Street Smarts...

It's been an interesting time here recently. A lot has been happening to people in our international student group. A couple girls were at a party last night and had their drinks drugged, one of my friends just got her camera stolen from her bag when someone "bumped" into her, and another girl I know had her room broken into and her laptop stolen. I wonder what they'll think when they realize that her laptop was legitimately broken and she was trying to get some repairs done on it?

All these happenings make me a little nervous about life here. But I have to think that as long as I continue to lie low, not let people into my room, not tell people about my things (or tell the ones who know I have things how crappy my things are!), and just keep my Chi-town street smarts about me, I should be fine. And praying helps too.

I had kind of a homesick meltdown in my room yesterday afternoon, but spent the evening at a ballroom dance competition with friends who are more or less interested in the same things as me. Afterwards when we were waiting for our cab and they asked how I spent my afternoon, I was bluntly honest, and it actually felt pretty good, and they've come around me a bit more I think, it's nice. I think I've finally settled into my friend group, among the international students at least. I'm still working on the local student friends, but I'm hoping that'll come together a bit more with time. But overall, I think I'm starting to do better. Being able to eat yogurt and granola and clementines helps too, I suppose... :)

And now I need to stop procrastinating and get started on my humongous homework load.