declaration of independence

Yesterday I went to a coffee shop and ordered an iced coffee all by myself! I was very proud of myself. I also now know how to get back to my brother's apartment from the local square, and, as such, have been granted keys. Keys equal freedom, and from now on the plan is to wake up, make coffee, write, and then explore. It doesn't matter if I get lost - which is inevitable, given the lack of street signs - because I can just get in a cab and get back to the square.

The lack of street signs and necessity of cab-taking does put a strain on the budget, though, even though the cabs are cheap. The worry is that they will figure out (from my horrible accent) that I'm a foreigner (although if I don't open my mouth I can pass for Turkish) and take me on a round-about route. I think, though, that getting lost will be fun. It is impossible to be lost in New York, except, occasionally, in the West Village, and even when I'm travelling, I'm never really lost because of the map in my purse. This is going to be glorious.

My brother is annoyed because I'm not over my jet lag yet, and go to bed at 3 am and wake up at noon. It occurs to me, though, that, really, when not bothered by family members, teaching, or unfortunate 10am classes, this is body's normal schedule. So it's not that I'm not over jet lag, it's that my body has finally rebelled against my crazy, daylight-loving family, and has demanded to be treated properly.