I · Have · a · Story

The space above my desk has become a spew of post-it notes with dates and phone numbers and dates. God only knows where I am in terms of transcripts sent to schools and immunizations and visas and all that. 

Blahhhhh. 

UCF- need to send UCONN and NFHS transcripts to confirm language (which makes no sense since I got 9 credits this summer from SPAIN...)

Clemson- need to send UCONN transcript

JWU- nothing apparently... should hear back any day now

George Washington- need to send URI transcript, second part of the application and Prof. Aronian's letter. 

Visas- 
*Brazil
*India
*China/Hong Kong
*Vietnam (on boat, though paperwork must be done)
*Copy of passport to SAS for other minor visas

Immunizations- 
*Malaria, Yellow fever, Hep B, Jap. Encephalitis, Rabies (make appointment with travel clinic at hospital)

Forms-
*Transcript request form for SAS to URI
*URI study abroad forms
*Course equivalencies/Dean's signatures

Housing cancellation

Cash stocks/combine accounts

Change money if possible:
*Puerto Rico- Dollars
*Brazil- Cruzeiro Real (1 BRL = .47AMD)
*South Africa- Rand (1ZAR = .13AMD)
*Mauritius- Mauritius Rupee (1MUR = .03AMD)
*India- Indian Rupee (1INR = .02AMD)
*Malaysia- Ringgit (1MYR = .27AMD)
*Vietnam- Dông (1VND = .00006AMD)
*Hong Kong- Hong Kong Dollar (1HKD = .13AMD)
*China- Yuan Renminbi (1CNY = .13AMD)
*Japan- Yen (1GPY = .008AMD)
*Hawaii- Dollars


Yeahhhhh more later

But honestly, who the hell can care about all that with this spring. 

How the heck are we supposed to focus on school and life with SAS coming up? We were having this discussion on the facebook group. It's all we think about. It's all we dream about. When we're in class, we think about hte shiplife. When we're at work, we think about our itineraries. 

How can't we? This literally is once in a lifetime. We're going around the globe, stopping in 12 countries and spanning five continents. We're living with families and working in orphanages and sleeping under the stars. 

After this spring I'm going to have caught and eatten pirana, slept in a hammock on the Amazon, gone weeks without seeing land, cage dove with great white sharks, (possibly... if I can bring myself to do it...) skydove and hang glided over South Africa, lived and worked with a family in India, lived in a University in Malaysia and Hong Kong, canoed and slept on the MeKong Delta River in Vietnam, snorkled off Hawaii, and stayed up all night talking politics with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, along with so many other things that will happen spur of the moment. 

How the hell are we supposed to simply take classes and 'get on with our lives' when in three months we're going to be on the adventure of a lifetime? 

Blahh.... anyhow, I did my class registrations for the voyage.  The days are A & B (remind anyone of NFHS???) and we alternate, taking classes every day that we are at sea. 

A Days:
8:00-9:15-    Writing About Travel
9:20-10:35-  Global Studies
10:45-12:00- Intercultural Communications
12:55-14:10- Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Family
B Days:
9:20-10:35- Global Studies

Global Studies=all 600 students crammed into one room, eight onto a couch trying to listen to the professors lecture about the next port we'll be in. 

Oh yeah, and our rooms are apparently about seven feet by five feet. Bunked single beds with enough room to jump down on the side and a bathroom on the end. No desks, no chairs. 

AKA I'll be living on the top deck so that I can develop a nice tan and sit by the pool 24/7. 

...why can't it be February 3 yet???

Current Mood:

excited

Onto last night. 

Three words- Oh. My. God. 

We arrive down there and go to Radio City Music Hall. It's like 60 or 70% Rowling fans and the rest are all Steven King (poor John Irving...) The lights go out and the overture plays, then freaking Whoopi Goldberg comes onstage. She does a presentation and then introduces Kathy Bates, who introduces Steven King. He comes on and reads a short story about (I'm not kidding...) puking. Then this other guy comes on that no one knew, Andre something, and introduces John Irving. He reads a part of one of his stories... 'Owen' something. It was alright but you could tell everyone was getting restless. He leaves and freaking Jon Stewart walks onstage. Everyone freaks out and gives him a standing ovation. He talks and inroduces JK Rowling's video. That plays and they had the clip of her showing The Yellow Folder (the folder that has held the last chapter of book 7 for a few years now) toi much applause. 

