I can't believe how quickly time is passing as of late. The semester flew by, Christmas flew by, 2010 is sneaking up on me. I started work at the law office on Monday and I'll be working New Year's Eve at the Marriott tomorrow night (the theme this year is flappers and gangsters, it should be a lot of fun). On New Year's Day I leave for Vermont and on the 2nd I fly from Burlington to Buffalo for a week-long service trip with new friends from Saint Mike's. While there I'll be working in either a boys' or girls' Catholic school (placement hasn't been assigned yet). I'm really looking forward to it but I am getting a little bit nervous--a feeling that I didn't expect to have before leaving.

When I return from Buffalo I'll have just over three weeks until leaving for Fiji/Australia. I think that it is really starting to set in that I'll be halfway around the world for an entire semester; I have to apply for my visa upon getting home from NY, and then I have to PACK. How do I pack only a couple of bags for an entire semester abroad!? It should get interesting...

I'm creating a new blog especially for my time/experience abroad, keep a look out for it--it will be coming SO SOON!

I head home from school in 5 days and it still really hasn't hit me that I won't be coming back until September. It's honestly been a really tough semester but the last few weeks have made me feel a lot more content about the friends that I have and the experiences that I've been through... I've gotten a lot closer to certain people and I've realized that the only one who can justifiably judge my actions is me (though I now know who to confide in and who genuinely cares about me and how my actions affect me).

I had a lot more to write but I'm sleepy and have 10 pages to write for my American Theory final (due tomorrow).

(Thanksgiving Dinner with my SMC Family)

Eleven hours of homework later and STILL I've never felt better. Treating myself to a bubble bath, a full-body aromatherapy lotion rub, and a facial was the perfect way to end my night. What a day.

I feel like my life has been a huge blurry jumble of emotions, events, and areas of anticipation lately. I've got so many things on my mind and can't believe how quickly this semester is flying by. Sunday I had a pre-departure meeting with everyone else at SMC that is going abroad for the spring semester and it really started to hit me that I'll be halfway around the world in only a few short months. It is now less than three months until departure day and I have a lot to do before I go.

Despite the stress that has been surrounding me lately, I can't help feeling strangely content. I think I'm just euphoric from the incredible smell of this lotion.

I'm leaving for Fiji/Australia in less than 4 months. Still hasn't hit me yet. I'll be gone from February 5th until June 27th. While abroad I'm planning on:

visiting friends in New Zealand

visiting the Great Barrier Reef (doing a 4-day trip with my program)

attending Rugby games (hopefully an All-Blacks game in there somewhere)

sky diving

visiting Tasmania (maybe?)

checking out the outback!

learning to surf

picking up some Aussie slang

checking out the Sydney nightlife

attending some sort of show at the Opera House

The list goes on and on. If you have any recommendations or ideas that I haven't said, let me know :)

Summer whizzed by and here I sit, in my cozy Pontigny bedroom, on the third day of classes. Overall, my summer was spectacular: summer camp was the time of my life this year thanks to my amazing campers and co-counselors that I spent the 8 weeks with.

After the 8 weeks of camp ended, my last week of summer was spent making a roadtrip to Florida with a few of my closest.

The Florida trip was an absolute whirlwind... Chelsea, Lawless, and I drove from Vermont (after moving into our new rooms) to North Carolina to pick John up. Afterwards, we drove to Georgia and spend a night at Christina's house with her family (who are all gorgeous, by the way).

We spent 3 nights at a campground called Raccoon River in a giant tent. Days were spent on the beach at a state park in Panama City Beach, where the water was clear and the sand was white. John and I had a snorkeling endeavor and we all just relaxed and enjoyed the last days of summer listening to "Toes" (our anthem) and not worrying about a thing.

We had some crazy nights and then drove the 30 hours back to Maine, where we spent a night at my house and ate the most delicious, non-fried-chicken, meal of my life.

I moved back onto campus for good on Saturday. It has been quite a transition but I'm managing.. Sunday night Alicia and I went to see Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley with a couple of guys at the fairgrounds. It was a great show and such a fun time.

My class schedule this semester is packed.

Mondays:

9:30-10:20 American Literature II

11:45-12:50 Critical Theory

1-2:05 American Theory and Methodology

2:30-4:10 Honors Colloquium

Tuesdays:

2:30-4:10 Age of FDR Seminar

Wednesdays:

9:30-10:20 American Literature II

11:45-12:50 Critical Theory

1-2:05 American Theory and Methodology

4-5 Radio

Thursdays:

12-12:50 Writing Center Internship Course

2:30-4:10 Age of FDR Seminar

Fridays:

9:30-10:20 American Literature II

11:45-12:50 Critical Theory

1-2:05 American Theory and Methodology

My classes seem interesting so far and I like every professor that I have, but I've already got hours of reading and studying to do and it is only day 3. I'll also be working in the writing center for upwards of 3 hours a week which will leave my schedule crammed. I'm happy that I have a couple of days to relax, though!

More to come!

My life has been a bit of a whirlwind as of late. As I write, at 8am, I can hear the buzzing of my brother's hair being cut off while I wait until departure time. I'm heading to New York City with my parents and brother for the weekend. We're simply planning on walking through the city, doing some shopping, and visiting with a bunch of family members for my great-aunt's 90th birthday party. Will be interesting to say the least.

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Summercamp is officially in swing. Week one ended successfully and I have to say that I am extremely excited for the summer to unwind. I am working with 4 counselors that I have known for a while but have never worked alongside, with a group of kids that I had recognized but, again, had never worked with previously. They are sixth-graders and extremely energetic. We have more class-clowns than any one group of children should include, which only makes my live exponentially more interesting as I spend 10-hours a day laughing at them. All of the boys are athletes, with a couple exceptions, while nearly all of the girls are girly, nail-polishing, card-playing, gossip queens. I get the daily gossip from three of them each morning and it reminds me of being that age with Chelsea, Margaret, Sarah, Krissy, Jenn, and many others. I'm looking forward to seeing the summer unfold!

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My computer has been down for about 2 weeks now. I am ordering a macbook on Tuesday and can't wait to have a working computer again. I'm currently typing from my dad's, though he usually leaves it at work, meaning i rarely have any way to get onto the internet. I can't complain, though... I haven't really missed it much (other than losing what little bit of touch I have with some people at school).

When I reminisce back to some of my High School days I can rarely remember how I felt or what went on from moment-to-moment. I realize that a lot of this is because I was sleepwalking through my high school educational experience. Today I woke up mentally and physically exhausted after my first 10-hour work-day of the summer (I have 8 more weeks of them up ahead), and realized that I have that same sleep-walking feeling inside of me now. Despite 4 hours awake and 2 cups of coffee, I feel slightly numb and as if I am going through the motions. My days, from here on out, will generally consist of either 10 hour days at rec, or 4 hour office shifts followed by 6 hours at rec. 10 hours. Plus 2 hours daily at the gym. And probably a few more hours reading: at least while I power through the final 2 books in the Twilight series (yes, I know). I hope this isn't mistaken for a big, long complaint--that isn't what I am meaning to portray. It's just curious that this feeling is so familiar, and yet i don't truly remember the last time I felt this way. I think that the stories I've been reading are latching onto me emotionally, and the exhaustion is not truly letting me see past them. I'm beginning to temporarily lose touch with everyone outside of the workplace, as I always do during these 8-weeks of summer, and it really is too bad. I'm content with everything for the moment, though... honestly. But a nap would probably help. Or maybe some sunshine.

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Or maybe I could use something more.