5:00 pm

I can't believe it's over already. I barely got a chance to write in my journal. I hate that. So much has happened. It's been a fantastic 2 weeks. We had a great party at Karen and Rick's last weekend. Played and played. So much fun. I forgot about how much fun my friends and I have when we're together. I miss them! Everyone was so great to me. I borrowed Barb's and Jane's cars, stayed at Matt & Eli's and Karen & Rick's. They spent so much money on me! Patrick had people over for a barbecue. I really am lucky! And I'm not ready to go back yet. I'm trying my best to get excited about it. But I must admit that I really love this country! The conveniences! Fast food. Shopping. Cars. Television. The easy life. So difficult to walk (or fly) away from. I'm in Chicago now. Waiting. We've been sitting in the plane for 2 1/2 hours, waiting out a storm, and now the long lines of planes ahead of us. I managed to get here from Detroit and run downtown to the Spanish Consulate this morning to get my "working papers." I also have my bicycle in tow. That will be so nice to have in Málaga! And my CDs! I am looking forward to finding an apartment, but I'm anxiety-ridden about the job. So much to do. Pressure. It's always there. Frustration, too. But, I need to go for it! Just Do It! I will succeed! It will be fantastic! Jenny is pretty sure of coming in October. Alyssa wants to come, too. I talked to Bob last night. He's still thinking about it, but didn't sound overly positive. So I continue on - alone. One day at a time. Enjoying the ride. The experiences! I've spent too much money these past two weeks. $1000 on the flight. $200 on clothes. $100 on books. Probably another $100 on other stuff. Oh, $250 on a CD player and CDs. The check for $9000 from my dad's estate has shrunk fast. So I'm not as rich as I had hoped. I hope I can make $2000 - $2500 a month at work. That'd be nice. Mitchell might pick me up at the airport in Málaga. Otherwise, it'll be a major pain to transport my stuff. Sabena Airlines has the worst music selection on the headsets!