Hey guys,

Sorry for last week's missing post. I was kind of stressed - I'll explain why in the first two parts of this 3-part post. Sorry if it's a little messy, but I needed to get this out.

Part the First: So I get back to school from my trip home a few weeks ago, and start noticing weird bug bites popping up on my legs. I figured it was probably nothing - university is full of creepy crawlies that can be picked up anywhere and everywhere. Still, they're irritating, so I keep an eye on them. It isn't until almost 2 weeks later that I start to suspect bedbugs. I didn't say anything for a few days after that, since I didn't want to alarm my roommate. The Friday before winter break started, though, I discovered a bedbug crawling across my pillow. The little [censored] was filled with my blood, too!

Needless to say, stuff hit the fan pretty quickly. We reported the issue to the front desk of our res, and while things were taken care of very efficiently it was still a lot of work. We were moved into an apartment for the weekend (with our own oven! And bathroom! and TV!) since the exterminator couldn't come til Monday, which meant that we didn't have access to everything that we both needed to pack for our trips home that Tuesday. We were also given $20 and told to wash every. single. washable. thing. we owned - my stuff amounted to about 6 loads. We then had to bag our laundry plus whatever we had left, and prep the room for fumigation. Once this was taken care of, we still had to pull out everything we needed to bring home with us, haul it down to the apartment, and check everything for leftover bugs as we packed. By the end, my roommate and I were both in hysterical laughter/tears. It was that bad.

Part 2: On top of dealing with bedbugs, I also found out that I need to screw around with my medications again. For those of you who don't know, I've suffered from migraines/ice pick headaches (which get their name from the fact that they feel like someone's slamming an ice pick into your head, no exaggeration) since I was 15. Since the diagnosis, I've been through literally every on- and off-label medication my neurologist could think of, meaning that I've dealt with more than my fair share of side effects*. Of these, only two seemed to work. Since one of the two caused "inhibited mental function" (not that you could tell), I started taking indomethacin sometime last year.

On top of that, I started taking citalopram (Celexa) for depression a couple of months ago. Normally this is not recommended, since both it and the indomethacin can mess with the platelets in your blood pretty badly and possibly cause internal bleeding**. The combo seemed to work really well though - my headaches and depression were both under control, and I had almost no side effects after my body adjusted to the new meds. That is, until I started getting weird bruises and nosebleeds. Red flags went up, since both of these can be warning signs that my platelet levels weren't normal. So I went to the doctor's, and he was concerned enough that he decided that I needed to change one drug or the other. Since I couldn't really change the indomethacin, it was decided that I needed to quit Celexa. There was a catch though - if I wanted to change that, I wouldn't be allowed to try most other antidepressants* because they too would screw with my platelets. Of course this all happened on the same Friday that I discovered the bedbugs, which was also four days before vacation started. Meaning that I'm stuck with the same drugs until after I get back to school. It's been more than a little stressful, since I'm basically paranoid that every little spot of blood means that I'm dying. This makes my vacation a little less enjoyable, especially since I've been doing a lot of walking lately and it's given me wicked blisters.

This leads into Part III, aka the Happy Part or The Part that Justifies the Title. See, I've been doing a lot of walking because I've been in Orlando for the past 5 days, and we've been pulling 7-hour trips to Disney and Universal for the past 3. We've done lots of shopping (I'll probably end up bragging about my purchases in my next post), been on a bunch of cool rides and basically been having a blast since we got here. And we're only halfway through the trip! The best part of all is that my grandparents rented 3 condos instead of hotel rooms, so we've had a ton of space to spread out. It's amazing.

Sorry there's almost no connection between the parts, by the way. I'm exhausted from spending the day at Disney so my brain's not working so well. I'll write more later.

Lots of love,
Me

*If you want a more technical explanation, it's that citalopram is classified as an SSRI (Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitor), and it's this quality that both helps with depression and messes with platelets. Unfortunately, the vast majority antidepressants are also SSRIs, meaning that if I take them they'll more than likely mess with my platelets as well.

