this is life. right now. this very second

Wow, a spare minute. Well, that is a bit over dramatic. I’ve had a few, but this is the first one that I’ve taken to blog, or even think about blogging. Some days are full of writing (between my dramatic writing, creative non-fiction, and many journal entries) I can easily become tired of words. We all can thank college life for that.

Every day is oddly similar (like it also became in Iceland). I wake up from a not wonderful nights rest (due to it being too cold, hot, light, uncomfortable, you name it) and decide to not work out because I’m too tired. Not a great way to start out any day. Then there is classes, which are interesting. I never noticed how fast and much professors talk, but coming back from lectures that were slow and brainless, I feel out of shape trying to follow the complex aerobics my professors expect their students to perform in class. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not falling behind, its just different to what was normal. Now all over again I must adjust to this new concept that will soon become normal.

I got a job, which is a blessing and I found out I only need to take a half a semester art class, not two halves. Now I’ll have more time to focus on my writing after spring break. I am ECSTATIC about that because it’ll be one of the first times that I’ll be able to dedicate full days for writing.

Real life continues to hit me at random moments. Little and big changes to stable things that once were not and now are. I’m not sure how I feel about them, but they’ve happened, they’ve been said, and now its my turn to react. It’s not like changes didn’t happen while I was away, I was just oblivious to them for whatever reasons.

I haven’t had much of a chance to explore Chicago like I had planned. I never let nasty weather stop me in Iceland so honestly I do not have a good excuse for my shut-in days. Hopefully that will change now that I’ve got a slight idea of how busy my week and weekends will be. But I have been able to get to Molly’s cupcakes twice :]

I’ll fill you in on dorm life. I live with two sweet ladies who I knew beforehand. We had decided to be roommies long before I even knew I’d be in Iceland (it was yet a dream). I had jokingly told one of my roommates to save all of her mini wheats boxes and put them on our wall. Well, she took it to a whole different level and tapped cereal boxes on my closet doors and the wall by my desk. I don’t even want to count them, but trust me, there are a lot!  She is a nut and I love her for that. It’s been great to spend time with my friends again, but some days I miss sitting around the kitchen table eating random food that people threw together that reminded them of home. I miss talking about different cultural experiences and traditions. I miss knitting and drinking Icelandic coffee. I miss being able to walk basically anywhere in the city in 10 or 15 minutes. To help me feel like a little bit of Iceland is with me I bought nutella. I know it isn’t Icelandic, but it will always be a reminder of my time there. I ate it a lot. ha.

bless.

21 days and counting

21 days have come and gone and only a few moments within have been still. Ever since I stepped onto the flybus in Reykjavik life has been more go, wait, inconvenience, go, go, wait, try to sleep, party, celebrate, wait, inconvenience. You get the picture.

My supposed 12 hour trip home turned into a 28 hour trip with a sleepover in the Boston airport. Still to this day I am upset at the airline because they lied. No one was at the transfer desk for me, thus making me miss my connecting flight. Oh well. It's now a grand story that will some day make me laugh I'm sure.

Christmas would have been a happier time if I hadn't been so jet lagged or if I would have had time to journal before I saw so many people. My brain was too full of thoughts and memories to make any sense when speaking.

Then without even presenting itself, I was on my way to the airport again, this time to KCMO for my roommate from last year's wedding. Okay, so I knew since July 2009 that I would be in KCMO in January, but under my tired-full-confused-mind it felt out of no where. 6 days of wedding craze, cookies, target, families, food,I do's, and more airport time. Needless to say, I spent all last Tuesday doing nothing. My mind and body needed to be still.

I moved into my dorm yesterday afternoon and have been fully enjoying the first real moments of peace and quiet. All returning students move in this afternoon and in a few short hours my solitude will come to an end. But I have decided that is fine, because the longer I sit by myself looking out my dorm room window the more I miss Iceland. Everything was prettier there. Where is the breath taking sky and mountains? I want them back. It's hard to go on Facebook and see friends uploading more Iceland pictures they have taken since I left. Their adventure continues. Mine seems to have come to a close, and what has opened is the scary prospect of graduating college in little over a year and starting "real" life. Living in another country was easy compared to the unknown future. Oh goodness, my dramatic side is taking over again.

There have been wonderful moments these past 21 days as well. I hope you didn't think that have been dragging my feet since I've been home. No no no. I got to hug my mom many times. I heard Bethany's laugh and laughed along. I learned a new card game (killer bunnies). I finally got to meet Sara's family and watch from the bridal party a beautiful start of a new chapter in the Hey's life. I've seen two beautiful sunrises. I took my dog on a walk. I ate too much bdubs. I had starbucks. I visited Hangtime! I watched Hannah Montana. And right now I'm in the best dorm room at NPU that over looks the the snow covered green space. And just for kicks I spent 36ish hours in airports in two weeks (it's a positive because I can now write many stories about them).

Classes start tomorrow and they will kick my butt and I'm sure it will take me awhile to remember how to study normal amounts during the week. Life in Chicago already feels like home. It's nice. I welcome all adventures that are to come.

Bless friends.