Greater Gaiety

Susan had her sisters and their husbands here this weekend as well. So we didn't see much of each other this weekend. Our guests had very similar itineraries but we didn't ever quite meet up. On Sunday morning they came to our apt to pick up most of her things so she can just fly home when she is done here. This meant that our slumber party had to relocate at 8am... we all sleep walked into the bedroom and shared the twin beds to get a little more shut eye before starting our day off right with a healthy breakfast. As our apt seems to be lacking food, we made a random smorgasbord: I made some of my 'almost-to-perfection' oatmeal and Susan fried up some sausage while Alisha offered her peanut butter chocolate chip cookies! Once we were all appropriately fed and dressed in our Cubs gear we headed to the game vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates! We may have looked like fans, but unfortunately we didn't realize that on this sunny day it would be soo cold in the bleachers at the top in the shade. Our seats definitely didn't compare to those from Wednesday night but it was still fun.. and this time I got a dog :) And we saw Bonnie Hunt?! She pitched before the game. apparently she hasn't missed a Cubs opener at Wrigley since 1977... random. The Cubs won again!! 13-6! And 4 of the 6 of us were wearing Ramirez shirts and he scored a home run! :)

We actually ducked out a bit early to get the girls back to the apt/their car through the game-traffic. I sent a couple bags back to MN with them too... it's so weird to think that my time here is so close to over! Mom and Dad are coming to pick me up on Thursday! January seems so long ago, but it doesn't seem like I've been here three months and the real world still seems so far away, but graduation is in two weeks!

When people ask me questions about Mexico it still does not feel real. I have always known that I am terrible at reflecting and projecting with things like that; I dont think I really thought much about what it would be like in Spain until we were on the plane! The problem may be that I just dont think enough; sometimes good, sometimes bad. For a lot of things I feel like I take a Pangloss philosophy and believe all is for the best or will work out for the better. I dont think I have ever said goodbye to anyone feeling like it could be the last time. Not to say that I am being optimistic in thinking they will not die before I see them again, having nothing to do with that, but simply that the chance will in fact come that I can. I think of this as graduation approaches but also since I made such great relationships with people in Spain but we were all from colleges around the country and in reality the chances are not that great to see most of them. [Thankfully there are still chances! Our big Kentucky reunion in October was amazing! and this semester I've had a few others as well!] But this even applies to family. I was just talking to my cousin Jesse the other day and though he is in MN, I haven't seen much of him and we were talking about the effects of growing into the real world. Jobs, money, time, ease: all factors that wrench us from being intentional with our relationships with people, no matter how much we may want to or even say we will. Its hard too because our high school had a pretty close group of friends, we definitely get together when we can but we have already split up quite a bit and I fear it will only get worse once we get those diplomas and are no longer tied to any one part of the country for any amount of time. We no longer have summers or Christmas breaks to pass in hometowns. Our endless possibilities are a blessing and a curse. I mean, I will be in Mexico for almost a year! It will definitely be harder to be intentional across country borders... though it shouldn't be in our age of technology....
Anyway, end of ramble session :) The countdown to being a 'real boy'.. er girl.. is here... and apparently getting to me

[I'll add pics once I gather them from the other girls :) ]