Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone :)

In keeping true to the Nanning tradition, I have moved on a holiday. I write this from a corner of my room, I'm sorry - I mean "studio" apartment. I have a cup of coffee next to me, am finally through unpacking for the night and am about to start working on some school work.

I like my little room. I'm lucky, it's the biggest one in the house and I have my own bathroom. I'm down in the basement and it's painted green. Freaking everything I own man is green, what the hell? What if I don't like green? What if i decided that I like blue....no one will ever believe me. My back pack is green, my car is green, my curtains are green, my new hand-me-down recliner is green, my bedspread is green, my raincoat is green, my placemat is green, my garbage can is green, my pillows are green.....*sigh* Lol it's awesome.

I got really lucky with this place and as I've been moving in today I've decided that, God permitting, this is where I'm going to hunker myself down for awhile. The location is perfect, I'm minutes away from ROTC and less than 10 away from class. My room is down in the basement so I can barely hear the rest of the noise in the house. Yay!

It's nice. I spent a little bit more money today than I was comfortable, but I got everything I need now to make this home. I went out a bought a mini-fridge. I got a microwave from Ginny's boyfriend. I also splurged and got a little one-cup coffee pot - hoping that will help deter me from such money stealers like Tully's and Starbucks. I stocked up on some groceries.  Now I really feel like a college student :D ....it's nothing impressive and I carefully planned my meals to make everything stretch the next two weeks, but I'm proud of it. Really, when you think about it, you don't need that much food to survive. I got a box of oatmeal and some bagels for breakfast, coffee (obviously, and a box of tea in case I get tired of coffee) and creamer, a huge bag of apples, banana's, some sandwhich stuff for all my lunches (I did get some really expensive avocado's for my turkey sandwhiches, yum yum vitamins!) and then a bag of burrito's, some cans of soup and some mac'n'cheese to cover dinner.

Why am I writing out my grocery list? Yeah, it's kinda dum, but I get a weird pleasure out meticulously planning my diet and then following through. Hence why I opted to get my own little mini-fridge instead of using the communal kitchen. I don't want to spend money on food and have someone else eat it if I'm not making a regular paycheck, and I like seeing how long I can go between store trips - I always enjoy food more when I'm playing spartan lol.

So far everyone in the house seems cool. I'm the only girl, but the guys all have girlfriends except for Zach, my ROTC buddy....I think he has plans on making me his girlfriend, but he's going to fail miserably. Miquel is a 36 yr old gay mexican guy who manages a restaurant, he's really friendly. Simon has lived here the longest and he's a 26 yr old amputee who is kinda the one in charge of all the day to day house related stuff, I think he's a student and he loves to cook - he's been baking a pumpkin pie from literal scratch and I'm kinda sad I'm in the basement because the smell isn't drifting down here easily like it is in the rest of the house. Mike is about my age and seems to be the punk rocker, he's got a few turtles and is really social. Then there is Zach, who lives right next to me. He's a month younger than Kyle and was infantry before deciding to go to school. He's pretty chill but likes to party a little bit. I've told him a few times that I'm not into that and I think he's going to be pretty respectful - he's fun to hang out with at least and it's nice having a ROTC guy next door so at least I know I'll always be in the loop on something.

Yesterday I climbed Mt. Si! I went with one of my best friends, Elijah, and he and I spent a few hours on it. It was a 4-mile hike up and then back down. We went up about 4,000 ft. It was mostly uphill trecks through the woods until we got close to the top. The treeline broke away and we could see forever...it was beautiful. I got my first experience actually rock climbing. The very top of the mountain is all rock and stone and it took about 45 mins of Elijah and I delicately and nimbly navigating our way up the near vertical walls until we reached the top. I remember at one moment I was hanging there, my fingers gripping the cold, wet stone, my feet dug into grooves in the rock and my body weight pushed forward  - I looked down and realized that there was a good 100ft drop below me and that was just before I hit the trees. I just remember thinking "Wow, there is no way in hell I could have done this even a year ago - how am I not scared?".  I even mentioned something to Elijah that I use to be scared of heights and he didn't believe me. Maybe having Elijah there made things easier? I'm so happy I've worked so long and hard to have a relationship with him after we broke up. Outside of my family members and George, I don't think there is any other guy I'm as close to now. I think it's knowing that our relationship is strong because we overcame our breakup and can now hang out, laugh and have deep conversations still without any worry or fear about what or how the other person feels? I don't know. All I know is that he's a very important friend/role model/big brother to me now. I know I love him, and I'm glad that I'm able to beyond just a romantic level because I know there is a depth to our friendship that I don't have with most people. But enough about that and that rabbit trail, back to the hike lol. Anyways, talking to Kyle about the hike he got a little nervous. So don't get nervous dad when you read this, yes I was hanging off of a really high rock wall with no rope system and it may have been really cold and wet  - but reassured that I was safe. Elijah had climbed that same exact wall dozens of times  and he watched me like a mother hen as I was going up so I knew I was in good hands. That being said, I think I would like to go again next weekend and hike some more. It's a nice break from school. Elijah won't be there, he's going overseas in a few days and I won't see him till June. That's gonna suck - both of my best guy friends are gone now  - but that's part of making friends in the Army. They aren't going to be with you always.


Wow - this is a long message. I should probably start working on school work again. Love you guys - take care!