October 2007 – Sam Was Here

So, it’s official. Sam is now an adult.

Yes, my 18th birthday was 134 days ago, so technically I was an official adult then, but I never really felt like one until this past week. Why? A few reasons…

First off, Max and I went down to Orange County this last weekend, and I was in charge of the travel plans. I made sure we caught our buses and planes so we got in on time. I’ve been flying alone for nearly 13 years now, but never once have I been in charge of getting myself to the bus stop, to the station, across the border, to the plane. Really, it came natural, I didn’t realize the gravity of my independence until we were on the plane, flying to Sacramento to make our connection to LAX. I looked to my left and saw Max, absorbed in an episode of South Park we were watching on my lap top, and I realized that I was 18, I was in University, and I was taking my university boyfriend to meet some of the most important people in my life. Everything felt so real, all of a sudden.

Second of all, yesterday was my rather productive day. I finally mailed in my form for MSP. (If you are an international student and you haven’t already DO IT NOW!) It’s extremely important, especially with flu season coming up. I also paid my (overdue!) phone bills at the bank, and deposited a check that had been burning a hole in my wallet for awhile now. Max and I went to dinner at Suga Sushi (we eat there so often that we are now becoming regulars) and I felt so happy and in charge that I realized…I am now an adult.

When I first got to UBC everything was to new and exciting, I was making so many friends and doing so many things that the most important things (like MSP and studying) almost fell at the wayside. Now that I have finally gotten into the groove of my week, all those important things are fitting into the fun things. I am studying harder, cleaning more often, but still taking time to watch movies with friends.

Take this afternoon. As soon as I finish this entry I am going to meet up with Max and a friend and we are going to go to the SUB to mail some things to our parents, then we are going to go comic book shopping, have dinner, and head to the Improv show. (GO SEE UBC IMPROV!) I am working on mixing in the responsibility with the fun, and I think I almost have the balance down.

So yes, Sam is now officially an adult, and I am rather enjoying it! :D

(oh and things in Orange County, with Max meeting my Mom and best friends, went smashingly :) )

Hectic Rhetoric

Oh blog.

Life has been rather hectic in a non-hectic way this week. I turned in my second Arts One paper (I got a 69%, 1% better than last time!) I had a psychology “midterm” today. (Why do they call it a midterm? It’s just one of six tests we will receive this year, there wasn’t anything different about it.) Actually, I was the first person in my rather large class to finish, which was a little awkward because I looked up as I handed in my test and EVERYBODY was staring. I always go so fast on exams. I have started reading the Mahabharata which is this really cool, really old, Indian text I am reading for Arts One, so all in all, school is in check.

With that said, UPS is currently stalking me. Seriously. I was gone for two hours this afternoon and they left me five messages. It seems my mom did not pay the customs fees for a package so they are demanding I somehow pull a $45 cashier’s check out of my knickers (cause, you know, I have the time and the resources to do that). Also I have 4 or 5 boxes that got stopped at customs so I now have to make a copy of my passport and student visa, as well as come up with a list of everything in those boxes and fax it to UPS. They seem to be under the impression that I have ESP. I have a feeling this is going to become a much bigger headache than it already is.

Other than that, and the large number of dishes and trash I have piling up beside my door, my life is sort of working itself out. Canadian Thankgiving is this weekend, which I plan to spend sleeping, reading, and maybe volunteering at a soup kitchen. I’ve been feeling a bit blue lately and I think volunteering is just the sort of thing to bring me out of that. So here’s to things getting easier.

PS. Max and I got a fish. He is a beta and his full name is Archduke Malificus Franz Ferdinand the Magnificent. But we just refer to him as Ferdinand.

Here is a haiku I wrote about him, just now:

Oh my Ferdinand
please don’t hover at the top
no upside-down fish.

I really need to change his water…