started that). I'm nervous, I'm excited, and I'm anxious. I think I'm having emotional overload. One thing is for sure, after wind chills below zero for 3 days now, I CANNOT WAIT for 70 degrees and sunny! Look out Egypt, here I come (cheesy I know, but go with it)!Happy Friday!
So, I have NEVER liked the word "goodbye," because it always seems so final. I prefer, see ya later, or talk to ya soon. Even if it isn't true, I find myself saying it, just because it is better than saying goodbye. I realize that going to Egypt has made this even worse. I realize as more and more people ask when I'm leaving, or why am I still home, they also end the conversation by saying something to the effect, "Well, I better say goodbye now, because I might not see you again."Now I know that everyone means well, and they just mean see me again before I leave, but sheesh. It always makes me feel like I'm falling off the face of the earth. I think I probably will see them again. Now I find myself making excuses like, "Oh, I'll see you on Friday." or "Surely I will see you again; I'm here for another week." I would rather make up this lie to avoid saying goodbye than actually have to face the fact that I'm leaving people I care about. Of course if I had it my way half of Indiana and Duke University would be headed to Egypt with me. But since that isn't happening, I suggest that for my sanity, everyone please avoid approaching me with phrases like, "I may not see you again."I hope to see EVERYONE again. Happy Thursday!
As you can see, my sister has never been one of those girls planning her wedding her entire life. (We are SO different sometimes.) The funny thing is I talked about weddings twice today, once because of nails and once because of CSI. I never thought that blood and forensics would ever end in a conversation about weddings, but TV does strange things to reality and logic. But I have just skipped major events of my day, so I'm going to back up.My day started well before sunrise at 6:15 am. I showered, put on the warmest clothes I could find (I am ever indebted to my parents for my lovely purple UnderArmor sweatshirt), had a bowl of cereal, and headed out into the frigid outdoors. Of course I was up entirely too early, I had to drive entirely too far for the 2nd time in 3 days, and it was entirely too cold, but God created the most beautiful sunrise this morning. The sky was a wonderful plum color this morning, and the sun was a vibrant orange, but the combo filled the horizon with all shades of melon and periwinkle. Sometimes getting up early is worth it...SOMETIMES!First I got a Hep-A shot. Beware, those things HURT! Then I headed to the hospital for an HIV test, so I can stay at AUC. I thought it was no big deal. I didn't have to wait too long. I'm pretty sure it was my nurses first day administering the test on the job, but she had someone with her, so I wasn't too panicked. She stuck my arm, and it didn't hurt one bit, but the blood wouldn't come fast enough. Both nurses apologized, and they had to do the other arm. I can honestly say it didn't bother me at all. Both nurses were nice, they didn't hurt me at all, I think it was one of the most pleasant needle experiences I have ever had...UNTIL...I PASSED OUT! Can you believe it? Only 2 stupid vials! It didn't even hurt for cryin' out loud! The nurse says, only one more vial, you are doing great, and then I realized otherwise. They made me drink Coke, I about threw up, I had to eat crackers, and the poor new nurse was so flustered. I had to be one of her very first patients and I was a mess. I had to hang out there for a while because I was driving my self. But all and all it was a productive morning. By noon I had an immunization, given 2 vials of blood, passed out, picked up my new glasses, paid for my car loan at the bank, driven close to the width of Indiana, and was having lunch with my dad.I finished my day by getting my nails done with Tiffany, our Christmas treat to ourselves/each other. Then I ate chili (w/noodles) w/my family and settled down to watch DUKE! It is very lonely to watch a Duke game by yourself, I miss you fellow Dukies! At least we won! Tomorrow promises to be in the single digits for the high, snowing :), and lazy! Happy Wednesday!
I chose this quote for today for 2 reasons, 1) I didn't hear a quote funny enough, and 2) I realize that while I'm home I spend more time in the car in one day than most average people do in a week. The good news is, I didn't have to go back to the doctor to get my HIV test today. The bad news is I have to do it tomorrow, among other errands. Tomorrow I will put almost 200 mi. on my car. Yes, tomorrow alone. Sigh, the joys of living the rural life. If only more populated areas kept the familiarity present in rural areas.Since I didn't go anywhere today, I spent the day reading and working a puzzle with my mom. We are starting to lose our patience on this impossible puzzle, but we can't and won't give up. Although we worked a long time today and made an insignificant amount of progress. Even the cats tried to help. Hmmm...maybe that was part of our problem.I spent my evening at a high school girls basketball game. It was not a very enjoyable game to tell the truth. We should have slaughtered the other team, at least we still won. The refs were bad...both ways bad. Justin's sister didn't play 1/2 the game because she had 4 fouls. And when we left the game, we froze our butts off in the 14 degree BITTER COLD! Cold is NOT worth it if there is no snow :(.Wow, I need to sleep because I have a jammed packed day tomorrow. I hope you all had HAPPY TUESDAYS!
