This is what is keeping my head above water; mostly because I rarely shower and who submerges their head under water in a shower anyway?

Pure Awesomeness.

This one particularly, for purposes of this blog. Sure, I am not in Montana but rural folks are really all the same, right?

In conclusion here's my obligatory mention that we discussed stereotypes for 3 hours in my first class today. I am going to recognize that and acknowledge it but Immagoahead and post this anyway.

New England "To-Do" List

1. Go to a typical VT fair

2. Go to Shelburne Falls to take a dip in the glacial potholes

3. Visit Boston

4. Take a tour at the Magic Hat Brewery

5. Drink my first Magic Hat and then some

6. Hit up Cathedral of the Pines

7. Maine!!! and survive without eating fishy stuff

8. Take a train to NYC

9. Go apple pickin'

10. Take a syrupy tour of some maple syrup making... whatever that means

11. Bake lots of vegan maple cookies and vegan apple pies and trick people with them ;)

12. Stay away from Ben & Jerry's (I'm living in the birthplace) and all of the cheese factories

13. Go to an east coast beach... and like it?

14. Convince at least one friend from California to visit me

15. Learn (read: attempt) to ski (without involving an ER visit)

Blood. Sweat. Tears but my first grad school TEAM presentation is...

COMPLETE!!!! :)

will it be a P for pass or a F for fail? hmmmm... law of attraction suggests:

"A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness."

The uneasy, doubtful, exhausted and terrified thoughts are sinking in, already. I try to deter from using the term "homesick" because I no longer find the application of "home" to be a specific place, but rather people. Something that seems so obvious yet it took me 23-ish years to pinpoint this feeling as having less to do with location and more to do with relationships. Relationships give meaning to places, not to betray other aspects of places such as literal environment, smells, and euphoric feelings surrounding them as I definitely believe in the importance of sensory stimulus, but memories carry that much MORE weight if someone else was there to experience it with you and/or witness your experience there and most of all, share theirs.

I can't believe I am saying this but I am hoping that this "homesickness" is actually just plain ol' sickness, of the physical variety, creeping up on me. Because that will inevitably go away. It's getting to that point where I wouldn't be shocked if we all (my peers and I) start week 2 with more than some tickles in our throats. I had a trying day of which my final resounding thought is, "I just want my camera back" as if getting my camera back would solve the problems of the world, and my particular place in it, figuratively- not literally (no complaints about physical location right now). Silly maybe, but to think that would make me feel 100 times better is a pretty weighty thought and I happen to be giving into it right now. It's simple enough; I'm not asking for much.

This brings up the aspect of relationships in another way. The fact that they can end is always a possibility but to live as if they will is sinful in my opinion. You can say that the MIA status of my camera symbolizes the end of a relationship, a friendship specifically, in my life. I'd like my camera back so that I may focus my attention on people, places, and things that deserve my attention more right now and worry less about where this material possession is and instead get back behind it in a positive way or leave it in MY drawer, whatever it may be. The person who is choosing to keep it from me is consequently keeping me from moving full-throttle toward this goal. Although this is not a poem, rather a blog post, I think if Robert Frost could observe me today in 2010 he'd sense a lump in my throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness and there are no better words to summate the impulse that motivated me to type away on my keyboard in this fashion. Right here, right now.

Some Mexican food wouldn't hurt either... haha ;)... I'm trying a (read: the only) Mayan place here tomorrow. Wish me luck!

annnnnnd here's a (non)obligatory photo (from my trusty iPhone, obvi)! I'm notorious for tying everything in together so really I could go on a tangent about how this is relatable to above posting but instead I will leave you with the fact that I have escaped to a place in my mind, many times today, where my future house looks like this in the front, red barn is a must, and the back is of course all glass overlooking the ocean on a beach, balcony included. "Quaint farmhouse in the front; party beach house in da back!" Has a sweet ring to it, eh? :) Who's with me?!?!

A walk down Kipling Road. Brattleboro, VT. 9.9.10

CA -> VT in (iPhone) pictures, well really VT <- CA as in they uploaded latest to earliest!

Crowbar, missing teeth, and Heaven

What do all of the above things have in common you might ask? Well, they are all related to my first week living in Brattleboro, VT. After living the going-ons of today and the previous 5 days I am sure that without a doubt, that you will undoubtedly be seeing a lot more quotes and random seemingly cryptic words on this here blog but do not fret I will do my utmost to describe everything. I can't say that I completely have my bearings, yet but I have done/witnessed/experienced enough to know that this place is amusing beyond what was to be expected.

1) Crowbar-
My roommate's FB status from Tuesday:
Already used to the townies. Walking home last night, had to step over an infant happily in the middle of the sidewalk outside a bar. Five minutes later: Bailey - "Hey was that baby playing with a crowbar?" Me- "Yes."


2) Missing teeth-
Summary of a conversation after a little jaunt to the laundromat (a historically fun place for me) where a local initiated conversation with me and I was unable to understand her and then finally realized she was missing her front teeth:
"Yea, WHY IS it that nobody in this town has teeth?!? I DON'T get it." -C
"Maybe there isn't flouride in the water? Remind me to look that up."- me
"Yea, but flouride in the water is NOT what makes people's teeth stay intact." -C
"Yea, I give up... I'm just worried for the children. I hope their toothless parents give them toothbrushes because the future is depending on it." - me


3) Heaven -


I finally had time to go here.... yummmm. Feel free to send me food donations.

I <3 VT

As soon as I get my camera back (hopefully), these posts will become THAT much more exciting!!!