Samia and the City

Au Revoir

I always have these big plans and ideas about what I can get done within a certain amount of time. I wanted to send out a posting with pictures, funny sayings, and other cute stuff saying bye to everyone as I head off for Chicago. Truth is that I didn't even get a chance to see everyone before I left. But I did get to see everyone I wanted to see, even if not as much as I wanted.

I loved all the send-offs I got, all the surprises/ruined surprises, and all the affection everyone poured on me. I'm going to miss everyone super grande mucho. I feel really lucky to have such a strong support system, and as grandma said (sort-of) in one of my favorite EVER movies Hope Floats, my cup god damn overfloweth.

I head off to Chicago today with Baji, who I could not have done this trip without, because she pretty much planned 100% of it. She even got me snacks because I get so hungry. She also booked a room at the Ball of Twine Inn, Kansas, which is actually just one room in the back of a truck-stop diner, but the lady said she would help us add to the ball of twine, so can you imagine that.

Our itinerary is pretty cool, at least by Samia and Baji standards. Cupertino --> Reno (Circus Circus) --> Park City and Salt Lake (we can take a toboggan ride at the official Olympic grounds! I usually cry at these types of landmark things in life) --> Colorado Springs and Denver for two days with our Anjam Chacha who looks JUST like our dad (pictures to come) --> CAWKER CITY, KANSAS for a holla back night at the Ball of Twine Inn, followed by a day of ball building --> Cedar Rapids, Iowa (I don't know what we're doing here but it sounded pretty) --> and we're in Chicago!

After our exciting trip I have a couple of pretty busy weeks ahead of me. I'm looking forward to this, because I think it will help me settle into life in Chicago more easily, and maybe lessen the pain of not being able to see my best friends and family. Once I get to Chicago, I have just a couple of days, then I head off to Turkey with some future classmates! I will be in Turkey for about a week, visiting Istanbul and Cappadocia (pictures to come for sure!) After that I will be back for just a few days, and then Fizaa and Baji come to visit for ISNA/wedding crashing! I'm SO excited about this ... I can't wait to share my new place and city with my friends! After the long weekend, orientation starts and goes for about a week. And then I am off to the woods for a ropes/team building course with my future classmates somewhere in Wisconsin! After getting back from this, I have just another week, and then my very first day of graduate school! From there, I think if time has been flying already, it will break the speed of sound! Or maybe something close to it.

I'm really excited about all the new things that I'm going to experience, all my upcoming travels, my new city, my new apartment, and the impressive and thought-process changing education that I have always wanted. I wish I could share all of it with you guys, but since I can't, I'm going to try my best to keep in touch with everyone, so at least I can still share a part of it. I love everyone lots, and I don't know how to end this, besides going to my room, crying, and eating Gluco biscuits. So I'll end it with a joke:

A couple made a deal that whoever died first would come back and inform the other of the after life. The woman's biggest fear was that there was no heaven. After a long life, the husband was the first to go, and true to his word, he made contact. "Mary... Mary..." Awestruck, Mary responds, "Is that you Fred?" "Yes, I have come back like we agreed." "Well, what is it like?" Fred excitedly tells his tale, "Well, when I get up in the morning I have sex, then I have breakfast, then I have sex again, then I bathe in the sun, then I have sex twice more, then I have lunch, then I have sex all afternoon and into the early evening, until bedtime. And, then, I start all over again the next day." So happy Mary says, "Oh Fred, you surely must be in heaven." Fred replies, "Hell no, Mary, I'm a rabbit in Kansas."

:)

posted by Samia @ 8:37 AM