**I HATE SIDE EFFECTS. It's almost like I don't know my own body.

Hey peeps,

Figured I'd try my hand at something slightly different this week. So without further ado, I present to you the Top 10 Ways You Know it's Finals Time!

10. The convenience stores run out of coffee and energy drinks by 11 every morning.
9. Sleep goes from being a necessity to something needed only by the weak.
8. Your Facebook news feed is filled with 4 types of statuses: "I'm so screwed!!!1!11!", "Just kicked ass/had my ass kicked by my last exam", "ZOMG I CAN'T REMEMBER (insert obscure fact here)! SOMEBODY HELP!" and "Dear God let this be over".
7. You can get a contact high just by stepping outside. Dealers everywhere are rejoicing.
6. There are more people in the library than there are in res.
5. Campus becomes unnaturally quiet... except for the random screams/howls outside your window.
4. You barely even register said screams/howls, unless you feel like joining in.
3. Everyone's trying to teach themselves a semester's worth of material in under a week. As a result, they start leaking random bits of information.
2. Everybody looks like a zombie: they have the look of death in their eyes, they crave brains and are slow, shuffling and pale.
And the number one reason you know it's finals time? You start compulsively counting down the hours until a) your next exam and b) it's time for you to escape.

(and yes, I wrote this while trying to avoid studying for Philosophy)

Until next week,
Me

Hey peeps,

As you may have guessed from the title, I'm finally back at school. Can't say I'm happy to be here - I have 2 exams in the next 4 days, which means I get to read 2 textbooks in full, consolidate a full semester's worth of notes for 2 classes, and study 100+ German verbs, 400+ vocab words and a crapload of grammar. Not fun.

And before you say anything, I did start studying while I was at home. However, I had video games (Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword looks AMAZING on a 10-foot screen, by the way), a Secret Santa gift (which took almost a full day to prepare) and a wiener puppy to distract me there. Here, though, it's just me and my textbooks. Also my computer, which is an excellent procrastination tool.

Yeah, I'd better hit the books again.

TTFN,
Moi

Hi all,

Just a short entry to let you know that all is well. I got home 3 hours earlier than planned last night, since we got to the airport just in time to catch an earlier (direct!) flight. It feels so good to be home! My poor mom might not agree though, since I brought home all of my laundry... which hasn't been done for at least a week. Ah, the joys of university life.

Might not post til next Thursday, since I fly back to school next Wednesday night.

Moi

Hi guys,

Sorry for the late post - I wanted to wait until after my tattoo consultation (which was yesterday afternoon) to post so I could give you the latest.

Sadly, the consultation wasn't very detailed - we basically talked prices (not cheap) and settled on a design idea (wings surrounded by the design on my ring - see "In Which Things Go Well" for a visual). I was also able to book my final appointments. I get to see the design on Friday January 13th (cue ominous music), and I get the tattoos 4 days later on the 17th. This is ideal because those dates are on either side of my birthday! It's going to be tough to wait that long though...

Other than the tattoo excitement, I'm happy to announce that a post I wrote for a community blog a few months ago went live on Tuesday. I have to say that I'm pretty proud of it, since I've been told it's already serving as an inspiration for other people. Check it out and maybe you'll see why.

TTFN, peeps.
Moi

P.S. I'm sorry to those of you who who have already seen this news on Facebook... I promise I'll have fresher material next week.

Hey guys,

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I was having one of those days where it feels like the universe is against you. Nothing serious, just a series of unfortunate events that made posting the last thing on my mind.

So now, back to your regularly scheduled programming:

One thing I've been wanting to report is that I dropped my Gaelic class last week. To be honest, it was causing me a lot of stress - I was trying to juggle 3 languages (German, Gaelic and Italian) and both my health and my grades were suffering because of it. Now that it's gone I have Mondays and Wednesdays completely free, which is kind of awesome because it lets me actually DO the work I've been neglecting in some of my other courses. As tough as it was, I'm glad I let it go. It just wasn't worth the hassle it was causing me.