See Mom, it is writing. That makes it the ultimate truth. I'm sure you are all very confused, but you need to understand only one thing, my soup was better than my mom's. You see it has become not only a small dispute, but also the theme of the day. Ask anyone who has come in contact with my mom and I today. Kyle and Justin heard it over the phone, and poor Dad and Taniesha can't escape the battle in their own home.My day started like any normal day. The alarm went off at 8 am, I took a shower, put on my favorite green sweater, printed off my immunization records, and went to get my TB test checked. Now I didn't want to alarm anyone, but I was concerned about my TB test. It was red, swollen, and itchy on a spot about 1" on my arm. I was nervous about my trip to the health department, but no fears. Turns out the swelling has to be a pea-shaped bump to be positive. I wish someone would have told me that before I had myself believing I had tuberculosis.When I got home and shared the good news with my mom, we headed to the doctor. I wasn't even in the doctor for an hour, which is quite the feat at our doctor. Then I got some super nice sunglasses for $100 off! SCORE! Then the battle began when Mom and I headed to Panera Bread for lunch. I got the Chicken Tortilla soup (which is better) and Mom got the Creamy Tomato soup (which is not better) to go along with our half sandwiches. After tasting each others we began the battle, "My soup is/was better!"We finished up our productive day with a shopping spree for shampoo, contact solution, etc. I had to stock up for the things I would need in Egypt. All and all, Mom and I were convinced that the day was productive and that we each had the better soup. At least we thought it was productive until we made it home and the doctor called to inform me that I needed and HIV test and another Hep-A shot before I head to Egypt. Now I have to go back to New Albany tomorrow. Do these people not understand that I have to drive 45 min. on the interstate just to get this crap done. GRRRRR! I just wish I would have known before I had soup at Panera Bread. Sigh!Hopefully tomorrow will finally end my health preparations for the trip. In the words of Forrest Gump (sorta), "That would be one less thing." I need you all to take away from this blog that "My soup was better." Happy Monday!
So today's quote is not technically from today, but Lindsey's comment reminded me. Besides, it is one of the best quotes of all time. For future reference, I LOVED having a comment on my blog. So props to Lindsey being my first, and note to everyone else, continue to share the love. I chose this quote because it reminds me of all the inside jokes, the support, and the friendships I have surrounding and filling and seeping out of the corners of my life. I went to church today and was overwhelmed by the comments of how much they missed me while I'm away, how nice it is to have me home, and how they will all have me in their prayers as I go abroad. I get home and get a call from Lindsey. We talked school talk, boy talk, friend talk, young child talk, and I realized how great my friends are all over. Since I decided to go to college hundreds of miles from home, I am faced with a dilemma that is not necessarily completely unpleasant. I have people I love and miss all over, but I am never with them at the same time. Now somedays I understand the blessings of having so many people who love me, but others I lament the confusion and sense of loneliness I feel for those people in my heart. When I'm at school I miss home, and when I'm at home I miss school. I only pray that I can find a place for myself in Egypt that will cause me to have a new place to miss while I'm away.Thanks to everyone who loves me enough to cause me to miss them. Happy Sunday!
