School's Out!

Yes I am finally done with classes for the semester! Can you believe it?

Thankfully it wasn't too stressful and I got everything done. I mostly had papers to write though I did have a written exam for one of my classes. I'm also pretty sure I am developing carpal tunnel from the writing I did for that exam because my hand is killing me! Maybe I should start copying everyone and do everything on my computer. Then again, if I did that I wouldn't have nice handwriting and actually writing stuff out on paper, whether an outline or notes, helps me when I am working on something. Also since I'm constantly coming up with story ideas I'm more likely to have a pen and paper with me than my laptop. But I digress.

One of my assigments was to do an internship report that was 3000 words and it was complete hell. You had to go into the background of your internship and then do a SWOT analysis, which just means you identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It was very annoying especially since that had to be 1000 words and it's much harder to come up with 1000 words than you would imagine. Why do you think students tend to BS their papers so much? Thankfully I didn't have to do much of that for my second paper which was about translating the Harry Potter books to the film screen and I actually feel pretty decent with how I wrote it. I'll have to wait until next week to see what my grade is but hopefully it's good. As for my written exam, it was essay form and I felt really good about what I knew and I wrote a lot so I'm also hoping for a good grade on that. All that is left for me is my final three days of my internship and it's such a bittersweet thing.

The other FIE intern who worked with me, Brad, left on Sunday and is now back in the States and it is kind of sad to know that when I go in on Thursday and Friday he won't be there. Sometimes he acts like a bit of a jerk but he was really nice most of the time and extremely funny and friendly. Everyone around the office liked him a lot and I know if he had his choice he would stay longer. I would too if I were honest. I like where I work and I like the people I work with. They have all been great and I've gotten comfortable with them. I'll definitely miss everyone.

It's so bittersweet to know that I'll be leaving in six days. I've already told my mom what I want when I get home, although I'm still pondering what I will have for my first meal back home. There are so many choices to pick from but I think I'll have an answer before I leave. This past weekend was my last time I went out in London, club wise and it was a lot of fun. We were able to get into this place in Soho for five pounds, the only problem was that it was really small and for some reason they liked to release smoke that blinded you and smelled like hookah smoke. That wasn't pleasant at all but the people who were there absolutely were. It isn't the same going out in Greensboro because places are further and you have to drive there. I think that is one thing I'll miss the most, public transportation. It was nice to not have to worry about driving places, gas prices (because they are ridiculously high over here) and you get exercise by walking everywhere. It will definitely be a little weird going from using the Tube and buses to driving a car and on the opposite side of the road no doubt. I won't lie I've gotten used to them driving on the left side on the road and now that I'm going back it is gonna mess with me a little bit.

Something else I'm not looking forward to is getting back on Eastern Standard Time. It's weird to think that just when my day is ending over here, the day back home is just beginning for everyone else. Not to mention when I wake up around 7 or 8 here, it will be midnight or one in the morning back home. I was even told by a few colleagues at work that I'll probably wake up early and go to bed earlier than I'm used to. I guess that isn't such a bad thing but still I'm worried. Also my flight gets in to Newark in the afternoon and my Mom is gonna have to try and keep me awake for at least five hours because I know I'm gonna want to crash once I get off the plane. I don't like international flights at all. When I first got to London I felt so sick. My stomach was hurting, I felt like I was getting a migraine, and so I caved and took an hour nap once I got to my flat. It was definitely needed but I'm not looking forward to that happening again.

Another thing I'm not looking forward to is the fact that I'm heading back to my small town. After being in a city where there is so much to do and so many places to go, it will be so dull! I feel like Greensboro will be the same way. I don't know, it seems like after being here for so long, everything feels inferior to London. Furthermore I am starting to feel like a Londoner myself and I could stay here for another few months if I was allowed to. Just send my parents and my sister over and I'll never want to go back to the States.

I will return to the UK at some point. Maybe even attend graduate school over here but I want to come back and not just for visiting. I would need to be here for a fixed amount of time. My mom suggested that I create a bucket list of things that I want to do after I told her that the next time I'm in Europe I want to visit the Eastern countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, etc. I'm already a world traveler, why not get a few more places underneath my belt. Plus being on this side of the world is easier and cheaper to get flights to these places than if I were to catch a flight from the States. However for now my traveling is put on hold since I still have to finish school and figure out what the heck I'm doing once I graduate.

Speaking of graduating, since classes are done I'm technically a senior. Where the hell did time go? I can remember being a freshman and moving into my dorm room as if it were only yesterday. Now I'm about to enter my final year of college and it's scary. My sister can hardly believe I'm almost done with college and I'm sure my parents feel the same way. I didn't realize that the older you get the faster time moves for you. As a kid you don't really think about it and you wish that time would speed up so you can be older and not have so many restrictions. Adults, especially college students, wish the opposite. I do long for the days where your parents did everything for you, no worries about anything except what game to play with your friends. But at the same time I like getting older and experiencing important steps such as studying abroad. Do I wish I could stay longer? Absolutely. I feel like there is more to be done but it's time for this chapter to end. I'm not sure how life will be once I'm back at Guilford. I feel as if I have been living in an alternate reality while everyone else I know has been moving on forward with their lives over there. There is no way you can just jump back in because you know you've changed as a person and the only thing to do is to find a way to make who you have become fit into your old lifestyle. Easier said than done, right?

Only three more days left until it's time to pack up and head home. I promise to tell you all that happens and maybe even upload a few pictures of the people I work with. They are quite the characters and I'm sure you would like to know who they are since I've mentioned them a few times. There are probably two more posts left until this blog is completed so look out for them because they will be coming soon.

Cheers!