Another thing that dropping the course has let me do is swimming. Honestly, I didn't really have the time or the inclination to go to the pool before now - it just seemed like too much work. Now that I have 2 free days a week, though, I don't really have an excuse anymore. Besides, I've come to realize exactly how good the pool is for my busted shoulder. It hurts like hell, but it's going to get a little easier each time I go.

On a completely unrelated note: I'm coming home at the end of the month! I'll be there for almost a week, before I return to write my finals. I'm SO looking forward to this - it'll be a break from the constant cloud of exam stress that's been hanging around since mid-October! And, y'know, it'll be great to see my family and friends again...

TTYL,
Me

P.S. MY TATTOO CONSULTATION IS IN 6 DAYS!!!!!

Hi guys,

It's hard to believe that it's only been a week since I "came out" about having depression. Things have changed so much since then...

The biggest change is that I finally feel at peace with my depression. It's honestly like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders once I realized that I don't have to hide anymore. That combined with your incredible support has made a HUGE difference.

I'm also happy to report that I'm (kinda) starting to go to the gym with my roommate. I say "kinda" because I basically shut myself in my room last week while I was trying to write a term paper, so my health got pushed off to the side. Now that I've dropped the course (long story) I'm back on track. I bought actual vegetables - plural - today and I'm going to the gym tomorrow. Woot!

The final change that my revelation is bringing about is that I'm planning on getting a pair of tattoos! They're going to be based on this necklace that I always wear. I'll include pics below, but basically it's a wing and a ring. The angel wing was given to me after my accident and acts as a reminder that I'm stronger than I think, while the ring (which I bought after my first major depressive episode last year) reminds me that things do get better. I'm hoping to get the design on the insides of my wrists so that they're easily concealable and won't get as disfigured with age. My consultation's on the 23rd and I'm hoping to get the actual tattoo soon after. Whaddaya think?

TTFN,
Me

Hi guys,

I just wanted to thank you for being so amazingly supportive after yesterday's post. I'd love to send individual notes to everyone, but honestly I've received so many emails/comments/messages that I'm kind of overwhelmed. Not that this is a bad thing!

Even though I can't thank you all individually, there are a few things I'd like to say:

To the homies on my floor: You're awesome. Seriously. I know I've been kind of a loner but knowing you're behind me makes a world of difference.

To my family: I love you guys. I was worried there'd be hurt feelings when I "came out" about my depression, but I've gotten nothing but love and support. It means a lot to me.

To my friends (online and IRL): Thanks for sticking with me. I've been through a lot of crap (most of which I brought upon myself) and knowing that I have someone to turn to is a big deal.

Once again, thank you for the love and support. Writing that post was a Big Deal for me, but the responses were an affirmation that I did the right thing. I'm hoping that it will help me make some other big changes, and knowing that I have an army to help me with that is HUGE.


Me

Hi everyone,


This week I wanted to share something with you guys. Something I've been meaning to let you know for a long time.

...

...

...

(I did that for Facebook's benefit - I want people to actually read my post instead of having my secret revealed in the little blurb when I post the link)

...

My secret is that I suffer from depression. Soul-sucking, mind-crushing depression. Not all the time, mind you, but enough that it's a problem.

Life with depression is... different than what you might expect. For me, it's essentially an altered mindset - you can think of it as looking at the world through a pair of lead sunglasses. My first instinct is to look at the problems associated with something instead of the benefits, and while I can enjoy things it takes a little more effort to "lift the sunglasses" than it would for most people. My inner critic is also very strong, making it easy for me to get discouraged and down on myself. If I don't catch myself, I start to spiral out of control.

These spirals occasionally turn into major depressive episodes. The blog Hyperbole and a Half explains these the best - aside from the "I don't give a f*ck" stage (which I haven't ever quite accomplished), it's exactly what I go through. I want to be clear that I've only ever been through 4 or 5 of these episodes (which last anywhere from 2 weeks to just over a month) so they are most definitely NOT NORMAL. It's worth noting them, though, because each one has changed me. You can't go to Hell and back without earning a few scars in the process.

