Dearest Family and Friends:Yesterday I was feeling a little down, thinking that I should be back in Virginia and spending time with the family and friends I have back there and not living in a foreign country by myself without any close friends or family members...but then when I was there, I kept thinking how I wanted to get out because I always want to go somewhere, usually wherever I'm not. I've reached almost the three month mark being away from home, and it was around this time last year too that I started getting homesick and missing everybody back home.
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Well, I'm going to Colombia in less than two weeks to visit my grandma, so I'm pretty excited about that and think I'm going to surprise her 1.) With my visiting in the first place...she doesn't know I'm coming and 2.) I think I'll take her and Robert to Villa de Leyva for a few days. But maybe it's a bad idea to surprise her, as she'll get stressed out that she hasn't bought me anything to eat or made a bed for me or prepared for my arrival, et cetera.
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Today I went shopping. The good news is I have a bed, so soon I will no longer be sleeping on a mattress on the floor. Unfortunately, I wasn't capable of putting it together, so now I am waiting for Panchi, my favorite repairman to come by and put it together. That is one of the good things about Panama; you find someone honest and kind and they will do what they can to help you out when you need it. I even got some classy fancy throw pillows and matching sheets and pillow case, as you can see from this pic. I couldn't afford a comforter, so I got blanket instead. I still need a bookcase, desk, paintings for my walls and a few more decorative items, but I guess I should wait until I have the actual money to buy these things. Might buy bike on credit...I don't know how much longer I can live without it :(.
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My new neighborhood feels a little bit like I'm on some Desperate Housewives/TV neighborhood because everything is very bright and pretty and perfect. There are all these soccer fields, tennis courts, a big pool and a bunch of other sporty things that I will probably rarely use, but knowing they are there makes me feel like I'm living large. There is also a maid who comes daily, and she told me to leave a shopping list with her so she knew what to buy me at the grocery store! Then she asked me to let her know what I wanted her to make me for dinner and did my laundry! Life with no housework...not that I ever did much house work, but at least now I don't need to worry about getting in trouble or dodging household chore responsibilities. One bad thing about the maid is she keeps squeezing my legs and saying, "haha, look how fat your legs are," as if she thinks it's very, very funny. I guess it's good training for what's to come in Colombia.
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Anyway, I feel very good in my new house and neighborhood. Austrian lady has left for Austria for two months so anyone thinking about visiting Panama is especially welcome in the next couple of months. After my bike, I want a 35 pound, dog that doesn't bark too much, isn't very clingy and has a long-haired coat, but I think I'll wait until September or October for that. Work is work...I need to start writing and painting again, and think I'll start that as soon as I get settled completely into new house. I wish I could go to the bookstore and buy some books to read, but after last month's fiasco I'm a little embarrassed to go back, and there's really only one good English bookstore in town. Maybe I will have to send an alternate.Well, that's about it. Sorry entry is so boring today.
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P.S. The cafe I'm sitting in right now is playing all my Chavela Vargas ranchera favorites. I LOVE IT.
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