Fun Fun Fun

Ahhh, what a great week.  The sun has been shining, I am working my way through two new novels, and I have not touched a text book or syllabus in an entire week!  I realize that I still have one exam to go.  Don't worry, I will be resuming my regularly scheduled study program tomorrow.  First, though, I would just like to tell you about my "mini-break."  I did not leave the walls of the city this week but that does not mean that I wasn't on vacation.  I took myself out to lunch on a few occasions, went on a bike ride around the entire ring, soaked up the sun out by the windmills for three days in a row, and have almost completed my final Rotary report (along with Season 4 of Smallville).  :)  Needless to say it has been a happy week.  I am less than eager to resume my studies, but I think I can pull it out for one last isty bitsy exam.  Motivation will be in short supply, but let's hope that I can make do.  I am sure it won't be a problem.
This week wasn't all just sleeping in and reading great books, though.  I did have another Rotary presentation to give.  I only need one more to complete my obligation!  Woohoo!  Anyway, a huge "thank you" to the Torhout Rotary Club for having me.  I really enjoyed visiting your club and we happy to be able to share my presentation with all of you.
In other news, on Sunday I went on a delightful picnic with two good friends, Alex and Mariana.  We had sandwiches, salads, apples, and tarts from one of my favorite bakeries.  Not to mention plenty of sun and tons of fun.  I even broke out the SPF 50+ for the occasion. (You know it's serious when that happens).  Anyway, check out some of the pictures.  We had a blast with the almost summer-like weather.

Finally, I wish to inform you that I received what I believe to be the final 100 Post response yesterday.  Mia sent me 100 kernels of Nebraska corn, along with some other goodies (POP ROCKS!!!!).  So a HUGE thank you goes to Mia for being an amazing sister and sending me such a thoughtful package.  Thanks again to everyone who participated in the challenge.  Your postcards and letters adorn my walls and make my room much more like home.

Well, I hope that everyone has a fantastic weekend.  I know I am looking forward to it; although, it is getting difficult for me to distinguish the weeks from the weekends nowadays.  Have fun, stay safe, and enjoy the sun if it is shining on your part of the world.

Peace, Love, and Waffles.

Song of the Week: 25

Happy Monday dear readers!  I hope your weather is as sunny, warm, and happy as mine.  Trust me, the past week has practically been a meteorological miracle for Bruges.  I have been outside most of the time, soaking up the first tastes of summer.  It is so nice.  Bruges is a completely different city when the sun is shining.  I have been so lucky to have had the time to enjoy the weather.  I have given myself the past couple of days off, a sort of "mini-break," because, get this, I only have ONE EXAM LEFT!!!!!!!!!  And that blessed event won't intrude on my pre-summer holiday until June 4th.  Needless to say, I am taking some much-needed time off.  The rest of my exams, for better or worse, are behind me and I can only look ahead toward the finish line of this long but rewarding year.  YAY!  

Alrighty, now for the Song of the Week.  There is no particular reason behind this week's selection other than I just really like the song.  I have not been able to stop listening to Death Cab for Cutie for the past week and I just love this song.  So sit back, have a listen to "Someday You Will Be Loved," and ENJOY THE SUNSHINE!  

Peace, Love, and Waffles.

Song of the Week: 24

Holy Moly!  I cannot believe it has been 9 days since I have updated this blog.  My sincerest apologies friends, but, in my defense, I have been rather busy.  Just 4 days after handing in that dreadful thesis exam season began.  So far I have completed three out of five.  And while none of them were easy and I think I might only be scraping by in a couple of classes (at least I sincerely hope I even scrape by), this means that there are only TWO exams standing in between me and the rest of my un-academic life.  I have to admit that I have had some real trouble studying this time around.  In December I spent hours pouring over notes and stressing myself to the max.  This time, I find myself watching episodes of Smallville, going for iced coffees, and studying only when I absolutely HAVE to.  This coupled with the fact that I have been under the weather for the past week (I am pretty sure all of those all-nighters killed my immune system) has not boded well for studying or for blogging.  But I guess we will just have to wait and see how things work out.  As much as I say I am relaxing, I am still working very hard.  Sometimes I feel absolutely buried by the amount of information I have to cram into my already-overflowing brain.  At least these last two exams will be in my native language (my first was in German and the next two were in French).  So hopefully that fact will give me my edge back.  Anyway, as far as the Song of the Week goes, I thought I would highlight a group that is vastly under-appreciated due to the nature of their debut album and their rather unfortunate haircuts at the time.  This group has grown and matured into some of the most talented American musicians around (at least, that is my opinion).  They are touring this summer with one of my favorite bands, "A Rocket to the Moon", and I am hoping to catch a show at one point or another; we'll have to see.  Anyway, the group is Hanson and, love them or hate them, you have to appreciate their musical talent.  I think that this song is not only appropriate for the amount of work I am buried under at the moment, but it also does a wonderful job of showcasing their talent.  The song is called "Underneath", please give it a chance and enjoy it!

