Recap

It took a few nights of 10+ hours of sleep, but I'm somewhat back to "normal" and have resumed life here in E-town. Yesterday I returned (begrudgingly) to school -- although it was nice to see my school friends, I can't say that I'm thrilled to be back. I am looking forward to putting my recital together, and I am genuinely interested in most of my classes this quarter, so I should perk up pretty soon as things get moving. I've got to pull my shit together for spring opera auditions at the end of this week. If I want any sort of chance at a part, I've got to sing as though my heart were in it and not on the other side of the Atlantic.

But alas, I promised a recap of my trip, and a recap you shall get. I always marvel at the beautiful parts of the world that I've been lucky enough to see already in my short life -- I'll never forget my trip to Lucerne, Switzerland where I saw the sun coming up over the Alps, or the first time I laid eyes on the Eiffel Tower. Likewise, I felt such awe at the beautiful parts of Greece. It never gets old or commonplace for me, seeing new things and experiencing life in a different way. This trip was extra special because I got to learn about a part of Nick's life that was previously unfamiliar to me. Nick has been to my hometown, and although he marveled at the vast amount of cornfields, I don't think he needed much imagination to picture what my life might have been like growing up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Although I've seen many parts of Europe and even lived with a family in Austria, I had no idea what to expect of Greece or what his house might look like or how his family might act. Each time I would call him while he was there, I would hear a stranger answer the phone in a language I couldn't understand. It felt odd, and I was ready to come face-to-face with the strangeness and learn about it firsthand.

And oh how much I learned! In addition to all the lovely tourist sights, I went to Greek government offices and graveyards, Grandma's farmhouse in the village (don't tell Border Control I was on a farm, they'll come get me). I had odd and endearing conversations with Nick's eighty-three year old aunt and bonded with some Greek toddlers. I learned all the swear words from listening to the grubby teenagers in the internet cafes. It was a trip unlike any other I've ever been on, and I won't forget it for as long as I live.

How do you come home, by yourself, from all that and not get depressed? I'm allowing myself three days of semi-moping, and then I've got to come out of it and start making dates with friends and stop laying at home under my down comforter, watching crappy movies and pretending to be jetlagged. I went to the store last night and bought all the items on Rachael Ray's 7 meals for 7 days list for this month (my mom bought me a subscription to her magazine this year), and later discovered that all the meals make enough to feed 4 people. So, I'm inviting friends over for dinner this entire week. Last night I made chicken and wild rice stuffed tomatoes, which were scrumptious, and tonight I'm making Baja fish tacos. Nothing like cooking to brighten my spirits! If you're in the area and want a free meal, come knock on my door!