I had an amazing day today, and it always goes back to the power of positivity. I've been getting overwhelmed lately with the amount of "back home" responsibilities I'm having to maintain from 1000 miles away. It's nearly impossible to imagine finding a house for the lake this summer or Columbia in the fall from Buenos Aires. Yet, I'm not the type to just let someone else decide my fate for me. On top of that, I'm really nervous about the responsibility of providing Anna, my CoMo roommate with the trip of a lifetime! I mean, she paid $1500 for a flight to see me; it better be one hell of a trip! We also have our first two essays due the 25th, and class registration for my SENIOR year of college is coming up soon. See what I mean?
Today's biggest obstacle was trying to get my taxes and FAFSA done before the March 1 deadline. Pretty much all my school is paid for by financial aid, and my life changes dramatically for the worst if I don't get this application in on time. Mizzou has a ton of red tape about giving information to other people, and I don't have a phone, so I couldn't have been more stressed.
I started feeling like this trip might not have been worth all the money and the hundreds of hours of work that have gone into planning it. Luckily, I got a pep talk from Alyssa, who put things into perspective for me, when I realized I'm not doing ANY of the "get what you give" actions I preached before I left. My life had been so balanced and calm before because I made an active decision every day to see the best in life. True, it's much more difficult here with no familiar friends or coping mechanisms, but why haven't I been meditating or staying positive?
Kylie came in as sidekick roommate number two of the day and made me an awesome playlist with only happy songs. She is one of the most positive, optimistic people I know. I must admit, I was a little nervous for an over-the-top Bieber mania playlist, but it was just what I needed. I don't know why, but most of the music I've been listening to lately has just made me homesick. This is tragic when music has never failed to be what gets me through anything. I was not only lacking happy music but late nights of driving around listening to my favorite songs screaming along at the top of my lungs. It's the perfect anecdote to any foul mood. So as we managed to be somewhat productive, we sang along to oldie-but-goodies like Hanson. Oh yeah, take me back to 3rd grade bliss.
We ended the evening with a Día de los Enamorados celebration of pasta, champagne, strawberries, and chocolate. To top things off, Kansas lost in basketball to Kansas State. M-I-Z! I finally feel cleansed of all my negative energy, and can't wait to start the workweek tomorrow.
For all the reminiscing I do about being with friends back home, I couldn't be more grateful for the patient, caring, supportive roommates I've been blessed to have here on this sometimes overwhelming journey.
Hasta luego,
Amelia
"The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispostions and not on our circumstances." -Martha Washington
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