The Final Stretch

It is 5:00 pm here and I am sitting in my room listening to music I don’t recognize, but that is pleasant to the ear, and a sort of quiet has taken over me. It has been a long couple of days, with the heat overbearingly strong creating a hazy sense of laziness in my movements. It has been only two days since Ma left from her visit, and everyone agrees the apartment feels like something (someone) is missing.

It was a wonderful ten days with Ma. We did a litte bit of everything but a whole lot of nothing. The biggest change for me was having to get up at the buttcrack of dawn: Mom is naturally a morning person, but the jetlag made it worse. Most mornings I woke up to her tip-toeing into my temporary room (Melissa’s, as she was in New Zealand for the week), a big smile on her face asking me to help her get onto Skype to talk to Shawn and the boys. I was always groggy at first but surprisingly, now that she is gone, I find myself waking at 6 AM in the morning ready to start the day. We went to the beach nearly everyday for hours at a time, which I attribute to Ma wanting to be so dark she would be rendered unrecognizable upon returning home. I have to admit I did enjoy it very much, though – I am no longer transparent like a ghost and am quite impressed to be as tan as I am, for never have I been so dark in my life. The ocean is starting to grow warmer and we walked along the shore and dipped our feet within the crests of waves that crashed on the shore. Sometimes Ma would just go on her own, and I would wake up and see her standing on the edge of the ocean and would think to myself, She is the most beautiful woman in the entire world.

We had a two day getaway in Sydney, in which my roommate Jessica joined us, and it was refreshing to be in the city again. Sydney is a lot like New York: very cosmo, very fast-paced, but a hell of a lot cleaner. We went to the Opera House, walked along Darling Harbour, took a ferry to Manly Beach, wandered through the Botanical Gardens, and drank giant Cosmo’s for happy hour. The hotel we stayed at was breathtaking (thanks Shawn) and it was nice to get away, although I have to admit I am really glad I chose the laidback coast to attend university. Sydney is kind of suffocating in the same way New York and most big cities are. Living on the Coast has helped me to take a step back and not take myself so seriously, and I am very grateful for it.

I have only five weeks left in the semester and it is quite hard to believe time has flew by so quickly. In these remaining weeks, I have over 5,000 words of essays to write, final exams to take, as well as a whole website to design. A part of me is having a mini spazz attack at all I have to complete, but deep down I know I will get it done and it will all work out fine. The hectic schedule will probably benefit me in the long run, as I know the weeks are going to fly past and before I know it I will be stepping off the plane in the Minneapolis airport, trading my flip-flops for my beloved black Uggs (guilty pleasure) and wrapping up in my winter coat. I am so excited to go back to the States, but at the same time, I am enjoying every second of these last few weeks. I may never pass this way again, and I want to make the most of the time I have left with these people that have turned from strangers to friends, with the land that has transformed from foreign to familiar, with the four walls surrounding me that have become home. It really is a strange thing, but I am trying not to waste too much time thinking about it right now and just “being” in it.

Other random news: poor Eddie is sick so send well wishes his way. Ed, you better be better by the time I get back in November because you and Sam both know I will be dragging you to the cinemas with me again, chick-flicks and all. Matt & Aaron are doing well in football, and I am so mad I am missing all their games, but I know Linda has undoubtedly been getting lots of photographs and film of the boys and Coach Dad in action for me to watch when I get back. Today my Digital Publishing streamed the Packers and Vikings game in class (oh, Australia) so in my own little way I was a part of the good ‘ole Minnesota victory!

Well, evening is setting in and I have work to do. I probably won’t end up getting any done, but I should at least make an attempt, right? Hope everyone is doing well. I love and miss you ALL!

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