Jan 8 - I Got Lost!

Last night it took me a long time fall asleep but it was nice sleeping on a bed, a real bed; not a seat on a plane or a hard hotel bed with one pillow a real bed. I woke up and thought 4.5 months. The time seems forever; FOR-EV-ER (if you have seen the movie Sandlot you should know how to read that last forever). But I know it will go quickly.

My "older brother" walked me to campus. The walk is actually very nice. It's not far. I pass a park and the weather is beautiful today. Sorry to anyone who has snow - it's 65 degrees and partly cloudy ;p  A lot of people have dogs. Dogs are all over the place! But the mornings are really pretty.

The orientation was... Overwhelming. The directors spoke and I felt like as soon as they finished I had a headache. The only thing that helps is that there are 19 of us all going through the same thing and I can speak to them whenever in both languages.

Now, before I start this next story I want you all to know that each day I blog on my iPod as things happen or shortly after they happen, which is why my blog is a little jumpy hopefully it will gain some fluidity and there will be less of a report as I gain a routine. But today I got lost, not "lost for five minutes" lost, but LOST. Like "Oh! Crap! I don't know where I'm going anymore" lost. Like "I don't speak the language very well" lost. Like "Is it worth and international phone call - No you can't call internationally because your phone is cut off and your professor doesn't give you your new cell phone until tonight!" lost. In case you were confused I am now home (I hope that much is obvious). But today after orientation, Prof. TenHuisen showed us around Oviedo (more walking) and then to his apartment. After we got books from his apartment he walked us back to campus. Some students walked on their own from his apartment, I have no idea how they did that, but good for them! At campus he asked the last of us if we knew how to get home. I said yes. Because I did - apparently just only to a certain point. I walked from campus crossed the street, walked down to the park, crossed through the park, walked along the street, down the steps and through the rest of the park then I reached  the corner at the end of the park and thought "Hmm. I don't know where to go." I walked to a nearby bus stop to stop and think. Nothing. I couldn't remember which direction I had come from earlier that day. I walked in all the different directions. I knew I was close. Really close. I just couldn't figure it out. I decided freaking out was not the answer. But I also couldn't walk in a circle for much longer, because someone would notice I was lost. I saw a young couple in a bank and thought what is safer than a bank. I ducked into the bank and pulled out my wallet that had my host family's address and phone number on it. I asked the woman if she had a phone. She tried to explain to me that down the street there was a pay phone for me to call, but I wasn't certain enough to just go, so instead I asked if she could just direct me to the address. Her husband came out to the street and told me that the street I was looking for was parallel to the one I was on. Parallel! I was one street over. He told me to go left at the intercestion and that was the street. I went left and immediately recognized the street. But of course I couldn't be sure without street signs...ugh! If I know enough to navigate, I think I can make it. I walked up to what I thought was my building but the key didn't work. Of course. The building looked right, but the ramp was on the other side. Then I walked farther up and there was another building that looked exactly like the other, and the key worked just fine. The door to the apartment took a minute to open, but I got in, took of my shoes and knew I had to blog you all. So that's what I did and here I am. I hope you all are reading. Leave comments! I'm posting this now even though it's only 2:30 here. I doubt anything more interesting will happen today, but no worries if it does I will definitely blog about it.

Until tomorrow.

Que Será, Será