Of ramblings and recent happenings

Shoot... It's been a while. I am back in Denver and already heading into the fourth week of the ten-week Winter Quarter. Classes are interesting and going well, but I'm currently lacking intense amounts of motivation, which is completely no bueno. We'll see how this weekend goes, what with my first paper of the quarter due in a week and all... Yikes.

Anyway, when I first arrived back in Denver after the New Year, we had a big dump of snow and it was under 10ºF for a couple of days in a row. I went out and took some snowy pictures around campus one evening, and this was my best shot: 

Also this month, I've enjoyed getting back into the swing of cooking for myself (thanks for spoiling me with delicious meals over break, Ma!). Of course, I have my classic go-to recipes like tofu-veggie stir fry with quinoa and veggie risotto, but I've branched out a bit recently. Last week, I used one of my French cookbooks and made a delicious Quiche Lorraine (my French friend's joking response: "C'est qui, Chloraine?" haha!) and some dinner crêpes, and I've also tested out a new chicken recipe (chicken and lemon-broccoli Alfredo) and gone back to a few hearty classics (spaghetti!). Cooking is one of my very favorite stress-relieving activities at the end of a long day. 

The following is totally random, but pupusas!! Delicious! Many in the Korbel Class of 2015 cohort recently joined one of my friends as he celebrated his birthday at a local Mexican cantina y taqueria. They had pupusas on the menu (a wonderful Salvadoran dish); I couldn't resist! They were colorfully presented and tasted amazing. :)

Another thing I really love about Denver is its sunsets. Especially when the weather is so crisp and cold and clear. Wait, did I say cold? Just kidding. There might be snow on the ground today, but it was 60ºF the other day, and it's supposed to be 60ºF this weekend! Add fan-freaking-tastic (and crazy) weather to my list of Denver's amazingness. But really, the sunsets are beautiful!

And finally, I'm going back to Europe! Yup, back to hang out with my old friend Europa. This time, I'll be based in Geneva, Switzerland (or Switz, as I'm determined to affectionately call it from now on). The Korbel School previous only had an off-campus study program in Washington, D.C., but this year, they unveiled a new program affiliated with the Graduate Institute of Geneva. Of course, I knew immediately that I had to try for it. I applied, and lo and behold they accepted me (thanks, 4.0 from fall quarter / French skills / European regional focus!)! Assuming I find an internship in Geneva pretty quick here, I'll be heading over to Switz (so cheeky!) in late June or early July and will be spending six months there with an internship over the summer and two classes at the Graduate Institute during the fall. 

It was a tough decision to figure out if I could make it work financially / with Kris / etc., but I am fortunate to have a lot of support from all sides (family/friends/boyfriend), so I'm going for it! The ironic thing is that I was looking for something in my apartment a week or so ago and I tore through my jewelry box trying to find it. Instead of what I was originally looking for, I found a 5 Euro note tucked away in a secret compartment. I have NO idea how or when that little bill wound up in there, but I am very glad it did. It looks like my past self inadvertently bought my future self my first café crème upon my return to Europe! And yes, I know Switz is on the Swiss Franc and NOT the Euro, but I'm hoping to pass through Paris on the way to my destination, hence 5 Euros = 1 (or 2, depending) lovely, freshly-made French café crèmes. Hooray!!! More updates on this looming adventure as they develop, I'm sure. I'm just very much looking forward to returning to my adopted motherland and (hopefully) having a more travel adventures with family, Kris, and friends.