Today was a fun day! Katarina, Michael, Nikos, and I all stayed local. After Michael cooked breakfast, he dropped Nikos off at his job and drove Katarina and I to the post office. I mailed off some postcards to my family and teachers in Spain! Once we finished, we drove to an office and school supply store called "Staples" - they have so many different types of stationary! I am still in shock.
I bought two folders and a pack of Pilot pens. Katarina bought a binder and a notebook. After shopping at Staples, we drove to DSW which was 5 minutes away. DSW stands for Designer Shoe Warehouse and they sell famous brands of shoes (ex. Nike, Asics, Timberland, Converse, Adidas, etc.) for low prices. The store was enormous! They had so many different types of shoes. Americans love to shop!
After shopping, we drove back to Katarina's house to have a light lunch. It was nice to eat some of my favorite foods in Spain such as Serrano ham, brie, manchego, and olives. Once we ate, Michael drove Katarina and I to walk around Princeton. I was looking to buy more postcards to send to my family and teachers.
Katarina and I first stopped in a store called Urban Outfitters, she needed to buy a present for one of her friends. Then we walked to another store called the Paper Source, it was such a fun, trendy, and decorative store! I loved the large selection of greeting cards they had. They were so festive and funny! I bought a card for my college friend Yolanda and one for my cousin. Katarina bought three cards, one for her friend and two miscellaneous.
After the shopping at the Paper Source, we walked to a bookshop in Princeton, the same shop that I bought my two books from, called Labyrinth Books. I bought some postcards that had images of famous buildings Princeton University, such as the chapel on campus. I was also looking for a small, black pencil case but I could not find it at the bookstore! We then walked to a coffee shop in Princeton called "Small World Coffee", I love their coffee! Katarina recommended that I buy an iced coffee because it is a very popular drink in the USA. I am happy to say that I enjoyed it!
It was INCREDIBLY hot and humid today, so walking around Princeton was rough. In order to cool down, we went into the Princeton University bookstore where it was air conditioned. As Katarina and I waited for her father to pick us up, Katarina and I received a flood warning on our phones! It was a bit frightening. In Spain, we rarely receive notifications like that.
After her father picked us up, we heard the loud claps of thunder. Within minutes of driving, it started to rain cats and dogs. Simultaneously, huge gusts of wind blew across the streets and ripped many leaves and branches from trees. Katarina and Michael said that when hurricanes pass through New Jersey, the weather is like this! It was scary to witness the power of the storm at that moment.
We safely made it home! While Katarina worked out in her basement, I started to read my new book "Of Mice and Men". After Nikos came back from taekwondo class and her mom safely arrived home, Michael began to make dinner. He made sautéed chicken, au gratin, and sautéed potatoes and brussel sprouts. It was delicious! After dinner, we finished watching the movie Clueless. It was a fun and productive day.
