Now and then I have to admit to doing "research" across the blogosphere in search of good examples and ideas to improve the blog, and in addition to sometimes discovering a new lifestyle. I do not know if I want this blog to progress to becoming a full fledged website with published books, but this week I'm going to try two new ideas that I learned from other blogs. Making lists and ranting. Quite a few people have repeatedly asked me what is the best and worst part of being abroad and what I like and miss the most. Nearly two months in, this is what I have to say.
"The Mosts" without need of explanation.
Like the Most (in order)
1.) The chance to explore new places.
2.) The solitude.
3.) New Friends.
Miss the Most (in order)
1.) Ashley
2.) My brothers, including the biological one.
3.) Spicy food in proper portion sizes.
4.) Sportscenter
Bests and Worsts with a little explanation.
1.) Running
The Best - Being able to run whenver, wherever, and however long I want to is incredibly freeing. On top of that, exploring new areas and the promise of miles and miles of trails once the snow melts keep my motivation up. Perhaps the part of running here that I take for granted the most is the freedom to do recreational things like volleyball, skiing, and going out every once in awhile. Not having to baby myself for racing is nice.
The Worst - That being said, I really do miss competing. Despite the intense stress it adds to my life and the deathlock it puts on socializing, I really do miss the pain and struggle of a hard run race. I miss training with the team and knowing the I'm getting faster (rather than the hoping that I'm doing right now).
2.) Partying
The Best- Like I said before, being able to go to parties is a definite perk, especially when there is actually a night life in the city you live in (I'm looking at you Cedar Rapids). I've been to music sharing parties, American parties, oily parties, kitchen parties, black and white parties, sledding parties, surprise parties, and tomorrow night is the highly anticipated mustache party. Although I am partying more here than any other semester of college, my view on parties in general and the way I act at them really hasn't changed. I like to be able to talk to people and remember I did so the following morning. Which may contribute to...
The Worst- I am beginning to hate the one dance club that everyone seems to always want to go to after any party is starting to go well. The first time we went, I really enjoyed myself. I got my groove on. Maybe it was because it was my first time there, or that I was with a good group of friends and we stayed in a pretty solid formation the entire night. But for whatever reason, every time I've gone there since has just gotten worse. It culminated last week with terrible music that was at least 10 years old and often impossible to dance to, an incredibly high creeper ratio, an unbearable stench of B.O. even for a club, and one of the girls in your group asking you and the other guys you came with to keep between her and one of the creepers all night, only to have her let some other weirdo stick his tongue down her throat right before we left. It was all really annoying, but I'm coming to the realization that it may very well be me that's the problem. So here is a list inside of a list.
How to know if you're Club Incompatible:
1.) You like to boogie but only every once in awhile and preferrably to good music.
2.) You have no strong desire to become incredibly drunk and attract as much attention to yourself as possible for no particular reason.
3.) You are a heterosexual male that is respectful to women, completely satisfied by your long term monogamous relationship, and has no need to go get some chicks.
It looks like 3 strikes and I'm out. To be fair though, to myself and clubs, there are apparently better ones in town that I plan to check out. Maybe even tomorrow. We'll see.
3.) Cooking
The Best- I truly enjoy cooking, and the practice is definitely needed. Trying new things out and getting a little adventurous with what you plan to make is perhaps my favorite part. Not having to eat things you don't like is also a major plus when you only have to worry about cooking for yourself.
The Worst- Buying groceries is a pain. Don't get me wrong, I like grocery shopping, but only up until the point that I go through the checkout. The fact that food is more expensive here and forces me to be very mindful of what I buy definitely makes me miss the stocked pantry and freezer at home and the all you can eat-ness of the caf. Say what you will, but I miss me some good old-fashioned American overeating.
4.) Month Long Mustache (for tomorrow's party)
The Best- It's better than November.
The Worst- It's still not a real mustache.
5.) College and Daily Routine
The Best- My class workload is way down, and I've never been this caught up on sleep during the school year. The course work has yet to be particularly demanding and coupled with the fact that I don't need to get A's, the stress is almost non-existent. I typically enjoy going to lecture, even though the content has been fairly general, and the homework is heavy only every once in awhile. It's also incredibly nice to be able to just get up and go when someone asks if you want to go do something.
The Worst- The lack of structure is slowly driving me crazy. I didn't realize how addicted I was to a regimented schedule and the impact it has on my productivity. It hasn't been until recently when I was accepted for summer research and subsequently began looking for summer jobs in CR that I've actually started having productive days. And when I say productive days, I mean more than just waking up at 11, going into town for something random, sitting around the room for a couple of hours, and then running (which had been the definition for the majority of February). I'm hoping that these flashes of motivation continue to grow in frequency and intensity, because hey, I've got a trip to finish planning for April!
That about covers it. I think I'll end my ranting there. The point I would want to leave all of the people asking about how my stay is (and to tie in the obscure title referencing a Swedish Princess Cake) would have to be: that my studying abroad definitely has some drawbacks, but overall it's a sweet experience with the good far outweighing the bad.
I'm looking forward to the mustache party tomorrow night (and the long overdue shaving immediately following it) and hope to have some good stories to tell from it. For most of you, have a great Spring Break, and I'll see you next week.
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