This week brought snow to Winnipeg. Nasty, wet, pelting snow that actually managed to accumulate enough so that two days later there is still snow lying in the joins of roofs, against objects, and in depressions. Speaking of depression, I'm having a lot of trouble sleeping properly, finding it difficult to fall asleep no matter how exhausted I am. And I'm pretty exhausted. I don't know if this relates to the changing seasons, a lingering homesickness, a too-busy-thinking brain, or a little of each. Regardless, it has become harder and harder to get out of bed in the morning with every night that I lie there trying to sleep.

It feels like I should not have depression, because mostly, I'm very happy here. I really do like this city, although a blizzard on October 5, kind of sucks (I now know what a "Colorado Low" is and why Manitobans fear them). I've decided that it's quite nice to have all these wide open spaces filled with trees or public art even if the wind tends to whip through them. Even if all the trees turn yellow rather than orange or red, there are so many of them that it just feels healthy. I like living at Rosetta's. Her house is nice and the neighbourhood is charming and friendly. It has been a long time since I've lived somewhere urban where your neighbours greet you in the street. I like - maybe even love - working at the Manitoba Museum and with the amazing array of creative people employed there. I feel extraordinarily lucky, grateful to the powers that be, which have placed me here. And yet, something is bothering me. I can only assume it is because I want to go home. Happily, I will be doing this on Sunday afternoon.

Another part of me cannot believe how quickly time has already passed. I've been here exactly one month. When I return to Winnipeg on the 17th, I will have two months and one week of my internship left. And then it's out into the wide world once again. (That was a nicely alliterative sentence.) I've promised myself that I won't start applying for jobs until November, because I won't be available until January, or preferably February, but the temptation is to start early because I have no money. Well, I -have- money, but not very much. I have JUST enough to pay my rent and my bills, but I'm afraid I've already blown my social/entertainment budget, and it was meagre to start.

I had hoped to somehow get out to the historic grain elevators near the Saskachewan border, but that would mean renting a car again, so that's out of the question. Honestly, the money situation is so tight that I am considering picking up some part-time weekend work while I'm here, but assuming I could get it, that would mean working seven days a week, so I'm not sure it's such a good idea. I guess this is one of those things I'm particularly concerned about that keeps me up at night.

Anyway, I had intended to write a post about the neat things I'm doing, but aside from my wonderful social weekend last weekend (which I probably couldn't afford), I haven't done much. Silke is gone now, we (myself and two co-workers) saw her off with drinks and nachos at the adequate Carlos and Murphy's texmex pub. The following day, Saturday, I met up with a friend of a friend and had pizza and stout and bubble tea and that was a lot of fun, too. Sunday involved an all-day car tour around Winnipeg and her environs with Rosetta and her close friend (and history buff), Jim. That was nice, too, if a little all over the place.

So, maybe tonight, coupled with the knowledge that I'll get to sleep in, I'll sleep well and have decent dreams that don't wake me up feeling uncomfortable. And in a matter of days I will get to see the beloved hues of the colouring sugar maples. It can't come too soon.