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Infinite Country by Patricia Engel | Thoughts

   Published : 2021   ||    Format : print   ||    Location : Colombia ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆   What was it about the country that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy? The previous month, on its own soil, an American man went to his job at a plant and gunned down fourteen coworkers, and last spring alone there were four different school shootings. A nation at war with itself, yet people still spoke of it as some kind of paradise.. Thoughts : Infinite Country follows two characters - young Talia, who at the beginning of this book, escapes a girl’s reform school in North Colombia so that she can make her previously booked flight to the US. Before she can do that, she needs to travel many miles to reach her father and get her ticket to the rest of her family. As we follow Talia’s treacherous journey south, we learn about how she ended up in the reform school in the first place and why half her family resides in the US. Infinite Country tells the story of her family through the other protagonist, El

The Sunday Salon -- May 16, 2010

The Sunday 
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I'm typing up this post in the middle of a read-a-thon, because I have a feeling I'll be collapsing soon. One of my groups in Goodreads has had a Read-a-thon scheduled today yesterday, and for once, I wanted to try reading for as long as possible. I did manage some good reading. Nothing phenomenal, since some of the books took time getting through. But it's always wonderful to read a good number of books at a go, plus it's always wonderful to read. Period.

Graduation day (not mine, but some of my friends') came and went, and for the first time, it made me realize that I will be leaving in 3 months and this academic phase will end soon as well. A good bunch of us came together almost 2 years back. I still remember all the fun we had then. Most of us were meeting for the first time, and that did nothing to disguise our enthusiasm. If anything, the group helped me not have a major homesickness bout with all those rib-tickling jokes and nice anecdotes. (Of course, the homesickness came a couple of months later!). Even now, we hang around together, and there is no end to the fun we have. It's quite a sad feeling to realize that in a couple of months, we will all be going separate ways and that we will again be starting from scratch. I'm glad though that my best friend will be just 2.5 hours away.

Believe me, I am tired of partings. I guess I've had more than my share of that, and I'm ready to dig my bearings deep somewhere. Sometimes I welcomed the change, other times, I felt it was too soon. The next few months will probably be a bit hard and emotional, and for that, I am almost glad that we all have a thesis to worry about, leaving little time to ponder much. I may also be reading less over the next couple of months while I get my thesis written, but I hope I can keep a good schedule and still read quite a bit.

Did I mention that my brother will be coming to the US to pursue his Masters' in August? I'm so looking forward to that. It's good to have some immediate family nearby, even if he will be a day's travel away, in NY.

Plus, today is the last day to enter my giveaway of Glorious by Bernice L. McFadden. I will be selecting the winners tomorrow!


Comments

Harvee said…
Congrats on graduation! The real world is not as bad as it sounds though it may be a lot less demanding intellectually. You now get to develop your street smarts:)
Harvee, My Sunday Salon
Congratulations! I know just what you mean about endings/partings. I've been thinking about it a lot lately with my school's graduation coming up. The seniors have all been so puffed up with college acceptances, they are ready to leave and be "on their own", etc. But, as it gets closer they are all admitting that it's scary as well. Leaving what we know (both people and places) is unsettling. It's also good that you know you are ready to find somewhere to settle (for a while?).

Good luck with your thesis and all that goes with that!
Wow, congratulations on graduating! It is a long, hard journey and yay you did it!!! That is great that your brother is coming here too. Good luck with your thesis. What is your topic?
bermudaonion said…
I think my son's having some of the same feelings you are. He will finish school at the beginning of July and while he's ready to move onto the next phase of his life, he realizes he's going to miss this phase.
Athira said…
Oops, I guess my post was slightly misleading. I am yet to graduate actually. I was referring to the graduations of my friends.

Book Dilettante, LOL, that is definitely a plus! I'll try not to be so upset about graduating. :)

Helen, I expect it will be settling for a while. Some days, I am more than ready to leave. Other days, I am totally not! :(

Steph, my thesis is very boring, LOL! It's about improving the development of hardware designs. :) I'm totally thrilled that my brother is coming here! :)

Kathy, that's exactly how I feel! Eager to move on, but not ready! How conflicting!
Aw, leaving your friends and current life behind is never easy. But soon enough you'll be falling into another routine and your life will become normal again.
Ash said…
I've got two more years before partings, and then I'll have more to come up in grad school. It's all part of life but it seems like it is more frequent if you choose to do more academia. I'm interested to see where I end up after my undergrad, and then where I'll end up after that. It is exciting but also kind of stressful. Hope your last few months are great!
How great will that be to have your brother here....even if he will be a distance away, it would still be possible to a spend a weekend together. enjoy!
Athira said…
Emidy, it's always like that isn't it? We are sad about leaving our comforts, and before we know it, what we were afraid of becomes our new comforts.

Ash, You do have some time before any significant partings. I feel academia is one of the best phases of life. What comes after that is boring. LOL

Diane, it's so good right to have family nearby? I'm glad my bro is coming over.
The1stdaughter said…
I know just what you mean. I wanted to move back to California to be "close" to family, but now I'm further from friends than ever. To top it off, my family is still more than 3 hours away. So, it kind of stinks. It does get better though, I'm sure, I'm just not a huge fan of change.

Enjoy having your brother visit soon! That sounds like it will be great for you!
Athira said…
Danielle, change definitely sucks. But it is just a matter of getting used to it. When I get myself to think like that, I am fine, no worries. It is during those lonely Saturday nights, that I start getting jittery.