Summer condo by the tracks

I just moved into my new apartment yesterday (a rather exhausting fiasco, the details with which I won't bore you).  I'm just here for 3 months over the summer, working as a student warden and writing my dissertation.  The apartment is nice, though rather close to the train tracks. I'm sharing it with a couple of my friends who are also working as wardens (Zareen and Elizabeth) and two seasoned wardens named Candace and Syrish.  I'm happy to be cooking for myself again and sharing a kitchen with only 4 rather than 25.

The dissertation is progressing, slowly but surely.  I hand it in on the 16th of September and fly home on the 20th.  And on that note, I'd better get back to work!

Resolutions

I have a few goals for once I am finished here and I get back home:

1. Get a job.  Even if it's only a crappy temporary job while I search for bigger and better opportunities.  The trick will be, however, to not get stuck in said temporary job - more adventures must be had after I leave Cardiff.
2. Practice and improve my guitar skills.  I've had that thing sitting around since my high school graduation and I've never gotten very far with it - it's time to get crackin'.  I can't REALLY even blame college busyness, because it's mostly just laziness.  Since I've been here, though, my guitar has probably been the most-missed of my things from home.
3. Brush up on my Latin.  I love that dead language to pieces, but I have forgotten SO MUCH since I studied (i.e. ate, slept, and breathed) it three years ago.  In my area of academic interest it would be extremely beneficial to have a better grasp of Latin.  Plus, it's classy.
4. Read more.  Not the mindless historical novels that I am oh-so-fond of, but academic books.  With these I can continue learning more about the areas of history that either interest me or that I am completely ignorant of, and in so doing, prevent my brain from turning to mush once I am no longer in a set study-regime. 

Essay junkie.

Every single semester I am saddened by the fact that I don't have time to do all the creative, hobbyish things I love doing.  And how do I respond each semester?

"More school, you say? Yes, please!"

My consolations are: A.) I really do love and value learning and I love being in the classroom, B.) I would eventually (quickly) become bored of being home all day doing creative/fun things, and C.) The dream that someday I might be in a position in life where I can afford to travel (hopefully not by myself) and enjoy frequent moments of good old-fashioned otium cum dignitate, rather than working 60 hours a week at a minimum wage job. 

So, at the end of the day I suppose I just have to look at this time and say: I know that I'm where I'm supposed to be, doing what I'm supposed to be doing.  The rest can wait.

Half-way

Well, I just passed the 6-month mark a few days back.  I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by.  Classes are over in just a few weeks, and all of my assignments will be turned in by the end of this next month.  After that I have only the dissertation to be concerned with.

I received word today that I have a summer job, working as a student warden (RA) at one of the residence halls here over the summer.  The best part about the deal is that it comes with free accommodation in the hall, so that is a HUGE blessing right now and an answer to much prayer.  I didn't have the money to pay for my whole year at Cardiff when I came, but the Lord has (as always) provided everything I need.

I've been a bit homesick lately, but I really do think it's actually good that I'm not able to go back for visits over my breaks.  It is keeping me in the 'work hard, push through' sort of mindset which I am in desperate need of at this point.  Tonight I'm finishing up one long term paper and getting ready to begin my last one.  I'm still enjoying Cardiff, but I think a day off now and again would help me enjoy it even more! Oh well, I can't really complain; I don't think being a grad student was ever meant to be anything less than non-stop labor :)  I'm learning a lot and am excited to finish with classes and get on with my thesis.

By the sea.

With fellow American grad-students Gwen and Elizabeth on our day-away to Aberystwyth (abber-IST-with), on the west-coast of Wales (02/16/11).  All of my video footage is taken with my digital camera, so please forgive the poor quality :)

Sigh of relief.

I hadn't planned to abandon my blog for 3 months, but just in case you fear you may have missed something, let me assure you that you did not.  In fact, I will now describe to you - in picture form - where I have been and what I have been doing.  Ready? Here you go:

And this picture is actually an incredibly accurate depiction of my life right now: Books. Writing. Tea.  Not necessarily in that order...

Yep, THAT exciting.  Well, I've finally finished and turned in my last assignment from the fall semester (see previous blog for an explanation of the British semester schedule - it's confusing). I unfortunately ended up with some overlap into the spring semester, but it's all over now and I can breathe normally again! Plus, I got grades back for my two term papers, and I'm pretty well pleased with my first attempts at writing and theorizing Archaeology.

Life in the last month-and-a-half has been VERY uneventful, as I have barely left my desk/computer long enough to go and party it up, but I hope that will change now.  This is my birthday month, so I am determined to have a little fun. 

Here, I will leave you with one last picture.  If I had posted in December, this would have been included:

This was my Christmas Chocolate Yule Log.  It didn't live to see January.

White Friday

Right now I am enjoying the first snow of the year, watching it out my window.  I got to walk back from the library in it earlier.  It's so wet outside that I don't think it will stick too much, but it's lovely for now.