2011, let's do this

Ah, fresh new blog smell. My old livejournal spans the years 2004-2010, which is a pretty epic chunk of my life, but nothing feels more appropriate than starting something new right now.

2010 was a milestone all its own. After coming back from a 7 week stint studying in Berlin (and sightseeing Prague, Vienna, and London) I felt like... well I felt like a real bonafide adult, someone who’s started to see the world and understand it. A foreign country, a big city, staying in youth hostels, hittin’ da clubs, drinking (totes legally, mind you)… I get flashbacks of proud moments, like holding conversations entirely auf Deutsch. Like, good job Shan, you’ve actually been learning German. Shit.

Admittedly I came back feeling like a snob (not that I would want it any other way), talking about how you just can't get quality döner kebabs outside of Kreuzberg, and sure as hell not in New Jersey. Or I'd talk about how I miss dining al fresco, and I miss the clean subways, and the hundreds-of-years-old architecture that somehow is more impressive than what's now in my vicinity: an abandoned strip mall that closed down because its anchor, Shop Rite, was frequented by too many shoplifters. And let's not forget how I came back with an obsession for scarves, helping to perpetuate my new Eurofied image (even though let’s be serious, Germany is not my go-to country for what is hip and chic. See: Hasselhof. Kidding, Berlin, I joke out of love).

So all that was great. ‘Schland was great. Being there for World Cup madness… bangin’. I became the proud owner of a vuvuzela the colors of the German flag, which came free with a box of my favorite German beer, Paulaner. If I could crush the greatness of that summer into a powder and snort it, I’d be happy the rest of my life. But that spectacular time was followed up by a fall semester back at Rutgers that was all levels of boring, punctuated by an unfortunate visit by the Mono fairy. There was the 20^th century Europe class which was taught so poorly that I failed to learn much at all (highly disappointing). And Jackie, poor roommate, was ill roughly fifty percent of the semester.

Anyway, this upcoming semester can’t suck balls, ‘cause I’m gonna be on the other side of the world, speaking a language I haven’t been studying hard enough and possibly am terrible at, and it’s GONNA BE AWESOME.

But first I have a week’s reprieve from snowy Jersey weather for the sunnay sunnay town of L.A. (leave this Saturday; escorting my visiting grandparents back to my aunt’s abode). Actually I have no idea what I’m going to do there, but I’ll figure it out later this week. Aaand, shortly before my stay in Japan I’m likely going to be hitting up the Philippines, land from which my mother hails (and pathetic though it is, a place I’ve heretofore never had a chance to visit, even though I’ve got mad family over there). I’m stoked about the getting-in-touch-with-my-roots posts that will ensue.

I’ve been putting off a lot of the pre-departure things I need to do, though. It’s shameful. But this past week I’ve started to get my act together. Made a day out of cleaning out the atrocity that is my closet, filling up 4 bags worth of clothes to be donated… setting aside stuff to auction off on ebay once I’m back from L.A., joined a book exchange website (bookmooch.com). Actually I have 8 books to ship out to people. Yeesh. (And I’m trying to procure a copy of Out of Africa that someone has, and some lady in Switzerland’s sending me ­­­­Sommerhaus, später.) Most importantly, though, I need to figure out living arrangements in Japan, which is as stressful as it sounds. But last night, oh thank God, I found these small apartments boasting an “international atmosphere”; I would actually share a common room/bathroom with people, versus the super-lonely existence I thought would be my fate. Plus it’s cheaper.

But ok ok I think this is sufficient for a first entry. Point is... well, I don't know. I just hope I keep up with this blog, haha.