Ok, this might completely strange and insignificant to some people, but it made me ridiculously happy! I had a couple of errands to run today--WalMart to pick up my contacts and photos, and Office Max to get my Algebra book shrink wrapped (more on that later!)--and they're kind of on opposite sides of Salem. Ok, maybe they're not really OPPOSITE, but to get to Wal Mart you go left from school, and to get to Office Max, you go right. That's opposite in my mind. So I pretty much figured that I'd go to Wal Mart and drive all the way back to school and then to Office Max because I didn't know any other way to get there. In other words, do a LOT of driving. I was pretty sure that there WAS an easier way to get there, but I for sure didn't know it. So I go to WalMart, am frustrated because my pictures aren't there yet (they said they'd be in yesterday!) and on the way sit in construction on Turner Rd for a long time. Grrrr, right? So I decided to be brave and try to find a different way to Office Max that avoided going back through the construction.
Yeah, I'm a brave one. :)
In the back of my mind, I figured I'd get on the freeway, drive north another exit or so, and hopefully hit the Lancaster exit. So I get on the highway, trying to find the exit for I-5 North (I'm still getting used to the fact that Portland is "north" from here!) and I see it. The sign says "Lancaster Drive 3/4 mi." I don't even have to get on the freeway!! So I successfully navigated the lane changes and crazy Oregon drivers, got on Lancaster, found Office Max, and got my book shrink-wrapped, all without getting back on the freeway OR having to sit through construction traffic again!
GO ME!
Yes, I know it's silly, but to me it was a very profound moment. I think I kind of proved to myself that I really am going to be ok and survive here. I am finding my way around in a semi-new and strange town, doing what I need to do in everyday life all on my own, without my parents and friends. I dropped my math class this morning, which was totally stressing me out, and enrolled in a missions class called Global Perspectives, rounding out my semester at 15 credits. My planner is full of notes and empty check boxes, but that's ok too, because I have an organized list of everything that needs to be done, my desk is clean, my bed is made, and I am ready to tackle that list. If I get it all done in a reasonable amount of time, Kelli and I are going to watch "The Italian Job" tonight. :)
But in 40 minutes I have a Young Life meeting to go to, which I'm super excited about too. I really really want to get involved in Young Life here. And oh yes! About that shrink-wrapped Algebra book. You can't return books at the campus bookstore if they've been opened, and I opened this stupid $160 book after I started the class, freaked out because it was ridiculously hard and I didn't have a teacher (it was an on-line class) and was then out the $160. So I went to Office Max, paid $.75 to have it shrink wrapped, and now I'm going to return it. Hee hee, I'm working the bookstore system. :)
Mood: Optimistic
Music: Henry's podcast of last week's Sunday school class.
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