four/cuatro/patru

First:

I was at work the other day (who am I kidding? I'm at work a lot of days) and we have this coworker who is hilarious. Just off the wall, you would never expect her at all. She isn't trying to be funny, she's not the class clown type, none of that. She's just hilarious. And I totally want to be like her when I grow up.

So I said that to my other coworkers. That if I was ever working in an office I wanted to be the coworker like her. And the first thing they said to me was that they could not picture me working in an office. I mean, I work in one now, but as far as once I graduate, all of that. And I was kind of surprised. Not because I disagree, because I suppose I don't really think about it. It makes sense--the more and more I think about it, the more I think, well of course I'm not! I want to be out everywhere in the world and climbing things and being in the thick of a language and a culture. I know this, but I'll tell you what, there's something about hearing it (without any significant prompt, mind you) from someone else that makes it feel a little different.

Second:

Speaking of plans, for a year and a half or so (probably up until last summer), I was going to apply to grad school. And then I decided that I didn't really want to anymore. Honestly, the biggest deterrent was just that, as much as I enjoy a good workshop, the not-so-good ones started to drive me crazy. Now that's only speaking to undergrad workshops, and one of the best workshops I've ever been in (as far as discussion) was mixed with grad students and undergrad.

But anyway, what I mean is that I haven't entirely thrown out the idea of trying to go. It's definitely something that would be an option if I were to stay here. Now of course ideally I'll be some other country doing something to do with God and language, but right now everything's kind of floating around and I'm not feeling too particularly inclined toward any option. I'm sure I'll feel differently after I get back from Romania (whether toward going or staying), but for now. Which leads me to--

Third:

I know that I mention going to Romania just about every single post. And I know that I've been keeping a mental countdown for the last few weeks, but that's really all I've been doing. It was a month, and then it was three weeks, and now it's two weeks. Two weeks from this very moment, 11:21 in the morning on a Tuesday--I will be either in an airport or on a plane. And I have not thought about it at all. It really sneaked up on me (I really want to write snuck).

I haven't learned any Romanian other than good morning, thank you, that sort of thing. And I just haven't thought about what it's actually going to be like over there. I have pictures in my head of us hiking up a mountain and sitting around a table teaching English. I've got about a hundred things I need to do before I leave but mostly I just feel like I've been running at this thing with my eyes closed and I have no idea about what's going to happen once I get there. I mean, I don't know. I don't think any of this is really out of the ordinary. It's just that, bam! I'm leaving town in less than two weeks. When did that happen?

And fourth:

I just have to ask this. What is it about toddlers and my legs/feet? No, seriously. When I lived with Thomas and Tracey, Kris (their son, he was three or four) would always mess with my feet. I think he was freaked out by them at first because when I took off my socks my feet were white instead of brown. But then he started messing with them. I would be reading a book or fall asleep and wake up to Kris pulling at my skin or my toes. And then this past Sunday I was at Pneuma (kind of like church, more like a campus ministry) and we were all praying and the little boy of some of the people who are involved there crawled under the chairs and started pinching my calves. This little boy has not warmed up to me this summer at all, and suddenly he can't leave my legs alone. So yes. If anyone has any ideas?