a good quote

“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be." Marcel Pagnol

On Living Alone

Living alone is still not fun. Days have been rather decent but coming home at dinnertime to an empty place is rather depressing.

I've decided that I'm not going to wait for people to make plans for me, though. I took some initiative to call a friend to go out tonight. I am not really feeling a bar/dancing scene. I don't think I'm comfortable going out without Jairo knowing or being with me, but I guess it's just because it's new. Times like these I miss Starbucks, Higher Grounds and the like...anywhere, really, that has a place to hang out after work but before people hit bars/clubs.

Leavin the house at 9:30 pm doesn't really appeal to me as it has basically been my bedtime lately. But I am going to try and go at it with a positive attitude.

At least it sounds like there is a cool storm brewing...better grab an umbrella.

Grown-Up Style...

If being a grown-up means trying to manage paying tons of money for an apartment and food, doing your own laundry, and being alone a good portion of the day when you aren't at work...I don't want to be one. I don't miss college, but I do miss communal living. This does not come as a surprise to me as I am a super-social person and I've never really sought out "alone-time." But this is the beginning, so I am hoping that I get used to this or find ways to fill my time or make friends so that it isn't alone-time anymore. Only time will tell.

I have discovered that my tupperware containers do not keep out ants. This is disturbing. I guess I'm going to have to store everything in the fridge. Also...the ants are garbage-divers. Which means I currently have an entire colony on a two-way highway between my garbage can full of the crackers they broke into in the tupperware and wherever they call home.

Lusbin showed me the plans he received for an addition to a structure here in Sámara. Seeing the plans, sections, and elevations made me realize how little I may know about construction. I can understand what the drawings say and mean. But how on earth does one go about ordering everything that they need to do once they have them? I think there is a schedule somewhere probably (I only saw the page he was reviewing) but it scared me a bit, to be honest. Sometimes I wonder if I really learned anything at all.

I like designing. But for me, my excitement tends to stop at the schematic phase. Beyond that, I'd rather be on the receiving end, learning how to build it once the detailed drawings are completed. I guess that's a cop-out.

It's only 8:30 and I'm tired. I think the reality is that I'm alone and therefore don't recognize how fast or slow time is passing. It's been dark since I got home.

I need a shopping list. Starting with dish soap and toilet paper. And shampoo. You'd be amazed what a difference using Costa-Rican-bought shampoo makes for your hair in cold-water showers!

Had a celebration for "Children's Day" (which is technically September 9th) today, on Grandparents' Day. I found that amusing.

So many children around give one both joy and frustration. When you spend enough time with the same kids, you see the bad side. I think seeing the bad (no matter how small an amount) is enough to keep me from ever having children. Just saying.

Back to work tomorrow. I'm slightly nervous. Even though I was on vacation, I feel guilty for not answering emails and such. I think that's the 19 years of schooling in me that say if you have things to get done you stay up til they are done by the deadline...and with no deadline...it automatically becomes "it needed to be done yesterday"-esque. I need to just breathe. This is a stressful job, but I am still learning. It will get better as I go.