Honey, I'm home!
Home after a fashion, at least. I am back in St. Louis, and at this juncture, it really only seems appropriate to come back to LiveJournal, as well. I am sure that late nights in Olin Library with their wireless connection would be less entertaining if I weren't making angry posts about the illnesses of the students around me.
It was a pretty smooth trip back to STL, actually, especially after the hell of getting to Chicago from Heathrow in July, which is of course the ruler of misery to which I will compare all travel experiences in future. There was a slight hiccup on the way out of Boise, when a man got sick as we were heading towards the runway, and we had to return to the gate and wait for him and his luggage to disembark so we could leave. I was quite worried about making my connecting flight in Denver, but it was all fine. We made it to Saint Louis safe and sound and on time, which the flight crew said was due to the help of Sherman the Sea Lion. Not a terrifying crew member's nickname, it turns out, but a kind of animal spirit guide for our plane, which had a sea lion painted on the back.
Emily met me in the airport, which was so lovely. All my stress just evaporated on seeing her, and we had a long overdue catch-up session as we hauled my luggage (which was last off the plane) to the MetroLink and then to my dorm, and then up four flights of stairs in my dorm. Thank god we don't move out at the end of every term here.
Emily and I went to Target, which was fun, and then had some Pop-Tarts (they make chocolate-chip cookie dough and hot fudge sundae Pop-Tarts, did you know?), which was more fun, but then Emily had to go home, and I went for a wander around main campus. I was surprised how fun it was to be back, considering it was unbearably hot and humid, and there was no one else I knew around (except for this one girl I saw in the library, who I met freshman year, and for whom I feel nothing but disdain and aversion). But Olin library smelled the same, which was surprisingly comforting - Keble library is about as gorgeous as they come, but there's a charm to Olin that Keble lacks. Possibly the comfortable armchairs. Or the big windows. Or the cafe. One of those things. I am looking forward to spending some close, personal time with Olin in the coming weeks. Also, the squirrels are just as bold and plump as I remember - even more, actually. I had sort of forgotten how close you could get to them before they notice you or think they should walk (really, WALK) away. I saw one frantically climbing up a twig, which was particularly funny because the twig was on the ground, and the squirrel was laying on its back in the dirt.
Work has been pretty standard. I work in the advertising department, selling ad space in our student newspaper. This basically means I make calls all day, trying to get ahold of store owners and managers in the area, and then trying to convince them to run ads in our paper. It's fine, although I had to make a sales call to a hairdresser's yesterday morning, and the guy was incredibly creepy. "You guys are so awake," he mumbled, gazing at Amy the ad designer and me as I filled out his order form. "I'm such a mess. I got really drugged out last night." He seemed to be waiting for a response. "Ha," Amy said. "Really?" "Yeah, man," he said. "But you know how it goes in the Lou - you go out for dinner, and then it's three a.m., and you're stoned."
Apparently I do not know how it goes in the Lou, because that has, somehow, never happened to me. It's pretty much just The Cheesecake Factory, maybe a movie, and bed, actually. I did not share this information with him. But at least he bought a $600 ad contract.
I'm all moved into my room, which is nice, because it feels very comfortable, and of course I love having a single, although I miss my bathroom at Keble. And my quad view. But I made up for it with pictures.
To the left of the door: my bed and desk.
Opposite the door.
Closet.
I think that's actually about the news. I clearly need to get back in the swing of newsy posts, because I am sure that is NOT all the news. I'll find a balance at some point. Until then, everyone!
It was a pretty smooth trip back to STL, actually, especially after the hell of getting to Chicago from Heathrow in July, which is of course the ruler of misery to which I will compare all travel experiences in future. There was a slight hiccup on the way out of Boise, when a man got sick as we were heading towards the runway, and we had to return to the gate and wait for him and his luggage to disembark so we could leave. I was quite worried about making my connecting flight in Denver, but it was all fine. We made it to Saint Louis safe and sound and on time, which the flight crew said was due to the help of Sherman the Sea Lion. Not a terrifying crew member's nickname, it turns out, but a kind of animal spirit guide for our plane, which had a sea lion painted on the back.
Emily met me in the airport, which was so lovely. All my stress just evaporated on seeing her, and we had a long overdue catch-up session as we hauled my luggage (which was last off the plane) to the MetroLink and then to my dorm, and then up four flights of stairs in my dorm. Thank god we don't move out at the end of every term here.
Emily and I went to Target, which was fun, and then had some Pop-Tarts (they make chocolate-chip cookie dough and hot fudge sundae Pop-Tarts, did you know?), which was more fun, but then Emily had to go home, and I went for a wander around main campus. I was surprised how fun it was to be back, considering it was unbearably hot and humid, and there was no one else I knew around (except for this one girl I saw in the library, who I met freshman year, and for whom I feel nothing but disdain and aversion). But Olin library smelled the same, which was surprisingly comforting - Keble library is about as gorgeous as they come, but there's a charm to Olin that Keble lacks. Possibly the comfortable armchairs. Or the big windows. Or the cafe. One of those things. I am looking forward to spending some close, personal time with Olin in the coming weeks. Also, the squirrels are just as bold and plump as I remember - even more, actually. I had sort of forgotten how close you could get to them before they notice you or think they should walk (really, WALK) away. I saw one frantically climbing up a twig, which was particularly funny because the twig was on the ground, and the squirrel was laying on its back in the dirt.
Work has been pretty standard. I work in the advertising department, selling ad space in our student newspaper. This basically means I make calls all day, trying to get ahold of store owners and managers in the area, and then trying to convince them to run ads in our paper. It's fine, although I had to make a sales call to a hairdresser's yesterday morning, and the guy was incredibly creepy. "You guys are so awake," he mumbled, gazing at Amy the ad designer and me as I filled out his order form. "I'm such a mess. I got really drugged out last night." He seemed to be waiting for a response. "Ha," Amy said. "Really?" "Yeah, man," he said. "But you know how it goes in the Lou - you go out for dinner, and then it's three a.m., and you're stoned."
Apparently I do not know how it goes in the Lou, because that has, somehow, never happened to me. It's pretty much just The Cheesecake Factory, maybe a movie, and bed, actually. I did not share this information with him. But at least he bought a $600 ad contract.
I'm all moved into my room, which is nice, because it feels very comfortable, and of course I love having a single, although I miss my bathroom at Keble. And my quad view. But I made up for it with pictures.
To the left of the door: my bed and desk.
Opposite the door.
Closet.
I think that's actually about the news. I clearly need to get back in the swing of newsy posts, because I am sure that is NOT all the news. I'll find a balance at some point. Until then, everyone!