The Marylander

This is long...so sorry for the grammatical/syntax mistakes (I just couldn't go over all of that again...)

It’s been almost a month since I moved here (and I have this weird obsession with recaps). If you are going to stop reading now, and want a summary here goes: So far, so good.

I live in a nice apartment near the University, though it is on the ‘terrace’ level, which means I’m below the lobby (supposedly is not a basement!). The university is 4 miles away, and it took me almost an hour to walk from there to here one particular Friday night. I’ve been trying to get engaged with campus life as much as I can, so I won’t feel I missed out on anything. I even went to a football game...which I left at halftime, cause I didn't understand all the crazy pauses every two seconds, so, yeah, that was that. I went to the Latino Graduate Student Association, and didn't feel Latino enough to belong in that group... I dunno, I think I'm going to go the the meetings, but their whole experiences seem so much different than me, even though we're all 'Latinos'...like a Russian speaking to a Yanomami from Venezuela. I went to the LGBT event, and found out that it was just like another informative event from the graduate school, full of people behind their tables trying to 'inform' and 'recruit' people to their organizations. Two things that I found interesting: Gay Jewish organization and Church Chaplains organizations... Maybe this is due to my ignorance, but, it was surprising nonetheless...

So lately I've been coming to the University to study cause I can't read that much in my room with all the distractions. This is a nice change, cause the campus is very student friendly. I can sit in the McKeldin Mall, under a tree and read my day away; or got to the 7th floor of the library and find complete peace and quiet. In the end, as much as I hate myself for spending money, when I could be cooking, I eat some Panda Express from the Student Union....then my classes, which are at 6:00 pm. My professors are über cool, and it shows that being a graduate student, specially a PhD one, has it's perks. The professors treat you with respect, and almost as if you were their colleague. More than one time I have encountered the Graduate Chair around campus and he always stops to ask me how am I doing, how are my classes, etc. Though I might be wrong, but it seems like it's a sincere engagement from his part. Of my cohort, I'm the only student that has dark skin though...which makes me think, is Anthropology still a white thing here in the US? Are the only ethnic anthropologist the ones that come from other countries? Anyway...

As far as my relationship with my roommate, everything has been ok until the moment. We get along well, and why shouldn't we? We have everything separate: room, bathroom, miscellaneous stuff...

I don't have a car, and that sucks...cause rearranging your schedule around the bus, can be a pain. Especially when you want to have a decent night life. So right now, until I meet new friends that have cars, my nightlife is restricted to 1:00 am, and that's cutting it short, cause at at that time the last bus leaves the metro station. Oh the metro...living near Washington D.C. is the best. The metro is very handy and accessible. I have already been to D.C. a couple times, and expect to go some other times in the near future.

Another great thing are the concerts and the music scene. I'm going to a Yelle concert in October, already went to a FREE Julieta Venegas concert, and obviously looking forward to many more. In my little island/home, Julieta Venegas would've charged a lot for a concert, and Yelle (a french singer) would'nt come at all.

The only thing is that... this is a new start, and like new starts, you kinda begin alone... Your friends are in another place, and though I know I'm here for a specific reason (which is to study) I can't put out the thoughts that want to go back. Though I won't! Everything here is nice, I just need to keep adapting... Everything happens for a reason (I hate that phrase) so this is the time to reinvent myself an have fun doing it.

Thanks for reaching out...I know you care!