(no subject)
Well, I'm settled back into my little apartment in San Marcos, so it's about time to wrap up this tale. I was right about doing well in my classes--I got 2 A's. :) The last week of England was pretty interesting. Lots of people headed out of town (rather, out of country) right after finals to visit more places they hadn't seen yet, such as Spain, Rome, Scotland, Wales, Holland, France... But the lesser, um, funded of us stuck around to enjoy our last days in Canterbury. It was kinda like the first few days of being there all over again: days of playing and goofing off without any classes to wake up for. Then again, it was also kinda like daycare. -Here's what I mean. Remember the days--it's 5:45 in the evening, you've had a looooong day of playing and learning, you're hungry, getting cranky, you're stuck at a place that (though you like it) is not home with a few other lucky stragglers, and your parents are late picking you up. --Apply that mentality-only extended and slightly more mature-to about 10 young adults, and you have the feeling of the last week.
-It was time to go home!!
Truly, the length of the trip was about perfect. We had loads of fun, took all our trips, spent all our money, learned all our classwork, and then had a few days to let it sink in that it was over and we were leaving. I was hanging out in my room one afternoon with a few other girls when I finally shared my growing sense of loneliness that was based in my desire--much as I loved everyone there--to just be around some people "who really know me." I got a hearty round of "Exactly..." It was sort of ironic because, in sharing our mutual feelings of having to keep a smile on your face in order to continually "flow" with 25 people who really don't know you that well yet, we ended up bonding. Kinda cool. And good to know I wasn't alone in feeling that way.
So it was a few more English cafeteria meals and trips to the good ol' pub downstairs to hang out with the awesome barstaff, one last SUPERFUN trip to town with some of my favorite girlies, and off to London to wake up early the next morning to catch my 10:30am flight the next morning. Wonderful Dr. Frost had booked and paid for a room in a hotel not far from the station that any of us who needed to could share for the night. Perfect. Luckily there were only 2 of us so no sleeping on the floor.
Now here's what's funny. I got to the tube station by 7:30 just fine. I got to the train station by 8-something just fine. I got to the airport by 9 just fine. I got on the plane by 10:30 just fine. I got to D/FW airport by 2:30 (which, of course, was actually 10 hours later, not 4!)just fine. Then, I got to hang out at that monster of beehive for 5 hours. Don't even ask. Luckily, when I arrived at Austin-Bergrstom at 8pm, Jeromy and Pepper were in very chipper moods, having had enough time to go out to eat while waiting for me, and had 2 huge bearhugs for me, which more than revived my mood.
Then they took me by the house to drop my stuff off and pat the kitty, and then to get Tiff a good old American hamburger. Beautiful.
-It was time to go home!!
Truly, the length of the trip was about perfect. We had loads of fun, took all our trips, spent all our money, learned all our classwork, and then had a few days to let it sink in that it was over and we were leaving. I was hanging out in my room one afternoon with a few other girls when I finally shared my growing sense of loneliness that was based in my desire--much as I loved everyone there--to just be around some people "who really know me." I got a hearty round of "Exactly..." It was sort of ironic because, in sharing our mutual feelings of having to keep a smile on your face in order to continually "flow" with 25 people who really don't know you that well yet, we ended up bonding. Kinda cool. And good to know I wasn't alone in feeling that way.
So it was a few more English cafeteria meals and trips to the good ol' pub downstairs to hang out with the awesome barstaff, one last SUPERFUN trip to town with some of my favorite girlies, and off to London to wake up early the next morning to catch my 10:30am flight the next morning. Wonderful Dr. Frost had booked and paid for a room in a hotel not far from the station that any of us who needed to could share for the night. Perfect. Luckily there were only 2 of us so no sleeping on the floor.
Now here's what's funny. I got to the tube station by 7:30 just fine. I got to the train station by 8-something just fine. I got to the airport by 9 just fine. I got on the plane by 10:30 just fine. I got to D/FW airport by 2:30 (which, of course, was actually 10 hours later, not 4!)just fine. Then, I got to hang out at that monster of beehive for 5 hours. Don't even ask. Luckily, when I arrived at Austin-Bergrstom at 8pm, Jeromy and Pepper were in very chipper moods, having had enough time to go out to eat while waiting for me, and had 2 huge bearhugs for me, which more than revived my mood.
Then they took me by the house to drop my stuff off and pat the kitty, and then to get Tiff a good old American hamburger. Beautiful.