That said, I want to let you know that those of you I know in real life shouldn't be surprised if you didn't notice anything. I worked VERY hard to put on a "happy mask" and pretend that everything was OK. I've never done emotions well, so I worked to hide everything I was feeling so that I wouldn't have to admit that I was struggling. I only opened up to a very few people last year, and that was because I was nearing a breaking point. I needed help and I couldn't do that without talking to people.

I'm done acting like that. It's time for me to grow up and start living with depression instead of just dealing with it. I've already started - I'm on medication (hopefully not for a long time), starting to exercise again, watching what I put into my body and seeing a counselor. I need you guys to stand behind me while I do this, because it's incredibly hard to break habits you've had for most of your life. Even if it's something as simple as bugging me to get to the gym once a week or asking me what I had for supper, I need your support. Are you with me?

Moi.

Hi peeps,

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm home for reading week this week. It's like being on vacation, only better - not only do I not have to worry about food/laundry/entertainment, but I also get to cuddle my puppy whenever I want. WIN.

Another upside to being home for longer than a weekend is that I'm able to reconnect with people I know here. Not just friends, either - I visited my old workplace on Tuesday and talked to my former bosses and coworkers. It was nice to catch up!

Of course, I get to spend time with my family as well. I know my sister has missed my twisted sense of humour, as have my parents. And it's great to be able to talk things through with my mom in person, instead of over MSN*. Some things just translate better in person.

Stay tuned for next week's post.
Me


*Yes, I still use MSN. Just because I've been using it since elementary school doesn't mean it's obsolete.

As the title suggests, this is basically just a short post to assure you that I am in fact alive and well. I don't really have much to say - it's the end of midterms for most people, which means that there isn't a heck of a lot going on. This is unfortunate for people like me who finished their exams last week.

I suppose that I can tell all 3 of you who don't know that I'm going home for reading week next week. I'm VERY excited about this - there are certain things that just aren't the same here. For instance, it's hard not being able to see my puppies every day. And I REALLY miss sleeping in a bed that doesn't cause back problems. And having to pay $10 to do your laundry is kind of a pain. While I can live without all of these things, it's certainly nice to have them, even if it's only for a little bit. The saying "There's no place like home" really rings true now!

So... yeah. That's about all the excitement I have to report for this week. I promise I'll check in next Wednesday with something a little more exciting.

Slainte,
Me

Turkey and exams. 2 things that will forever be linked in my mind. *Sigh*

It's kind of funny when you think about it, since they symbolize entirely opposite things. Turkey is a symbol of food, family and relaxation, while midterms make you think of sleep deprivation, self-imposed isolation and stress. And yet, thanks to the school's timing, the two are intertwined. You've gotta wonder if they do it on purpose...

Anyways, I guess I should report on midterms first. They've been going on for the past 2 weeks, during which everyone has collectively lost it. After all, people are still adjusting to the fact that they're really only accountable to themselves. There's the dawning realization that while you can party 24/7, you will pay for it eventually. You'll also pay for not doing your homework and/or doing your reading - even if it's not for marks, it's pretty important because it helps you understand the material instead of just memorizing it. And you'd better think again if you believe that the profs are going to chase after you and/or make sure you're doing OK in class. It's sink or swim here, and a lot of people (myself included) are just barely treading water.

To counteract the midterm stress, I spent Thanksgiving weekend with the "New Brunswick crew"*. My visiting grandma invited me to stay with my aunt and uncle, which was awesome! Aside from the free (and delicious) food and the fact that I had my laundry done for me (thanks Grandma!), it was nice to just spend the weekend with everyone. We went to a birthday party Saturday night, where I met family I didn't even know I had. Those same family members then came over for dinner on Sunday - there were 20 of us in total. Monday was spent driving out to Perth to see my great-grandma's beautiful old farmhouse, then we were back in time for leftovers that evening. It was nice just being able to relax and not stress for a bit!

