So these here are the chronicles of Din Din...

I, Din Din, having spent many an hour of boredom here at university, have found this here to be another potential outlet for the many things that threaten my relative sanity (this exempting, of course, my other outlets of drawing, painting, print-making, filming, knitting, cooking, power yoga, novel-writing, and anything else that temporarily captures my pathetic excuse for an attention span).

So I am friendless (though a few would beg to differ, where are they now on the eve of Mabon after I did, much to my chagrin, go out of my way to contact them?) and nestled amongst the 8 million strangers that make up New York City. Tired of dreaming up complete fictions for the night, I turn my attention to the half-fiction that is the planning of one's future and the utter ficitons that are the adventures I have yet to face.

I take a moment to ensure that I have not revealed too much information. So far you know I am Din Din, another socially retarded (art?) student left to her own devices in NYC..."which university?" you, oh non-existent reader, may ask. To this I answer, "Attempt to gauge the numerous limits to my intelligence and go from there..."

And here is where I divulge more information because frankly, no one is really reading this, and just try to pick me out from a crowd of 8 million.

2008 is when the future begins, as well as hopefully a sex life, but that really has nothing to do with the future (apart from my imagined impending tryst with an older Argentinian gentleman who most certainly knows how to tango).

SPRINGTIME 08
Barrio Norte, Buenos Aires
(fact)Here is where I study and finally gain some semblance of mastery over a language that I have been studying far longer than my ability in it would suggest.
Here is where I rejoice in the artistic glory that is Bs. As. Here is where I take another step towards claiming independence.
Here is where I have to work my ass off to find vegetarian sustenance.
(hopefully not fiction) Here is where I have a passionate love affair with aforementioned distinguished and oh so experienced Senor who shall instruct me in the um...sexual arts.
Here is where I become inherently cool and completely immersed in an amazing artsy counter-culture and have pink hair (that actually, may very soon be very real) and interesting people seek out my company.
Here is where I have already begun to lose weight from the anti-hypothyroid happy pills.

SUMMERTIME 08
Organic farms and tourist traps, The United Kingdom
(fact) Here is where I backpack my nervous, solo female ass throughout the kingdom.
Here is where I stay a few weeks on a select number of organic farms through WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms)...look it up and maybe we'll run into each other unawares.
Here is where I have to survive through dirty clothes and cheap hostels and sketchy peoples.
Here is where I'll have a blast and gain valuable experience for the Agroforestry division of the Peace Corps.
Here is where I scout out potential grad schools.
Here is where it will be relatively simple to find good veggie foods, as many of the farm hosts are the type of people I aspire to be: crazy farm hippies who are obsessed with things like standing stones and buddhism and Mother Earth.
Here is where I gain the courage to backpack alone where English is not spoken.
(hopefully not fiction) Here is where I meet new friends that I will backpack with either then or at some future date and have a blast going on adventures with them.
Here is where I find others obsessed with the pagan history of the UK.
Here is where I run into an African Sex God with a Londoner accent.
Here is where I meet a very professorly man (at a farm?) with whom I have a romance like that in North and South (like Pride and Prejudice except darker and with a Northern accent...)
Here is where I run into one of the Shakespearean actors I obsess over.
Here is where I lose even more weight due to the correction of my bum thyroid.

AUTUMN 08
Accra, Ghana
(fact) Here is where I attempt to be studious again.
Here is where I attempt to learn enough Twi to impress people back home who obviously cannot judge my abilities in a language they've never even heard of.
Here is where I use my backpacking skills to travel around a bit on breaks and weekends.
Here is where I will probably have to survive on squash because of the lack of vegetarian options.
Here is where I rejoice in AFRICA AND ALL ITS GLORY.
Here is where it feels just like it did back home in the south (gasp! a tidbit of personal info).
(hopefully not fiction) Here is where I go out and get involved in the "high life" culture.
Here is where I immerse myself in the counter-culture of Accra and meet friends from all over the continent who are living art.
Here is where I get wasted on palm wine.
Here is where I get even skinnier.