Que dia increible!

So far, today has been awesome - and it's only 2:25! Recap:

I've got a two hour break on Mondays between Lit and International Relations, and I'm not sure who all else is on campus during that time, so today I decided to have a morning to myself. Not to mention I actually woke up on time today - 7:15 - to shower, blow dry my hair, dress and have a real, sit-down breakast without having to run to class. I was even early! And not one bit tired. Anywho, after Lit, Stacy had to run to meet her proyectos group (for a class I'm not in), so I sort of wandered to Fcom with the intent of having coffee (to be completely awake) and writing in my journal. The Fcom cafe was crazy full, so I went to the law building computer lab, but it was reserved, so I walked over to the library with a newspaper I picked up and on the way ran into Santiago - we chatted for a bit about the weekend and classes, and then I went to the cafe in the library.

Lit was really good today - she didn't have a powerpoint, but I was actually super awake so I followed along really well until near the end, when my mind wandered a bit. I don't know what she said, but I ended up being reminded of the fates in Hercules, the Disney version, during the scene where they try to cute his life-string, and he becomes immortal and breaks their scissors. After that I tried harder to focus, but it's easier to daydream when the lecture is in another language, I think.

I'm learning that it's easier to listen to her lecture if I listen to a complete thought/idea, understand and then summarize it in my notes. I miss a lot more when I try to take notes as they go.

I'm finally starting to feel settled. My room is set up, and clean, I know for the most part and maybe for good my class schedule, I know my way around campus, my neighborhood, and parts of old town, I have school supplies, I'm able to understand the majority of what's going on around me, and - when I'm awake and thinking in Spanish - I can communicate effectively. I've also started putting together a budget, so I can figure out how much I have to travel with, etc. I know my way around our kitchen, I know where the grocery store is, where to take out the trash, and finally hwo to ask for help if I need it. -- Oh, and I have friends! : )

So much less stress - it's wonderful. I think now that we're at this point, we're going to start traveling. Stacy wants to meet some friends in Amsterdam next weekend, so we're all going to try to go, and I'll email Denise for all her advice on where to go once there. : ) We've made plans to meet tonight at my apartment, and I'm going to make lasagna, and we're going to try to make plans for Amsterdam this weekend, and then maybe Dublin for St. Patty's day!! It's all very exciting!

PSP pinning for the Rho class was last Friday, so I'm going to send Denise my first "Greetings from Abroad" video so I can congratulate them and introduce myself. I wish I could have been there to get to know them, but hopefully I'll be able to fix that promptly when I get back. I know a few who had rushed before, and Rob Bratney is in it, so I know him! He told me Marty might be his big :D Epic.

Anywho...I sat down and read that newspaper I grabbed - La Vanguardia - and found an interview with a philosohper - Clement Rosset - about his thoughts on the ability to know one's self and others, and how your identity does not exist, it is only based on other people's perceptions of you - which is think is similar to Kant? I could be wrong. Either way, his philosophy was so positive, I liked it alot. Basically it was that what is happening now is real and that is life, and is what makes us happy, and the things we think up, plan, dream, etc. are not real (until they happen) and they are what make us sad - things that aren't yet real.
[Translated]: "Happiness comes from what is, what is real, and it is active. Sadness comes from wishes, from what is not, the unreal, and is passive...To live is, in itself, happiness."
He also quoted a character from a Hungarian play - a king of the 15th century, I think - who said,
"Vengo no se donde. Soy no se quien. Muero no se cuando. Voy a no se donde...Me asombre de esta tan alegre." - Martinus von Biberach.
[I come from I don't know where. I am I don't know who. I die I don't know when. I'm going to I don't know where. I'm astonished that I'm very happy.]

I liked the idea of it - that who you are, where you're going, everything - you don't really know, but you are alive and for this you have no reason to be anything but happy.

Today is a good day, so far. I can finally breathe easy, and I am happy.

Hasta luego!
Alex