The Gist

What's happened to me lately:

• Winter break was a lovely time full of no school and snow and relaxation and sleeping in late and not showering if I didn't feel like it and more food than a single person should consume and elephants. Only one of those things is a lie.

• I had to call in sick for the first time this year cuz I had a migraine (also a first for this year - I get less and less of those which has been so very nice) and two of my students came by my house during their break to make sure I was OK. I didn't exactly appreciate it at the time as I was forced to leave my bed in order to respond to their incessant pounding but I thought it was sweet much later.

• I got invited to a 5th graders b-day party. It's tomorrow in the Mahala (a smaller, poorer area outside of our town). I'm actually pretty excited about it. The last time I went to a 5th grader's party, when I was in 5th grade, I had a really good time so I'm anticipating A LOT of fun.

• I got married. No, wait, that was a dream. It was to Tim Gunn. I don't wanna talk about it. Stop asking.

• I started teaching an art class after school. My counterpart and I bought all the supplies with the money the girls from my Volunteer Committee raised during the summer. We're also going to paint a big mural for the classroom with a Peace theme. I'm excited.

• I've applied to 5 grad schools. Seattle, Milwaukee, Pittsburg (I know, ew), and 2 in New York. So much paperwork. Sheesh.

• I'm planning this real big thing for my birthday which involves ignoring it completely. I'll just be 25 for awhile, I think. And then, when I can no longer get away with that, I'll just be 29 forever. I'm not afraid of looking older (lie), just being older. There are certain things expected of someone as they draw nearer their thirties and I just don't wanna.

• I danced. And not just alone in my apartment but at a place for dancing and with, like, people. They danced with me, they didn't just watch me dance. It wasn't like that. It was an equal dancing opportunity kinda situation. Though there were professional dancers there too - we watched them. It wasn't creepy, they kept their clothes on. It wasn't like that. I gave them a thumbs up when they were on a break which I think they appreciated. I wore a dress and drank 2 beers for the cost of 7. It was nice.

• As I've mentioned, I live on the second story of a two-story house and I now have permanent neighbors on the first floor. They are two older dudes. One speaks English OK. Their nice. My director asked me to leave class in order to come talk to her in her office. I was a little freaked out and thought I was gonna be in trouble (not sure why but, hey, it's the principal's office) but it turns out she just wanted to make sure I was comfortable living with those two guys on the first floor. I said I was and she said OK and then I left without detention.

• I'm in the middle of watching all 10 seasons of Friends. More than any American-based TV show I've watched in Bulgaria, and there have been many, this one makes me miss home. I wanna live in an apartment in New York with all my best friends and drink lots of coffee and laugh and date men with serious yet comical issues and just have a great time worthy of being watched every Thursday night at 8:00pm. I'd also just like to live near real good friends again. I miss that. I know integration is an important part of this and I have made friends but my friends are my mother's age and have lives far different than mine. But, that'll be my life again soon so I might as well get the most I can out of Bulgaria over these next few months, huh? Yeah, OK.

That's all. I'd write more often but, I don't want to. OK, bye!

-Age