So, most of my friends know this about me, and I think I've mentioned it in my journal before, but I have a severe problem with geography. I cannot label all the states on a map, even if you give me the capitals. I grew up in the North East, but my mental conception of the area is skewed--I imagine Connecticut (Which I absolutely can't spell, no matter what. I can't even picture the word on a page) as being north of Massachusetts. Today I was thinking about if Charleston or Savannah was closer--I completely forgot that Georgia is not between here and South Carolinal.



I was talking about those two lovely cities with my Aunt Joan. I told her what I was thinking, and she didn't know which would be closer either, so I looked it up online. I started laughing when I saw the map, because I have no problem reading maps or navigating by foot or car. The problem is mental conceptions of maps. I explained my geographical dyslexia to Aunt Joan. Every time I've told Aunt Joan I couldn't do something, she's said that she doesn't believe me (she is lovely). This time she laughed and said 'Well I'm not surprized*, I have the same problem.' I couldn't believe it!!!!! It makes me feel so much better about it! I love when crazy things like that are genetic. It's clearly not environmental, because LORD I have tried to learn geography. In general, I don't study. I don't read the material for a test until the day before it. If I say I'm studying, what I mean is that I'm doing the assigned class readings because I'm about to have a test. Even in an easy class, I would have to study very hard for the map portion. Usually I would redraw the map myself several times , and then once immediately before the test. Then I would do the map portion first. Then, I would completely forget the map. I would have to study it again for the final. I had to label Latin America 3 times last year (labeling different types of things on each test), and I had to releard the countries each time.



It's so funny! I can't wait for Thanksgiving so we can share study tips.




Relatedly, I hate Glenn Close with a firey passion. She freaks me the fuck out. I can hardly bear to watch anything with her in it, but I've had to for school (Think Hamlet or Sarah, Plain and Tall, not Fatal Attraction) and I've survived, cringing. The reson she freaks me out is that I see her as a nightmare version of Aunt Joan. Like if Aunt Joan were a huge creepo, a bizarro!joan. I can't explain it. But right now, I'm watching 101 Dalmations. I'm watching it as a horror movie. This is not only because of GC, but because something being pregnant with 100 puppies is the most disgusting thing I can possibly imagine. Oh my god.




*this is how I spell that word, it's an affectation.