Colors

So it has been a long time since I last got rid of something in my amazingly small collection of goods in my house, but here goes. Today I will be getting rid of 5 things, only because it has been 5 days since I last blogged. But I won't bore you with the humdrum of explaining each item, only a few of them. Today it seems like it's my yellow and red day, two of my strangest colors. I love red, it does good things when I wear it, when done right it can make a room brighter subtly, and it is an easily matched color (I think it almost goes with as many things as black), but it can be dangerous, it also brings up thoughts of blood, anger, hunger, a lot of violent feelings, so it has to be practiced in moderation, like most things. Yellow, I always thought I looked horrible in, even though it is one of the happy colors. I have come to realize I just have to pick brighter yellows, dull ones make me washed out, but bright ones require courage, which sometimes is hard to come by in my fashion, even though I have a strange fashion sense. Calling too much attention to yourself is always a little scary. Yellow reminds me of easter though, and sunshine, and just general happiness, yet it isn't one of the colors I choose to keep around me often. Anyway, today I am anxious about an interview I have to give tomorrow, and excited because Rick will be visiting me soon, so I will be able to play the tourist role in my new city. So far classes have started and I am ready for a new beginning to be a great one. I am really happy ending up here, I can't imagine I would have been happier in any other city where I applied to grad school, so I guess it is a good thing I didn't get in to any of those schools. The public transit here is amazing, but I don't use it often because I live close enough to campus to walk (but far enough to get a LOT of steps each day, to the point where 12000 is almost an easy goal, while the weather is nice). The city itself is beautiful and has activities going on around every corner. Luckily I live in a family-oriented neighborhood, but one that is teeming with culture.

Pilsen, my neighborhood, is the Americanized Mexican neighborhood, at least relatively. The area still feels very Mexican, most of the signs are in Spanish first and occasionally English second, about 90% of the people on the street at any given time are Mexican descent and speak Spanish predominantly, though some know at least enough English to say hi to me as I pass (they could know more, I just haven't had a full conversation with any of them yet). The area is also the hipster neighborhood for students. Many students that I see walking around are reminiscent of Austin hipsters. Tight jeans, crazy hair styles, and big fake glasses are the fashion of the region. In this way I have combined my comfort zones into an extreme combination zone of all I

knew in Austin. This of course means I feel comfortable, even though I stand out like a sore thumb on wedding day. (I'm not sure why I said that last part, but it's funny so I'll leave it in).

Today's items are all small little things I've kept around for the sake of keeping them, a marble from my mom, an antenna topper that is a fireman because it is cute, a Skittles container, a funny button from an art showing Rick and I went to a long time ago ("Take off your pants"), and a toy car from Easter this past year. But each one holds a little piece of me in it, in a totally corny way. I saved every one of these items because at one point they made me happy. I think that is the reason I hold onto most things in my life, but it just makes me realize that so many things make me happy. I might as well be happy all the time.

Today, I also worked one step closer to making a few friends. It is amazing how long it takes to make friends, and yet also how short of the time it takes. In one day I had a friend who I could chat with over ice cream, but not much else, and before I have realized it I am sure the new people I am meeting will be close friends that I gossip about professors and other students with over coffee and drinks after class. New lives are fun and exciting, while also scary. I hope I don't have too many more of them in my life, but I also hope that each one I have past this is just as memory building as this one has been already, maybe I just am in a good mood between two crazy busy days of my second week of school!