When the video ends the entire place stands up. It's dark onstage but we can see a shadow moving out. All of a sudden the lights come on and shes right freaking there... I'm not kidding when I say that she sort of freezes a bit (6000 screaming standing fans right there would do that I guess) and I started to tear up (to much laughter). I can honestly say that it was one of the most emotional moments of my life, seeing her standing right there in front of me. I didn't cry, but there were definately tears. 

She sits down and tries to make some jokes about her nerves (including commenting on her shoes, which were three inch stilletos with silver snakes on them). You could tell she wasn't used to reading out loud or to being in front of crowds like this, but it was okay. She read the chapter from HBP when Dumbledore and Harry go back in time to the orphanage to see Riddle, earning laughs when she kept referencing Gin with Mrs. Cole and a huge laugh/sigh when she read the last line (which im too lazy to get the book and check, so bear with me)

Dumbledore- "When you enter into our world, you must obey our rules. ... Which of course, you all know he didn't" (She said the last part shutting the book and looking up slowly, grinning)

A crapload more standing ovation applause and then she asks for the people whose questions had been chosen to stand and give them. First was The question about Hermione and what she would see in Erised. She stumbled over the part about their plans for the next year ("Well, as I hinted... as they had planned on... as they... as was hinted in the last part of HBP") before saying that it would be the three of them alive and Voldemort dead, then that she would also see herself 'Entwined in the arms of a certain someone', earning huge cheers from the audience and chants of 'Ron'. There were some other alright questions, then the other authors came on and Jo got two more- one paired with a father thanking her in this seriously heartfealt manner (which she teared up for) and his daughter asking a question. One of the questions was asking aboutthe impact of the internet on the series, to which there was a shipping yelling war that followed (she made mention of how there were literally 'gang wars' over ships and mentioned Harry/Hermione to a bunch of yells, to which she responded 'oh lord, youre still out there' and ron and hermione shippers started to cheer. Then someone yelled out 'Lupin and Harry!' and she was like 'and then theres people like that). Then was a question about loyalty, I believe. Snape and Draco talk, but she was VERY careful with her words. Then that was it. 

All in all, it was one of the best experiences Ive had. The atmosphere, the fun, the realization that rather than reading on mugglenet I was actually there with this happening right in front of me... it was so worth the $160 spent on the tickets.

Current Mood:

cheerful

Okay, maybe thats a little harsh. But in all honesty, I've never been so happy as I am right now realizing that this year will be spent more out of the US than in it. And after that I am seriously contemplating transferring to the UK to study. So if all works out, I'm in the US until January, then going around the world for the spring, then back in Europe all summer. Then to the UK for the next three years, hopefully getting a job in Europe after I graduate.

I think I just need time away from the US, away from the stupidity that we take as everyday life.

A metaphor. America is the spoiled youngest child of the world- the one that grew up way too fast, who thinks that its okay to go out and push their ways on other countries nad live their lifestyles around the world because its what they want to do. America doesn't think of anyone but herself- doesnt think of consequences or expectations or other people.

America thinks its okay to go out every single night with no thoughts to the morning or next day or responsibility, drink her way through a bar full of alchohol, and yells on the streets. Until five in the morning. Every day. Then doesnt show up for class because shes too tired and hungover. She yells and pushes people and doesnt try to learn their language, just assumes that because shes America, it's okay to do all this.

Okay, rant over. Sorry. I just had a man from the hotel come up to me a few minutes ago, begging me to 'not go out into the streets and yell again tonight, because I havent slept in nights because of the drunken Americans'. The sad thing is that Salamanca is every single country's base for studies- there are as many French and German and Chinese and every other nationality people here. It's just our crappy manor that makes an impression, and it honestly sucks.

Rant really over now. Im still a registered and proud Republican, still planning on supporting Bush and our troops, still planning on waving a flag from my house at home. It just sucks sometimes.

Go ahead and laugh. Ive never been so fucking excited at the same time as being so fucking scared. 

Five months without any real contact with my family or the US. Next spring. 

...holy crap. 

I probably should tell my friends and my roommate that I'm leaving for good... and my team... 

Its weird, I just thought that this would never happen, so I never really talked about it. 

Okay, enough. Ill be more specific and not so enigmatic once Ive told my family and close friends the details. I just dont want them to have to find out through the grapevine, and unfortunately I cant call them from here so waiting for them to come online or until August will have to do. 

