oregano

How have I been? Busy. I need to quit saying things like "I literally could not be busier than I am right now" because I've said that several times in the past few months and if anything, I get busier.

It seems like everyone has telltale signs that correspond with how busy they are. Here are mine:
- my gmail inbox surpasses the average 5-7 emails that are usually hanging around. instead of reading and responding, i read and forget and the pile grows to like 50 (ok, 15. not that many people email me)
- i repeat things
- i ask my students how their weekends were...on Friday
- my bedroom is on the receiving end of what looks like a closet explosion - reject outfits don't make their way back to where they came from
- i repeat things
- the only things in my refrigerator are necessities: diet coke, bread, yogurt

More recently, I've developed some sort of memory issue that seems to be a result of my increasingly busy schedule. I noticed this a few weeks ago when making my mom's spaghetti (side note, YUM) and discovered an unusual abundance of oregano in my cupboard. I never really cook with oregano so the fact that I'm now set for the next few years concerns me. Over the span of a week or two, I kept passing the spice rack at the grocery store, stopped in my tracks and thought to myself "Ohmygod! I need oregano for spaghetti...good thing I remembered while I was here!" Well that thought must have crossed my mind about four times because that's how many brand new jars I have. The worst part? I specifically remember now, looking back, walking by the spice rack each time and being so happy that I remembered to get oregano because it wasn't on my list. So I'm set on the oregano front and have some to spare if anyone out there is running low...

In order to control the crazy, I made the difficult decision over the weekend to quit my job teaching English. I have two weeks left and then I'm moving on to something that's a little less of a time committment on my end. I'm not exactly sure what my next adventure will be, but I'm looking forward to a change. In the meantime - I've got loads of schoolwork to finish before I return to Minnesota for winter break. 17 days! Trust me - when you start a countdown from 70 something days and finally get into the teens, it's cause for celebration! I'm so excited to see everyone and to get my Chipotle fix.

And lastly, Happy Birthday to the girl who loved Paris just as much as I do! My best friend, Rachael, passed away two years ago would have been 25 today. I'm happy to be in Paris enjoying the city but wish she could be here to see it all again. Here are some of my favorite pictures from when she came to visit in 2006