home, home, home.
I haven't blogged in ages. Honestly, I've been pretty busy moving from France, hanging out in New York and visiting with my sisters to even be on my computer.
I'm really happy that I'm home and it has been really nice being around my sisters. I feel grounded when I'm at home with them, and it is hilarious to be part of our family (even if we sometimes behave like a bad family sitcom or drama!). I have been away for so long, but I love coming home and being part of my big, wonderful, disorganized family. I like being there to go on walks around the lake, go out to dinner at fabulous Austin restaurants, and just be here.
Some things that have happened since I left France with 3 sixty pound suitcases, one large bike and a 22 pound carry-on:
Packing, Packing, Packing!
This is pretty much the saddest thing ever as I am letting go of a lot of things that I like. I do not like to let things go. EVER.
I'm pretty much a classic packrat, I enjoy having my things around me and even more, I like little whimisical and hilarious items to be near me at all times. This does not a clean, organized bedroom make.
I really want to bring my bike home to the US, but I have limited arms and legs.
What is a girl to do?
Over the last week, I've been putting in long hours at my school for the two week period known as "les admissibles". This is a huge event at my school and is the moment when potential students that have passed the written examination come to take part in their oral interviews. The day consists of them arriving in the morning, watching two presentations (one BDE and one from the Administration), doing a language interview (in the language of the program their want to go to : English, Spanish, German, Italian, etc) and then a personal motivation interview in French.
The students known as "les admissibles" are nervous and uncomfortable in their new suits, and are full of questions for us as they want to give perfect responses. As "admisseurs" we are there to share our experience, keep them occupied and show them how awesome CESEM is. This is not difficult.
We start the day with our presentation. A presentation where I tell two personal stories of my experience in Reims, as do other members of my student council. Then we show them a few videos (both of which seem sentimental as we are nearing the end of our year), and we finish with a quick cheerleading routine done by our IBWE cheerleaders (utterly hilarious and awesome). It is so crazy to see how small they are as they walk by full of ideas and excitement/nervousness. I see myself in them five years back, so excited to begin Northeastern, and even more excited at the prospect of two years in France!
I'm also running the restaurant reservations, and so I have to make sure how many admissibles are going out to dinner each night, and which admisseurs are going with them. The school pays for the admisseurs to go out to dinner meaning it has been tight competition to get in for a free meal. This is totally normal with college students ;-). But is is also pretty tiring as it is non-stop conversation, and usually lasts till 11pm (dinner begins at 8:30pm).
At the end of the day, I'm so excited for the little admissibles that I meet. They are beginning their college experience, and (the lucky ones) might even be doing the CESEM program, a program that I am delighted to have taken part in. On a more selfish note, I'm really glad that the whole event is going on, because it kind of forces us all to hang out every day and soak in the last weeks together.
The reality that the end is coming is starting to hit us all. Yesterday, a friend of mine brought a flag to be signed by everyone. I sometimes feel like my whole self just starts to feel like "error, error, error when I think of CESEM ending. I'm really going to miss Reims, all my wonderful friends who are going to be scattered all over the world, and speaking and living in French.
19 days until I head off to NYC.
I finished my undergraduate degree on Tuesday at 18h22. I defended my thesis and was told that I will get a good grade, and that it was interesting.
This is delightful and exciting news. I really did it. 5 years and now done. DONE. DONE. DONE.
Things I've done....
So there you have it. A small overview of me. College. What has happened. The magnitude of it all is still hitting me. But I can feel the small drums of excitement beating through me. The reverberations signaling the promise of new things to come. I'm scared, excited, and nervous all at the same time, but I'm ready for something fresh. Working world, look out, I'm coming...
Things have been pretty good over here. Quick list of great (and remarkable) events:

I'm leaving this morning to take on the 750 km all the way to Italy!
Wish me luck!
We've got our padded pants, spandex galore and we are ready to bike, bike, bike!
RELAY 2009
Reims-->Lucerne-->Altdorf-->Lugano-->Bergamo-->Verone-->Venice-->Bibione

Just a quick word to say, "I'm swamped"! Trying to finish the writing part of my mémoire this week, while also calling up companies and trying to get last minute interviews. Fun, right?
But WHATEVER, because I'm going on a 750 KM bike ride to Venise in 11 days! So I'm going to get this mémoire done so I can roll my way on to IBWE 2009!
I'm aware that I'm breaking my New Year's resolution to write very often, but I can't right now. Every word I have must go into that mémoire!
See you on the flip side!