Speaking of stress, I'm sorry my posting's been so erratic. The past 2 months have been kinda crazy - I've been hit with one thing after another. Hopefully it'll all settle down after I take my last midterm tomorrow, and then I'll be able return to regularly scheduled programming.

Adios for now,
Moi

*For those of you playing along at home, the "New Brunswick crew" consists of the 16 or so people that spend every summer and/or Christmas at my grandparents' house in (you guessed it) New Brunswick.

So last week was a bit crazy. Stress, hormones, homesickness... it all piled up and kind of exploded in my face on Wednesday/Thursday. I was kind of a mess and ended up going home for the weekend, just to get away for a bit. I really needed a good dose of unprocessed food, sleep in my comfy bed and cuddle time with my puppies. And, y'know, seeing my family.

I don't mind admitting that deciding to go home was kind of a hard decision. There's a big attitude here about how you should be able to handle everything on your own because you're a Big Kid now. While I agree with that attitude in some respects (it's not unreasonable to expect us to be able to feed ourselves or do laundry on our own, for example), it does make it tough to admit that you're having trouble. Trying to tell someone that you went home for the weekend brings the phrase "crying home to Mommy" to mind.

The truth is, though, that sometimes you just can't handle everything on your own. Starting university (especially if you're living on your own) is a big transition - not only do you have to deal with assignments and exams, but there's also dealing with the fact that you're starting out with little to no friends, woefully inadequate time management skills and a completely different financial situation. Trying to juggle all of these is a lot to handle for someone who just finished high school! Pair that with the aforementioned attitude, which says that even if you have a support system you shouldn't use it, and you have a recipe for disaster.

In the end, I'm really happy that I decided to go home for the weekend. Sure, it screwed up my plans (I can't believe I missed the Smart Chicks tour!), but it allowed me to take a step back from the crap that was building up here and think it over from a different angle. I didn't even know how much I needed that until I was back again!

Oh, and cuddling with my puppies and seeing my friends back home didn't hurt either :)

TTFN. I have a midterm to study for.
Me

Hi people,

The reason I've been offline for so long is, as you might have gathered, because I'm sick. As in ear-infection-and-the-flu sick. It's what comes from living with 3000 other people in a place with questionable sanitation.

The one thing that this has taught me (aside from the fact that yes, YOU have to take care of yourself) is that nobody at university much cares how sick you are. You're still expected to drag yourself to classes with a fever. You're still expected to participate when you've lost your voice. And coughing only earns you glares.

Learning this has toughened me up, though - I was even able to attend a fundraising dinner/concert on Saturday, despite the fact that I was dizzy and had to wear heels. The experience was pretty cool. I just hope I didn't infect Loreen Harper or Sarah McLachlan when I talked to them!

TTYL. I'm going back to bed.
K

So I'm done my first week of classes. Weird...

For those of you playing along at home, I'm taking 3 languages (German, Italian and Gaelic) this semester, along with Philosophy and Occult History courses. It's an interesting course load* - not particularly heavy, but it really messes with your mind. My weekends look something like this: Resolve philosophical argument, study religious myths, give up on philosophy, type notes in 3 different unrelated languages, confuse definitions and/or translations. Repeat until Microsoft Word implodes.

Just in case this wasn't complicated enough, it was discovered that I'm way too advanced for my Italian class. So thanks to the course I took in Italy, I get to take a placement test and be bumped up to a 2nd- or 3rd-year class. My brain is crying already.

More later.
K


*The official Translation Program doesn't start til next year, meaning that I was able to take whatever electives I wanted to this year. While I do have an Intro to Translation course next semester, it's not required. Just wanted to clarify because I've had people ask me about this so many times!

Hi all,

So frosh week is over. A full week of concerts, people, and generally craziness is done. No more being called a "little fucker" (at least not affectionately), no more being told to "show me how you trim your bush" or telling the engineers that "we get laid!". It's kind of a bittersweet feeling.

