Hey peeps,

No, I haven't forgotten about you. Life's just been a little nuts since I got back. I started a full-time internship about a week after I got back, and my system REALLY hates the whole "getting up at 6:30 so you can work for 8 hours" thing. Don't get me wrong, I love the job (I'm translating/helping with school programs/doing whatever needs to be done at a children's museum here). It's just... insane.

So of course I decided to go back to my old weekend job doing birthday parties at an animal shelter. Bye-bye free time, but hello money! Hopefully I'll have saved enough by the end of the summer to pay most of next year's rent. Provided we can find an apartment, that is...

Yup. That's right. I have 2 roommates lined up, but we have nowhere to live. If anyone knows of a cheap place to live in the nation's capital, I'm open to suggestions! Provided, of course, that rent is less than $800/person with hydro.

So that's my life in a nutshell. Sorry for the short (and uber-late) post, but it's my bedtime.

Me

Hey guys,

So I'm officially 3 days away from finishing my first year of university. It's kind of bittersweet, really - while I am incredibly excited to go home and see my family (and take full advantage of real food/a clean kitchen/free laundry etc.), I'm going to miss my friends like crazy. I promise I'll write about that next week, but I don't want to start the whole "I'M GONNA MISS YOU GUISE" thing just yet because I've still got 3 days to go and I really don't need to be a bawling mess the entire time. Instead, I've composed a list of things (in no particular order) that my first year of university has taught me.

1. Keep track of your deadlines. The panic that comes with the realization that you have an assignment due in 5 minutes is just not worth it.

2. On a similar note, procrastination is a really bad idea. Studying an entire semester's worth of notes the day of the exam will get you nowhere.

3. There is no shame in taking advantage of free stuff.

4. It's OK to ask for help.

5. If you make a mess, clean it up! It's really pretty simple, but when it doesn't get done the results are often disgusting and/or dangerous.

6. A lack of privacy can be both a blessing and a curse.

7. Don't be afraid to share your struggles. You'd be surprised at how many other people are dealing with the same thing.

8. It's always better to do something than to do nothing. Even tiny actions can have a huge impact.

9. Don't judge a book by its cover.

10. Sometimes, you just have to improvise.

K

Hey guys,

Exam season is officially here. Just finished my first exam (which was just a 10-minute oral interview - I saw it as a warm-up), which kicks off a week of utter chaos and stress. 4 regular exams in 6 days, then I get to work on my Translation take-home exam until I hand it in on the 23rd, which is also the day I leave. Something tells me I'll be running on caffeine and adrenaline the entire time.

...

I got nothin' else for you. My brain is categorically refusing to think. Time to put on an episode of Two and a Half Men so it can recuperate.

K

Hi all,

Since I already posted once this week, this is going to be short and sweet. School is starting to wind down since exams begin almost right after Easter, so aside from a few random tidbits (like the fact that OMG I NEVER HAVE TO DEAL WITH MY ITALIAN PROF AGAIN, or the fact that in just a few short hours I'm going to find out whether or not I pass Philosophy) there isn't much to report.

Similarly, I don't have much more to say about the tattoos except for that I'm ridiculously proud of them, and that they're healing really well. They're starting to scab over, and once the scabs fall off the initial healing process will be more or less done. Meaning that I won't have to walk around smelling like hemp moisturizer all the time. Yay?

Finally, I'm excited to say that I get to go home tomorrow. I know I just saw my mom/sister/grandparents, but it'll still be nice to actually be home :)

Ciao for now,
K

Hi guys,

I know you weren't expecting anything til tomorrow at the earliest, but I just couldn't wait to tell you that I FINALLY GOT INKED!!!!!!!

*deep breaths* OK, I'm calm.

Since I know many of you are going to have the same few questions, I figured I might as well answer them here. That way I can just direct people to this post instead of repeating the same thing ad nauseam. Think of it as a Tattoo FAQ of sorts.

Q: Did it hurt?

