1/13/2013

January 13, 2013

Today is the fifth day since returning to Colorado after a relaxing, fulfilling break and the third time I have transitioned from home life to the day-to-day on Clearview Avenue. The first wave arrives in the morning following my first night. My system is shocked when I realize that I am not in a basement and do not take my memorized course of trudging upstairs and turning on the tea kettle (unless a beautiful person has the water hot upon arrival). Where is the close feeling of sitting rather silently on the couch with a morning news show on? Where’s my hug? Does no one care how I slept? Solitude, while not altogether unpleasant, takes some getting used to. The second helping of transition is more pleasant. I feel more functional here in Fort Collins. I can walk to tens of excellent restaurants, coffee shops, stores. I feel invigorated and ready to take on new work and studies (most of the time). That feeling is a refreshing one.

For example, last night a friend and I walked in to an amazing place because our original destination was closed. The restaurant is called Ras’ka (which means ‘King’ in Ethiopian) and the owner’s name is Hanna. At first we found out that the place had closed 30 minutes earlier and was hosting a private gathering, but my friend knew someone in the restaurant. This gained us entrance – funny how all of these things just fell into place. The food was especially delicious due to the well-orchestrated spices used in and on everything. Somehow the food was light and hearty all at once. Hanna secured us some of the wine from the gathering and we sat for hours talking to her about sorrow, being in nature, and how people live in other parts of the world. Seeing as the place could only fit around a dozen people in the first place, it is no surprise that when I left I felt very close to the people I was leaving. Not many places wish you well with a hug after dinner.

Some new things I’ve been doing:
-Watching the West Wing religiously
-Complaining about the cold weather (3 degrees? Oh, come on!)
-Making chili (Not too shabby for the first go around – did I mention that Rachel has a crock pot??)
-Been pissed about having to purchase a $60 used Mac charger (definite strike against apple)
-Meaning to write more posts (sorry mom)