Peace, Love, and Waffles.

One Year Ago, Today

On this very day just one year ago, I was graduating from Furman University, celebrating with all of my very best friends, and looking forward to what the coming year would bring.  Well, it's hard to believe, but that first year ends today.   I have been pretty hard on myself this year.  I often look at where I am and think, I should be doing more, I should have done more, why have I not accomplished more this year?  The other day, I was looking through my Facebook profile pictures and realized just how many places I have been and just how much I have done over the course of my first year, post college.  Now I would like to share some of my favorite memories with my readers who have experienced much of this year right along with me.  So here is a short recap, bookended by the ever important date, May 9th.   

1.  Ashley Wesche surprised me by coming to my graduation with her husband, Dean.  Her parents, my godparents, came as well, but Ashley had told me she couldn't come.  I was SO surprised!

2.  After graduation I spent a week at Hilton Head with Mia, Jordan, Mom, and Dad.  It was four days of margaritas, cheese and crackers, and an unexpected ocean swim with a pod of dolphins.

3.  A few weeks after returning from South Carolina, Jordan and I set off on a road trip to Washington D.C.  He had an internship to get to and needed some company on the 14 hour drive.  It was a great drive through our beautiful country.  There was a lot of good conversation, crazy weather, gummy bears and good music involved. 

4.  At the end of July, I set off for South Africa to visit Ben for a couple of weeks in Stutterheim.  This is not only one of my favorite memories of the year, but of my entire life.  In those two weeks I experienced my first trip to the southern hemisphere and my first winter in July.  I dipped my toes in the Indian Ocean, painted a mural with a group of amazing South African high school students, saw lots of monkeys, cattle, and crazy looking birds, traveled through an eye-opening slum, and looked out over a harbor at the beauty of Table Mountain.  I will never forget the amazing landscapes, the unique culture, and the look on the little boy's face who had never seen a white person before.  

5.  A few weeks after my return from SA and just a couple of days before leaving for school, my family and I drove to Nebraska to see one of Mia's soccer games at Seward.  It was a long and painful trip, but I am so happy I got to see her play!  Then I was off to Bruges, Belgium for my master's year at the College of Europe!  My first few days were extremely eventful.  I met Paul and Kaatje, two new and lasting friends.  I moved into my new temporary home and met Rita, the Italian girl across the hall who has been like a sister to me this year.  I dipped my feet in the North Sea.  I passed my exams.  

6.  November brought Sally to Bruges from Trévoux and I spent one of the best 24 hours with my best friend.  We had beer, waffles, frites, late-night Youtube sessions, and even a haircut.  Hooray for friends.

7.  Christmas break brought my family over to this side of the pond.  We spent a snowy Christmas in Hamburg, Germany with some very close friends.  Traveled to Bruges and experienced the rain, cold, and waffles (some of us for the first time).  Then we hit the the Eurostar and headed to London for a whirlwind tourist experience and one of the best New Year's Eve celebrations I can remember.   Champagne and surround sound.  'Nuff Said.  

8.  The new semester at the CoE started too early for my liking, but it started well.  I was closer to my friends here, even though my friends at home were as far away as ever.  Alex and I managed to tackle Poland in February with much success.  There were drinks and sushi in Warsaw, a surprise concert in a beautiful church, an unbelievable trip to Krakow and Auschwitz, and my first trip to Eastern Europe.  

9.  Easter break brought a trip to Paris where I met up with Sally and Sarah for a weekend of laughter, Disneyland Paris shenanigans, Alice in Wonderland, and too many pains au chocolat to count.  This is one of my best memories from the year.

10.  April was a big blur called the thesis.  But I have to admit that finishing my thesis is one of my greatest accomplishments of the year.  

That brings me to today.  I know I have left plenty of things out, but hopefully this brief list can give you an overview of some of my favorite memories from the year.  I can't believe it, but this year is over.  And as my master's program is winding down and I am looking at the prospects and possibilities that await me in my future life, I have to remind myself to be hopeful.  Things have turned out to be pretty grand so far, and I am only one year into this thing called "real life."  So, three oceans, three continents, and seven countries later, I can look back and be proud of this first year.  Thanks for all of your support.  I couldn't have trotted the globe and stayed in one piece without the help of my friends and family.  You guys rock and I can't wait to share the rest of my adventures with you.

Peace, Love, and Waffles.  

PS, Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and all of the other Mommies out there!  

