Day 13: The Characters in The Story

In the short two weeks we've all been here, a group of strangers has coalesced into a raucous group of the best kind of degenerates that I call my friends.

Somehow the idea of nicknaming started within the very first couple of days, and now just about everyone in our group has one. I've always liked nicknames because I like writing about the characters in my adventures, but not everyone wants to find themselves on the Internet for all to see just by being a part of my life, so nicknames offer them a kind of protection. A vague kind of protection, since some of these people are so wildly distinctive they could never hope to hide.

So for future reference, the characters in this particular play are, in no particular order:

KANSAS: This kid's definitely not in Kansas anymore. The closest to me in age, Kansas initially struck me as quiet and motivated but soon showed himself to be slightly less "quiet" and much more of the "slyly witty" variety. He insists on closed-captioning my life amidst the group in the most ridiculous and dramatic way possible, to the hilarity of us all. He knows wine as well as I do, and he takes longer to do his hair than I do.

JORDY: Ah, Jordy. JORDY got his nickname because he shares more than a few qualities with the infamous Jordan Belfort, the original Wolf of Wall Street. Jordy is our resident frat bro with his Brooks Brothers t-shirts and boat shoes and penchant for wild and crazy partying; he's also highly motivated and dedicated to achieving sheer success, and I have absolutely no doubt he'll be on a Forbes list of some kind, likely surrounded by supermodels on some yacht somewhere, within the next ten years. He's stupidly photogenic and has an utterly winning smile.

SCRAPS: Scraps' nickname originally started as Scrapbook and alternatively Scrappy because Jordy decided she looked like someone who scrapbooks, and he's the originator of the whole nicknaming thing and therefore king. Scraps maintains she's never scrapbooked a day in her life. Scraps is kind, gentle, and utterly adorable with the face of a porcelain Russian doll. It wasn't long before several of our group were under her spell.

SMASH MARSHMALLOW (Updated 02/05/15): Smash's nickname was my doing and there's really no story behind it other than it's vaguely related to her actual name. (All nicknames are subject to change, as Jordy retains final approval rights.) Smash's nickname has been updated to Marshmallow, due to her penchant for a particular puffy jacket. Marshmallow isn't nearly the loudest one in the group, but she reminds me of a Bud Light commercial in that she is ALWAYS "Down for Whatever." I love this attitude and her openness to trying absolutely anything, and she's excellent adventuring company.

RICHIE RICH: I can't recall who came up with this particular nickname or why, but he answered to it and it stuck. Richie and Smash know each other from school back in Florida and you rarely see one without the other. He's a genuinely sweet guy, dedicated and loyal and really easy to talk to. Also an excellent and willing escort for those of us who elect to wear high heeled boots on cobblestoned streets.

BRUNO: Oh, Bruno. Bruno is partners in crime with Simone, and I was fascinated by him from the moment I heard him speak the first night. Having grown up in the Bronx he's got that rounded New York drawl that I love listening to, with the entertaining machismo of a straight up hustler and the slickness and charm of a true big city playa. He further fascinates me because he actually, legitimately, fully believes he can have anything he wants in this world if he works hard enough for it--money, women, cars, fame--and at 20 he's already set about proving it. He's routinely the best dressed cad in the group and an easy photographic subject.

SIMONE PEPE (Updated 02/10/15): Simone's nickname has been adjusted to Pepe, though both may be used simultaneously. Simone, as I mentioned, is rarely without Bruno and while slightly less "New York" he is equally stylish in possibly a more classic way. (Honestly, I just want to hand those two boys a couple hundred Euro and have them go shopping for me, because Lord knows they could do a better job than I ever could.) Simone is just as much of a hustler and dedicated to building an empire for himself, though in a quieter way. The goals he's set for himself and the ones he's already achieved impress the hell out of me. His hair is as soft as silk and it's unfair.

GARCIA: Garcia is my "Spanish Sister" who gossips with me in...well, Spanish. She's a creatively minded career woman, highly focused on building up her fledgling company into a global lifestyle brand. Her dedication and motivation to achieve her dream is impressive and inspiring. I'm hoping to team up with her as a blogging and photography buddy so we can keep each other motivated. She's probably the chicest of us all.

JAZZY J: Jazzy is my other "Spanish Sister" and rocks a black leather jacket and red lipstick combo like nobody's business. She's the first to throw on some salsa music when we're all cooking together and kills it. Jazzy takes up the spot right behind Smash for exclaiming "Let's go out guys!" on a daily basis.

THE ASSASSIN: The Assassin doesn't really have a solid nickname yet, because he might kill you if you give him one he doesn't like. This one's just for blogging purposes. As far as I know he hasn't *actually* killed anyone yet, but hailing from an Eastern European country with the appropriate name and a rather fierce and intimidating mug when he decides to sport it...well, it just came naturally. In real life he's a soccer star with a decidedly handsome face, and from what I can tell, a sweet heart.

>>> I notice that I've used the words "dedicated", "motivated", "success" and "impressive" a lot in describing these people. Reflecting on that, I can't say I'm all too surprised that those words come up so often, because it takes a certain collection of qualities to study abroad--a high GPA being one of them. (Not to mention the fact that we come from a school that had a 34% acceptance rate last year.) It's inspiring to be in such company and keeps me motivated to keep my eyes trained on my own goals, which have become markedly loftier since I returned to school. <<<

There are other members of our group that come and go--occasionally we're rolling 15 deep--and I'm sure they'll earn their nicknames in time. Oh, and as for me, I've been emblazoned with two nicknames so far--half of the group refers to me as Granny/Grandma/Abuelita in light of my position as the oldest and ostensibly the most responsible one of the group, and the other half firmly christened me "Krazie" after the first night we all went out together. I...will say no more on that.

Here's to the next four months with these "kids."

 Photo by East + Mia.