Ahhh Im not going to have internet access during the final months before Harry Potter 7... and the fifth movie... 

Yeah okay, hot day walking all over Segovia. Class in like six hours. I probably should sleep and ignore the drunkards on the streets. 

Current Mood:	scared
Current Music:	Drunken Spaniards

One year ago right now...

I was dressed up in full costume, picking up Viktor and Andrew and Lee, heading out to Borders. 

If this year went this fast, how fast is thi snext summer going to come? Espicially if Im not in the US for more than half of it...

haha, Amanda is joining me in my freakout. Though for her its more the fact that theres only two weeks left until Rowling. 

Anyhow, Spain & Portugal. 

I gave up on the idea of writing in here because I'm sending a mass emails out every few days to the family and friends. So everyone knows whats going on anyhow. :)

Though I do have a funny story to tell. 

We (all five girls) were on our way back from the piscina with Nashaun and baby Mikes, and of course baby Mikes both had their tiny speedos they bought in Portugal on. It's a 20 minute walk from the city limits where the piscina was to Gran Via, so we're hot and bored. Baby Mike decides he wants pan, so he goes to Hordores Pandeleria wearing his red and white striped and a towel while Nashaun and Swazie Mike stand outside in towels. Were on the other side of the street near the school trying to ignore them when this old woman comes up and starts talking to Jenny in spanish. She points to me and laughs as the woman comes and starts talking to me. Of course Im the ony one who understands what she's saying (Maureen wasnt paying attention) and as she walks off I'm trying not to die laughing.

Me: She was so cute. 
Jenny: She was senile. 
Me: The boys reminded her of back in 1936, right before the Spanish Civil War, the Germans came to Spain to use the bathroom and wear towels to go into pandelerias. 
Jenny: Yeah, because that really happened.

And then it rained. It never rains here. We're in the middle of a freaking dessert. 

hahhaa... some spanish guys were just on the streets trying to pick (who I think was) Rebecca and I up out of our windows and D stuck her head out and gave them her Dominican attitude. I love these guys so much. 

Even Katie, who is singing Matisyahu next to me half asleep and half drunk off sangria. 

I fucking love it here. I love Europe, I love Spain and its dessert plains and its gorgeous houses and gorgeous mountains and the people and the food and everything. Paella, Baggetes, Gelato, Gezpacho, Sangria, Catedral, everything. 

I've decided that whether or not I get into this program next spring, Im spending at least half of next summer traveling Europe. It's amazingly cheap here and such an experience. Weve had dinner with random backpackers in the Plaza, and the stories they have are crazy (though Im never going to climb the Eiffel Tower drunk). 

I think what Im going to do is go on the Greece URI study abroad program (though Ill officially be unenrolled from URI by that point... ah well) and then backpack through Europe until meeting up with my family in Sweden for the cruise. 

Anyhow. We had class today (Saturday...) and tomorrow we're going on a trip to Segovia and Im working off of a two hour siesta. So I'm going to go and pass out. 

Hasta luego!

Hey everyone!

This is where I'm going to leave messages for family and friends while I'm in Spain. Feel free to leave me a comment below, and I promise to get back to you via another comment as soon as I get online next (still not sure if that's anywhere on campus or just in internet cafes... I'll see when I get over there)

Pics

Cell Phone (Emergencies only please... costs wayyyy too much to just chat, and remember that there's a six hour time difference):
203-417-3054

Address:
I'll edit this with the address tomorrow, I'm way too lazy to go downstairs and get it now



Leave me a comment with stuff going on at home or if there's something you want! 

See you all on August 2! 



Info:
June 30: Flight from JFK at 7:30pm
August 1: Leave Barajas at 10am, land in Frankfurt, Germany at some weird time thats a few hours ahead of Madrid, then leave there and land at JFK from there at 4pm (dont you just love time changes?)
                

Current Location:	Home
Current Mood:	excited
Current Music:	Nothing

mystar: AHHH were going to see rowling!!!
Swimma: OMG I KNOW!!!!!!!
Swimma: IM SO EXCITED!!!!!!1
mystar: this is going to be crazyyyyy
mystar: i love you!!!
Swimma: i love you too sharon! (in that non lesbian way haha)
Swimma: i was runnign around the house screaming IM GOING TO SEE JK ROWLING AHHH\
Swimma: they might hafta chain us to our seats so we dont like harass her or something lol

Okay so yeah, I finally found a use for all the work I've been doing-go with my roommate to see Steven King, John Irving and JK ROWLING talk and read in Radio City Music Hall!!!!!

