"Dog Days Are Over"

"Your aspirations are your possibilites." - Samuel Johnson

I really need to get into the habit of waiting to see how things turn out before I start writing blog entries, seriously because things just keep getting more and more interesting. As you know, the Fall semester is over and while most people would be running for the door to go back home, I'm not one of them. I'm kind of reserved over the idea of being back in the [False] Promise Land that is my old hometown and personally I'd rather stay in my dorm but I owe my mom a visit. So I packed up my bags on Saturday, but not before a share of amazing things. For one, I spent the morning with Mark and his awesome roommate for breakfast and then to the mall we went. One thing I should probably mention (in case some haven't figured it out) is that I'm Hispanic. I also speak Spanish along with a good 98% of the Hispanic population. Mark is Filipino. While he is talented and gifted in many ways, he can't speak Spanish to save his life. This usually sets him up for spectacular language barrier flops. Well after breakfast, Mark invited us to go to the mall so he could buy a Christmas present for his potential boyfriend, Sergio. On the way there, Mark, his roommate Erik (not to be confused with Erick, the pain in my ass ex), and I were discussing how to say Mall in Spanish. Erik gave the correct translation (which evades me at the moment) while I said, "Personally, being that I'm lazy and apt to using Spanglish more frequently than accurate translations, will just say Mol y ya." [Note: Mol y Ya is not a correct translation. It's just a Spanish sounding pronunciation of the word Mall combined with the real word in Spanish y ya which means "and that's it". In the context I was using it, the "translation" would be "mall and be done with it"]
Mark then had a confused look on his face and then proceeded to say "Moliya? How come I've never heard that before?"
By then, all three of us were confused as to where he got the word Moliya but then it dawned on me what he was trying to do and I immediately started to burst into a fit of laughter.
By then, Mark was really confused.
Mark: "Why are you laughing?"
Me: "BECAUSE! The phrase I was trying to say was three words. You combined it into one. Plus you made it even more of an off translation than mine."
Erik and I: LMAO
Mark: -____-'

And so our joke of the day (with at least 3 Facebook mentions and a Tweet from Mark and I each) was about our day at the Moliya. At the Mall (or Moliya, depending on if you got the joke or not) Mark spent the good part of 2 hours gift shopping and price checking. It wasn't until he got to Macy's (the best price for what he wanted) and came to a revelation. A few friends and I with Mark included have been planning to go to Dallas, Texas in January for the Glee open casting calls (Yes, the hit show Glee. The very show I'm obsessed with) and we've been saving money for the big day for hotel and gas expenses. However, in spite of Mark's job, resale of textbooks and everything,  none of us can deny that being a college student isn't one of the most broke professions anyone can take on. And so he was left between going to Dallas or buying Sergio a Christmas present: he immediately looked at me. Without a doubt I said, "It's going to be awfully quiet in Dallas without you. And so he purchased it and was estatic. I was then greeted with the biggest hug I could ever get. Honestly, I don't mind at all. I'm all for happiness and if he's happy then so am I. And the look on his face said it all. so I am thrilled.
After we got back to the dorms, I was 1) Texted by a friend who wanted to hang out at the mall. and 2) surprised by Mark when he stopped by my dorm.
Since we all knew I was eventually going to get dragged against my will to go back home, our mall adventures would be the last time we would get to hang out. And so while I was getting cleaned up to go to the mall yet again, Mark stopped by with a Christmas present... for me, behind his back.
For behind him, he pulled a book called the "A Photographic History of Marilyn Monroe."
For years, I've been in serious admiration of Marilyn Monroe but I've never been able to purchase any memorabilia and here was a book for me. I wanted to cry and I did, ruining my makeup for one of the nicest things anyone has ever bought for me. He then notions me to read inside the book and sure enough, here is the inscription he wrote: [Note: Alot of these are inside jokes so if you don't get some, that's expected. lol]

Jen!!

My GLEE-loving-I.T.S-auditioning-Tyra-Show-participating-"mariachi: it's a regional thing"-ing- Resident Idol winning- Professional Third Wheeling- Pink loving- tostada making- ruffle dress wearing- we will deck out our apartment in James Dean and Marilyn Monroe- Darren Criss swooning- cockblocking because of shoes- guardian angel- Pied Piper of gay guys within a two mile radius- will become famousthrough her blog and Twitter- awesomeness in a box, amazing friend and inspiration, not to mention fellow grammar Nazi.

'your aspirations are your possibilites.' - Samuel Johnson

With the spunk of Marilyn Monrow, the voice of Lea Michele, and the heart of Barbra Streisand, Jen, you're an amazing kid and I'm glad you're in my life! Thank you!!

Mark

By this time I was really crying. Yeah, I know. I'm a sap. lol I was so touched by this whole thing that it really sank in on how much of a family I have away from my parents and also how one little gesture can mean so much. I was pretty pensive about it the entire time. Even when I went to the mall with my friend and went out for a late lunch, I was pretty silent. Then my nice little bubble of obbservance was popped. My mom called. She wanted to go back home and NOW and was wondering where the hell I was.
Like I wanted to go back.
At any cost, my mom sounded peeved. (Plus she threatened to disown me) so  I had no choice but to make my way back home and pack up to the Land of False Promises: I've made my way to my old hometown. You'd think I was a convict trying to sneak my way into the country by the way I've smuggled myself into the town relatively unnoticed. I haven't told anyone I'm here, mostly because I don't want anyone to know that I'm here.
I literally drove into town and I felt my shoulders tense up. Everything seems so much smaller, so empty and so... apathetic compared to my college existence. And so we drove in.. and I'm not all that thrilled to be here. But my mood changed when I helped unload the car and came back inside and saw I got three texts.
Two were from Twitter:
Mark and Sergio not only made it Facebook official but made it Twitter official. They're a couple. Aaaand this all happened within the two hours it took me to leave civilization and be dumped in this hellhole.
...
Really guys? lol

At any cost, I'm absolutely thrilled for them. They are incredibly adorable and I wish them the best of luck (because after all, they are the only couple I don't want to throw shoes at)

But anyhow, aside from this great news, I have 29 days to go (and counting) and I can only hope the next few days are filled with a chance to practice and finish my Christmas shopping.

And even now, I'm still very lucky to be embraced by so many wonderful people who have changed my life. (and I can only hope Mark and Sergio come to visit because I'm going to go bonkers being trapped in this town for so long alone)

and either way, this hole of a place has some great people, particularly Juan the bestie and my high school band chums who actually enjoy the place (a phenomenon I will never understand)

The good will always be that my days of isolation are over... even if I'm single. :)