First Year of Grad School - Done!

I can't believe it. This year has flown by like no other. I feel like I've learned so much, and that my brain has literally grown a little bit in size. :) On Saturday, I finished my classes, and walking out, I said to my friends, wow, we're done with our first year. It just feels strange and like we weren't ready for it. Kinda like at the end of a show when you realize it's all over and you're not going to get another chance to perform your role.

So now begins the summer and I have about six weeks until I leave for the London study abroad program. I'm going to be there for a whole month, which is great but also a little bittersweet. I'm really going to miss Lesley, and we haven't been separated for that long in years. I hope that we'll be able to deal with it and stay busy so it doesn't seem so long. Before I leave for London, I have to read a lot to prepare. It's kind of like - well it IS like starting a new semester right away. I ordered a bunch of books last night so it looks like May will be dubbed "study month". I can understand why they want us to be prepared - otherwise we might not get as much out of it or might embarrass ourselves by not knowing the teaching philosophies of those we are going to be studying with. In any case, bring it on.

What should I do in London when I'm no working? I hear we'll have very little time to sightsee. I've already seen some of the stuff like Tower of London and Big Ben. I think I'll spend some time in the British Museum. There's a weekend off and I am severely temped to go to Paris or Brussels, but we'll see how I feel. One thing I know for sure is that this time I am not leaving without having fish n' chips. That was ridiculous when me and Lesley left without it! It will be good to be back in London because it trumps New Orleans as my new favorite city. I love all the old architecture. It just makes you feel like you are walking around in an outdoor museum. I also love how modern London is - I think London is the perfect mix of modern and ancient.

Today I'm going to SOF to tutor. We have a special guest coming. For the past few months, the kids have been learning about the Holocaust, and today we have a Holocaust survivor coming in to talk to them. I hope it will go all right. They're really good kids, but you never know what 13 year-olds are going to say or do. This woman who is coming to speak was a little girl during the Holocaust, and she survived on of the concentration camps. That just blows me away how a young girl could escape with her life from those horrible conditions. I'm looking forward to hearing her story.

So I don't leave you on a down note - I'll say that this afternoon, I'm going to maybe get a free haircut at Bumble & Bumble. That is if they approve of my hair or whatever. :) I really need it. I haven't had a haircut since December!

Signing off...