goodbye, two thousand eight.

"So we follow our wandering paths,
and the very darkness acts as our guide
and our doubts serve to reassure us."
-Jean-Pierre de Caussade

I used to know where I belonged, even if I was still trying to find myself. Now, I think I know who I am, but I've lost all sense of where I belong. Is college supposed to do that to a person? I feel like I'm wavering on the outskirts of various groups, unsure of whether I'm supposed to be in or out. Distance certainly tests friendships, and I guess now it's up to me to decide which ones are still worth the effort. Maybe that's why I'm so anxious for a break from the states, so I can push off such decisions. I'm not sure that going to England is going to help me figure anything out, but as long as I'm wandering, I might as well do it in London, right?

Just over two weeks remaining until I leave. What have I done to prepare? Not much. I haven't even finished unpacking from Albany. It looks like I'm going to be rushing around last minute to get ready...story of my life. I finished the paperwork, and am just waiting for final immigration papers from the university. I also got a luggage set for Christmas, so that's taken care of. Other than that, I've hardly thought about what I'll need to do in the next couple of weeks to prepare. I still feel like there's plenty of time left, but in reality, I only have eight days at home until the 15th.

What am I doing with the rest of my time? Traveling, of course! My family is heading up to Boston on the 1st to see the Penguins play the Bruins. I'm not big into hockey, but I haven't been to Boston since 5th grade. I remember it being one of my favorite places, probably because of its likeness to a European city, so we'll see if that still holds true. Then my mother and I are flying down to Tampa from the 6th to the 10th to visit my grandma. The best news about this trip is that I'll get my chance to see William Joseph in concert! For those of you who weren't lucky enough to hear me complain about this over and over, I'll explain. William Joseph is a brilliant piano player, and the sole reason that I still play the piano, because his music got me back into playing after I had given it up for awhile. This is his first headlining tour in the United States, and he's going to Albany two weeks after I leave. Needless to say, I was not happy when I saw his name on The Egg's concert lineup. But, I discovered that he is opening for Linda Eder just outside of Tampa on the 9th, and my mom loves Linda Eder! Too much of a coincidence to ignore? I think so.

And throughout it all, the snow continues to fall. I think this may be the most snow I can remember getting in December, but I have an awful memory, so that isn't saying much. Florida will be a nice change from this constant world of white. I tell you, shoveling when it's windy out isn't much fun...I somehow managed to nail myself with a load of snow at least three times earlier today. Still, there is nothing more satisfying than coming inside from the snow and fixing up some dark hot chocolate with marshmallows.

Anyway, it seems that another year has come and gone. I'm anxious to get this new year underway, for I'm sure it'll be a year of change for me. Here's to looking forward to 2009, and everything is has to offer. Wishing you all a happy new year!

...and so it begins.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
-Lao Tzu

With only four weeks left until my departure, I decided it was time to start up this travel blog that I've been promising people. (For those of you who know me well enough to wonder what I'm procrastinating on...the answer is unpacking.) Anyway, I thought this would be a good way to keep track of my foreign adventures and keep everyone at home informed on my life. Plus, I've discovered that reading blogs is a great way to procrastinate on chemistry homework, so for you chem people...I'll try to make this more interesting than orgo.

So, I've started to think about what kinds of things I'm going to miss for a semester, and what things I definitely do not plan on missing. I thought I'd share; I'm sure you'll find them slightly entertaining, mainly because most of them involve you all.


