And to think: only a year ago, Thanksgiving was fast approaching and I had a million projects on my plate. Well, not really. But enough. I had more than enough to do. I was sweating. I was confined to my room, confined to books, wishing the work would magically disappear, wishing I could just graduate already. And then it happened. Before I even knew it. Whoosh. Graduation came and went. Summer came and went. And now I'm here. Back in Dublin. Happy again.

People ask questions like, 'What adventures have you had?'

I want to respond with enthusiasm and vigor. But my adventures are hardly adventures at all: 

'The other week I opened a bank account! And then I got an ATM card! No more exchange rate bullshit for me!'

Or:

'The other day, I did a shop! And then I did my washing! And then I watched four hours of Channel 4 programming!'

See, life has been full of exclamations, just not the kind you'd expect to hear.

And grad school...grad school is easy. Easier than undergraduate, at least. So far. The reading has been minimal. All of our assignments/projects are adequately spaced out. This isn't a complaint, mind you, but the facts. I went to Sarah Lawrence. At this point last year, I wanted to keel over and die. Now I just worry about important things, like obtaining my PPS number and finding a job in this horrorshow of an economic climate. Now I go to the cinema and spend my nights cooking, because of this glorious thing known as 'free time.'

That's another thing: cooking. I'm trying to make food. Good food. Food other people might be jealous of. Over the summer, the plan was to make a new dish every week. Tried and failed at that. But it seems to be working this time. A friend and I have a new thing we're testing out: make dinner for each other once a week. We switch off, and whoever isn't cooking has to bring dessert or at least alcohol. It's a nice trade. Because of this, I'm pushing my boundaries. Last week, I decided to make chicken parmigiana. The week before, chicken with mushrooms and cream (or Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons, if you want to be all Julia Child about it). I'm on a roll. It feels good. Before the year is over, I want to learn how to roll my own sushi.

Now it's the peak of autumn. The air is getting crisper and the wind more blustery. Leaves are everywhere. The rain continues, as this is Dublin, but there are sunny days, too. And there are days when it just threatens to storm, but never does. I like those days. And I like this cold, because it means sweaters and scarves. It means steaming tea and snuggling under the covers in my big, cozy bed.  Biscuits, hot chocolate, Christmas cheer. 

It's the little things, really. Isn't that what they always say?