FINALS ARE OVER!!!

FINALS ARE OVER!!! FINALS ARE OVER!!! FINALS ARE OVER!!! You have no idea how much better I feel. I’ve had these things hanging over my head for the past two days. I didn’t end up taking my nap yesterday afternoon. I feel too bad being in my cabin when it’s gorgeous outside and I know my days of being able to take a 30 second walk to lay out in the sunshine are coming to an end. I tried to nap, study, and read outside, but I was just too antsy, and I couldn’t sit still. So, after a couple hours I went back into the ship and wandered around pretty aimlessly until dinner. After dinner, I ended up taking that nap. I slept from 6:30 until 9:30. At 9:30, Jackie came to my door to see if I wanted to study for Geology. I really considered just going to sleep for the night, but I decided to get myself up and try to study.

Yeah. That was a joke. I grabbed a seat on the couches in the piano lounge and soon Noel and Jackie joined me. I took three snack breaks before I even got through two pages of reading. I got hot chocolate right away to wake me up, followed by a piece of apple cake at the nightly 10 p.m. snack, followed by a stock-up trip to the snack bar before it closed at midnight for two diet Pepsi, sour skittles, and a 3 Musketeers. I was really going to study then . . . But, we started talking about doing a road trip around the U.S. this summer. Then around 1 a.m., I decided to go down to my room to get snacks. I got a bunch of candy and tried to feed everyone in the computer lab and piano lounge. Talk about procrasanation. So, then, we were really going to study again . . . Then, A.J. came and talked to us for a while. Then, we were really going to study . . . Then, Joey came and sat down to study with us. Then, he left and we were really going to study . . . But, we started talking about our plans for getting together in California. Then we were really going to study . . . But, Joey came a over to play. Then he left. And, Jackie gave up and left. Then me and Noel continued to avoid studying and talked some more. And then, we were really going to study . . . It was 4:30 a.m. at this point, and we were really about to buckle down. But, Joey came back with no books or anything, souly for the purpose of distracting us from studying. Then Drew showed up. And, we pretty much just gave up and chatted about In and Out Burger until breakfast at 7 a.m.

After breakfast, I went to my room and fought to stay awake and do some studying. Then, I had my religion and Geology finals. I didn’t mention it before, but my religion teacher left the ship in Hawaii. Refer back to my comment about the Ambassador’s Ball being out of control. I was sad to see her leave on such a bad note. So, our religion exam was administered by Dean Beverly’s husband. Both exams went fine. And, now I’m finished!!!

I hear there’s going to be a dance tonight. And, then the next two days are just going to be filled with sun tanning, sleeping late, packing, and exchanging pictures and addresses. I ordered an ice cream cake for dinner with my “dining friends” tonight. We’ve talked about getting one all semester and never done it, so I decided to do it as a surprise. I had them write, “Farewell. I heart you all!” That’s probably lame, but I couldn’t think of anything better. I’m so sad to be leaving, but I’m excited about moving on to my next adventures.


Position Report

December 4, 2005
Latitude 26 degrees - 44.5 minutes North,
Longitude 138 degrees - 30 minutes West

December 3, 2005
Latitude 24 degrees - 25 minutes North,
Longitude 146 degrees - 25 minutes West

December 2, 2005
Latitude 22 degrees - 18 minutes North,
Longitude 154 degrees - 00 minutes West