A: Of course it did. I heard someone else describe it as feeling like someone's cutting you with glass, and that's actually pretty friggin' accurate. The pain fades fairly quickly though (right now it's less than 6 hours after my appointment and my wrists are more tender and sting-y than anything else), and those few hours/days of pain are nothing when you consider that this is a piece of art that stays on your skin until death.

Q: How long did it take?

A: A lot less time than I was expecting. I was booked for a 2-hour appointment, but because it's a small and simple line piece it only took about 45 minutes. 

Q: Can I touch it?

A: Not until the surface has healed, which will take at least a week. After all, this is an open wound and I'm not sure where your hands have been. You're welcome to touch it after the scabs have fallen off, though.

Q: Can I at least look at it?

A: Sure. Here's a pic:

Ooh, pretty

Q: What does it mean?

A: It's based on my "wing and a ring", 2 pieces of jewelry that I always wear (sort of, since my necklace chain broke and I have yet to find a replacement I'm not allergic to). The filigree on the outside comes from a ring that I bought after my first depressive episode 2 years ago, while the wing is based on an angel wing necklace given to me by my grandma after I almost died in a car accident last year. They're serious strength symbols for me and I'm proud to have them on my skin.
There's also a whole bunch of minor symbolism in there, which will likely change over time; for instance, the fact that they're pointing towards me (which is not that common, since most people orient their tattoos so that they appear "right side up" to others) is a reminder to take care of myself.

Q: How much did it cost?

A: $150, including the $100 deposit I put down. It was originally estimated to cost closer to $200, but since it took a lot less time than expected they cut the price. Sure, it sounds like I paid a lot, but I'd rather pay $500 for something I'm excited to wear for the rest of my life than pay $20 for something that looks like it was drawn by a drunk toddler with ADD. The rule of thumb is that cheap tattoos aren't good and good tattoos aren't cheap.

Let me know if you have any more questions and I'll add them to the list.

Moi

Hey guys,

I feel bad because this is the second week in a row I've left my posts until Sunday. I'm really sorry! I do have a legitimate excuse, though: I was chillin' in a hotel with my grandparents, mom and sister from Wednesday until today. They were in town for part of my sister's spring break, which was really nice - I do legitimately miss seeing my family, even my little sister (something which I was certain would never ever ever ever ever ever ever happen when I was younger). Well, that and the fact that the hotel was much quieter and more sanitary than my residence could ever hope to be. Having my food and stuff paid for didn't hurt either...

Yeah. Anyways, it was a nice visit. We ended up going to IKEA and a mall that I've never been to (only because it's a 1/2 hr bus ride away), which was fun. My mom went nuts at IKEA, since we don't have one at home - at one point she picked something up, asked me what it was, then put it in the bag after I stated that I had no clue. I guess if the Swedes built it, it must be useful, right?

Other than my mini-vacation with my family (which will be repeated this weekend, by the way, since I'm going home for Easter), things have been... going. It's just starting to hit people that exams start in just under 2 weeks and that we'll be done for the summer in less than a month. As a result, it's a constant battle between "I don't need to start studying/writing my 10-page term paper/doing readings just yet, I still have a few weeks" and "OMG I ONLY HAVE 2 WEEKS TIL MY EXAM! PANIC!!!". It's actually kind of funny watching people flip-flop between the two.

Well, at least until the howling starts.

Me

P.S. With any luck, I'll have a special announcement for you guys on Tuesday or Wednesday (or as soon as I'm able to type again, anyways).

Hey guys,

I can't say too much yet (mostly cause I don't want to jinx anything), but things are finally starting to improve around here. For one thing, the weather's been hovering around the 25 degree mark for most of the week, which means that I've been able to break out my wonderful second-hand foldable Pugeot bike and go for a couple long rides. It beats the heck out of going to the gym!

Also, I had an awesome conversation with my CA (floor monitor) that's really started to help me sort out my priorities. Let's just say that I have a lot of work ahead of me (ditto for my therapist!) and it's going to require a pretty big paradigm shift, but it'll be worth it in the end.

Last but not least, I may very well be getting my tattoos sooner than I thought. That's all I'm going to say about that, since talking about it too much seems to jinx the whole thing.

Slainte,
Me