Song of the Week: 23

I finally have some new music this week!  Thanks to my Mom and Dad and the last package they sent, which included a giant box of Mike & Ikes and an iTunes gift card.  Before I get into that, though, I would just like to say thank you for some of the postcards I have received recently.  First, thanks to Aunt Rhoda for the newest Southbend postcard.  I love getting little encouraging notes mixed in with some news from home.  Next, I have to thank Paula Bettencourt, my good friend Alex's mom.  She was sweet enough to send me a postcard from Boston!  It was such a great surprise.  Finally, thanks to Katie and Jenn!  Now, I have to explain a little bit.  I never actually received a postcard from these two.  However, I have it on good word that one was sent to me from Florida a couple of months ago.  So I will just blame the postal service for failing to deliver it.  Thank you girls for putting in the effort even when the postman doesn't come through.   I love you girls!   So thank you everyone who has participated in the 100 Post package and postcard challenge.  Everything you send is up on my wall and I can't wait to get a picture of it at the end of the year.  It's a great reminder of how much everyone cares.
Now for the Song of the Week.  I now I have said it before, but single artist soundtracks really are the greatest thing to hit the movies since color.  This song is from one of my favorite movies "Dan in Real Life."  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.  The soundtrack artist's name is Sondre Lerche and he is simply amazing.  His laid back, happy tracks are quite fitting for my new relaxed mood these days. So sit back and have a listen to "My Hands are Shaking;" I think you'll really like it.

Peace, Love, and Waffles.

How Do You Spell DONE?

Why, T-H-E-S-I-S of course.  At least, that's what we were going for in this picture, taken in the center of the Market Square just after all of us had submitted our theses.  I think it also spells relief.
(Please note that one of the S's, executed by my Austrian friend, Robert, is facing the wrong direction.  This should be proof of just how fried our brains actually were that day).

These faces were our initial reactions.  Enjoy.  

Peace, Love, and Waffles.

To Quote Jesus . . .

"IT IS FINISHED!"*  The thesis, that is.  Now, while my efforts may not have saved humanity from eternal damnation, I am proud of the end result.  I turned the paper in on Thursday morning after several sleepless nights, many many tears, and only one panic attack.  I actually think I did better than most people.  I could not have done it without a lot of help from some extremely wonderful people.  First, thank you Mom and Dad for always taking my calls, even though I was usually a mess on the other end.  Thanks for listening to me whine and complain and for always believing that I could do it.  I also have to thank all of my friends back in the States who came through with encouraging letters, emails, and wall posts.  Many a Skype conversation helped keep my feet on the ground during this temporary break with reality.   I also need to thank my friend Oran who helped me format my thesis when I had absolutely NO IDEA what I was doing.  I am sorry, but in America, MLA is king.  So I have never used footnotes, tables of contents or numbered chapters before.  Oran made sure that even if my arguments don't make any sense, my paper looks good.  Finally, I owe a gigantic "THANK YOU" to Paul, my Rotary host counselor.  I called him on Wednesday afternoon in a complete panic.  We were supposed to have our papers turned in by 3:30 to have them bound in order to pick them up the next morning and turn them in between 10:00 and 12:00.  This two hour window is extremely strict.  Well, it was 4:45 and I was still working when I called Paul .  He was just wonderful.  First, he came over and gave me a huge hug.  Then he called around to copy shops in Bruges and got one to agree to open an hour early for me on Thursday morning so I could have the thesis bound at 9:00 and still have plenty of time to turn it in.
So now it is in and I can breathe a small sigh of relief.  I don't know how impressed my supervisor will be with my efforts, but for once (and trust me, this is rare) I am proud of the work I submitted.
It is back to work this evening, though.  My first exam is on Monday morning (cruel, if you ask me).  So I must begin to study some German.  I have a feeling that these exams will pass rather quickly.  Already, I have less than a month before I finish academic work.  Then I have two weeks to CHILL while awaiting my results.  I can't wait!
So thank you to everyone who called, emailed, sent postcards, etc.  I really appreciate all of the support.  Trust me, you won't have to do it ever again.  I promise you, this is the last thesis I will ever write!

Peace, Love, and Waffles.

*No offense was meant by this quote.  I love Jesus and His words just seemed very fitting at the moment.  

Song of the Week: 22

I have it!  I finally have it!  A song of the week, that is (and one worthy of multiple listens, I think).  I need to get more of this band's stuff.  Seriously, they are fun to listen to and overall, I just get a good vibe.  This song is on a new mix I made to listen to at 2:00 a.m. when I am working on my never-ending thesis.  The whole mix is kind of dark, and little bit angry, but made of great artists and quality songs.  So if you are in a darker mood and have, say, 5,000 more words to write for an assignment that will decide a good part of your near future, then I suggest you go ahead and buy the entire album.  If your situation is a little less pathetic than mine, you should at least have a quick listen to "Norway" by Beach House.

Peace, Love, and Waffles.

PS, next time I post a Song of the Week . . . THE THESIS WILL BE FINISHED!!!!