(From yesterday)
Today is day 1 of 11 without internet at home (I’m going to start a survivor’s log), and in my last entry I said that you may not hear from me for a while, but I’m starting to think that without constant access (albeit shitty access) to Facebook, Pintrest and Project Free TV, I may be writing here more often. Which is where I find myself now.
I finished my phonetics and grammar exams, and I have conversation and reading and writing tomorrow. After that, all I have left is my Nabokov essay, which will be 10 pages of whatever I want (and I really do mean that - whatever I want, Valerii Germanovich Timofeev!), and that which is due simply before I leave the country. I can see the home stretch, and I am seriously itching for it (although I have no mercy for myself. This semester hasn’t been nearly as stressful as a week at Conn in terms of work).
I find myself fantasizing about arriving at JFK and again at Logan Airport. More specifically about being surrounded by people who speak English, and who also dress normally (well maybe not at JFK or Logan since their airports, but you know what I mean). The other day in the summer gardens Will, Jackie and I found ourselves behind four visitors: two men and their wives, and something just told me they were American. One of the men had a baseball cap on, and he was wearing running sneakers too. There was also something about one of the women’s outfits as well that made me think this, and when we eventually passed them I heard them speaking English. They happened to be British, but I was still pretty proud of my intuition. Getting back to JFK, I’m looking forward to being surrounded by people who dress, well, like Americans.
I also participated in a room swap for next year’s housing at Conn this afternoon (I got a bad lottery number a month ago and consequentially selected an undesirable room), and I ended up getting a single on the second floor of my top choice dorm. I’m so happy!
I know, a few entries ago I was super sad about leaving. That’s still true. I AM really sad to be leaving. In fact, I, oh gosh, don’t even want to think about saying goodbye to my friends, and, oh no, my lovely host mom, but ever since my trip to Tallinn and Helsinki I’ve become increasingly more excited to go home. Maybe it was because I had my passport on me all the time and I went through borders and security and other sure-tell signs of international travel. Maybe it was because I spent a few days in more Western cities, where people spoke English and where people smiled and said “how are you?” like they meant it. It’s probably because of the mere fact that I KNOW I’m coming home. In any case, something about it made me realize that my return trip was actually right around the corner, and ever since then I've been thinking about all the things I’ve missed.
It was during my little trip outside Russia that I finally allowed myself to make a food list; that is, a list of foods with which I plan on stuffing myself once I get home. And because I’m feeling silly, I’m just going to go ahead and list everything off, in their original order (don’t know what to cook for dinner tonight? You may find some inspiration below!):
“American Food to Eat When You Get Home!
Home-made burgers
Onion rings
Mozzarella sticks
English muffins with peanut butter
French toast
Scrambled eggs with ketchup
Chobani
SMOOTHIES
Avocado, tomato, cheese, hummus wraps
Tacos salad or burritos
Applesauce
Celery and cream cheese
Bagels and cream cheese (lox!)
Greek salad
Tortellini
Coconut dates
Sushi
Italian subs
Tapioca pudding
Zucchini
Ravioli
Grilled Cheese
Shrimp
Veggie burgers
Chickpea, avocado, fetal salad
Shepherd’s pie
Pumpkin pie
Spaghetti and meatballs
Colored pasta
ICE CREAM (Ben and Jerry’s)
Italian ice
Peas
Corn.”
Here’s to getting gloriously FAT.
Anyways, I was going to write about how much I can’t believe four months have passed already, but writing that list of food has oddly enough put me in a less philosophical, depressed mood. I guess I’ll save that for my next entry.
Tootles!
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