Week 1 Recap

So I've been here for a week. And to be honest i don't know how I'm doing.

I knew going into this i would have a hard time, but I didn't realize how much of my mental illness would be magnified. I’m very isolated, in both being thousands of miles away from my love ones and in the language barrier I'm dealing with here. It’s like, from 9am until around 6pm I’m okay. I walk around, eat, take photos, do some creative stuff and people watch, all things i enjoy and enjoy doing by myself. And then once i run out of things to do or energy or sunlight, im face-to-face with my depression like its been waiting all day for this moment. And mixed with culture-shock I’m having a difficult time. But I think i’ll be alright.

So far, ive gotten sun burned, lost for three hours and ended up in a neighboring city, spent over $100 at forever21, eaten at this one hip cafe like 6 times, written like 3 poems and drawn like 4 curvy ladies, developed a small crush on a waitress at said hip cafe, gotten 12 bug bites on my newest tattoo, found a cool art gallery by first getting yelled at for going into a building i wasn't allowed to go in, set up 2 tinder dates, got super sick from the agua frescas, found 3 works by an artist i really like all within a few blocks from my hostel, and have been asked a ridiculous amount of times if i want my Dr. Martens shined. Theyre rugged ok it’s a look.

I also plan on trying to join this weekly drawing group, hopefully taking a Spanish class, and I'm really looking forward to a tattoo expo the first weekend of November. I’m hoping that if i become more comfortable with speaking Spanish then maybe some of my anxiety would be relieved, ya know.

Well only time will tell. Peace

--Claudia