So, last week was midterms. I haven't seen any grades yet. As much as I want to believe that grades aren't really what's important, I can't shake the grade-school-conditioned yearning for validation in the form of the first letter of the alphabet. But last week was an academic landmark for me, in that I wrote a 6-page paper for Honors class ( Read more... )

The combination of a positive Claire-Susie connection in acting class, a completed introduction to my honors paper, and a castle celebration ceremony with happy singing people, wine, and chocolate has resulted in a happier claire. It's midterms week so there's studying to do and a paper to finish, but today has been a better day. Plus, I saw an ( Read more... )

Del Val Grad Dies in Wreck ( Read more... )

I went to Brugge with Adam this weekend, and we did tourist stuff-- The Chocolate Museum, The Tin Tin Gift Shop, a Pablo Neruda Photo Exhibit, and purposeful sight-seeing that led us to the Market square about twenty times, to a strange fountain filled with bronze statues, and down the winding cobblestone streets of the restaurant-lined, basically- ( Read more... )

On Tuesday, October 5, I stepped out of the overnight trenhotel onto the station platform in Madrid-- and there was my mom. As if I wasn't an Epstein at all, we found one another just like that, without miscommunicating or getting lost or confused. Que raro! She took me to our hotel, the Santa Barbara Hostal at the Alonso Martinez metro stop on ( Read more... )

After leaving behind the Boston squirrel-vermin, I thought I was safe. I can't even remember the last time I made eye contact with one of those beady-eyed little rat-squirrels-- running past the nut vendor with their scraggly, bedraggled little tails limply dragging behind them, or grimly clinging to the rim of a public garden wastebasket. But it ( Read more... )

So, last night I actually managed to stay up for the final presidential debate. There was a party atmosphere in the VB lounge, but once the debate began, people were surprisingly absorbed. The debate was broadcast at 3 am here, but I didn't have class until 12:30 the next morning so it wasn't a big deal to stay awake until 5 in the madrugada. ( Read more... )

This semester is unfolding differently than I expected. I pictured myself becoming close with all the kids here and I pictured myself traveling Europe with this group of newfound friends-- like Kaja and Scott and Audrey and Adam... and maybe meeting some new people. Instead, I find myself wanting to be alone. As soon as we arrived, everyone ( Read more... )

i have been gone for ten long days. We left for Paris at 8 on Friday morning and we got there at 4pm. All i remember is a lunch break at a truck stop with a play ground. When we finally got into the city, I went out to dinner with Susie, Paul "The Body" Suda, and Caitlin "Blondie" Brown. Then all EIGHTY of us went to the Louvre for a lightning ( Read more... )

MOLLY, I need help! the computers here are going crazy and I can read my emails but I can't email anyone and I can't delete any emails. Could you login to my hotmail account (you know the password) and delete everything from the msn hotmail people, the democratic party, online photo companies and the emails from you and Veronica with attachments ( Read more... )