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Back in Seattle. Finally. Road trip was good. And that's about all I have to say about it for now....I need sleep.

Convocation

The room is finally - finally - packed. It took the entire day, but everything is ready to go, stuffed into some suitcase, box, or bag and ready to be heaved into what I can only hope is a very large sedan tomorrow morning.

Tonight was convocation for the honors college. I cannot describe how it felt to sit in the audience and watch my class graduate without me - their names, degrees, and thesis titles read off one by one. Handshakes with professors and hugs and smiles. I felt oddly detached. It wasn't so much a feeling of loss or a feeling that I should be up there with them - I knew that this would be the price of a year in Germany from the start, and willingly made that trade - but it was the stranger feeling that I was simply out of place, an outsider, that I no longer belonged to what used to be a family of sorts for me. This feeling was only intensified when the ceremony ended and everyone flooded out into the hall, converging with parents and friends, leaving me to wade through a shifting sea of people all josting to get pictures with their graduate. I have never felt so alone amongst so many people before, and it was then that it really hit home that it's all over and done.

If nothing else, it was worth it to see the smiles on my friends' faces and the triumph and pride that they were radiating. I was, by the grace of God, able to enjoy the night for what it was - a celebration of their accomplishments - and to be truly, honestly, deeply happy for and proud of them. They are amazing, each and every one.

After congratulating and saying goodbye to those friends I was successful in finding, I slowly walked home, soberly aware that, in many cases, watching my friends walk across the stage tonight was the last time I will ever see them.

Sweet Freedom

My supply management final is now officially over and I've officially submitted my take-home final for logistics, which means that with the exception of my geography final this evening (which will be a walk in the park), I am now DONE with finals.

*confetti*

Now that finals are essentially over, we move into the next season of the end of the academic semester, namely: the anal-retentive, obsessive-compulsive checking of our online grade postings every hour to see if our final grades have been posted yet. It's a vicious, vicious cycle.

With finals now basically out of the way, I am left to continue packing up the room. I took apart my bookshelf yesterday, which was a smart move considering the sheer amount of stuff that it looks like I'm going to be cramming into the rental car on Thursday morning.

I'm also beginning to realize how grueling of a first day on the road it's going to be. 13 hours of driving is a hefty task considering that I'll probably be exhausted from all the packing/loading/end of semester goodbyes and such, but I am confident that with the help of my trusty sidekick Mr. Caffeine it's totally doable.

The clock is ticking until 10:00pm on Wednesday, which is bedtime and hence the cutoff for all goodbyes and hanging-out times. I need lots of sleep Wed night so I can be refreshed and ready to go on Thursday morning.

The Home Stretch

In Hayden Library again. Finishing up take-home final and beginning studying for the other two. I have resolved not to leave this library until all my tangible work is done.

During finals week, the only things I need to sustain my existence are my laptop, an internet connection, and all my books and notes. And coffee.

Finals Update

Reporting live from Hayden Library on a Saturday morning (how's THAT for depressing?), there actually isn't a whole lot to report. My first two finals on Thursday went okay - not fantastic, but okay. Actually the Econ final was okay and my international business final was fantastic, I finished it in 20 minutes. Also, my professor liked my honors paper for that class so that was great too. Hopefully he will like the thesis abstract I will be sending him soon and agree to direct or at least point me to someone who can direct my thesis.

I have today, Sunday and Monday to prepare for my next 3 finals. Two of them are going to be midly stressful but since our Logistics final is take-home we should be able to get it done. My geography final will no doubt be easiest and is something that I am going to prepare minimally for.

I took down all the stuff off my bedroom walls yesterday and began packing up books and such. The entire packing process shouldn't take too long, actually, since there isn't much to move out. That will be done mostly on Wednesday.

Thursday is getting closer, only 5 days until I leave. I've already started burning CDs for the road trip and I'm immensely looking forward to the drive.

Reading Day

I finished my paper last night at 11:30pm, perfect timing to fall into bed and sleep soundly for a good few hours. That was quite possibly the most painless paper I've ever written. Not easy, but painless. I was well prepared and the more work you put into paper prep and organization the faster the writing itself goes. It was nice to have it done before the AM hours.

The day started off beautifully with an email from one of my professors saying that my huge process improvement paper was great and that the department loved it - also, I got a great grade on it, 96%. So awesome to know that the hours of work on that all paid off.

Today is reading day, which means we have no classes and the day is ours to study for finals. My first and worst final is tomorrow at 7:40am (International Economics), and once that is done I only have 4 left (International Management, Logistics, Supply Management, and Geography), all of which shouldn't be too bad. I have plenty of time to prepare for them.

Also, the packing and cleaning process is slowly beginning. Tonight will probably mark the coming-down of all the posters and pictures in the room. Departure date is drawing closer, and I can hardly wait to get in the car and just drive........

Finals Deprive Me of Coffee

As I stood in line this morning at Starbucks, I suddenly realized that I definitely did not need coffee - my heart was already pounding away like a jackrabbit and the adrenaline was flowing. So I just sat down and started to work.

Finals are never an enjoyable experience. True to form, I woke up today feeling sick. Now I'm so high-strung that I'm jumping at the slightest noises and so full of adrenaline that I'd swear I just jumped out of an airplane at 30,000 feet. Without a parachute.

And it's all over these stupid presentations today.

I don't know why I'm so hyped over these group projects. Public speaking does not normally bother me - I'll be the first guy to stand up in front of a crowd and make an idiot of himself as long as it gets me a few laughs - but for some reason this particular presentation has me all flustered.

Maybe it's because I know the professor is a really particular guy who's difficult to please. Maybe I don't feel prepared enough. Maybe it's just the anticipation and it will be fine once we get up there and get to start talking. Maybe it's the paper that's still hanging over my head - the paper that I just can't seem to make work. Maybe it's these dress shoes, which are absolutely killing my feet and are sure to leave massive blisters in their wake by the time I take them off this evening.

Only 8 more days.