back to school, though I don't have much to do by way of classes this semester. I'm in one Spanish class, and 7 hours of thesis credit. I don't know what I have to do to get those thesis credits fulfilled, aside from completing a thesis... but I guess I'll find out.

My trip to Mexico was overall successful. It had me wondering about my decision to join the Peace Corps for a while, but now I'm feeling back to normal.

What's going to be tough about this semester is not the overwhelming amount of work to do for classes, but rather getting myself motivated to complete the thesis, and staying motivated througout the semester. I'm pretty sure that I will be graudating this summer, not this year. I might apply for graudation anyways, just in case I do get my act together and come up with a thesis and defense before mid-April. However, my goal is mainly to enjoy my last 9 or so months in the States, finish a thesis... get my M.S., spend time with my friends and family and Logan, and enjoy myself. I hope to find myself again. Graduate school I feel has made me into someone slightly different that I was when I graduated from KU... someone more absent-minded and more confused about life, someone more stressed. In any case, life has treated me well the past year and a half, but I hope to make it even better.

Logan sadly will be working close to full-time and also only taking 3 classes, so will be super busy. I'm hoping we can keep our weekly date going, especially if we can make it to Salsa dancing on Tuesdays, but I have to wait and see.

I'm also re-invigorating my desire to run a triathalon... starting with getting the 5K and 10K races down! I want to run the Bolder Boulder in the spring (10K)! And then hopefully this summer a sprint-distance triathalon! I wanted to do this ages ago, but the running held me back (because I used to hate it) but now that I acually have hope of running more than 2 miles at a time, I figure no time like the present to get myself in shape for this. It can only but help as I transition to life in Latin America with no personal vehicle.

Speaking of vehicles... about 2 weeks ago I said farewell to my car as it traveled with my sister to Greeley, and I depositied a nice sum of moola into my bank account (yay paid off debt!!!!!!!). So since then (and because of the incredible amounts of snow we've been getting here weekly) I've found myself reliant on friends for transportation (and Logan) as well as the busses and my own two sturdy legs. Today I got done early with an appointment at the dentist, and decided that since it was about an hour till the next bus came that I needed, I would just walk home, which took about an hour anyways (with a detour to the rec center, which was sadly closed).
I'm really liking this new pedestrian-friendly life, but not liking the businesses and homes who continue to not shovel their sidewalks! Seriously people, there are some of us who don't have cars!

I'm forming a new appreciation for the car-less. (and also for the fortunate people with cars and time to drive me places!)

I guess that's it for now. I should spend my time more usefully, ideally in reading about ecotourism (I present on this topic to my church Sunday) or in transcribing my interviews from mexico... but in all likelihood I will be making hot chocolate and watching TV. It is the last day of break, afterall!=