go-o-o-ood morning chicago!

just as i said before... good morning chicago! i'm here! its official, and the city is... awesome. the roommates are nice enough, and we're all sort of pitching in to make this place a fantastic homespace. 

we've got these absolutely fantastic giant windows... and a great kitchen and common area. we spent last night putting up posters, exploring the city, and watching 'the rocky horror picture show.' [one of 'em hadn't seen it before!] 

anyway, yesterday was somewhat hectic. my parents and i woke up around 6:30 and headed into the city. we arrived at my dorm around... 8:20? yeah. and we were third in line. we didn't actually get to start unpacking until, like, 9:20. but whatever. it was a good time. i got to my dorm first and claimed the bed under the super-fantastic window. i felt like a jerk... but dear god, that window! so... uhm... yeah, that's about it. my parents helped me set everything up, we went out and got my required laptop- [which i adore and am using right now, just like i said i would. also, i installed netflix view it now, so it is pretty much my favorite thing in the world.] then my parents and i had a farewell lunch at jimmy john's, and i have the leftover half sandwich sitting in my refrigerator calling to me. after that... one of my roommates showed me the target and i got a ream of paper for my printer and a muti-plug outlet. and some chocolate peanuts. because who doesn't love chocolate-covered peanuts? [besides the people who are allergic to peanuts.] then... floor meetings, tacky safety videos, and a fantastic intro to the 'living learning' program that i'm in. its fantastic! dimitri moore is our leader, i guess, and he's gonna help us find different activities and stuff that have to do with our majors. 

so... today we're going to get our IDs and buy a few more necessities, then tonight i'm heading over to chinatown-[hooray! lucky cats!]


-marissa

moving to chicago

okay, so... today i'm starting a blog. lord knows why, i mean, i'll never update it and probably the only people who're gonna read it are people who wound up on this page accidentally. 


well, i lied all ready. i do know why the blog is starting today. today's kind of significant for me... today's the day i leave Pittsburgh for Chicago. i start college one week from friday, and its terrifying. but exciting. well, obviously it'll be terrifying and exciting. i mean, its college. its the last step in education before somebody steals my water wings and i get dumped into the ocean of adulthood. ... and i'm starting a blog because i think it'll be easier than a diary. also, this girl at work inspired me to do it.


anyhow. i spent all yesterday doing last-minute shopping and packing everything but the kitchen sink into my dad's car. we leave for Illinois around 2, i guess. it'll be nice to get some sleep in the car-[spent last night watching 'American Psycho' with my sister instead of sleeping. its one of the greatest movies on my long, long, long list of cinematic favorites.] idunno, i guess now i'm worried that i packed too much. yesterday i was more worried about getting lost in the city. or walking into the wrong class or something- and i have actually done that! last year i got into an animation apprenticeship with josh tonies, [an amazing animator, badass, artist, and all-around nice guy], and managed to go to the wrong building. i walked into a screenwriting class with guns blazing, and... well, let's just say that was not fun. hilarious. but not fun. 


oh, okay, here's an idea. how about i define myself? that'd probably be a good idea. 


hello, my name is marissa. i'm short, pale, irish/ puerto rican, and aspire to someday become an animator like the 9 old ones. as for now, i just draw and paint a lot. i'm not sure if that constitutes "artist" or not. i am currently a student at Columbia College Chicago studying traditional and stop-motion animation. 

[here's an example of the kinda stuff i draw... 'cause i draw a lot.]

i work at a movie theatre making popcorn, seeing free movies, and doodling on receipt paper. i have a nasty habit of becoming madly infatuated with boys who don't really suit me, am terribly superstitious, and am horrible with making decisions. i enjoy scarves, movies, stop-motion animation, batman, sherlock holmes, oingo boingo, boots, cartoons, books, comics, oversized sweaters, blue eyes, dark curly hair, french bulldogs, boats, the color grey, robert downey jr, and monsters. anyway... that's me; surly and stubby and immature.


hopefully everything'll work out in the city they filmed 'The Dark Knight' in.


next time i write an entry, it'll probably be on my shiny new 15-inch macbook pro, complete with editing software and a wacom tablet. oh yes. 


-marissa