Retail Therapy and Tear-Inducing Novels

Hey guys,

It's been such a long and stressful couple of weeks; it's only going to get more stressful with finals and papers coming up soon. Sigh. I seriously love having Fridays off because it feels like my weekend is so much longer. Also, I can get work done without my friends bothering me; they're all at school, so it gives me some much-needed alone time to do work, chill out, sleep forever, or go shopping. This Friday, I went shopping.

There's this cute little thrift store on 23rd street called Cause for Paws that has some great deals. Danielle and I stopped by there to do some retail therapy after her class. It's that type of week. The entire downstairs turned out to be between $2 and $5 for everything! I got two dresses ($5 each!) to wear during the summer in the city and a rugby polo top. I love buying new clothes, especially when I get a good deal. I just want to wear new clothes immediately. The great thing about this store is that they donate the money they get to taking care of homeless pets and arranging for pet adoptions in New York. Plus, the people that run the place are super friendly and helpful. There's nothing better than good customer service.

Today is the Macaulay Spring Formal! I wasn't sure I was going to go for a while because I was sick, but I'll power through it for this great night. It's 20's-themed and I'm flipping out because I have this gorgeous dress and heels to wear to it. My friends are all going together and we're gonna dance until we drop. That's the plan. It'll be amazing. I'll inform you all more about the night when it's over (hopefully with some great photos as well). I cannot wait to see The Great Gatsby when it comes out. Maybe I can convince my friends to go with me in costume. Hm.

I just want to tell you about this great book I just finished called Narcissus and Goldmund by Herman Hesse. I had to read it as part of my Classical Mythology course, but it was one of the most enjoyable books I've read in awhile. It's definitely joined the ranks of my favorite books. It's the story of a young boy, Goldmund, who is urged by his mentor and friend Narcissus to journey out into the world to find himself and to learn about the true nature of the world. It's a great novel about the true nature of man, how we're all constantly torn between our Dionysian and Apollonian instincts, our mother and our father. I'm kind of in tears right now because I (literally) just finished reading it, and good books just do that to me.

Erica