03/04/06 vs. 04/03/06

not much is going on, and subsequently i am in philosophical mode.

this time one year ago, i was on a plane to london doing four things: 1) shaking my head, wondering what in the hell i was thinking, 2) cursing myself for not packing enough socks, surely the 3rd most important belonging when taking a 3-4m journey, 3) staring at maps of the london underground, attempting to memorize the walk to my hostel and 4) cursing myself (again) for leaving my wallet in the chicago o-hare airport (MOR-on).

i am going to treat the next 3-4 months like another journey. the previous 8 months here have felt like a trip of sorts, but i'd like to be more conscientious about it. there a lot of things ive been wanting to work on, and it feels that now is the perfect time to try them all over again. won't have visitors for a while, hospital mess is seemingly over for a bit and the days are getting longer. subsequently, i there will be more hours in the day to do what i want to do.

i'd also like to read each journal entry on the corresponding traveling day. ive forgotten a lot, it seems, and the memory would like to be triggered.

god i miss that trip. and i am so happy that i freaking did it. cant believe it was a year ago.

* * *

today is also a big day due to stacey's birth and lofty accomplishments. she turns thoity today, and also started her job with the sweetest architecture firm in all the land. i am incredibly happy for her, feel super super lucky to have her in my life and immensely glad that she had enough balls to ask for my phone number in a bar.

sat night we went out to celebrate the aforementioned events. and might i add, i looked gooooood. all the kids were like, "um, jen? jen? um, jen?." yeeees. ha - i dont think i looked "good" per se, but i was wearing makeup, "did my hair" and was wearing a "sultry top" - not to mention three inch heals. all the girls did though, which was super fun considering we never, EVER dress up. but certainly overshadowing the fancy garb was the immense amount of fun had that evening. stacey's friends (as mine) seem to inevitably stem from all walks of life - we all do different things, look differently, dress differently - but are seemingly witty, seemingly interesting, respectful, like chatting as long as its intelligent (in most cases) and love stacey. so it was super fun.

but i shall never make the transition from 1.7 years of tennis shoes to 3 inch heels in one go. ever ever again. i need a smoother transition.

* * *

love you all. seriously and really. hope things are going well. although i am closer to you than i was a year ago (geographically and other ways: thank you, time), remembering the trip reminds me of the different sort of way i wished for you to be around while i was traveling - and results in my looking so very forward to seeing you again. remembering that trip makes me remember in a different (and strangely indescribable) way of how much i heart you.

* * *



and this thing is real.

my friend reena, who is currently doing her phd research outside a few hours outside of mumbai, sent out this photo from her house over there. apparently, these things hang out on her front porch con-stant-ly, like stray cats but with more energy. yeeeees. i miss her a lot too. argh. (di and martha - i think you met her at my bday party at in the house of men last year).

* * *

love love love and 03/04/06 wins,

jen