first days

Day one was a bit rough. I was tired, emotionally overwrought, and dehydrated. But I took my mother's advice and slept it off, and days two and three have been infinitely better.

This is my school, the nexus of my universe after July 21. I believe it is roughly a twenty minute walk from my apartment. Yesterday I put on comfy shoes and hiked all up and down this road, checking out furniture stores and restaurants and supermarkets and bicycle shops.


Today I decided to broaden my exploration. I took the "T" (Boston's subway system) about thirty minutes to the public library. My geekiness paid off, though, when two sixty-year old Italian men stopped me inside to tell me first in Italian, and then in English "You're gah-geous!" And as I walked away, one said to his friend very loudly, "Now that was a woman! Did you see that woman?" Ha! Inappropriate, probably. Flattering, absolutely.

Anyway, I successfully got myself from the library to a stationer a few blocks away, and then popped in a few tantalizing but pricey stores (Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel) before the blisters on my feet became prohibitive. Here I am at the T station, waiting to return home. And yes, my eyes always have circles under them, even when I'm well-rested.

And later, I met Susan Bensen for dinner. We went to this tiny little sushi bar called Snappy Sushi. It had few but fabulous vegetarian options including portobello mushroom sushi with basil and red peppers. Yum! And all their sushi is made with brown rice - a first for me! I finished off the evening with the chocolatiest chocolate ice cream I've had in my life. On the whole, it's been a splendid day.

Soon I'll give you pics of my roommates Eva and Nikkii (delightful women), and of my room (beautiful in essentials, but sorely lacking furniture),

Wish me luck! Tomorrow the great and terrible church hunt begins. I deplore this process.