Hearthside Singing

My aunt is the singer of the family; everyone else likes to join in but unbeknownst, she's the best. We don't really have a set group of traditions for the holiday, other than waking up at six o'clock am, opening presents at half past the hour. It takes a lot of coffee and quite a bit of food for us to finish. This year, only my grandparents are going to be here for Christmas Eve and the next day. Sadly, I won't be able to stay up late with my aunt and help her cook French onion soup until one in the morning, watching Rick Steves' "Christmas in Europe" on PBS (don't judge). She's going to her fiancé's family's home. So, no half out of tune carols this year. I'll have to make due with the playlist that's on repeat on a cassette deck my father's had since he was probably about twenty-five. I'm going to be twenty in February, that's a bit terrifying to think about. Not the age, just the time gone by.

It's nice being in Vermont despite the damp, freezing, ridiculously chilling weather. It wasn't this bad when I left Chicago. Different state, different climate, right? This year, definitely, feels more like a vacation than coming back into my past. Even though I've only officially lived in the mid-west for a little under a year and a half, but most days it feels like longer. Well, off to eat. I'm always off to eat. I wonder why I make food after I write these. Drive/travel safely. Hope it's snowing where you are, or sunny, if that's what you prefer.

Short Term Happenings

Well, I lied just a bit. I'm still in Chicago at the moment; I'm leaving at three o'clock today, or a little before. It depends on whether or not the bus I have to catch to the Blue Line comes every fifteen minutes or three. Why? It's snowing finally, on the day I leave, of course. Laugh. I'm a little reluctant to leave for so long, I don't like being away from my apartment, or the city for that matter. But at least I get to breathe fresh air and see the stars for the first time in about a year.

Anyway, here's a short list of things I'm working on over the short few weeks I'll be away; most of them happening before I leave for Rome. xx.

• Book review
• Writing and editing at least a chapter/short story a week with my reading girls
• Running five days a week
• Getting back on a normal sleep schedule (the end of the semester always has me up until three and up at five or six)
• Cooking and baking more gluten + dairy free recipes
• Taking better care of my skin
• Drinking more water

(I'm sure there's more, there always is)
ps--> What happened with the Gossip Girl series finale. I mean, really? Come on. The part with Kristen Bell was hilarious, though, I'll admit that.

Here's a picture of Ben Whishaw because I've been re-watching The Hour for the third time because I have nothing better to do apparently.

Before I Leave

Finals are over (they have been since Wednesday the 12th)! I say this at the end of every semester, but literally, this has been the most stressful one yet. Everyone I've had class with, and all my friends and people I know haven't had the best. Maybe it's because summer dragged on for so long. We got out early last May because the NATO conference was downtown and they closed everything for precaution. Along with it being the hardest, I think I've grown more as a person and as a writer over the course of the past few months. It's so insane to think that in September I didn't even know what to expect.

So I'm already packed. Considering how superb my procrastination skills are when it comes to course work, when I'm getting ready to leave I make sure I'm well ahead of schedule. I guess it's the fear of leaving anything behind. I've already checked my carry on to make sure my passport is with me. Did I mention, I'm going to Rome? That was meant to sound over pretentious--it's an inside joke from one of my classes. We were talking about revising our "manuscripts" for our final grade, since we all turned in about 20-40 pages of a personal narrative. And then got on the sidebar conversation of sounding like dicks talking about having a lot of writing we've created. Crazy, right? But yeah, I'm excited to be heading off to Italy. I always feel ashamed admitting that I've never been out of North America. But, well, I haven't.

Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait (I love it)

Catching up on The Hour

But yes; I'm done for the night. I need to go make some food before it spoils. I've watched Take this Waltz and am currently on The Producers (I've always had a thing for Matthew Broderick, it all started with Ferris). Off to make some rice pilaf and eat some of that salad that's been in my fridge for a while. I'll be back in Vermont the next time I write.