Gifs, Capitalism, and the End of the Breakfast Club

Today’s the day, the sun is shining, I’M ON MY WAY TO ITALY. It’s exciting. It’s really, really scary.

In an effort of self-preservation (aka complete, blatant avoidance of reality) my brain has channeled all efforts into worrying about completely random and arbitrary crap.

Let me explain:

• I recently found out that the word “GIF,” which is an acronym for Graphics Interchange Format, is pronounced “Jif.” With a j. IT’S NOT THE PEANUT BUTTER CHOOSY MOMS CHOOSE. What was the person who named the gif thinking? What was so damaging in his childhood that caused him to commit such a heinous act against society as claiming it should be pronounced “jif?” I’m sorry; I guess I just didn’t realize the person who named the GIF was a complete gackass. I hate it so much that I refuse to use it. Tell me I’m wrong, go ahead. I’ll fight you.

• Halloween candy is everywhere. It’s August. Hello, capitalism? I want my seasons back. Where is it going to end? At this rate, Easter candy will be hitting store shelves before Christmas and that just really doesn’t bode well for, I don’t know, THE LIFE OF JESUS. Try explaining that one to the youth of America. “Honey, I’m sorry we missed Christmas this year because we were trying to eat the fun sized snickers bars for Halloween in the month of October. We missed our chance at a Santa themed advent calendar… here, have a chocolate bunny.”

So… that’s my brain. There are endless language and cultural boundaries to span in the next few months and I’m worried about Gifs and going grocery shopping.

I do have one pressing study-abroad-related concern. And that, my friends, is best summed up by Simple Minds and their smash hit made popular by the end of The Breakfast Club, (Don’t You) Forget About Me. I’m currently sitting on the ground in the San Francisco Airport, getting ready to mosey over to the international terminal, and I have this very strange feeling that as I leave, the rest of the world as I know it will slowly forget I exist. If these last few weeks in town have shown me anything, it’s that I have some incredibly wonderful people in my life and I am so very thankful to know all of you. So, with that being said, don’t you… forget about me. I’ll tell you all kinds of stories from Italy! We can look at our friendship at throw a fist of success in the air. It’ll be great.