this morning i am sitting at mcdonald's, along with a handful of retired old men talking about the Twins, waiting for my car to get fixed and trying to catch up on belated emails. today is the last day i have of freedom, my last day as a garfield... i will actually have to stay awake for at least ten hours a day from here on out. tomorrow i start my new job. to be honest, i am really nervous... mostly nervous that i won't like it. yesterday i moved back to minneapolis, more or less officially, and with the move came a host of doubts that i wasn't anticipating. i've realized how many friends i've lost over the last couple of years and how many people my age are married, engaged or pregnant. i miss my friends in kosice who all had mild to severe cases of Peter Pan syndrome.
until next time.
xoxo
13.2.12
4.2.12
high time for an update
as the title suggests, it has been too long since i've written. now i'm home in minnesota, and keeping a blog seems to be the definition of narcissism. however, i hope that my life will continue to hold surprises and adventures which are worth sharing with those i love.
a quick update on my last month in slovakia: it was HARD! it was so hard to say goodbye, and so hard to come to terms with the fact that i might not see some of these people ever again. to be honest, it is still really hard when i start entering those memories. i had a nice lunch with my colleagues from the school (at a great restaurant!), i had a nice dinner with my friend vesna, i had sweet goodbyes from my students... so many wonderful things.
valerie's boyfriend and friend came to visit for the last weekend. the week prior, valerie had told me that on saturday night her boyfriend had a big surprise planned for us. we kept trying to guess what it might be... honestly, i thought it would just be a nice dinner. that day, i went to my friends veronika and attila's flat because veronika, who is an artist, wanted to draw a portrait of me as a going-away gift. it was such a wonderful afternoon. even my friend, silvia, came over to keep us company. it was around 7:00 and i knew that i had to be back at my flat around 7:30 because valerie's boyfriend's big surprise was at 8:00... and he wanted us there at 7:30. i told my friends that i had to go, but they told me to wait for them because they were going to walk to the city to the KEKS office... so they could accompany me for part of the journey. we finally left AT 7:30, and i was a bit panicked because i knew i would be late. finally my friends and i parted ways, and i ran to the flat! when i entered, our door was locked and my key wouldn't open it (there was another key stuck in the lock). so i knocked and val's boyfriend opened the door. immediately something felt strange... so i asked where val was. he told me she was in the other room, so i opened the door and walked in to see ALLLL of my friends there waiting!! it was a big surprise party organized by Valerie!! of course, a couple of minutes later my friends veronika, attila and silvia joined as well (the portrait was just a ploy!). it was the most surprising surprise. i didn't even suspect it! a great, great gift.
leaving, as i mentioned earlier, was hard. the evening before i had a wonderful last-night with valerie and our friend, matej. we went to burekas and our favorite bar, tarantino. it was so good and so hard. then valerie and i spent the last hours dancing in the kitchen. the memory bring tears to my eyes because it was so much fun. finally, my friends olivier and antonio came to take me to the shuttle to budapest... wow. what hard goodbyes.
the journey home was the longest and worst ever. mostly because i was totally exhausted (i didn't sleep for something like 48 hours) and sitting next to smelly old women and crying babies. but finally, after arriving home, i slept like a rock. and the saturday after my arrival, i went to willmar where my friend, eva, was surprised by a proposal. it was wonderful to see her and her fiance and to congratulate them on their engagement in person!
and looking forward... i start working in about a week! i'm so thankful to have a job waiting for me. now i'm just looking for a place to live (wish me luck!)
until next time!
a quick update on my last month in slovakia: it was HARD! it was so hard to say goodbye, and so hard to come to terms with the fact that i might not see some of these people ever again. to be honest, it is still really hard when i start entering those memories. i had a nice lunch with my colleagues from the school (at a great restaurant!), i had a nice dinner with my friend vesna, i had sweet goodbyes from my students... so many wonderful things.
