September 19

Today I got to sleep in, which was 9 am, but I didn't have an alarm set or anywhere to go, so it was great. Dara and Jacqueline invited me to go with them to the fresh market around 11 so we did that and went to the supermarket for brown sugar, for me. We also went to the Silk Museum. I have no idea what it is or why it's so important. Nor could I figure out why people would pay/plan to visit it. Dara had heard about it, and we were there, and it was only a Euro with our student discounts...so, whatever.

I had chocolate cake for breakfast, so once it hit 3pm I was starving. I walked to get pizza because I've been craving pizza. It was well worth the walk. Half the options for pizza flavors here include barbecue sauce poured over it, that doesn't appeal to me, I don't know why they enjoy it. Gross. Once I got back I started to organize myself for my Pyrenees/Paris trip coming up next week. I did laundry and finished an online FSU required freshman course. Then I made apple crisp, from scratch! Legit scratch too, I had to find a way to caramelize my own apples and everything. The kitchen smelled delicious, which brought the girls across the hall over. One, a senior, asked me how I knew how to "do that."  Very entertaining.

Once all my laundry was done and dried and folded I went out for chicken nuggets and fries, very Spanish, I know, but it's still my birthday weekend. It's also dark out now, there's no food here because we're leaving Monday morning, and it's close. The man that owns the place is from Turkey. He likes to chat. He was born in Canada, but his brothers were born in Turkey, and he lived there while her was young. Turkish is his first language but he only knows a little Spanish. Conversational Spanish, it's enough for him, but it doesn't make me feel bad because we can speak English to each other and all is good. He asked what weather in Ohio was like and how cold it got and he could've passed out when I guesstimated it got as cold as -30 degrees Celsius some days. It was a guesstimate, but I wasn't far off once I checked. Last time we talked about where I was from and how long I was here but today he wanted to know what I was studying. I've learned, from experiences at home, to tell people, especially those not from America that I am studying mathematics. It's much easier to explain. He thinks that's awesome because most people don't expect women to be interested or do well in "technical studies." He was explaining to me how fascinating he think math is because you can know all of the equations and numbers, but knowing the why and how is in depth and exciting. He also told me it was too early for me to look tired, and that I wasn't getting enough sleep.

I got back home and tried to get the OSU game, because it's at a time where I can view some, if not all, of it. Dad and I were struggling, so I just bought a 24 hour pass for 10 Euros. Not bad considering the next time I'll be able to/will want to watch a game will be the OSU v. UM game and that's not till November.

Also, my roommate has been gone all weekend and I've learned I very much miss having a room to myself. No one waking me up, I don't have to sneak in at night or in the morning, my underwear can hang everywhere  to dry and no one will mind...it has been a great day.