Over the course of two months, I wrote and researched 80 pages for my two study abroad classes, 30 of which was in the past two weeks--over three times the length of my senior thesis and in about half the time. But now, I am happy to say...

I'M DONE!!!

And I have to say, it feels pretty amazing. I can get up and just do whatever I feel like. I don't have to spend hours researching or trying to BS my way through a 15 page paper.

So now, I'm watching Australia with my mom while we pack up all the crap I'm taking with me to my apartment. I forgot what an amazing movie this is--anyone want to take a trip to the Outback with me? (And I don't mean the restaurant). Also, I'd really like to marry Hugh Jackman. Think his wife would mind?

I'm about to go start the daunting task of packing my clothes, which will probably take me the rest of the week. And I have no idea how I'm going to transport them all. Or maybe I'll just head up to the outlets and buy more...why deal with the problem when I can just add to it?

=]

Tuesday: I turned in my last paper of the semester! It's so nice to have it over with.

Other than that, the only thing of significance that I did was try crepes for the first time. This is the S'Mores crepe from Pauley's Crepe Bar, made with Nutella, marshmallows, and graham crackers. It was pretty much amazing.

This was my lunch for the day. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich (strawberry, of course) with cheddar Sun Chips and some of the best hot chocolate I've ever had (since it was freezing in the library for some reason).

Also... I'm done with my Latin American history paper! It was my last one for the semester.

The only other thing of import I did today was register for classes. I'm really happy with my schedule. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I'll be taking African History since 1800, German 3, and Intro to Religion, and I'll go from 9 AM to 3:20 PM. It's a long day, but I'll get over it. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I'll be taking Intro to British Culture (an upper level English course) and Environmental Issues, a really easy science class which is like ecology but without a lab, and I'll go from 9:30 to 12:05. That's right, 12:05. I'll be done at noon!!! Unfortunately, the catch to that is that there's only 15 minutes between those classes... and they're way more than 15 minutes apart. One is in North Campus, and the other is in South. So I'll be late... pretty much every day. But noon! I just couldn't resist.

Saturday was a busy day, for a day I usually spend being lazy around the house. We got up for breakfast, as per usual, then my mom and I cleaned up and went to the Mall of Georgia for a much-needed day of shopping. I didn't really get much, since I don't have a ton of money at the moment, but I found a pair of sandals to go with one of the dresses I bought with my grandmother, as well as a tank top and a bathing suit coverup, as seen above.

We were originally going to go buy a vacuum cleaner as well... but that didn't happen. Way too much effort.

While I worked on [yet another] paper, my parents cooked dinner - steak!

So maybe it wasn't that busy... but it sure seemed like it.

It was finally warm again today! Well... warmish. Better than yesterday, at the very least. I got a good review back from my TA about my paper on Nazi Germany, so I'm pretty confident that I'll get an A. Other than that.. I guess today was kind of a lonely day. I spent all of it, with the exception of time during class, by myself. Sometimes that's nice, but with the weather I wanted to go out and so something... but instead, I spent about 4 hours reading for my next paper, so at least I was productive. I even went to the trouble of doing my nails, something they were in desperate need of. At the moment, I'm really hungry, but we have practically no food in the room, I don't want to spend the money on delivery, and I'm not walking all the way to Snelling (the 24 hour dining hall) at 11 o'clock at night by myself. So I'll just be hungry. Maybe I'll just go to sleep so I can ignore it.

Sorry for the lack of new posts within the last week - I've been really busy and tired =[



Friday was the last free day before I started writing my paper, so I took advantage of it and of the beautiful weather by having lunch with a friend and treating myself to a slight shopping splurge. I took some of the money my grandmother gave me for Oxford and decided to hit the Coach store. They had some amazing sales - the purse [not pictured] was originally $350, but I got it for $169! The wallet was my favorite purchase though, because I've needed a checkbook-sized wallet for a really long time. Currently, my checkbook just floats around in my purse. It was originally $228, but I got it for the bargain price of $90! Retail therapy is a great way to end a busy week.

Saturday



Starting Saturday, I moved into Nazi Germany. At 12:30, I sat down in our overstuffed arm chair and began reading. At 7:30ish, I was finally done. I swear I think I know everything there is to know about lives of Jewish and non-Nazi citizens during the 30s and World War II. Gotta love Western Civ... and writing papers.

Because of this, I was suddenly in the mood to watch Schindler's List. I'd seen it before, but wanted to see it again. Because of several sex scenes and other nudity, I specifically waited until my parents had gone to bed, not because I'm not allowed to watch it, but because it's just awkward to watch that with your parents. Thirty minutes in, my dad gets back up and says he can't sleep. So I sit there, in utter silence, for almost three hours, going through several sex scenes and one scene with a lot of naked running Jews (with lots of floppy, bouncing bits)... with my father.

If you haven't seen it, you should watch it. It's very graphic, and extremely sad, but definitely worth it.

Sunday

No picture because all I did all day was write my paper and read some more. I did drive back to Athens and contemplate what I would do if I won a million dollars, and I ate at Ru Sans, a Japanese place, with some friends. But then there was mostly more writing.

Monday



Monday was class and more writing. We also had formal chapter (we had to dress up), after which several sisters and I went, again, to Ru Sans, because it's really cheap and very good. I came back and finally (!) finished my paper, sent it to my TA, and went to bed. It was also ridiculously cold outside, so wearing a dress for formal chapter meant I was a wee bit chilly.

Tuesday



This is my uber warm UGA hoodie (sorry for the bad picture quality). I thought it would be sufficient in keeping me nice and toasty today, but oh, was I wrong. Because today in Athens, Ga, on April 7th, at roughly 12:30 pm, it snowed. WTF?? I don't understand... Georgia is where people move to in order to get away from the snowy states. So where am I supposed to go? Guess I'm moving to Panama...

This is what a paper in progress looks like. Lots of notecards, open book, papers, half a bottle of Mr. Pibb, and, although you can't hear it, my Native American pan flute music (I know it's weird... but I can't listen to anything with words, or I won't focus, I'll sing). I also took out the Play-Doh for a bit to give me something to play with while I read through my textbook, but I put it up about an hour ago.

I've been stressing about this paper for most of the week. It doesn't help that I got my Mexican sports and modernity paper back today, and it was an 87, which I don't consider a success. I just don't get B's on papers. Tests, sure, but writing has always been my strong point... although apparently, it wasn't the writing itself but the argument I gave, which says to me that I can spin a good story but can't think worth a crap. Obviously, this doesn't put me in a good to write yet another paper. I did get an email today, however, saying that the deadline has been extended from tomorrow at the beginning of class until Monday at noon by email. My professor is amazing! Sure, it means I'll have to spend part of my spring break working, but that's alright, because it means I don't have to come up with 6 pages worth of material by tomorrow morning. If I could've done the Highland fling, I would have =]

There's only one class left between me and Spring Break. It doesn't even matter that I have to write while I'm in Utah - that's only at night, when we wouldn't be doing much anyway, and I won't have to do homework or read or actually go to class and I'll be able to sleep... oh I just can't wait. Unfortunately, I have to pack my stuff here, drive home, unpack when I get there, do laundry, repack, and write some more tomorrow.

But... in 26 hours and 28 minutes, I will be leaving for the airport. I can't wait!

I just spent the past 5 hours of my life making notecards for a paper on church-state conflict in 19th century Italy, and I don't think I've ever been so stressed in my life. If I can just make it through the next three days I'll be fine...

Two days til Spring Break!

Once again I didn't post last night. Shame on me!

My only news for the day though:

I FINISHED MY PAPER!!! No more stinkin' sports for me!