Week 8

It has been nearly two months since arriving in Florida. This means that the program is almost halfway through. It also means that I need to start thinking about school because that will be my sole focus once I get back home. I will be much more content after graduating and knowing that I will never have to lay foot in Newberg for as long as I live; how I hate that place. Anyway, it all has me slightly worried, concerned, and yet anxious for what is to come.

The diversity that engulfs the housing complex in which I live has spurred my curiosity about other cultures. Like I said before, I have met people from all over the world. I will have friends in Italy, Brazil, Korea, Russia, and who knows where else. The opportunity to speak with these individuals and to learn more about where they come from is something that I could not have asked for, it simply happened. My arsenal of one-liners in foreign languages has increased abundantly since I have been here. The most difficult language encountered thus far has to be Korean. Sometimes I am not even sure how to make, let alone speak, the sounds that come out of their mouths. I am not discouraged, just more curious than before. Being able to sample various dishes from around the world have further reinforced my desire to travel the world and see what there is to see. If money were not an issue I would definitely be in another country, with a slim chance of ever returning to America. Again, I need constant change.

I can't say that much has changed from the way I felt last week. Everything is fairly neutral right now and we're all still going through the motions. One encouraging thing to note is that I have begun to develop a story line/plot for a book. Character analyses are to follow shortly... If only I had the kind of time I need to dedicate to this sort of project. I have run the idea past multiple people and it seems to have already sparked interest amongst my avid book-reading friends (though there aren't many that like to read!). I will probably not discuss it for awhile since much of it is still ambiguous and there is some research to be done. Just know that there's a start!

There is still so much here to do that we have not done yet, and at this rate I know we will fall short of time. I don't want to miss out on anything, but work is absolutely taking its toll on everyone's schedule. If anybody can send, via expedited shipping, some spare time, please do.

-Derek