Finals . . . Day 1 . . .

Well, ladies and gentlemen. I’ve gotten through my first day of finals. I spent the study day yesterday doing absolutely nothing, including studying. I really don’t know how I filled my day. Lets see: got up and did my part of our religion study guide, checked my e-mail, met up with my group at 11 and shared our sections, lunch, wandered aimlessly, talked to Noel, updated map, checked my e-mail, went to the barter fair (where you could trade things that you bought in port) and got a really cool vase from Burma for $10, sat around and talked to Kristen and Kristal, wandered around some more, talked to Tiffany at the pool bar, tried to study, did an interview on Kristal’s voyage video, went to dinner, checked my e-mail, browsed through pictures on my computer, made a CD of pictures for my friend, browsed through pictures on my computer and listened to my Ipod for two hours, bothered my roommate while she was trying to study, peeked in at the 11 p.m. study snack that was breakfast foods and decided not to wait in the half an hour line, wrote a note and dropped off the CD for my friend, went to the gym and worked out for half an hour, came back to my room and talked Court’s ear off for a while, picked up my book to study just as Court asked if I wanted to watch Sex and the City, watched two episodes of Sex and the City, passed out around 2 a.m..

I completely could have sat down and studied and been well prepared for my test today, but I didn’t. I just can’t concentrate. It’s like the beginning of the semester all over again. It’s not just me. A lot of people are having a hard time focusing on finals. If you think about it, we’ve all had very little sleep in the last week, not to mention the last 100 days. We’ve been in five (?) countries in the past month. A lot of people, including me are sick. We’re stressed about finals, packing, and returning home. No wonder we can’t focus. It’s kind of funny because I remember that I got really scared to leave home and come here about a week before it was time to leave, and now I feel the same fear of leaving the familiar all over again. This ship has become my home and all the people here my extended, very dysfunctional, but lovable family.

I got up at 6:30 a.m. to study today. When I walked into the piano lounge, I saw Noel, Kristen, and John studying. They had all been up all night. Noel said that Kristal had just gone to bed half an hour before. I studied as much as I could and got through a lot of material. But, had I just sat down and studied for a couple hours yesterday, I would have done much much better. Oh well . . . Hindsight’s a virtue. I’m sure I did fine.

Now, I’m so tired that I want to sleep, but that’s so not fun . . . Maybe I will go take a nap up on the pool deck after lunch. After all, this is going to be one of the last days that I can just run up to my roof to lay out. I think it’s around 30 degrees in Chicago. Berrrrr . . . I do have to hard core study today/tonight. I have a religion and a geology final tomorrow. I cannot wait until tomorrow when finals are over!!! Then we have two days to pack, say goodbye, write notes to each other, and share pictures from the last 100 days. The whole thing is going to fly by. In a blink I will be off this ship forever.

P.S. Consider this blog entry another form of procrastination.