Day 8 - Productivity Yields Satisfaction

Today, after the low of last night, was a very good day. I came to the conclusion this evening that boredom, or a lack of something to do, is the opportunity homesickness gets to set in, so I really have to try to keep myself occupied. Going into Leiden to handle some business was a good idea.

I first went to the Common Room to sign up for a couple ISN-I events. I signed up for the dinner + pubcrawl that goes down this Wednesday, and I'm looking forward to seeing more cool places to go to. I also signed up for the Introduction Weekend, which is a trip with a large group of international students to a small Dutch village to relax, hang out, and bond, which should be great. ISN-I and ISN-R events really promise to be a good time, and a good way to fill my time.

Afterward I explore Haarlemakerstraat, the main shopping avenue in Leiden. There are a lot of clothing stores, including 3 H&Ms, a couple American stores, and some cheap places to eat. I ended up exploring Hema, which is kind of like IKEA light, without the furniture. I got a cheap omelet sandwich and a Coke to tide me over before going grocery shopping (in a minute!), and then got a cheap phone for my prepaid simcard (the minutes for which have yet to arrive in an email... convenient that the customer service number is a ,35 eurocent charge!) so it'll be good to have a basic phone for a little while. I bumped into a new buddy, Max, on my way out of HStraat, who happened to mention that there's a kid in the KStraat housing building who cooks dinner every night. So jealous.

The grocery store I went to today was awesome. It was a massive step up from the Aldi I went to earlier, and while a tad more expensive, was way better. I got fixings for roast beef sandwiches and PB&J, along with some snack foods, and a couple pre-prepared meals. I was and still am very happy with how that went. Getting out, accomplishing some goals, and being in the fresh air I think went a long way towards making today a better day.

When I got home I once again talked with friends back home, as I'm prone to, and started thinking about May/June as travel times. I'm interested in going to a music festival, but I'm also intrigued by Adrian's proposal of a Eurasia Russia/China adventure. I doubt it happens, but it was fun to think about.

I submitted a housing switch waiting list form today, so we'll see what happens with that, but I'm predicting I stay in the Rijnfront. Speaking of which, I got a new (currently snoring) apartment-mate from China, a masters student in something sciencey. He was the first non-North American who knew where Michigan/Detroit/Ann Arbor were, so that was exciting. I also hung out with Adam, my upstairs neighbor, and that was nice. It's going to be important living in the Rijnfront to have some go-to friends to hang out with.

I had a really great talk with my mom late last night when I couldn't fall asleep about how down I was feeling, and she was really patient and understanding and helpful, and it was just really great to have her there for me. I can't imagine doing this without being able to be in contact with home or friends basically whenever I want. It may hold me back from fully immersing myself, but I think there's room for both. My dad also sent me a really nice email today echoing her points about how this'll be a tough but rewarding process and I just kind of have to put myself out there and make a point of seizing this opportunity for all that it offers, which was great. I'm so fortunate to have amazing parents who really support each and every thing I do. I love you guys.

Some more goals on the agenda for tomorrow, so hopefully I wake up in time and am able to do them! See you later!