valerie's boyfriend and friend came to visit for the last weekend. the week prior, valerie had told me that on saturday night her boyfriend had a big surprise planned for us. we kept trying to guess what it might be... honestly, i thought it would just be a nice dinner. that day, i went to my friends veronika and attila's flat because veronika, who is an artist, wanted to draw a portrait of me as a going-away gift. it was such a wonderful afternoon. even my friend, silvia, came over to keep us company. it was around 7:00 and i knew that i had to be back at my flat around 7:30 because valerie's boyfriend's big surprise was at 8:00... and he wanted us there at 7:30. i told my friends that i had to go, but they told me to wait for them because they were going to walk to the city to the KEKS office... so they could accompany me for part of the journey. we finally left AT 7:30, and i was a bit panicked because i knew i would be late. finally my friends and i parted ways, and i ran to the flat! when i entered, our door was locked and my key wouldn't open it (there was another key stuck in the lock). so i knocked and val's boyfriend opened the door. immediately something felt strange... so i asked where val was. he told me she was in the other room, so i opened the door and walked in to see ALLLL of my friends there waiting!! it was a big surprise party organized by Valerie!! of course, a couple of minutes later my friends veronika, attila and silvia joined as well (the portrait was just a ploy!). it was the most surprising surprise. i didn't even suspect it! a great, great gift.
leaving, as i mentioned earlier, was hard. the evening before i had a wonderful last-night with valerie and our friend, matej. we went to burekas and our favorite bar, tarantino. it was so good and so hard. then valerie and i spent the last hours dancing in the kitchen. the memory bring tears to my eyes because it was so much fun. finally, my friends olivier and antonio came to take me to the shuttle to budapest... wow. what hard goodbyes.
the journey home was the longest and worst ever. mostly because i was totally exhausted (i didn't sleep for something like 48 hours) and sitting next to smelly old women and crying babies. but finally, after arriving home, i slept like a rock. and the saturday after my arrival, i went to willmar where my friend, eva, was surprised by a proposal. it was wonderful to see her and her fiance and to congratulate them on their engagement in person!
and looking forward... i start working in about a week! i'm so thankful to have a job waiting for me. now i'm just looking for a place to live (wish me luck!)
until next time!
2.1.12
happy new year
it's 2012. can you believe it? i can. 2011 was a long year. it was good, it was rocky, it was refining... but it was long. as the year turned, i was lying in bed after spending the evening with my parents, reading a juvenile lit sensation: the hunger games. no pity necessary, however. i fully expected that this new year's would be quiet, lame and boring: i was just thankful that it was neither heart-breaking nor disappointing. it was safe and simple, themes which seem to be running stronger and stronger in my life. so much of 2011 was spent aching for the things which i couldn't have, mourning hopes which were dashed, and picking up the pieces of disappointed dreams. coming "of age" is a painful process, but a process which (i DO believe!) will reap fruit one day. some of this fruit has already been reaped, when i think about the past few months of simplicity and safety which i pursued in slovakia. deciding that happiness ought to be a choice, i learned how to take full pleasure in chocolate, a good conversation with a friend, and quiet, peaceful mornings. of course life still brought lemons, a particularly sour one just recently, but i feel like i'm learning how to deal with these lemons rather than succumbing to their sting. at least i hope that's the case...
on to the more concrete realities of life the past few weeks, in reverse chronology: last week, before taking katie to the airport, i was able to spend a short evening with my two friends jesse and nick! i was so excited to spend time with people besides my family (sorry, wilson clan) that i may have overwhelmed them with my enthusiasm. regardless, i appreciated the moments with them and the opportunity to hear about their lives over the past six months. after a day of chaotic and rushed shopping with my sister, i also was able to spend some time with my friend, luke. it was a rare opportunity to just hang out like old friends-- the kind of simple and sweet moments which feel increasingly sparse these days.
before heading up to minneapolis, my family and i spent a few days in alexandria. for months my parents had been teasing me with a "big" surprise. torturous is the only word i can think to describe the agonizing months spent trying to decode their communication for any hint of what the surprise could be. christmas morning, we were given small, house shaped boxes with a vial of sand and sea shells placed inside. my first thought was "we're going to mexico!", followed by sheer disappointment when i recognized the shells were from the lake beaches of alexandria, and not cancun. a few days spent in alexandria isn't such a big surprise; however, the surprise was that my parents BOUGHT a CABIN on lake darling! it's a dream our family has had for ages, and it was finally realized. and, i must say, it's a beautiful cabin and one which (i'm sure) will be enjoyed for years to come.
