Dodging a (figurative) bullet

After a flurry of emails, several doses of Excedrin, and much nail-biting, my scheduling problems have finally been resolved. My program director has agreed to bump up the unit count for my classes with extra work, so I have narrowly avoided the shame of being dropped from the study abroad program and the ensuing calamity.

Being incredibly relieved, I promptly tossed myself with gusto into the girl’s night out I’d planned with Shelley and Diana that evening. It had originally been intended as a forget-your-troubles night out, but I think you can agree a celebrating-the-narrow-avoidance-of-disaster night out is much better, yes? Yes.

In any case, we went out to the same bar we’d invaded on my birthday, and quickly graduated from ordering singles to doubles (happy hour was coming to a close, can you blame us?) and hoarding the glowsticks that came with our drinks.

I can’t express how relieved I am. Cheesy as it is, I suddenly feel like I’m living in Technicolor after months of gray. Having the school business fixed, winter coming to an end, and the realization that I’m past the halfway point of this trip is all giving me the urge to live it up.

Well-wishes from a friend. 5 days left

Last night a package from Veronica arrived, containing a 2009 travel guide to Paris, a beautiful journal, a self-sharpening pencil and a letter wishing me luck.

The last time I saw her, we met at the mall on Powell, and over lunch we discussed the upcoming changes in our lives: she’s done with school and looking for a career, I’m moving to Paris for the next ten months. It shouldn’t be surprising to learn that our conversation centered mostly on fear of growing up and of the unknown. I distinctly remember her making me swear to her that I’ll try new things.

“We have to be fearless, Claudia, fearless!” she said. It still makes me laugh thinking about it.

We first met almost two years ago, in French Composition class. I was feeling incredibly intimidated and uncertain. I hadn’t had any real French instruction since high school—about four years ago—and the S.F. campus was huge and everyone seemed to know each other and the professor was talking entirely in French (and entirely too fast). Even after I got to know my classmates’ names, I still kept quiet because sometimes I can be shy and it’s not always easy for me to make friends. I sat back and watched people instead, and there were a lot of interesting people in that class, some annoying, some nice, and a few who went on to become good friends of mine.

Veronica is one of those people. She’s one of those very lovely girls who can look cool and remote, but once you get to know her, you find out she’s smart and has a truly goofy sense of humor. Though it was pretty much the same people in our classes from one semester to the next, it wasn’t until my fourth semester that Vero and I become good friends, and I learned that my first day at SFSU was her first day as well—and that she had moved here from SoCal without knowing anyone, away from her family and friends and into an unfamiliar city, because she knew it was what was best for her.

I’m taking a page out of your book, V. Fearless. I promise.

Last-minute female bonding. 6 days left

Went into the city today to see Angelica, mostly so that I could trail her around downtown S.F. while she shopped for some new school clothes.

I did not do the laundry like I said I would.

But laundry can wait, I figured, since I won't see any of my friends (except, of course, for Aurelia) for a year. So fifteen minutes after I bolted out of bed, I was on my way to BART and in the city before 11 a.m. Once Angelica arrived we proceeded to Forever 21, a store I generally dislike because of it slave-to-trends feel. Unfortunately for my wallet, one of the biggest color trends this year has been purple—of all shades but mostly a rich, royal purple—which just happens to be my favorite color.

I think you can guess what happened. Since I so rarely find clothes I actually like given my pickyness, I couldn't resist the allure of of the sweater and t-shirt I found that were perfect. However, it wasn't all pleasant surprises finding attractive clothes in a store I normally avoid; there was still plenty to laugh at, as evinced by this...thing, this lunatic layered blouse combo we saw that left me nearly speechless.

I'm just gonna let that cacophony of color sink in.

It's a personal theory of mine that a certain percentage of the S.F. population—not a big one, but significant enough to be noticed—is more interested in cultivating an appearance that is unique rather than actually attractive. Another exellent example of this is the pair of shoes we saw later in Nordstrom's, of all places:

If you're wondering, then yes, those are indeed holes. In the shoes which no doubt cost at least $50.

The most amusing part of all of this, of course, was that Angelica knows me so well that I hardly needed to explain my horror to her. She's a people watcher, just like me, and she always knows what I'm thinking.


I'm really going to miss you while I'm away, Angelica.