I love to quote movies, I love Beauty and the Beast, but most of all...I love to quote Beauty and the Beast. I often find myself believing I'm in the story as Belle. She is smart, independent, stubborn, slightly manipulative (in a good way), and she finds happiness in places she never expected. The best part is, the story has a happy ending. The "unfortunate" part is, my story doesn't have an ending yet. Not that I want my life to be over, don't jump ahead of my thought process, but I would like to know if I actually get the Disney princess ending I have always hoped for. You see I place these magnificent ideals in my head about how exciting my life could be. EX: (Senior in high school) What if I really could get in to Duke? (Freshman year @ Duke) How will I ever survive this place? I think I have learned that fairytale endings are always a little messier than they portray in Hollywood. But thinking about all of this makes me even more nervous about heading to Egypt. I have created the fantasy plethora of opportunities awaiting me across the ocean, but I'm biting my finger nails anticipating the messes awaiting me.Don't get too concerned, I understand that not all is lost. It's all because of my day today. I woke up to my mother yelling at me to wake up and something about pancakes and t-shirts. The pancakes were delicious (I hope you are reading this Andrew), but we didn't have our normal syrup...generic syrup is not worth the money saved, TRUST ME! I took a shower and only changed outfits once before Tiff met us here. It was a girls' day out. Mom, Taniesha, Tiff and I went to see Bride Wars. Now I know that it got terrible reviews, but I thought it was a decent movie, and of course it ended happily. I think that is where my hope started to return. Those women really screwed up, and their lives didn't necessarily turn out to be the fantasies they envisioned, but they were fairytale endings nonetheless. After lunch at Pizza Hut (Taniesha's choice), Taniesha and I spent 30 min. w/a 91 year-old shut-in. It was entertaining and I found my self fantasizing over the stories I would tell when I turned 91.I quickly headed to Justin's house to have dinner with him and his family. The pot roast was delicious...it almost made losing Phase-10 (again) easy to swallow. Don't worry it was Justin's mom who won, which is a lot easier to handle than if Justin or his dad won. Afterwards I got to spend some quality time with Justin since he goes back to school tomorrow :(. I guess I will have to spend my time without him fantasizing about my princess ending. I think I have lived with Disney and chick flicks too long, but I want to believe that all of us get a fairytale ending of our own. Hope your Saturday's were happy too!
14 days until I'm leaving on a jet plane, and somehow Tiff's quote seems appropriate. Even though she used it in reference to Phase-10 (which she ended up winning), the anticipation of my trip seems filled with too much unknowing for my liking. Who is my roomate, what should I pack, what should I pack in, what classes will I take, how will I survive in a world of only sand? Everytime I get excited, the fear of the unknown comes in a crashes the party. At least I got one more thing out of the way today. After breakfast, a shower, and only one outfit (it was laundry day, so I didn't have many options...the glory of sweatpants) I headed to the health department to pick up my immunization records and get a TB test. I HATE NEEDLES!! The thought of something piercing my skin makes me tingle all over. I definitely avoid watching, but I always realize what is happening, and I picture it in my head...BAD NEWS!My mom and I spent 2 hrs. of our day working on what seems like the world's hardest puzzle, Chocolate, all brown with pieces all the same size and shape. We only succeeded in getting the edge pieces and two small chocolates together. We are not even sure if those are right. I will keep you up to date. We have to finish before I leave, to prove Dad and Justin wrong.This evening Justin and I headed to our friend Tiff's house. We hung out with her, her boyfriend, and their beautiful 2-year old Braden. Braden is the best behaved 2-year old I've ever seen. He spent most of his evening mimicking every word and action we said or did. He also tasted all 4 colors of Play-Doh to make sure they didn't taste different. He proceeded to tell us all of them were yucky! Tiff made us lasagna, which was delicious. Even though I lost in Phase-10, the night was pretty wonderful. I hope your days were equally enjoyable. Happy Friday!
I have decided to title each entry with my favorite quote of the day. It may be serious, it may be ridiculous. It will probably tell you my mood and the tone of the post...ENJOY!15 days until I get on a plane, 16 until I arrive. I can't decide if I don't have enough time or I have too much. The truth is I have forgotten the monotony of living in a small town. Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my family, being able to see Justin everyday has been great, and my trip to the bank today proves that life in a small town is the only way to go, but activity opportunities are minimal these days. Today I woke up at 9:22 am. I had a dream that my sister's boyfriend Kyle proposed to her and her ring was a diamond set of antlers. For those of you who don't know Kyle don't understand how "appropriate" this is, considering he loves all things camo and hunting. I at least thought it was amusing. After breakfast, a shower, and trying on 3 outfits I headed to the bank to figure out my loan for my car. W/O an income for the semester I had no way to pay. GOD IS WONDERFUL, and so is Rodney Nicholson. After only 5 min. in the bank, I was told that because he knew and trusted me, Rodney was going to hook me up with a 6 mos. extension on my payments, resulting in no payment until July and only a $54 interest penalty. One more thing checked off my pre-Cairo list.I spent my evening at Justin's sister's basketball game. Even with her 25 pts. we still lost. Sad day :(. I do love Indiana basketball...nothing could be better. I'm sorry if you find this all terribly boring. I plan on droning on daily about my random activities and thoughts. If this wasn't your cup of tea, I'm sorry to hear it, and suggest you find something more productive to do with your time. However, if my random babbles tickle your fancy, you now have something to look forward to every day! Happy Thursday!
d for. I have to give you a picture of our shower, because it was so ridiculous. Needless to say, we didn't take a shower while we were there. It doesn't matter though, college students are supposed to rough it while seeing the world.
