"Can't sing but I've got soul..." ~u2

I thought this last week would be nice and relaxing, but I've actually been running around a lot. I've had to do all these little errands like closing my bank account and my library account, dropping off clothes at the salvation army, mailing a box of stuff home, dropping off keys...don't even get me started on packing. It is physically impossible to fit five months of your life into one suitcase and a backpack. Impossible.

Despite all my running around, the past few weeks have been really, really great. I've been incredibly happy. The weather is beautiful and I spend a lot of time walking around outside. This morning Nicole and I had brunch at this really great restaurant. I got chocolate pancakes wrapped in fruit salad and cream, and I think it was the best meal I've had since I've been here.

I got my ear pierced (the cartiledge), and it really hurts. More than my other 4 holes did. I'm afraid it'll hurt for awhile.

I can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow. I've spent five months of my life here, and it's so strange to think that I may never come back. I'm really, really going to miss it.

There are things I'm looking forward to at home, the main thing being U2. I got a GA ticket for 11/22!!! I know most of you have no idea how amazing that is, but they've been going for thousands of dollars on eBay and I scored one for $75. On what will hopefully be the best night of the tour, the last show at Madison Square Garden. I'm also going the night before. So seeing U2 twice in two days will be pretty exciting, especially from the floor on the second night. I can't wait.

“Please don’t put your life in the hands of a rock ‘n roll band who’ll throw it all away.” ~oasis

See? I warned you. Another quote from the same song. I love that quote. But now I’ve moved on to the album Don’t Believe the Truth (that’s their newest one). It’s not bad; probably their best since Morning Glory. There are a few really good songs on it.

I just took my history exam, so now I only have one final exam left! It’s for my education class and it’s on Monday and it’ll be hard but I really don’t care anymore.

Perrine left, so now it’s just me and the boys in the flat. It’s weird without her.

“Slip inside the eye of your mind, don’t you know you might find a better place to play? You said that you’d never been, but all the things that you’ve seen will slowly fade away.” ~oasis

I can’t wrap my brain around the fact that I’m leaving so soon. In less than a week I’ll be finished with finals, and in less than two weeks I leave Dunedin. I’m trying to really appreciate the time that I have left here, because I know I’ll miss it when I get home. I know this is really strange, but I was thinking about being at home and missing certain things here. I’m already anticipating what I know I’ll feel once I leave. I was sunbathing on the deck today and I felt this overwhelming sense of melancholy simply knowing that in a few weeks I’ll be back in winter. So I’m trying to soak in everything before I go. I can’t adequately explain what my mind is going through, but it’s strange knowing that I’ve spent so much time here and I’ll be completely removed from it so soon.

Tomorrow’s Perrine’s last day here, and then for the next week it’ll just be me and the boys. I’ll miss her.

I’ve been listening to (What’s the story) Morning Glory? lately. I think it’s because I’m in a nostalgic mood (the fact that it’s nostalgia for a place I haven’t left yet is irrelevant), and this album throws me back into the mid ‘90s. I go through musical phases (of different lengths) where I’ll listen to one band, one album, or even sometimes one song nonstop. So you may be getting Oasis quotes as openers for the next few entries, depending on how long this phase lasts. Maybe even from the same song. I can't stop listening to it, it's addicting.

“I want the world to know that so many times I’ve wrestled with your angels.” ~anika moa

Yesterday was Halloween. They don’t really celebrate Halloween here, which is a little disappointing. I bought myself a Cadbury bar to celebrate. Last night the boys and I stayed in and watched Mission Impossible. We’ve been doing lots of lazing around and watching TV/movies. Final exam time here is much less stressful than at Richmond. I like it.
I leave in 10 days. That’s really scary.

“I'm not the only one starin' at the sun, Afraid of what you'd find if you took a look inside. Not just deaf and dumb, I'm staring at the sun, Not the only one who's happy to go blind.” ~u2

I had my Victorian Literature final exam on Tuesday and I think I did okay. It was identifying and explaining 8 quotes and writing 3 essays. I know I IDed all the quotes correctly, which I was proud about because I studied a lot for that section. I’m just glad that it’s over with. I still haven’t started studying for my next exam. It’s not until next Friday though, which gives me some time.

It’s been absolutely beautiful here this week. Yesterday I went to the beach and actually went swimming in the ocean. The beach is so close (about 5 minutes away) that I have to take advantage of it while I still can. Today I went running in the botanical garden. All the flowers are in bloom and it’s amazing. I’m really, really enjoying myself now that summer is here and classes are over. It’s going to be hard to leave.

Here’s the funny moment of the day:
Scott gets lots of phone calls. He’s pretty popular. I’d say he gets about 10 phone calls a day; I’m not exaggerating. Since the beginning of the semester, whenever the phone rings, Matt says out loud to those of us in the flat, “Scott’s hotline, how may I help you?” He doesn’t actually say that when he answers the phone, but he jokes about it every time the phone rings. It got old about two weeks into the semester, but he still does it. So today the phone rang, and Matt said to those of us in the room (Scott, Rich and me), “Scott’s hotline, how may I help you?” So Scott answered the phone, and he said in his most serious voice possible, “Matt’s brothel, how may I help you?” It was hilarious. And the person calling turned out to be looking for Perrine, not for Scott, which is usually the case. I got a good laugh out of it. I think it was one of those things where you had to be there, but I’m telling you it was really funny.

Oh, congrats to the White Sox. Although it should have been the Braves (who will win next year). I’m just glad Houston lost.