Things I Will Miss:
-chicken bacon ranch chicken chicken bacon ranch!
-having a roommate who allows me to whine about everything
-having a roommate that deals with my lack of common sense
-sketching on Kelly when she's two feet away
-the eleven o'clock snack run
-Ben's ridiculous drunken sayings (neanderthal?)
-Ben's ridiculous sober sayings (uncircumsized? exactly!)
-walking through all of state quad in search of fake, delicious brownies
-walking outside to the tower in bare feet in 20 degree weather for food
-chicken bacon ranch!
-choreographing for dance council, and tap dance in general
-hearing all of Allison's poop stories
-spreading our love for tap by teaching beginners
-rejoicing on the phone with Alison when Grissom and Sara reunite on CSI (hopefully!)
-crying on the phone with Alison when Grissom leaves CSI
-drawing pictures on calculus quizzes when I can't write anything else down
-eating cookie dough for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
-Caitlin's ability to imitate a certain voice perfectly
-singing "semi-charmed life" by third eye blind with Gabby on the way to the vending machines
-snuggling with Jill and eight thousand blankets
-Becca's ability to take the strangest pictures in the world
-hearing Nick call me Pants
-watching Sara try at least four times to fly a paper airplane into our room
-destroying at guitar hero
-hello?
-taking pictures of 208 with Becca in the middle
-did I mention chicken bacon ranch?
-Jon walking in and saying "hiiiiii guyssssss" twelve times a day
-Mat walking in and saying "I'm bored. entertain me." seven times a day
-having hour long conversations on the stairs with Kelly
-drinking huge frapps with Sara to stay up all night at the Relay for Life
-Ben and I completely screwing up in orgo lab and stealing each other's answers
-sketching out Sara in calculus by playing with her hair
-getting completely lost on the way to Circle K events
-Fountain Day!
-pictures with our floor two family
-tetris competitions
-puddle jumping with Kelly and getting sopping wet
-skipping class to drink hot chocolate and snuggle with suitemates
-skipping class to listen to music and relax on collin's circle
-Caitlin's ability to always make me laugh
-late night Starbucks runs for study breaks
-doing an Irish jig with Lauren at dance
-getting hugs from Varun
-creating plans with Sara and Alicia to drive our calc professor off the deep end
-D.P. Dough
-lunches with Amelia to get caught up on her crazy life
-suitemates who let me rant about everything to them
-bear hugs from Jill after psych
-the earth tones spring show
-William Joseph's first tour in the US (and he's coming to Albany...)
-fake napping every day of my life
-Margo jumping on top of me while I'm fake napping
-ballroom dancing at RPI
-having people around who understand and accept my marriage list
-going out with 1803 and floor 2
-making fun of Don every day of my life
-acting like a six year old with Don and running through the new fountain fully clothed
-creating nicknames for people in the dining hall
-watching ManBearPig shuffle by in the math department
-hearing "let's smash it up" a few times a week from the boys suite
-sleeping through organic chemistry every morning because the lectures were useless
-directing farm jokes at Gabby
-directing Mexican jokes at Brian
-directing garbage room jokes at Becca
-directing Jew jokes at Ben
-drawing the Snyder-mobile in my chemistry notebooks
-late night walks to the fountain in all sorts of weather
-our "childhood TV" discussion that we have at least once a month
-the two leveled wal-mart (with a cart escalator!)
-putting any guy with a European accent on my marriage list (that will obviously have to change)
-going to play the piano every time I'm stressed or procrastinating
-Dave and Varun's ability to make me laugh, even when walking into an orgo final
-looking absolutely ridiculous carrying a mop around campus
-oh yeah, and chicken bacon ranch!

Things I Will Not Miss:
-Melville's sorry excuse of a shower
-dousing everything in the dining hall with hot sauce to make it edible
-Chartwells new cupcakes with the terrible chocolate frosting
-Margo's ability to stink up our entire suite
-walking through all of state quad in search of brownies, and never finding any
-Steinmetz never accepting cards at the vending machines
-honors events (no matter how many "your mom" jokes I was texted during them)
-a certain honors calculus professor
-the awful heating in the dorms
-being told I'm not allowed to swear ghetto style
-having too many creepers to count
-Becca's attempt at singing
-being forced to drink wine spritzers
-living on the third floor of the library
-nobody at Albany understanding my broadway references
-WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
-the garbage can that was always overflowing, no matter how many times we emptied it
-creating ridiculous "that's what she said" jokes without meaning to
-being "who's gay?"-ed every time I want a high five
-people mixing up EllyOllyElmer with ManBearElephant
-seeing poor Elly hanging from the ceiling
-getting lost in downtown Albany or Troy
-quantitative analysis lab reports destroying my life
-the lack of tator tots in the dining hall
-the lack of funfetti with chocolate frosting in the dining hall
-having to walk across campus three nights a week for dance
-having to scrape the ice off of my car every day
-being forced to watch youtube videos
-driving downtown, where eight roads always converge at once
-Caitlin singing "dick in a box" or other justin songs
-having someone take out your laundry if you're two minutes late
-snow and ice storms on a weekly basis


The first list is quite a bit longer than the second, I guess this means I'll miss Albany? Well, I'm sure by the end of next summer I'll be ready to return to the land of chicken bacon ranch goodness. =) Keep it real, kids.