Are you a veterinarian? 'cause these pythons are SICK!

I feel absolutely great. I just finished my first exam, Operating Systems, and I was amazed how well it went. It's the only grade we're getting in that class, so it's really put my mind at ease to have it DONE.

Last night though, I really couldn't sleep. I should have been exhausted, but I tossed and turned for about 45 minutes before I realized something... I could SEE! At first, I was very confused. The light on my computer's power strip had a SHAPE! I could make out the window! Then, I noticed that I'd forgotten to take my contact lenses out... Brilliant! After that, it was at least another hour before I fell asleep. I was thinking about a lot of things, mostly graduate school (and not at all about the exam, surprisingly), but I really started to get nervous about my exam in the morning. I woke up early to review some more and map out the exam location (not on campus AT ALL). I ate something, regretted eating, and left early.

The testing center is on the other side of town entirely. It takes about 45 minutes to get there by public transportation, and it was morning rush hour. Still, I got there with plenty of time to spare. We took our exams with about 500 other students, all in one room. We each get our own assigned desk number. The tests are already on the desk, and we start when the proctor says so. For the first 1hr and 15min., no one is allowed to leave their desk. After that, you can take bathroom breaks or turn in your test.

Cate and I are going down to the gym this afternoon. I've been working out five days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with Cate and sometimes Abbey and Holly; Tuesday and Thursday by myself), and I'm really noticing the results. I feel much more energetic, and I'm starting to get back some of the muscle tone I lost when I got to Bryn Mawr. When I get home, I'm looking forward to horseback riding again. Hopefully, I'll be able to work with Splash a bit...


This is Splash. And yes, that's me. No comment.

Actually, I've made a list of things to look forward to about going back to the States... I really don't want to leave London (by my calculations, I will be able to move here in 6-8 years and become a UK citizen -- we'll see), and I'm a bit anxious about readjusting to life in the States. I look right first when crossing streets, I've adapted to a more British vocabulary (flat, lift, jumper, serviette, chips, crisps, etc.), I enjoy sitting in a pub with my friends, and I ALMOST enjoy the weather... But when I come back, I can look forward to faster Internet! Okay. So, there's more on the Coming-Home list than faster Internet (like seeing my friends and family -- I miss you guys!), but I'm absolutely amazed by how quickly this semester flew by...

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Here's a picture from Austria of the Lipizzaners at the Spanish Riding School. We weren't supposed to take ANY photos of the horses, but as you can see, the lady in front of me also whipped out her camera as soon as the security monitor went by.