Show Yourself Friendly (but you don't have to befriend everyone!)

I checked my flip-phone for the hundredth time, it was still working and no, I had not missed a call, so I opened up my email account, but there too a familiar sight of "O New Messages" stared me in the face. Feeling rather disconsolate, I decided to go in to "town," a 15 minute brisk walk down Main Street to a small plaza with a few rinky-dink high-priced stores. I had been gearing up my courage all afternoon, but wasn't quite enthusiastic about the thought. However, it was almost 6:30 and I had another 3-4 hours of time to kill, so I thought, "might as well," pulled my small rolling suitcase out from under my bed and prepared for the trek.

Three hours later I sat on my bed, smiling, as I looked at the $5 sheet, mattress cover and pillow case that now adorned a very green mattress. I had replenished my mini-mandarin, extra crisp gala apple, and just-ripe banana supply and down in the kitchen, three plastic containers contained baby carrots, cucumbers and a green pepper. Black sharpie letters "maria L" inscribed across every one of them laid claim to my belongings. I had snacks, lotion, chocolate!, black socks, a small paring knife, a mini cutting board, a miniature brush and pan for dust, and my prize find: a gallon plastic storage container for water. I had everything I had put on my list and more! This time in town I decided to check out Family Dollar, an inflated version of The Dollar Store but it carried more items. I soon filled my basket (and wish now I had gone there first last week, but oh well!) and then popped next door to Shaws to get my fresh fruits and vegetables. I happily paid with ATM and got the maximum cash back, $20 in each store, thinking how I now had enough cash for another 8 meals. Students get a 10% discount for their meals, which I unfortunately did not know the first week I ate in the caf, so I can get my plated meal for $5 instead of $5.25, but oh well, what's a quarter?

I paid $35 for linens when I came, which included a towel set, pillow, "foam blanket," sheet and fitted sheet. Unfortunately all the elastic was gone from the fitted sheet, which has been driving me crazy because I wake up in the middle of the night with half the sheet off the mattress and I have to re-make my bed every single morning and evening (my bed is also my study room). I'd been dying to get another fitted sheet and was prepared to pay. When I went down the last aisle in Family Dollar, I was ecstatic to see sheet sets. I was in euphoria when I found one for $5!!! Okay, so it is 180 thread count and if I'm not careful, I'll probably break the elastic in this one, and it feels cheap but I DON'T CARE!!! I have a nice looking bed again, I put the new fitted sheet over the old one so it keeps it on nice and tight, and it even matches my "foam blanket!" So I'm happy. It's funny, I've probably spent at least $50 or more on household items, but I like my comfort and if I have to be living here for another 5 weeks, I am jolly well going to live in style!

I'm making friends and I'm happy about that :) Heidi, the mom in my class who is also on my team for group presentations, is super friendly and I sat with her at lunch today. She talked my ear off, sharing all about her life, and I didn't mind. Joan, my roommate, is very sweet. She is usually terribly busy, either in the library or the computer lab, but when we are in the same room at the same time, she likes to chat. Rosemary, Dr. Trott's secretary, is very helpful and friendly too and likes to give me all kinds of advice about doing different classes for Chaplaincy. I don't know what her name is, but there is a sweet Eastern European lady who takes my money at lunchtime and makes sure I have my juice and slice of bread and salad. I see Dorothy, the RA and a nursing major, every now and then and we exchange smiles. Finally, there's Vladimir, the Filipino Theology/Nursing senior who serves my lunch and is very outgoing and helpful. I realized today that I don't have to be friends with everyone and everyone doesn't have to like me. It's okay to be me, someone who observes the culture quietly for a time, and slowly befriends people who are most like me and with whom I am most comfortable with (Sherry!!!). That's a big relief to realize! Well it's almost 10 so I shall say goodnight :)