I guess the best way to do this is to pick the best and the worst of what this week had to offer and then reflect on it. So without further ado...

Winner: the carnival. Aside from the wicked games and free food (I ate a LOT of hotdogs this week, because who doesn't love a free meal?), this was where I started to feel accepted. When you don't know anybody around you, it's kind of nice to have someone acknowledge your existence! And all the upperclassmen were actually friendly ("little fuckers" stuff aside), so that helped me to open up as well.

The winning memory from outside the 101 week stuff is definitely from yesterday. I walked down to the market near my school in the morning and just sat in the sun enjoying my croissant and hot chocolate. The entire market smelled like baking bread (yum!) and I felt totally peaced out. It was really nice :)

Oh, and I suppose being taken back to the school by a dude who decided to turn our school bus into a party bus deserves an honourary mention. That was just plain fun. 

Now for the worst:

The prize for worst event is actually tied. Contestant #1: the foam party at Volt. The club itself was just nasty and I ended up leaving early. Not cool.

Contestant #2 is the concert last night. They were (theoretically) taking us to see Down With Webster. Cool, right? Not. Not only did they drop us off right after the football game, so that nobody had a chance to get sweaters or anything, but we got there a good 2 hours early. Sure, we could distract ourselves by getting free swag or standing in the hour-long line for an overpriced hotdog, but that only lasted so long. I wish I could say things got better after the first opener (of 3!) came on, but that would be lying. It was like being at a Nickelback concert - after the first 2 songs, everything just sounded the same. Enough of us gave up by 9:00 that we were able to get a bus to take us back to the school... with the aforementioned bus driver attached. The night definitely improved from then on.

So... yeah. That's about it for my frosh week reflections. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times, but either way it's over now. Stay tuned next week for my (sure to be hilarious) description of my course load.

Ciao for now,
Me

Hi all,

So I'm mostly moved in to my dorm now. I say "mostly" because I'm not really unpacked, and because I'm staying in the hotel until my mom and sister leave on Monday. But I have my student card and room keys and stuff, so I'm not entirely disorganized :)

Now that I'm here, though, I'm starting to get used to the idea that this will be my home base for the next year or so. Yes, I'm still freaked out about having to be a Big Girl, but I'm starting to realize that it's not going to be as hard as I thought it would. There are LOTS of upperclassmen who are willing to help, and most of the first-years are in the same boat. It makes it easier and less embarrassing to adopt the "Hi, I'm new and I'm lost" approach!

It also helps that there is SO MUCH going on. Aside from the whole signing-your-life-away-a-million-times thing, there are people everywhere. The upperclassmen are actually more intense than all the first-years - most of them are in massive groups, (loudly) chanting and singing for their different causes. The most memorable? My very own faculty group, who were singing a war song about "shitting on the assholes below". This was for the benefit of the exactly zero students from our rival university milling around. Maybe they were just trying to foster competition right from the start?

Argh, I wanted to include something about how I'm sorry for freaking out in my last post, but my computer has decided to rebel. I guess it's not sorry for my freak-out.

Signing off now,
Me

I leave tomorrow. I still have no idea what I've gotten myself into.

... AAAAAAAAAAADFADRFRWETGFLKHETOIHJGJJJJ!!!!!!!!

I know I shouldn't be so, well, freaked out. I know this is something I've wanted for a verrrry long time (as my BFF kindly pointed out when I started to panic today), but it's really freakin' hard to remember that when there are so many unknowns ahead. What are classes going to be like? How heavy is the workload? Will I make friends? Are my roommate and I going to be able to tolerate each other? How am I supposed to do "big girl" things like making sure my bills are paid? What happens if I get lost? These are the questions that have been swirling around my little blonde brain for the past few days. It's like a personal hailstorm of insecurities.

