Weird.

I'm done classes. Done, finished, finito. All I have left is one 2ooo word essay, one write-up on a presentation I already did (and nailed, thank you very much), and two final exams, both of which I have extensive knowledge on already. I'm into it, kinda.

I don't think I'm quite ready to be done yet. I mean, I know I'm going to bask in the glory that is no scholastic commitment for a solid two months +, but classes being done mean that I'm almost done my time in Australia. A bloody tragedy if I've ever heard one. And it's just starting to get really, consistently nice out here, too.

Good news is, I've officially booked my post-semester adventures! The Farewell Tour is as follows:
November 7-13: Whitsunday Islands, QLD.
November 1o-12: Pegasus Pirate Cruise on the Great Barrier Reef
November 13-16: Brisbane, QLD.
November 15: First Annual Steve Irwin Day at the Australia Zoo
November 16-2o: Fiji

I fly out of Fiji at 1o:5o p.m. on the 2oth. And I arrive back in Killadelphia at 6:31 a.m. on the 21st. Don't question the international dateline... it knows no boundaries of time and space. So yes, I have all of my flights booked for this, and I'm in the process of securing my spot on the Pirate Cruise. I'm thinking my post-semester adventures are going to be pretty damn amazing. A Farewell Tour if there ever was one.

That's probably been the most exciting thing that's gone down so far this week. I've had a pretty extreme lack of class. Nothing Monday, nothing Tuesday, a 45 minute debriefing on Wednesday, and the usual business for Thursday. I had my Australia Today presentation on globalization yesterday afternoon. Globalization is ridiculous. Apparently I did a good job. Yesterday was a day for gratification and a general padding of my self-esteem as a competent student. Aside from the glowing praise for my presentation, I got my history paper back-- a second HD, deemed "another very impressive piece of undergrad writing." I am a foreign policy master. Got my "Rarely is an argument without external references so sophisticated in its analysis of the text as yours is" lit paper back, too. Okay, I'll stop patting myself on the back now. All's I'm saying is it's nice to hear how awesome you are every once in a while. It also makes me wonder what kind of student I'd be if I legitimately applied myself. Well, with remarks like that, would you feel obligated to work harder? Didn't think so.

Tonite is our Barton Ball. I bought a dress over the weekend, and my ticket on Wednesday. I'm pretty pumped about it. It's nice getting dressed up every once in a while.

Other assorted things that are currently bringing a smile to my face: The KGB Line (whoever came up with the name deeeefinitely achieves hero status in my eyes), the 4-o slaughter of the Devils (on paper, at least) that just went down courtesy of the boys in orange and black, the continuing assault on the network re: my black jellybean music taste, Rocky Votolato's "Suicide Medicine" album, the tribal cap House wore in the episode that aired on Wednesday, American Beauty... I just watched it last night, and it probably changed my life, aaand, generally, how awesome the 2oo7-o8 season is going for my boys... especially compared to how things were this time last year. I shudder at the thought of a repeat of our abysmal start in 2oo6.

I have to go to our Farewell Meeting/Lunch (at least I hope they're feeding us) now, so that's it for me. I'm sure I'll have a few stories from the Ball and the upcoming "study break" shenanigans. So until then...

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