So I totally forgot about this page.  I've been home for a few weeks now and it's been pretty nice.  I wonder when next semester starts...  Oh well.  I've got time for that when I'm not being addicted to warcraft again.  Yeah, I know.  I'm working on that whole "get a life" thing.

One surprise I found when I came back home:  4 dollar a gallon gas.  I'm getting a bike.

I'm doing a study abroad thing.  The reason I'm doing it is because I was told it would knock off an entire semester later, which is good because I've already finished my fourth year of college.  I thought it was a great plan.  I would still be getting out later than four years, but I would only have to go to Christmas instead of next May.  That way I could get out, quit being a burden to my parents, find a job and maybe help pay for my brother's school.  I talked to my professor repeatedly about it and he assured me that this trip would get my minor completely out of the way before Christmas.  8 weeks here and in his e-mail, he sounds surprised that I thought I would be graduating.  So I looked at the math on my transcript.  There is no way this trip would have let me graduate by Christmas.  It's impossible.

That hurt.  That hurt bad.  I felt like a fool and a failure.  I haven't been depressed on this trip, but for most of it I've let myself remain in a festering pity party, and this just broke me.  I couldn't find any of my friends and nobody back home was online.  It was the worst I had ever felt.  I asked God to send me somebody.  Anybody could have made me feel better at that point.  I remembered I'm one of two or three christians on this trip and got a pain in my stomach accompanied by the thought "there's no one to send".  I felt like it would be a good time to take a walk.  I walked into the inner city and went into the first bar I passed.  And ordered a coke.  Because I know better.

The bartender was an Italian named Roberto.  By my accent he could tell that I was American and spoke English with me.  I honestly don't even remember what we talked about, it was just nice to speak English with a new face.  I don't know why, but after a few minutes he said, wait here.  He went into the back room and came back with two shots.  I had absolutely no desire to drink, but my new friend was being nice to me, so I did.  It was very good.  The only reason I say that is because he gave me a free drink that was probably expensive.  He left to attend to other people at the bar for a while and I went back to sip on my coke.  After a while, I got up to leave.  I shook his hand and turned to leave.  He held on to my arm and said "young man, I wish you success."  It warmed my heart.

I asked God to send me someone.  My prayer was answered.  I know it's possible for God to use people that aren't Christian, but I doubt He did in this case.  So, Roberto.  I may not see you before I leave, but I will definitely see you in heaven.  I hope there is alcohol up there, only so that when we see each other again I can buy you a drink.  I wish you success, too.

Ok, so.  I don't really want to rant about not liking it here.  Instead, I will take the more uplifting approach by making a list of all of the little things I have to look forward to in America. 

1) Back home I know how to spell America.  Here it has a k.
2) A friend of mine wants me to go with her to a boffer larp.  Sadly, she's not christian, so nothing more than flirts will come of it, but it will be my first boffer.  I'm quite excited.
3) My little brother and I have plans for a modded nerf gun war.  It shall be epic.  I'm 21 and he's 18, so were a bit too old for this to not make us losers, but that little bugger is going down!
4) Chocolate skittles.  I found them right before I left.
5) Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2 for the DS.  I've played the snot out of the first one for years now.  The sequel has just come out.  I could buy it here, but I'm not going to get a video game in another language.  Again.