Spring Break Cannot Come Soon Enough

I'm going to try to keep this short, as I should be working on the seemingly infinite things I need to get done by the end of the week, but I don't think I want to tackle two weeks at once when I'm in North Wales.

This has been quite the roller coaster week. Started with Tristan coming to visit (yes, it actually happened). We made a great dinner, watched some movies, hung out with Sam (pretty much the only person who's ever around on the weekends anymore, my flat has been going home a ton). We were going to go to the beach on Sat. but it rained a bit in the morning, but had a nice stroll through Bute park (about time I went in there, it's really nice), while he IDed trees for me (useful as most of them on my final for terrestrial ecol.). After he left, I had just enough time to get ready for Jacob (my lab partner's) 21st birthday party. I was pretty exhausted, and they were headed to a metal club after the house party, so I ended up coming home early, but it was fun to meet his sister, and some of his housemate's family. And amusing to find out that the other guy that's been hitting on me rather aggressively in lab is an even bigger sketch ball than I thought (think 7 month old daughter, and very interesting past). Funny to hang out with and listen to though. Sunday was the Cardiff Blues vs. Leinster rugby game with the study group. I had no clue what was going on most of the time but it was fun to watch. I believed I was watching the game rather intently, but the score kept changing without me knowing why. Cardiff ended up losing 20-29 in the end, which was a shame, but the group had a lot of fun watching together, I had a lot of time to talk to Caroline too which was nice. I also had my first drink at a sporting event, I have entered the world of paying too much for a beer at games.

The rest of the week was spent trying to get work done for that week and the upcoming. Found out that there was a housing SNAFU at 'gate, that my senior seminar had been cancelled, and that it was going to be too expensive for me to get home from Germany to see Matt. Also that registration for classes was going to happen while we were not in the country. Most of this has gotten sorted out for the most part (though I still have no idea what to do for classes next year), so it's ok, but it's been stressful. Turns out I'm going to Oslo, Norway for spring break (probably the only person in my group not headed for the beach in warmer climes), and I'm getting super excited about it. Hoping to see Marina in Scotland or Liverpool, parents' friends in Oxford, get to Devon or Bristol to see the flat mates, and Pembrokeshire at the end. (This is all after a week in N. Wales with the study group). It's going to be quite packed. Hopefully I'll find time to update here occasionally in those three weeks. I love that we have three weeks off.

Have to survive this week of hell first. Have a huge complicated ecology project due Monday, which I'm pretty stumped on how to finish. I'm trying not to panic about it, it's only 20% of a grade for a class that's only a half credit of nothing to me, but I'd still like to not blow it. I have three papers due the last 2 days before break. Welsh Folklore (still need a topic), technology in one's travels (Geier is rejecting my topic), and marine conservation. That's about 5000-6500 words to do on top of the ecol. project. Bleh. But after this, I'm done with 3/7 of my classes. All the earths classes end for the most part as the kids in my class go to Spain for field work (wish I could go). I'll still have some lingering work for Ecol (another big project, 4 days worth of field trips, and an all day practical), but other than that I don't have to worry about them until finals. Good stuff. Ok time to tackle the beasts. Hope everyone is well back home, and enjoying their spring break!