musings

This is what I’ve read so far this summer:

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs 

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

I am open to anything.

This place is awesome. So amazing. We’ve done so much walking the last 2 days it kinda hurts to move, but it’s cool. Max gave us an awesome list of things to do, also: explore Montmartre, see the Moulin Rouge, Sacre Coeur, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Concorde, and the Louvre, amongst so many other things that we’ve happened upon and discovered. The foo has been good and bad-breakfast at our hostel is actually amazing, but I think it’s because I’ve been starved of bread and butter and non-espresso coffee for the last 3 months.

Oh yeah, I’ve seen a bunch of Starbucks here too. Mindballer.

I think I’m getting sick which sucks a lot…my throat really hurts And I’m congested. awesome. Oh well . I already know I’m going to sleep for 3 days straight after this whirlwind. Ahh, can’t believe it’s actually here.

I need to go wake up Kathryn and then find me some breakfast because SOMEONES alarm didn’t go off…but it’s okay, just another excuse to try more Parisian pastries. oh I also wish I spoke french. I keep speaking Italian and I keep finding connections to latin in everythig I see. Oy vey.

In retrospect, I really wish I’d updated this thing more. I haven’t really been updating my other journals either, which is weird…it’s just so easy to get caught up in the moment and to forget about writing it all down afterwards, which is something I’m otherwise used to doing religiously. I like to compare it to a photographer, you know, it’s hard to take your eye out from behind the camera to take a look at whatever it is you’re photographing for yourself sometimes. I do it with my own camera, too. I’m more obsessed with having the memories for later than with living in the moment. Guess that’s something I need to work on.

Anyway, there are a mere 5 full days left of this program, and I can’t explain how hard it is to believe. Max’s visit came and passed, as did my parents with Grandpa and Charlene, and now we’re fast approaching finals. (In one day, to be exact.) All that’s left after these exams is Kathryns arrival, and then our 11 day jaunt around Europe. That’ll pass in the blink of an eye, I’m sure. And then I’ll be home for a short three days, only to be back in New Orleans letting my summer play itself out with whatever I’ll end up doing. So many things to look forward to.

For now, though, I’m trying to savor every last moment of being here. I know lots of people are eager to get home, and have been for a while. I understand that completely. I miss the same things they miss and I hate the same things they hate, but I’m trying to not focus on those things, but to really just focus on being here and the good things about it since it’ll be a long long long while before I come back. 

I hate when things like this end, mostly because I hate “lasts”. Yesterday was my “last Saturday”, today my “last Sunday”. It’ll be a sad realization when I’m drinking my last cappuccino from Francesco’s, and when I leave the CET Center at Palazzo Biscari for the last time. And forget about saying bye to people…I don’t even want to think about that. Oy.

Anywho. I have a lot of work I should be doing but instead I’m pouring my heart out onto this screen. Awesome.

I’m starting to realize how much I’m going to miss Catania. God damnit! I’ve been in such a state of resistance these last few weeks, mostly stemming from weather that hasn’t been the most pleasing (and lots of other crap on top of it), but having Max here this weekend actually made me realize how nice it is here. And that despite its shortcomings (however plentiful they may be), it’ll all be part of what I’ll miss once I’m gone. Okay, so I won’t miss the poop filled streets around my dorm, but I’ll be able to laugh at how unfortunate it was that we lived in the middle of it. …right?! Ha.

On a different note, I just got back from Centro Astalli, and while there I had to ask Esther to sign my timesheet for the hours I’ve completed so far for school. Then everyone starting talking about how I ‘have’ to do these hours for school, and one guy was like ‘You don’t HAVE to do them, right? You just LIKE doing it?” And then I got really upset, because I always feel like once I bring out the timesheet and say that I’m doing it FOR something, the people I work with lose a little bit of respect for me. Maybe respect is the wrong word, but I hate to think that they don’t believe that I actually like being there. I tried to explain it but felt tears welling up in my eyes and just gave up. Hopefully they understand. 

I think I’m just emotional right now, though. Hormonal, if you will. But I had a great time at Centro Astalli today (as usual), and am excited to live out the next few weeks that I’ve got left here! My parents and grandparents come this weekend, and I CANNOT WAIT. I’ve been talking about this all semester, and I know it’ll be fantastic. Just hoping they are able to cope with the poop streets. :)

Dinner time! I don’t know how I let it get past 7:45 without me realizing…