Part I: Days in DC have flown by, which is strange since I initially thought my 6-night/7-day stay would wear out my welcome at Georgetown. For the most part, I don't feel like I'm bumming around at all. I sleep late, do my own thing, and then meet up with friends who happen to have a break from class. I can eat endless meals at Leo's thanks to generously offered guest passes and it just feels normal.

I've taken a strange liking to shocking people here with my presence. I walk around with my backpack "posing" as a student. When I see people I know and wave or say "hi," I wonder if they are curious why I'm here or if they just think that I've been mysteriously low-key for the past 3 weeks.

I'm now back in Yonkers and will post my last post from the U.S. in a day or two. Until then...

It's my second to last day in Natick and I'm beat, despite having napped more than the kids. I feel productive somehow though, and that's a feeling that I miss. My nephews remember me AND like me, major accomplishments since I don't get to see them that often. I'm glad I visited, overall, since I first doubted leaving California so early.

I'm watching MTV's Real World Sydney and I have to say that this girl is the most annoying person I've seen on television since watching an episode of My Super Sweet Sixteen. "Trisha is a sharp-tongued party girl from California who enjoys drinking, flirting, and flaunting herself with the popular crowd. Raised as a devout Christian by her adoptive parents, 19 year-old Trisha greatly values her faith." Allow me to translate. Trisha is an obnoxious party girl who drinks a lot and then cries when she remembers that Jesus said drinking is a sin AND when she is moved by the songs of Christian street musicians.

I need to get out more.

EDIT: I didn't just watch tv in Natick. The last post was not representative of the trip. I forced myself awake at 8AM each morning after foolishly going to sleep at 1 or 2AM. There was one day where I was constantly sleeping throughout the day. But then my sister would ask for help carrying a bag of dirt (she planted a tree), etc. and I'd pop up, throw on my shoes and pretend to be a contributing member of the human race. I feared alone time with either of my nephews in case one or both threw a toddler fit, but it turns out that I'm an amazingly fun aunt and can win over babies' hearts by pretending to drive a stationary playground fire truck or by playing the song "Life is a Highway" on my computer. We went to the Natick Mall, excuse me... the Natick Collection, at least 3 times where I crashed my sister's mom date, witnessed a hilariously embarrassing episode by my sister in J. Crew, and watched Zach try on the cutest tiny Pumas (pictures soon). 'Twas a good visit to Massachusetts and I'll be looking forward to returning in December.