Excitment!

Well, I had originally started this blog post yesterday, except then my Internet Explorer decided to be stupid and crash, so here we are again. *le sigh* Anyway, its too early for complaining, so on to the exciting news!

The plans for Spring Break are coming more clearly into focus! Here's our itinerary, if you will:

We're driving a Mustang convertible down to Orlando from PA. My grandparents are living in Orlando, so the plan is to hang out with them for a few days, perhaps go to Disney one day? I need to talk to my grandparents today and arrange some more details.

After a few days in Orlando, we'll head over to Punta Gorda to stay with HIS grandparents, do some sightseeing/beachcombing/etc. The Mustang we're driving down is his grandfather's, and he needed it because he's a "snowbird", so then we're FLYING back to BWI at the end of the week.

I, for one, am very, very excited! I haven't been to FL in nearly 6 years (and that was only to Disney World). I'm excited to take a roadtrip, hang out with our families, and kind of relax while we're down there. Its going to be a good trip. :D

Good (cold) morning!

Good morning, everyone! What an amazing day - the first official day of Obamarama! There's such electricity in the air around the nation, it seems. I like it!

Whew. So, why am I blogging at 7:00 in the morning? Well, I had a massive amount of work to do over the past week, all of which is due today. I paced myself pretty well over the past week, but I had some chem homework to finish up this morning. I actually really, really like my schedule this semester! I'm officially finished with all of my gen. eds, so from here on out, its all major courses! I have: Hydrology, Chemistry, Oceanography, GIS II, and the Curacao field studies course. Very, very cool. Its intensive, but I really enjoy all of my courses, so its good. Its also cool because all of my classes, minus chem, are in one building - my department building, of course - so I can pretty much just move in there. I set up camp in the student study room yesterday, which is kind of hidden in the basement of my building, and its quite comfy! There's a huge green armchair, bookshelves filled with nerdy books about geology, and plenty of outlets. Heaven.

Umm...what else? Oh, ONE good picture of me from Curacao has surfaced! So far, its the only picture I have seen in which I was a) aware my picture was being taken; and b) not making some ridiculous face where my tongue is hanging out of my mouth. Sigh.

This is me and Teddy in the boutique-district of Willemstad. Not that we were shopping in boutiques.... its just that there was a pretty fountain. Oh, and I'm not actually that tall - I'm standing on a step! Hehe.

Things and stuff.

Wow, it snowed all day today. I spent my ENTIRE day cleaning and taking care of business. I'd say I had a fairly productive day today! My room is slowly starting to look more habitable (read: I'm dealing with remnants of last semester - finals week, etc.; Christmas, and Curacao). I took care of some official financial business, which I despise but is necessary; and I did quite a bit of schoolwork today. Of course I have tons more to do, but its all due Wednesday, so I can definitely work on it in the SIX HOURS I have between classes on Tuesdays. Of course, its really good that I made a friend who lives just 5 minutes away from campus, so I can just go over there between classes and study/eat/nap. Its also handy because I can definitely spend an hour or two in the gym, and still have time to shower and get ready to go back to school. Nice!

The other business I took care of today is top-secret, but it is definitely exciting! I just don't want to spill the beans yet because nothing is for sure.....yet. I'm currently in negotiations.... all I'll say is that it involves some time on an island in the sun. Oh yeah. ;)

Curacao pictures!

Well, I'm finally home. I've actually been home for 1 week now, but its been insane with the first week of classes and everything. I'm still trying to unpack and sort all of my stuff. Yeah.
Curacao was amazing. Words can't even express. The island itself was, eh, I don't know.... it was OK; but the trip in general was awesome. I had good company, too, which helps. ;)

I have to work today, so I don't have time to provide commentation for the pictures, but at least there will be something to look at until I get that chance!

This was our hotel:

"Infinity" pool where I spent a lot of time:See that mountain off in the distance? Yeah, we totally climbed that.
Here's the view from the top:

Shete Boka:

There were tidal pools with little creatures in them.We went snorkeling. That's my dive partner Teddy, and Prof. Cornell behind him.

Fort Beekenberg:

I have a total of 413 photos, so....there will be more to come!

A Note Before I Go....

Well, 2 days to go! I'm crazy-busy right now.... Donn doesn't have internet at the apartment, so I'm using Starbucks WiFi to check emails/blog/study/put together a presentation about reef fish identification. Ha!

Its sooooo cold today. I really can't wait to be in the tropical sun, with sand between my toes...oh yeah! So, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and is having a very happy New Year so far! I will be back....in 2 weeks or so.....with lots of pictures!

Happy January!!

♥