the not so useful natalie

So hmmm. What's new? I could lie and say I have been touring the city, sightseeing, seeing broadway type productions and waltzing through the Melbourne botanical gardens. But, that would most definitely be a lie. Instead I have watched approximately 17 movies and countless hours of television, took one outing to the grocery store to fulfill our current hibernation mission, and taken one random walk in which I kept checking over my shoulder for fear of being mugged. Yeah that last part was the result of T. warning me to be careful and my paranoid brain. A catastrophic mixture. Anyways, back to the hibernation part. See I like to think of us as two bears, except that we are hiding out from the heat rather than the winter. T. has been really sick. For. 5. whole. days. I am a pretty patient person. Heck I practically had Swine Flu last fall and I only took one day off work! So, I have been trying to deal with this situation as patiently and lovingly as possible. He is a friend, after all and a part of the male species, which indefinitely makes him a bit weak from the start.

So doing nothing, hmmm, as if I could write an entire blog about that? Maybe there is more too it to that. I mean heck, if you know you probably won't leave the house the entire day, just getting out of bed in the morning is a huge accomplishment. I have hope it's not always going to be like this. I really do. I can't force someone to feel better just because I am tired of doing nothing. I just think a little fresh air never killed anyone. That's all.

So if anyone knows me well, they know I like to take long, long, long walks. I probably get it from my Grandmother and quite frankly, the whole MacKinnon side of the family. They are what I like to refer to as "walkers." I have a few friends that are walkers and I love them a lot (you know who you are 6 mile routers of Gainesville). My brother is also very found of walking, although his walks usually are a bit more enlightening (I have the slightest idea why). Anywho, at the point where I was staring at a blank wall out of boredom, ready to snap, I decided to walk. I was a bit nervous seeing as I could get lost pretty easily and because I had not really been more than two blocks away on my own prior to this point. So I walked. And I walked. And I walked some more. I saw other walkers and ended up at some river where people were rowing and I was pretty gosh darn tickled by all of this nonsense. It rained on me but I was still upbeat. So that was my Wednesday. Yay!

Today, back to the grind. I mean the grind of doing nothing. Cleaning has become a new hobby. Somehow caring for the sick and cleaning go hand in hand. I am lucky though as my male roommate has pointed out, he does clean and he does cook. So maybe he is a more evolved breed of the XY chromosome combo.

Today I did hear some very sad news and I ask that anyone who is reading this please say a prayer for Nancy and Jillian. Hearing about tragedies back home is never easy, especially when you are far from people who are really hurting. But prayer does not know boarders of continents, at least I like to believe. So pray on I will.

Tomorrow bright and early we depart for Sydney. I am hoping that I will actually get to go out and am looking forward to some MUCH MUCH MUCH needed girl time with Nicole and Jenna from camp. I will also be seeing one of my favorite Aussies, Steve! Steve, T., Nicole, C., and I (and Melissa, Lindley, Kim, Brad and Liz of course! ) all had the same day off at camp last year. We are looking forward to the reunion and hopefully getting out to celebrate a bit. It is also Chinese New Year and Valentines Day, although I doubt I will be celebrating either. I will try to keep everyone posted on Sydney and all that jazz. Hopefully it will be better than hibernating.

So my thoughts at this point? A bit skeptical, but then again that could have developed from watching too many cheesy movies. But I am skeptical and finally realizing I am in the "real world" no one really wants to enter. Everything behind me is a blur and I basically have busted out of the institution that has held me in place 17 or 18 of the 22 years of my life. That's right, the education system. It makes sense that all of my friends are school friends and that most of my life has been, up until now, determined by dates and deadlines of school, sorority, jobs, research meetings etc. Now I am free. Which don't get me wrong is liberating. But it sure is scary, and lonely. Going from living with 60 women, having scheduled meal times, schedules days, carrying a planner, and knowing what I will be doing day to day, week to week to this? It's a bit of a shock. And a bit stressful. I am coping. I am reading a lot of books. I can't wait for grad school after I am done with these experiences. I really thought my practical side would kick in but it unfortunately is not. Driving in Australia is hard. So is cooking, and figuring out when to use the water, and how to work the blinds. I have learned so far that I would suck at being a housewife and that I really have a breaking point when it comes to caring for the sick. Hmm weeding out life purposes by the bushel. I like that .

Until next time,
Natalie