Gearing Up for the End

So...

Classes are done for me now. I finished lectures and tutorials today. It ended off on a good note, with my tutor Gretchen and a bunch of kids from my Queer Theory tut all going out for a beer at the SAM Bar. I'm missing out on the birthday party of one of the girls, Holly, because I'll be in Darwin that night, so that was the last time I'll see most of them.

I have a ten-question assignment (which is apparently over-due...I was really convinced it was due tomorrow and it turns out it was due last MONDAY...oops), one essay on something astronomical, two final essays, and my sit-down final for Astronomy left. In a week and two dyas I will be done with my academic requirements of studying abroad.

It's overwhelming being so close to the end. It's less than a month until I leave. I've made so many friends here, people whom I'm nowhere near ready to leave. My flatmates are amazing; we're one of the really open hang-out places. We realized we have about five kids visting on a very consistent basis (almost daily at this point) and a bunch of others who are over more than once a week. When I go home, it will be back to dorm rooms and everyone being so busy that there's no time just to hang out, make some food, just chill.

Every dream I've had has been about leaving or being at home; it's constantly on my mind. I'm trying so hard to enjoy every minute (though it's hard with all of this work hanging over me!) because I know I can never come back to this, the exact same way that it is now.

Saturday night we're having a big party at our place. Elisabeth's friend Ben is bringing over some of his bandmates and they'll be having an acoustic set (to keep the noise down) and all of the amazing people we've met are invited. The theme is "crazy hair," meaning that if you don't have a silly hairstyle, you can't come! If someone shows up without it, we'll do it for them...

Well, time to go get some of this work off of my plate. Love you all!