Did I ever mention life here is really busy? :)

....Well if I didn't then I will tell you now.  From the minute I wake up in the morning at 7:03 a.m. until the minute my head hits the pillow and I fall asleep at midnight every single second is occupied by something.  Now this might be a slight exaggeration - but it is very slight, because even if you have a minute when you are bored then you think of something else that you need to do.  Saying all that, this environment is one of the most stimulating and interesting places to live, and along with never being bored there is never a dull moment.  I really appreciate the initiative that the majority of students take here to be involved, and I am always impressed by all the inspirational and creative ideas - if there is a will there is a way, and if there is a problem there is a solution.  Now I just need to find the time!
     The reason why I am writing this blog entry is to apologize to all the people who would like to hear more about life here in Mostar.  I have come to realize that staying in touch with all of you back home is part of my responsibility about coming here, (after the fact that I just want to hear from you) because if I don't then only I benefit from these experiences, but if I share them with you I hope that in some way you can enjoy or learn from my insight into life here.  All the time I think of things that I want to write and that I want to share, but things always keep interfering or I just don't make the time to sit down.
     Now is a precious moment because I am the only person in my room.  It is close to a miracle, I love having three roommates, but that means that at any given time it is probable that you will find between five and fifteen people in my room, studying, talking, laughing all sorts of stuff.  If you know me, you know that I love being surrounded by people, and that I love talking and listening and having great conversations etc - but when I need to sit and write a blog post it is a bit difficult to concentrate.  (I escape when I have to do homework or else it would be impossible.)  One lesson we all learn here from experience and survival of the fittest is how to concentrate with loud noises and conversations and who knows what else happening all around you.  Some people promise they could work through a hurricane - I'm not thaaat good, but I'm getting better every day.
   So, my goal is to begin to make time at least once a week to write in my blog for all of you to read - but first I have A LOT of catching up to do.  I have been here longer than three months now, as hard as it is to believe, and I haven't seen all your smiling faces for three months!
   To give you a little appetizer of what I am eventually going to write about, starting from the beginning:
              Introduction Week
              My first opinion of Mostar
              Homesickness - the Challenges and How I over came it (Dad, Mom, and Serena I love you all
                     and I hope I am making you proud.)
              I want to give you a short introduction to the people who I live, work, play, and study with.
              A video tour of Mostar (currently in production, I'm still an amateur)
              Cooking in Mostar (quite difficult - but Leah and I have had some great successes)
              My CAS Activities (Creativity, Action, Service)
              Futbol (Soccer) Rugby
              Swimming in the Neretva
              Climbing to the Cross
              My first train ride to Sarajevo
              Biking to the Cross
              Legendary hiking trips with Raymond and co.
              Shaked & My Lists - "Before we Grow Up!" and "Been There, Done That"
              How much I miss drinking Milk and eating Bananas
              How I'm learning local
              Going to church
              Going to Italy!  And UWC Adriatic (my first official trip all alone)
              Environmental Project
              Classes
              Community Care Day
              Recycling Program
              Halloween in Mostar
              Celebrating Chinese moon festival
              Running around Mostar
              Amazing cabbies
              Adventures with my roomies
              How proud I am of my sister  (She wrote a song called the Amazing Race, it's on youtube, search
                        Amazing Race, by Serena)
And the list can go on and on and on :)

So just to give you an idea of what I have to by Sunday night: (this is a little above normal)
             3 Physics Lab reports - two physics, one chemistry
             An English Essay about idealism and realism in the play A Streetcar Named Desire
             An Economic Practice Internal Assessment about Scarcity
             Kosovo Conference Research Project
             Physics Test
             Organize Community Care Day
             Work on Environmental Project STELLA model
             Read a Kite Runner
             And countless other smaller tasks...
I'll stop procrastinating now, and get to work, and once I accomplish all that my next goal is to update this blog, asap it will be moving to a new home, but I will inform you when that occurs.  Next I need to write and upload pictures of Italy.  Next, I need to finally answer all my facebook messages, to everybody who is frustrated with me I humbly apologize, I cannot keep track of everything all the time.  And like I said there is never a dull moment.

Let the Adventure continue...

Love from Mostar,

Hilary