I didn´t grow out of nightmares

The earth moved this past Saturday. I was waking up from a nice little nap (siesta) when I felt the bed jolt. Normally, upon waking up from nightmares (which I admittedly still have), I feel as though the bed trembles. However, I heard the windows rumble and that is what made me jump.

In an earthquake, you run under something sturdy, such as the doorframe. What did I, the east coast yankee, do? I hid under my bed covers. One jolt. Less than a minute. And I hid under the covers like a 5 year old. Smart.

Home Sweet Home

My room in my quaint little house. I have a lot of room to make a mess, but I don't. At first, my bed was a little unusual and really uncomfortable. It sits on a frame with another mattress pad underneath. The mattresses are different from the States, there are no springs. It's just foam, so donuts are almost always guaranteed.

The donut in my bed makes it difficult for me to stay balanced in the center, where I like to sleep. I naturally roll into the donut, therefore making the bed go off balance, too. For the first few nights, I would wake up with my bed halfway slid off the frame and being face to face with the floor. Then, I'd have to get up (mind you, it was FREEZING when I first arrived), and push the bed back.

However, I've learned to use the chairs (from my desk and the one by the window) to act as a rail so I don't fall off. Fortunately, within the past 2 weeks, I've learned how to sleep without my chairs. They were kind of like training wheels, I guess.

My seemingly pointless anecdote has a lesson. Improvisation is necessary when abroad. I'm here with one suitcase (only 3 pairs of jeans, by the way) and I left my worries back in the US.

PS I'm really dying for hair mousse. It's ridiculously expensive here and I'm not giving in.