Hmmm. Where to start?
The past few weeks have been the same as the ones before. You don't realize how monotonous things can get until you work 40 hours at the same place all week. But here, it's not necessarily about how well you can deal with monotony. You have to learn to make things interesting. How do you do that, you might ask? Go out for movies, dinner, go walk around a park, go to the mall. Find things to do outside your apartment, and you won't go crazy.

But a problem that comes with going out all the time? MONEY. It just disappears! You'll get paid on Thursday, but if Thursday and Friday are your days off, your paycheck (or at least the amount of it that you can spend in the upcoming week.. for example, I try to put $100 a week in an account to save for a new computer) is gone. After groceries and one night out, it's possible that your spending money is all out!

I'm planning on going to Chicago on the 27th. Pretty exciting stuff! I'll write a blog about it when I get back.

That's all for now, guys. Not much to say this week.

Ohhhh we're halfway there, woa-oh, been living on a prayer....

Yeah, I know. Bon Jovi isn't my favorite either, but I thought that quote was appropriate. Why? Because I'm halfway through my program! I'm proud of myself for making it this far, when honestly I didn't know if I was going to make it through the first month. It's a big adjustment, and I thought I wanted to go home. At this point, I'm glad I didn't go home. I've learned a lot here.

What exactly have I learned? Well, for starters, I'm not quite as messy as I thought I was. Actually, as it turns out, I'm quite clean! It bothers me when the apartment is gross, and embarrasses me when my friends come over and the apartment isn't spotless. Another thing I have learned is that people can be REALLY rude. Before, I knew people could be horrible to others, but I didn't know how often it really happened. It makes me want to grow up and never flip out on an employee.

I've learned how much money it takes to live the way I want to live. I know that to earn the money I need to keep up the lifestyle I like, I have to go to school and make something of myself. And school? I don't hate it. I actually really enjoy learning and being able to discuss subjects intelligently. And I want to keep doing that for as long as possible.

Other than the things I've learned, I've experienced some pretty cool things here as well. Along with all the rude and annoying people in the world are some pretty awesome people. You don't even have to look far to find someone interesting. When I was closing the other night, I met these two little Asian boys who were absolutely adorable. They must have been 3 or 4, and learning English, because they'd speak another language to their parents, and their parents would coach them in English phrases. The first boy walked up to me, saying "Trade pins?" Of course, I held out my pin lanyard and allowed each of the boys to look at the pins I had. After trading, they walked away, blowing kisses to me!

Among the cute things kids do is their belief that the characters actually live. A number of times, I have been asked by little girls if I was Ariel. I guess I could pass for her, with my blue eyes and reddish hair, but every time, my answer to them is this: "No, I'm not Ariel. I have feet!" I love that the kids all truly believe that these characters are alive.

In two weeks, I'm going to be visiting Chicago for the first time in my life. Pretty exciting, right? I'm going with three of my friends who are ICP's (International College Program participants): Jess, Amy and Wendy. I'll keep you updated!

As for right now, I think it's time to relax. It is, after all, my day off! And, even better, PAY DAY!

So. I miss New York. A lot.

This week, like any other week, has had its ups and downs.

Some of the ups? Well, for one, I made a cake today. It's pretty delicious, no lie. It's vanilla cake with strawberry Jell-o poured inside. Pretty good, if you ask me. Another up? I got a comforter for only $15! It's pink with colorful stars, and since our thermostat has a mind of its own, the comforter was definitely necessary Not to mention the fact that it keeps me warm and cozy at night!

Oh yeah. Did I mention that one of my best friends, Deanna, started her program the other day??? I'm very excited to have her here; it hasn't quite sunk in yet. For the past 3 months, I've been texting her, getting updates from home and filling her in on my life. Now, we can walk over to one another's apartment anytime! Well, provided that we're home....

Some of the downs. School has officially started. I miss Cortland SO MUCH. It's more my style; Florida is WAY too hot for me. I've been seeing all sorts of updates from people on Facebook, and I'm itching to go back! Not saying that I'd go home early or anything, it's just a bit hard. I can't wait to be back there in January. Every time a guest asks me if I like Florida, I say "Well, it's ok. I just LOVE the snow. Honestly, the moment I get home, I think I'll jump in the snow!"

Another down? One of my friends decided he no longer wanted to be in the program, so he left. Things are so strange without him. That's the hardest thing about being here, the fact that everyone's in a different place. Some people are on their way in, some are leaving.

I miss being home. Is it too early to start the countdown to Cortland???????