before christmas, i spent an evening with my dear friend, eva. it was so wonderful to see her, exchange gifts, laugh and talk about all things trivial and profound. the thing i love the most about eva is that we can talk about everything from nail color to aristotle's virtue ethics. i was also able to spend an afternoon watching hockey with my other dear friend, erica. everything about her makes me feel happy and inspired. there are few people on this earth with as good of a heart as erica, and i am so thankful that despite my transience and (at times) flightiness, she is stable and loyal enough to unquestionably remain my friend. needless to say, the afternoon i spent with her... and eventually with her husband as well... was treasured.
finally, before leaving slovakia for christmas, i spent an evening in budapest with my friend valerie and her boyfriend fabio (patrick). i love spending time with this couple because they are SO in love. i left early in the morning and had a seamless, easy flight back to the US, even though i lost a piece of luggage. after landing, i plopped a bow on my head and headed down the escalator to be greeted by my parents-- and to wish my dad a happy 54th birthday!
and now, three weeks after arriving back home, i am preparing to return back to slovakia for a short three weeks. i'm excited for what life will bring after slovakia, but i'm nervous to say the farewells which will be so difficult to say.
all for now. i hope that this blog entry finds you all enjoying the first hours of your new year.
love,
anna
on to the more concrete realities of life the past few weeks, in reverse chronology: last week, before taking katie to the airport, i was able to spend a short evening with my two friends jesse and nick! i was so excited to spend time with people besides my family (sorry, wilson clan) that i may have overwhelmed them with my enthusiasm. regardless, i appreciated the moments with them and the opportunity to hear about their lives over the past six months. after a day of chaotic and rushed shopping with my sister, i also was able to spend some time with my friend, luke. it was a rare opportunity to just hang out like old friends-- the kind of simple and sweet moments which feel increasingly sparse these days.
before heading up to minneapolis, my family and i spent a few days in alexandria. for months my parents had been teasing me with a "big" surprise. torturous is the only word i can think to describe the agonizing months spent trying to decode their communication for any hint of what the surprise could be. christmas morning, we were given small, house shaped boxes with a vial of sand and sea shells placed inside. my first thought was "we're going to mexico!", followed by sheer disappointment when i recognized the shells were from the lake beaches of alexandria, and not cancun. a few days spent in alexandria isn't such a big surprise; however, the surprise was that my parents BOUGHT a CABIN on lake darling! it's a dream our family has had for ages, and it was finally realized. and, i must say, it's a beautiful cabin and one which (i'm sure) will be enjoyed for years to come.
before christmas, i spent an evening with my dear friend, eva. it was so wonderful to see her, exchange gifts, laugh and talk about all things trivial and profound. the thing i love the most about eva is that we can talk about everything from nail color to aristotle's virtue ethics. i was also able to spend an afternoon watching hockey with my other dear friend, erica. everything about her makes me feel happy and inspired. there are few people on this earth with as good of a heart as erica, and i am so thankful that despite my transience and (at times) flightiness, she is stable and loyal enough to unquestionably remain my friend. needless to say, the afternoon i spent with her... and eventually with her husband as well... was treasured.
finally, before leaving slovakia for christmas, i spent an evening in budapest with my friend valerie and her boyfriend fabio (patrick). i love spending time with this couple because they are SO in love. i left early in the morning and had a seamless, easy flight back to the US, even though i lost a piece of luggage. after landing, i plopped a bow on my head and headed down the escalator to be greeted by my parents-- and to wish my dad a happy 54th birthday!
and now, three weeks after arriving back home, i am preparing to return back to slovakia for a short three weeks. i'm excited for what life will bring after slovakia, but i'm nervous to say the farewells which will be so difficult to say.
all for now. i hope that this blog entry finds you all enjoying the first hours of your new year.
love,
anna
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