And then there's everything that I'm just starting to realize I'll have to leave behind. My Bug. My doggies. Privacy. Most of my favourite books. My friends and family. Real food. All sacrificed in the name of growing up and getting an education. Will it be worth it? I hope to God the answer is yes.

*exhales*

OK, time for happy thoughts. I promised the aforementioned BFF that I'd focus on the happy sparkly optimistic stuff instead of worrying all the time. So. What are things I have to look forward to?

Well, there's the opportunity to start with a clean slate, for one. Truth is, the only people I know "out there" are family, and while I love them dearly I'm not going to let them stop me from changing. They watched me grow up - taking on my own identity is just one more part of that. To that end, I plan to get a tattoo once I'm settled in at school. I was thinking a pair of angel (or maybe phoenix) wings, one on the underside of each wrist. They symbolize a sort of rebirth and remind me to appreciate life because it's entirely too fragile. What do you think?

On the same topic, I can also look forward to (hopefully) making new friends. To be honest, I didn't have the greatest experience with high-school friends. Some (OK most) of that was my fault - I let myself become the "pity invite" friend, which pretty much sucked. Thankfully, everyone else will be in the same "new-kid" situation this time, so I won't have to worry about feeling like I'm invading someone else's clique. That, and I know better than to let myself feel unwanted like that again.

Finally, moving away means that I'll be WAY more independent. While it's not always a good thing (see freak-out questions above), it is important to me. All I'll say about that is that not being able to eat or pee by yourself* makes you realize exactly how sweet independence can be.

And on that note, I'll sign off. Time for more packing.
K

*For those of you playing along at home, I was almost killed in a car accident in April. I was in a hard neck brace (which I fondly referred to as my "torture device") and immobilized for 2 days because they were afraid I had severe whiplash on top of my broken shoulder blade. This meant that I had to be put on a catheter and was only able to open my mouth about an inch. Yes, it sucked more than you can imagine, but it also taught me to appreciate what I have.

Hey everyone (assuming "everyone" is reading this...),

I can explain my lack of posts. Really. You see, I've been spending a lot of time preparing to move away - there are 6 weeks til I leave, 2 of which will be spent in NB with the family. So essentially, I have a month to sort through 12+ years worth of crap. I'm figuring out what I need to take with me (this boils down to "whatever will fit in my Bug"), what I need to sell/donate and what I need to keep at home.

This is surprisingly hard - in a sense, I'm saying goodbye to my childhood. Books, stuffies, old toys... everything has sentimental value. I have to be merciless though, since I simply won't use the majority of it after I leave. And in a way, it's refreshing. It's been said to me before that "the state of your room and of your possessions reflects the state of your mind", and if that's true I'm really getting the chance to clear out my mental crap and start over. It's a thought that's both calming and terrifying.

Ciao for now, I'm off to the final Harry Potter premiere (in 3D!)

K

I figured post-convocation was as good a time as any to start a new blog. This probably won't turn into much, but it's a way to keep everyone updated while I'm away. I will do my best to update semi-regularly, but I'm not all that organized and won't have wifi in res (BOOOO). Oh yeah, and I'll probably have homework and stuff to take care of, too. But I promise I'll make an effort.

Now that that's out of the way, cue the sappiness. Feel free to skip the next paragraphs if you want; I just wanted to put it out there. And hey, maybe it'll serve as material for some kid's valedictorian speech next year.

I guess my time at MMC could best be described as a roller-coaster ride. Lots of highs, lots of lows, and it left me with a slight adrenaline rush. I met lots of friends (some of whom will hopefully stay with me for the rest of my life) and got to experience so much. It's hard to believe how much I've grown because of this! Thanks mostly to my parents and my teachers, I've learned how to get up on stage and perform without wanting to puke; how to drive (no thanks to Jasvir); how to pull all-nighters; why I shouldn't take things so personally and that it's OK to ask for help. That said, I'm glad to be done. After awhile, you get tired of going to classes you'll never use and having to put up with stupid drama. Here's hoping I'm leaving some of that behind...