Solo, So Low

Living alone has taught me a lot of things about myself. The most obvious: I am an unhealthy slob when no one else is around. They sell these things called "Digestive Biscuits" in Denmark and that's pretty much all I eat for breakfast and sometimes dinner. I bought 3 large bars of Cadbury Chocolate from Ireland. I was planning on bringing them home for my sisters, but, sorry girls, I ate them....for dinner, with my Digestive Biscuits and a beer. I was down to salami and nearly-expired eggs. I boiled the eggs to make them last longer (does that work? I hope so). I ate boiled eggs and salami for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday. I talked to Trevor on Sunday and I was glad I wasn't the only one with an eating disorder...He was debating whether or not to walk one block to the supermarket or eat a can of beans for dinner. That's all..just a can of beans. That's all he had left in the house. We convinced each other to go grocery shopping. I was telling my only friend outside of work about my disgusting eating behaviors. She said something along the line of "you know you're a student when ...." Yup, wish I was a student. I have no excuse.

My apartment has also been a complete mess. There were about 12 plates, 6 cups, 1 pan, 1 pot, and 24 utensils in the cupboards and now they are all dirty and in the sink. The living room is covered with books, newspapers, receipts, dirty clothes on the floor, clean clothes hanging on the rack, the rack taking up half the room, 2 feet of clear floor in which to walk... I left the window open one day and when I came home I thought someone had broken in to my apartment. The map, receipts, tissues, chocolate wrappers...everything was blown all over the floor. I closed the window and started cleaning up. I found a set of keys on the table that I did not recognize! Someone had broken in! Picking up the trash from the floor I found a note from the landlord. "Here is the key to your mailbox." It had been in my apartment for a few days. I had no idea.

I checked my mailbox for the first time this weekend. Sorry Al, no postcard, but I wrote my name really big on the mailbox, so hopefully if someone else has it they will give it to it's rightful owner. Having a mailbox is changing my life. For instance, I went for a run on Sunday. It took all my energy to motivate myself. I couldn't decide if I should go running or grocery shopping and I definitely needed to do both. I did not want to do both though, because that would entail two times up and down the 7 flights of stairs. Instead I locked up my backpack in the mailbox, went for a run, then came home, pulled out my bag and went grocery shopping. I only had to go up and down the stairs once! I was very proud of myself.

I was also proud that I went for a really long run all by myself. I was out for an hour and a half and I made it to a part of the city I had never been to before (the part I was trying to reach by bike on Saturday but failed). I found the zoo and a cute little park on the west side. On my way home all I was thinking about was the McDonald's on the corner of my street. I walk past it everyday. When I first got here and saw it, it was sort of comforting, something familiar, but it was also disturbing. Why are McDonald's everywhere?! I swore I would never go there. But all I wanted was a McDonald's vanilla ice cream cone and hey, I deserved it! So I decided to give up and get one. I go in to McDonald's and there is a super long line. It is really hot and smells like burgers mmmm. I start getting really hot. All I want is ice cream. But this line is taking forever! Damn Danes and their lack of quick customer service. The line lasts long enough for me to guilt-trip myself to stick to my guns. I walk out of Micky D's and head to 7-11 for a large bottle of water.

I've come a long way...