Goodbye, California

Tonight's my last night in California, and I really am going to miss it. Even though I was home for a solid month, it really feels like I just got here. I can't believe I'll be in class again in three days. SO surreal.

I did not have much time to rest this break, but it was still great. I went running outside for the first time in months. I went to the beach and saw breaking waves. I caught up with old friends, including one very old friend who I'm extremely happy is back in my life. I started enjoying hot yoga, and went at least once almost every day. I'm now so much more flexible than when I arrived in CA it's ridiculous, and the instructors at the studio now know me by name. I also took the plunge and went vegan (22 days and counting), which I know will be much harder to maintain in Baltimore in the winter.

I wonder what returning to Baltimore will be like after this respite. There will be jet lag, of course, and the shock of having to take care of things like groceries. But what about bigger differences? Will I be able to keep up veganism on the East Coast? Can I afford a regular membership at a yoga studio? Will I keep working out every day? Or were these changes just part of my vacation?

I don't feel ready for 3rd quarter to start. Unlike previous terms, I'm now more nervous than excited about my schedule. I have four classes I am required to take and a fifth class that's "helpful" for my dissertation (Molecular Epidemiology) and therefore encouraged to take first year, plus the arsenic research project I started last quarter. I got essentially nothing done on the arsenic project over the break, but my boss was really understanding. I thought she would flip out that I had been a flake over vacation and then been too incompetent to make up for the lost time, but she was very nice about it, and I think it will be fine. As Julian of Norwich says, "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." It's even possible that I might start getting paid for the arsenic work next quarter, which would be AWESOME and would make a yoga membership much more financially doable.

The other thing that's going to start in earnest next quarter is the hunt for my next apartment. I'm going to start scoping out neighborhoods more carefully and figure out whether I really want to stay in Baltimore city (maybe rooming with Andrew in Fells), or move to Silver Spring (a DC suburb) with Tayler and take a longer commute to school, or move to Owings Mills (a quiet Baltimore suburb) and ride the underground railroad directly to work. At this point I'm leaning towards Silver Spring and the proximity to DC, but I should check out the apartment complexes and see if any feel right and are affordable. Jesse sent me a really helpful email describing her apartment hunt there, but I really should go see the places for myself.

That's all for now. The next post will probably be from Baltimore. Goodnight, California! It was nice to see you again!