different

the very thing that separated me from most of my friends in ga was that i spoke spanish. here in middlebury, however, that is now longer something different; rather, it's a common thing. i must, then, choose something else, something different that distinguishes me from others. is it the fact that i act? i sing? i dance? do i study harder than others? are my photos better than others'? i find that in a place where i seem to have lived so little in comparison to others, it's those times that i have to struggle to find my place.

due in part to finding my place of distinction, and due in part to listening to primarily salsa music, i've decided that i, too, want a name worthy of a salsa singer the likes of hector lavoe, marc anthony, celia cruz or even the great tito puente.

i've opted for chuchi rodriguez. that and my acting and singing and studying hard and taking good pics.

hasta luego,
~chuchi

passport

the appointment with the spanish conuslate went well. i arrived 30 mins early & they accepted my passport and papers. i'm supposed to return after august 14th to pick it up! after leaving middlebury at 4:30, i arrived in boston at 9 with about an hour's worth of morning traffic. but the winding country mountain roads at dawn were really pretty. i can't imagine what it would be like up here in the winter on those roads. since this was my second time at the consulate, i was afraid that there was a small chance i wouldn't have everything needed, but i did. of course i found this out after about 45 loooong minutes of waiting after the man at the window initially took my papers. those were probably the longest 45 minutes of my life. and i got back to the paking meter 3 blocks away from the consulate with 2 minutes to spare! God blessed me with a good trip, a successful appointment, and a beautiful afternoon to travel in. it all happened in a blur that when i got back to middlebury, it was like a dream. now, looking back at it a week later, i can hardly believe i did all that the way i did. but it's done & there's work to do here now.

hard work

it's hard work being a doctor.

well, ok, i'm not a doctor yet, and not even the kind that really has to do a lot of stuff like operate or set someone's bones or even prescribe the right cholesterol medicine that doesn't conflict with their high blood pressure and anemia medicines and cause liver damage, stroke, blindness, death or even sexual difficulties. but still, i've got plenty to read, have to write a mini-thesis this summer about my dissertation topic, memorize lines for the play i'm in, participate in choir practice, coordinate fiestas for the hall. i tell you, it's hard work. but very rewarding when it all comes together well. i know it's taken me a little while to get here, but i'm glad for the journey. God's taken me on an amazing journey & i still want to peek around the corner to see what's coming up next.

but for now, it's dinner time. enjoy it with someone.

so, this afternoon...

a transformer blew somewhere near the town of middlebury & the central vermont power service cut the power for the entire town of middlebury, the college, and one or two neighboring towns. so, were there we were, without lights, without electricity, and how were we going to eat dinner? by candlelight, of course! it was eery, but still, the middlebury spirit shone through & it was almost as if nothing had happened. it was kind of like camping for a while--we all gathered around and shared jokes and laughs, food and drinks. it was a great night before classes start tomorrow.

and we're back

wow-it's amazing how much has happened in the past month since my last post! let's see:
-i'm no longer a high school teacher
-one entire week was sponsered by netflix
-i saw my paternal grandfather, whom i haven't seen in about 5 years
-i moved out (initially) of my townhouse

within the past week:
-my bro, sis-in-law & niece, with their 'wonderdog' visited last week
-went to a wedding of good friends
-finished getting necessary papers for my student visa application
-had dinner at blue sky kitchen, yum
-i finished moving things out of my townhouse & got the deposit back (!)

this week:
-i flew to boston
-presented my passport and application for the student visa & was told i didn't have all the info despite following their instructions on the website (i'll have to go back)
-moved into my dorm room at middlebury college
-met with the director of the program about my course of study
-am getting to know old friends & making new ones

thanks to all who supported me over the past 4 years to help me get to where i am now. i followed God & he's led me back here to the mountains of vermont (of all places) to study spanish. what a ride it's been.

and don't worry, i'll blog more. ;)

ciao.