I’ve been in New Mexico just over a month now and you may be wondering if I’m alive, I am.
I’m a fairly adaptable person and tend to forget that my life wasn’t always what it is now. But, on analysis, I can see some differences and will share them with you.
In my past life I had a job, that job required me to get up daily, get dressed and commute. Now I am a full time student. Once a week I have to get to campus by 12:30, and that is my early day. Wednesdays and Fridays I have absolutely no agenda. To combat this I try to make plans to force myself out of the house. Today I am at a coffee shop. I would have gotten a fancy coffee drink but they have a minimum price to use a debt card and I only had $2 cash. I settled for an iced tea. Within this outing my goals are to write this email and read though a packet on how to preserve my 401K. Usually on Wednesdays I do my laundry. One load with all the colors together, maybe I’ll do that later.
Also in my past life I ate more normal meals, either at my parents’ house or my sister’s house. Sometimes I would cook, using groceries that someone else purchased. When I talk to my sister on the phone she usually asks me what I am planning on eating for the week. Cereal was on sale so yesterday I bought 8 boxes. Does that count? It’s not that I don’t know how to cook, I just can’t stay motivated. I’m really welcome to your suggestions.
I used to only socialize with my family, now I have friends. The problem with making friends is usually some level of small talk is involved. I don’t do well with small talk. I am so miserable answering the questions about myself that I really don’t think it is fair to turn them around onto the other person. Unfortunately, this makes me seem uninterested and one-sided. But don’t worry I have a trick. Say someone asks me what my hobbies are, I respond that I don’t have any with a sarcastic tone. See I honestly don’t have any but if I said that normally people would find out right away that I am a dork. But when the sarcasm is added they assume I am kidding and there is really something mysteriously cool about me. I know this sounds ridiculous but it totally works. I have the social life to prove it.
Last weekend I went with my roommate, April, to the town of Las Cruces in southern New Mexico. She’s from there and one of her nieces was having a 5th birthday party. I keep forgetting New Mexico is legitimately part of the US and that staying at someone’s house is not going to be like the crazy chicken house Luz and I visited in Mexico. I honestly considered bringing my own toilet paper, I’m glad I didn’t because that probably would have been offensive. Well the house was totally normal and the drive down and back was really pretty. New Mexico has tons of amazing rock formations and I took a picture.
I’m also adding a picture of my bedroom. It is huge and white. I made some flags to add some color and bought the chair. The chair was only $15 because it is peppered with burn holes and mystery animal hair and smells like an ashtray. Boy do I know how to barging hunt.
Now onto what you really care about…the weather. It’s really nice. The days are sunny and warm (between 80 and 90) and every night it cools off an average of 20 degrees. Last night I rode my bike home from class at 9:30 and it was perfect out. When I first moved here it was pretty humid out, you could tell because the doors in the house wouldn’t shut. Now it is dry out, I can tell because a) the doors in my house shut and b) my lips are constantly peeling.
That’s it for me.
Love, Joy
