A Woeful Return

In less than a week I have to go back to Knoxville. I have to leave this place that I have grown so fond of to return to a city that really only feeds my depression and apathy. The one saving grace that Knoxville has, however, is my friends. I know that it has been hard for me to keep in touch with you throughout this process, if I had my choice I would call you every day. Time, however, is not really on my side. I've got homework every night, class every day, and extensive amounts of out-of-class bonding to do with these new people up here so that I can assure I have friends when I come back. I know for sure that I will now.

This past weekend was one for the books. Instead of going to Boston as I originally planned, I went to stay with a friend's family in Long Island, NY. It was a glorious weekend (besides the 2nd degree burns on my thighs, ankles, and random other parts of my body). Her immediate family is only the 1st generation of people to not live in Italy. Her grandmothers barely speak English. Her parents speak half English, half Italian most of the time. Her family offered us their house, their homemade wine, their hand cut pasta, and her mother's best tomato sauce. We ate like kings, and we've been told to come back anytime we'd like.

The second degree burns on my body come from this beach. It's called Long Beach, and it's about 20 minutes away from my friend's house in Long Island. It costs $12 to get on the sand (even though Angela's dad said that they were ripping us off because it was a holiday weekend), but it was worth it. The sand was very clean, and even though there were other people around, everyone seemed to have a very similar intention of just laying around and relaxing for the day. Of course I was stupid and forgot to lather with the appropriate amount of sunscreen, so my poor ginger skin is ruined for a week. It's fine, I don't need to spend much time in the sun anyway.

So, to reflect, I am quite upset that I have to return to Knoxville in four days, but I also cannot wait to see the people that have made it a habitable city for the past several years. I love you all, but please try to make Knoxville suck less than usual so I don't die while I'm there.