Fall on Alfred St.

Life on Alfred St. has been quiet of late. The fall storms have begun to saunter in, blowing across the lake in cold grey puffs and hiding the blue sky. It drizzles chilly rain almost every afternoon. My walks to school are refreshing. I wear my black rain boots and make a point of jumping hard in every puddle along the way when I think no one’s looking. The Amazonian mud from last summer that’s streaked halfway up my boots has yet to rub off entirely. I don’t mind. I like the reminder of adventures past.

The lecture halls are warm and inviting after the chilly 2.5 km walk. I’m thinking about moving closer to school. There are rumours that it’ll be a tough winter, and 5km a day in the snow at subzero temperatures isn’t my favourite. But for now, my little hobbit hole on Alfred St. works just fine. It’s staying warm enough, despite being a basement. My fairy wings hang on the wall. Candles burn on the coffee table. The hedgehog curls up in an old knit hat on the bed, snoring squeaky snuffs occasionally. I have chai tea, a decent wifi connection, and textbooks to read. I take notes with a Venetian glass fountain pen and a bottle of red ink. I study in mismatched socks, a knit wrap, and no pants. Who needs pants.

I’m doing well in school, despite myself. I’m neck-deep in studying the history and cultures of South America, debating theories of space and identity with my peers, and painstakingly teaching myself equations and definitions. I got into an argument with a professor for the first time. She adamantly believes that it’s impossible for people to have location-independent careers and that lawyers, developers, psychologists, and politicians absolutely need to be urban-dwellers. Which is just not true. I know people in all of those positions who work online from wherever they happen to be and have no problem. So, I politely interrupted to point out the flaw. She refused to accept it! She essentially told me that I was wrong, and there was no way it was possible to live in this manner. I left it at that. No point in disrupting the class. But honestly. Half my community lives this way. Right after that class, I went and taught a student in Switzerland, did social media work for a guy in the States, and had some one on one time with a friend from Germany. It’s obviously not impossible. Anyway.

Tomorrow will wrap up week six; midterm week. It’s been a hectic ride, but I’m managing far better than I did last year. My grades are better, my stress levels are lower, and I think I’m actually getting almost everything done. I’ve made a few good connections, I have a prof who loves Guatemala, and I have friends this year. I’m also watching my brothers and dad finally set off on their incredible sailing trip, the culmination of one of their biggest dreams. Life is good. Hope you’re well too.

Ps. To follow their adventures, check out www.edventureproject.com and www.havebrotherswilltravel.com.