Her first appearance in the US in six years, and we're going to be there. Hearing her talk in the same room as us. Then (hopefully, if we dont get run over) getting autographs and having a Q&A section afterwards.


Swimma: we should bring like the foam noodles inside like somehow smuggle them in and then beat people with them


Coddington A300A 2006-2007: Complete with a Harry Potter collage wall and authentic pictures of JK Rowling. 

Current Location:	Dancing around the house
Current Mood:	quixotic
Current Music:	The lake

I freaking love it. A grand in five days means that I dont have to work at school.

Anyhow.

Life=work, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Espicially when I work at Wilson's, because George is there. George=hot 21-year-old bartender from Harvard that I've been with the last few nights.

I ran a party for Wilson's. Youngest one there but I was in charge, though freaking Marianne only gave me 25/hour, which Regina started me off at bussing. Whatever, when Dave calls back (four jobs at one time... ahibunestngz) I'll be making 20, so 25 will look good.

Spain is in two weeks!!! I cant wait to get back to the college scene. I have no social life here. Here, life=work.

Speaking of which, I need to get back to work. Talk to ya'll later!

Current Mood:

tired

So I love URI. I really, really do. I have the most amazing friends and team and setting anyone could ever ask for. But there is not one major here that I want to pursue for four years, let alone for the rest of my life. I'm already dying doing just the work to get into business, and it's only going to go downhill from here. So I looked around, and on collegeboard I found a major I really really really want to pursue- Tourism Studies and Tourism Management. 

The only problem is that the closest school to the northeast that has a decent program in it is Bowling Green State University in Ohio. 

After getting over my initial fear of moving halfway across the country, I looked into the school. On paper, it looks just as good as URI- it's the same size, more clubs and sports, similar layout. There are more and better residence halls and more people stay on the weekends. And they have the major that I know will make me happy. 

Mom and I are flying out there this summer for a few days to look around and talk with some tourism advisors. More for me to see if I'm thinking of making the right choice.

So it comes down to this. 

Do I stay here at URI, loving the people and the team and the school but hating what I'm doing with my life? 

Or do I move halfway across the country leaving everything behind to blindly follow what I think is right for me?

I'm scared shitless of this; but at the same time, I've never been more excited. Please help me...

Current Mood:

blank

As of right now, this is my schedule for next semester. 

MWF:
9-10:   Finincial Accounting
10-11: Microeconomics
11-12: Calculus
7-9:30: Business Computing Applications

TTh:
9:30-10:45- Russian
11-12:15-    History of Religion in the US

To Be Determined: My one credit for working as a peer mediator at Roosavelt Hall. I have classes during the normal 10-12, so Lyons is going to set me up on a side project for the University, most likely working with 50 students as their yearlong advisor.  

(Bold = my death... I'm only in these if they can transfer me into UC Business tomorrow morning. Hence me losing over $20,000 and my sanity)

I also have my meeting with the Acedemic Enhancement Center tonight at 4:30, I may be working nights there as a tutor either for more credits or cash. We'll see about that one. Then there's the job at the computer lab and practices for rugby and Phi Eta Sigma meetings... yeah, next semester is gonna be wicked fun. 

At least Roosavelt feeds me. We get free breakfasts and dinners for no reason and that makes me happy.

Current Mood:

aggravated

In high school, I was in the 40 or 50th percentile of students with a 2.8 GPA. I had, on a good day, two or three people I'd consider to be friends. I sat bench on sports that I wasn't much good at. Generally, I was miserable beyond belief.

Suddenly, I'm in a different state. As of this morning, I'm a member of Phi Eta Sigma, the freshman national honors society, which is the top 5% of the country. I have a 3.63 GPA. I start on the club rugby team and travel the east coast (and Italy next year). I have the most absolutely, completely, perfectly amazing friends in the world.

You know how I used to cry every day? I haven't cried once about anything since coming to Rhode Island. I'm not exagerating or playing it off. I wouldn't trade the life I have now for any money in the world; I love every single moment that I am alive.

I'm not the same person I was in Connecticut. I think that if my friends from here ever went back to NF... they wouldn't know who the people there were talking about in respect to me. Everything about me has changed 180 degrees.

