I can't believe it's over already!!

236 days ago, I started College. I remember feeling nervous and awkward the first day, but  also very excited. Fast forward 8 months and it's all over! Yesterday we had our final exam and, well, that was it.

Definitely bittersweet. The ladies I met and shared my time with were amazing and I will miss them. I felt like I was on holiday for 8 months and it's come to a rather sudden stop. It was a bit anticlimactic because instead of celebrating together, we drifted out of the room one by one as we finished writing the exam and dispersed from there...We have one last, short meeting on Monday morning and then that will be it until graduation on May 11. I won't be attending as a graduate (I don't do stages), but will be in the audience with a friend from last semester and we'll be cheering the class on. I think she's getting us pom-poms... :)

This term was a bit of a struggle. It was more theoretical, less practical, and I was less motivated. I just couldn't seem to get a rhythm going and it dogged me all term. It was frustrating, but perhaps part of it was knowing we were on the downhill coast to the end and I didn't want to finish. I have to admit, though, that the last month was a real struggle and part of me is very glad to just be done.

I start work full-time on Tuesday, and am wondering how I'll adjust back to the "real" world.  I'm going to miss the free time and early days, for sure, but I know it won't take me too long to get back into a routine. It sounds like it's going to be busy and I have a lot to learn, so I'm looking forward to it. I'm very lucky that my friend offered me this job, as it means that I'll be getting paid from the get-go, rather than spending another month without any income. I'm using it as my work experience (practicum) for the last credit of the program, too, so it's a win-win. I can start paying back my debt a month earlier, which is good, because it's very big...

As for my England plans, they're rolling right along. I bought my ticket a couple of weeks ago - I'm going Club Class (aka Business Class) on Air Transat. It was a smokin' deal - $1177 o/w, including taxes and fees! Granted, it lands at Gatwick, but what the hell? Bigger seats, our own check-in desk, priority boarding, champagne - yes please! Go on, live a little. It was still over $1000 cheaper than some of the one way economy tickets into Heathrow, so I was happy to pay. Plus, although I'd've liked to go with KLM, I don't happen to have the $17 000 needed for a ticket (you can check that price yourself. I'm not kidding.) Having a ticket makes it very, very real. I leave at the end of October.

I've been listing things to sell, and now that I don't have school, I can focus a bit better and start selling more seriously. I've let a lot of things go - my books, oh, my books... - but every cupboard, every drawer, every closet has something in it! How does one person collect so much stuff?! And most of it I never use. It's insane. I'm moving upstairs in June, so I have to be very thorough. Once the bigger furniture is gone, it will be easier to spread things out and see what I've got left. Not sure I want the hassle of a yard sale, so likely I'll be donating a lot of stuff, but we'll see. I made $315 towards my trip last week, so that's pretty impressive. I've updated my sidebar to keep track - I'm almost at $4K already!

As for what I want to do when I get to the UK, I'm not sure. I'm not worried and am just opening myself up to the experience. I'm not looking for a career, which I'm hoping will make it easier for me to find work. My skills are quite well-rounded, so I know I'll find something. I've been looking at the job ads around Southampton and there seems to be a lot of work available; of course, I have to remember there's also a far larger pool of competition as well, so I have to make sure my resume looks perfect. I know there's a reason for me to be going, so I just need to focus and it will continue coming together.

Now I'll also have time to get caught up with everyone's blogs!

Have a great weekend all!