September 8, 2018: Mythical creatures and substitute teachers

Today was another AWESOME day!!! I feel very genuinely happy and I feel excited for what is to come.

Before I get into my day, I want to first say that I am so grateful for those of you who read my blog. Whether you read some articles, all of them, or just subscribed and don't read any, I really appreciate it. I hope my posts entertain you or at least give you something to read while you poop :)

So today I sort of slept in, ate some trail mix in bed, then went for a run (see me stretching above). I am so happy that my Achilles did not hurt for all 1.5 miles. I'm trying not to focus on the fact that my endurance has suffered immensely, but rather trying to be grateful for my health. I believe that I did the least cardio out of the last 9 years of my life during these past 6 weeks so my out-of-shapeness is understandable. Oh well, I have time to build it back up.

So I technically ate real breakfast at 1:30pm and then I went upstairs and packed everything up. It surprisingly took very little time and everything fit in my suitcases easily. Plus I FINALLY found the pair of gloves I've been looking for since day one!!! Too bad it's not really cold out anymore.

I then walked to Kat's house, which is only an 11 minute walk away! (Soon to be 44 minutes though). Seeing Kat again was so nice. She is such a kind-hearted person and so considerate of others. She literally apologized to me for the noise she made when while cutting vegetables as she prepared my dinner. Hahaha how do I always manage to befriend people that are way nicer than me lolol.

Here is Chef Kat at work >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

We just chilled in her kitchen and did some homework for most of the time, but we also went on a really nice walk around her neighborhood. She lives right by Avenida Rivadavia which is a big, lively street with lots to see and lots of people out and about. We also walked through Parque Rivadavia which had a sick statue of Simón Bolívar and some people playing drums with some girls dancing to it. When we got back, she made us dinner and it was delicious. She made brown rice, chicken, spinach, carrots, potatoes, and avocado! See her Bobby Flay-esque work below...

Nom nom nom. We continued to work after dinner and just hang out. Ooh here's a (not) fun fact about Kat's house. They have a dog and a cat and the dog is not potty trained what.so.ever. and it craps all over the house. Meanwhile, the cat jumps up on the dinner table and licks the sink and stuff. Odd little creatures. Gross little creatures.

I walked home from Kat's and made myself some pasta. I'm trying to use up the last of my food here so that I don't have to transport it to the new house tomorrow morning. Sadly I'll probably have to bring what's left of my onion cuz I don't plan on eating half an onion before 10:00am tomorrow morning...

Other than that, I've just been organizing my things and making sure I have everything ready to go. I feel badly about leaving Laura but I wrote her a letter and will get her something small before I go. Even though she was not very understanding and reacted with anger, I know it is just because she is sad and lonely deep down. So I am trying to be as empathetic as possible. Otherwise, I am very excited to settle into the new house!! Here's my motto: "New house, new me, same swag."

Tonight at Davidson is the track team's annual Mythical Creatures and Substitute Teachers party. It's iconic... it's such a classic. And I'm always mythical as hell. I saw some pics from this year and yeah okay they did good but they will never top last year's look. Just look at us. M-Y-T-H-I-C-A-L.

I surprisingly haven't felt as much FOMO as I expected. Like yeah, I wish I was at that party tonight but I am okay with not being there. So many people texted me or snapchatted me about the party... probably because they know I love it and cuz I bleed unicorn blood. It is a really nice feeling to know that people are thinking of me. It makes me feel like I'm there in a way, or that my presence at past parties was appreciated and noted. It's kind of hard to explain. It's definitely a feeling provoked by being so far away and it helps me to realize that I'm not "missing out" on anything by being abroad.

I've been texting Claire all night and I am so lucky to have her as my best friend. She's so smart and always talks some sense into me. Not to mention she's rocking a MEAN pair of fairy gloves tonight ;)

Being abroad has made me appreciate the people in my life more. I know that those who reach out and keep in contact are the people I want and need in my life. Even those who check in once a month... I am grateful for that. I am lucky to know so many amazing people. Today, one of my mom's best friends passed away. She was so young and there was much life ahead of her to be lived. So I am doing my best to live in the moment, to be grateful for what I have, to express my gratitude, and to shake off the negative things in life and move forward. It is not always easy - it almost never is - but I never want to look back and regret an experience because I did not make the most of it.

Song Recommendation of the Day: "Same Place" by JOY

P.S. - I bought a Shakira concert ticket today so watch me SHAKE mis caderas October 25th.

P.P.S. - Kalina just sent a message in our high school running group chat and it was a picture of a troll and she said it "reminds her of Julia." Hahaha I do have quite an extensive collection...