The past few days have forced me to look both backwards and forwards. All through high school I felt like a failure because I wasn't national honors society. I wasn't the sports star. I didn't have friends. All of this is changed.

The big thing though? I felt like a failure because I had never experienced as much as a kiss from a guy before. I felt that I was alone and there was something completely wrong with me, so I shyed back from any opportunities I may have had at dating.

Then I came here and met Brendan.

From September until April, we hung out constantly. He was absolutely everything that a girl could ever want- he is planning on being an elementary teacher for children after he spends about ten years in the marines, he runs track for the University, he's smart, he has friends everywhere and never stops smiling, he is more thoughtful than half the girls on the planet... he was perfect. I realized this more and more as the year went on. Jess and JJ met him and liked him. The team loved him and wanted nothing more than to hang out with him (and went as far as to ask him to dinner occasinally through the year when they had no one to go with). Everyone in Heathman liked him. On top of this, our mutual friends all said that there was no doubt that we would be together. So I spent seven months with him.

He wrote me an email two days ago, telling me that he had never liked me; that he was truly sorry, but that was life.

I expected to be hurt and to cry; after all, this was the first time I'd put myself on the line since the fiasco that was sophomore year three years ago.

The funny thing was, I wasn't hurt at all. I was relieved, if anything.

It used to hurt so bad when I'd see people together. When friends got engaged. When I was the third wheel.

Today I talked with Ariel about her wedding dress and the ring, Karen about her boyfriend/fiance's parents and what they thought of marriage, and two amazing friends from Connecticut about their future when it came to marriage.

I'm almost 19, and I've never been kissed. Never dated. Never been as much as noticed.

For the first time, I'm okay with that. More than okay- I'm happy.

In the winter of 2008, I am going to graduate from the honors program with a degree in business management. I'm going to move down to Washington DC, take an internship, and get my graduate degree in efficiency planning from Georgetown. I'm going to go to the weddings of my friends (no matter what dress I have to wear :) ) and get my own place. I'm going to travel the world and write and dream.

And somewhere in that equation I will have my first kiss.

Current Mood:

cheerful

July 1-31, I'm in Salamanca, Spain. 

6 credits of Spanish. Costing exactly as much as it would to go to Westconn for the credits this summer. 

Oh man, I'm going to Spain. 

And I have to say, my dance in the mailroom when I got my letter was really amusing.

Current Mood:

excited

http://news.newstimeslive.com/story.php?id=81496

A brothel that close to our high school. Makes sense in a strange way.

I have the most amazing best friend in the entire world. On top of that, I have the best friends that anyone could ask for.

Shauna and JJ came up to URI to visit Lauren and Jess came to surprise me. I figured I'd have lunch with the lot of them and then come back here for my date with Brendan and see them all over break since they were going to a bar tonight.

So Brendan and my movie finishes, and I go online. Apparently Jess and JJ decided not to go out to the bar for some random reasons and came over to Heathman to chill. We had Pizza Pocket and chilled with Brendan, Sejohn, Roman and Melissa for a while before coming up here and watching Sin City.

Absolutely nothing special at all. But can I just say that tonight, sitting on a bed and just chilling with them, I realized how lucky I am to have friends like those guys.

Oh yeah, and we've made the executive descision that the bar in the Caribean idea is moving to a bar in the Florida Keys since JJ thinks the Caribean would make him unamerican. And he refuses to let Jess and I decorate the sports bar.

Current Mood:

cheerful

Most amazing thing. Ever.

It was in Edwards and only half the middle lower section was filled, but it was crazy. Whomping Willow's thing was great because he was so stoic and the drummer's entire set fell over in the middle of the song. The first thing they say when they get on stage- 'Dumbledore's a Whore'. Then proceed to sing it. They sang some other songs like 'I killed my owl' and one about how he loved Hermione but was a tree, then how he and Lupin used to be together and Lupin touched him in that 'special place'. It was awesome because they had this whole act between the songs too. Then the Malfoys came out and did the whole act thing and dancing scene. Then the Potters came out with cookies and shark bites so that we would rush the front and dance with them. So we got food and to dance with them... so much fun.

Anyhow.

Onto studying... yeah right.

Although I really do have to.

Current Mood:	crazy
Current Music:	Voldemort Cant Stop the Rock

Agree or disagree?