gets me every time

This cat and I have become friends, little by little, as he grows accustomed to my being around and I keep my dog from invading his space too much. Ash belongs to Rico, a housemate and friend. I fight for Ash's affection just as many people fight for George's. That is how it works.

There are a lot of things that I want to do once midterms are over--yoga on the roof, trips to the coast and the state parks, time observing the beautiful Willamette River and taking pictures of things I don't want to forget. Texas calls out to me fairly often, because I do not know people here like I know my San Marcos family, but the time will come where I can share intimate moments with people I hold dear in this place. Some have happened already, like with cutie pie London and wonderful human being Kayla. Human George and I took a wonderful walk with dog George last week, and I hope that we hang out more and bake delicious cakes together. I have been playing guitar, and getting better at playing guitar, and I have actually started writing again though it is a slow and painful process. Every step is a step forward, even the ones that don't feel like it. 

I have a beautiful life here, and I will miss it when it is gone. I am learning to embrace my freedom, which Daniel and I always spoke of but only seldom enacted. I am free here, and I will be free when I go back to San Marcos, and I will live fully and happily and I will graduate and come back up here for as long as I am able. I will have to bring Sully with me, though. I miss him intensely. 

Here are Sully and Lo looking pretty together, circa 2010.  He would love it here, I'm sure, and [almost] everyone would love him. He and I are going to find a place to live together, us and George, with a little tribe of ourselves. It would be nice to end up back on Holland St. with a house-tribe of my own, making the place better and enjoying our time there together. We'd have a garden and hammocks and trashcan fires together, collect rainwater and build forts and love each other...but I daydream too much. Living here has made it difficult to imagine living by myself when I return, which was my original plan. I want to have themed parties and open mics and get along like people get along here, using consensus and volunteerism to replace hierarchy. I feel like I have learned so much more from living here than the University of Oregon could ever hope to offer me, and I wish I could spend less time on schoolwork and more time participating in what we have here. After midterms, I promise that to myself.

It is 7pm, almost time for dinner and our weekly house meeting. I have not done much around the house this week, but I will make up for it once midterms have ended. I am working on making a craft room/library on the first floor, filled with awesome crafty things and reading materials, and hopefully computers and a printer. It is my goal while I am here to see it through to its finish.