100 days ago, I stepped onto a plane in Cleveland. 100 days already. That's insane. I ought to reflect on that somehow, probably. Friends and family from back home, I do love and miss you dearly. I'm immeasurably grateful for the technology that enables me to communicate regularly with you and see your faces. When I was still in NEO I was feeling stuck and a bit played out, and yes, I did need an adventure and a change. But, guys, I don't know. There's a little bit of Baggins in me, I think.
"In his (my) heart, Frodo (Michelle) is still in love with the Shire (Ohio). The woods, the fields... little rivers." I might very well be a Baggins who goes on adventures and has a wonderful time, and then comes home at long last to the place that, inside, I never really left. In 600 days, you may well see me at a bar on East 4th, pre-gaming for - well, I guess the Cavs, since it'd be December. This all sounds absolutely ridiculously cheesy and sappy and I'm sure I'll look at it in a halfhour and be embarrassed for myself. But there it is. Home is a very beautiful thing. Or maybe I'm a Hopeless Wanderer who hasn't yet learned to fully love the skies I'm under (thank you, Mumford and Sons). Maybe in 600 days I'll be getting ready to start a job in London. I don't have the depth of relationships here that I left back home, but only time can bring that. I've been extrodinarily gifted with the people I have around me. I honestly did not expect such a multi-faceted, familial group of classmates. I also did not realize how incredibly lucky I was when I found replied to that email on Gumtree. Erin, you better be reading this because you're getting a straight-up shout-out. My living situation is absolutely ideal - and having experienced some less-than-ideal living situations in the past, that's not an easy thing to come by. I am very fortunate. So who knows where things will go. It's only been 100 days. But it's got to be a better thing to want multiple things badly than to not know what you want, right? Although it may be more acutely painful. And I still have 600 days, so there's no reason to decide now! Happy news: I think I'm finally locking back in and hitting my stride on this whole academic thing. Once again, my theory about thriving in high-pressure/testing situations is upheld. On an unrelated note, my first voice lesson is on Saturday and I'm absolutely ecstatic about it. Also a little nervous. He has some big shoes to fill, and this may be the most daunting part of adjusting to new life in a new country. I'm trusting this man with my voice, therefore a large part of my soul. We'll see how it goes!
