An update.

I'm in the Newark Airport right now, after surviving an inordinately long time on the tarmac in B'more. Apparently Continental is so used to getting screwed by air traffic control in Newark that they schedule the Newark to B'more flight for an hour and a half, although once in the air the flight takes 30 minutes. It's cool, though; I got to nap and listen to my new musical discovery. Download Feed the Animals by Girl Talk. Night Ripper is also good, but not quite so good as Feed the Animals.

It was a stressful week, but I'm done now and on my way home (howsh) for a little mid semester respite. Today I went to Arabic class from 8 - 10, and it was so much fun. First of all, my best SAIS friend is in this class, and we are partners. This morning I was trying to conjugate "sleep", which we haven't learned to do yet, so I could ask her if she spent the night at our friend's house. Heh. I guessed the answer by the look on her face. Priceless. Arabic ('arabiyya) is by far the most fulfilling class I am taking, which is unfortunate because it's the only class that doesn't count for a grade. But our professor (usteadunu [i'm not sure if that's right, we just learned possessive suffixes today]) is great. He follows the book (al kitaab), but if something comes up that we (nahnu) need explained so we can have a conversation, he explains it, even if it's 5 (khamza) chapters ahead of us. I brought a carafe of coffee (kahwa) to class (saf) today (alyoum), and my friend N brought donuts. Krispy Kreme for the win! It was also nice when I walked into class and J noticed I had brought coffee, because he wasn't really expecting me to follow through. "You are really awesome!" he said. "We were just talking about how great you last night at the bar, and here I get confirmation again today." I am making good friends here, which of course makes me really happy.

There is a brass band wandering around the airport. I LOVE it. I should come to Newark more often.

I am wearing a schoolgirl outfit (Thanks BESSEH!) and everyone in DC, B'more, and Newark has been very confused. Love it.

And now I'm back in DC after a weekend during which I didn't do much but it was probably the most relaxing weekend in a long time. I realized, somewhere over Montana, that two months is too long to be apart from each other. We've made it through the longest time, now, and we will not face such long stretches apart for the rest of the year until I come back from Syria or Lebanon or wherever the hell I'm going next summer.

There are these little glimmering glimpses of our life together after this year, when we talk about Nola or not having to say goodbyes at the airport because we'll be going on those flights together. And my heart just fills and fills with amazement and love until it's overflowing. (Brandon would ask me what part of the heart, and I might say left ventricle.) I am so in love with this man, it's a little ridiculous.

Two weeks until he's out here for a week, and then begins the process of Thanksgiving and Christmas break. I can't wait to share this part of the year with him.

It is a nice watch.