Wrapping Up

My two Middlebury final exams were on Monday (may I never again have to sit 8 hours of exams in one day!) and with all the stressing beforehand, I'm very glad to have gotten them out of the way in one fell swoop.

Tuesday I baked up a storm for the last time in the "old" kitchen in my host family's apartment. It's starting to be torn out tomorrow and will be completely remodeled over vacation and early January. Then I had my last tutoring session with "my" Skidmore student.

Yesterday was translation class as usual at the university - courses continue two more weeks in January at the fac. It was weird to have a lot of things ending all around me in my week, but to have to go sit through just another class on Wednesday morning... But I got back two awesome grades, so it was definitely worth it! After an afternoon attempting to work on my thesis, again amid all kinds of other "ending" things going on, until it was time to run off to the Middlebury end-of-semester party. It was nice to chat with people and to rejoice about classes and exams being over... though everyone was still stressing about the thesis...

In the evening, I had a lovely dinner with the Skidmore staff. We drank a lot of wine, ate excellent food, told stories, laughed even more and had a good time celebrating having made it through (nearly) a very challenging semester. I had such a good time working there this fall and am really looking forward to the spring - though I dearly wish all the students were staying!

Tonight is the Skidmore cocktail & end-of-semester party, which will probably take place in three parts: our own gathering at Skidmore, then the group will migrate over to the photo studio for the exposition of the work by the students who took a photo class this fall, finishing with everyone heading to the students' favorite bar of the semester in Montmartre. It's sure to be a fun evening, but also bittersweet.

Since the very first days (their arrival seems like just yesterday!), the entire staff and profs have been talking about how wonderful the students are not only as individuals, but especially as a group. They are kind, caring and fun and get along really well as a group. Fortunately there are 5 who are staying for the spring semester as well, so hopefully they can help carry the warmth and good-feeling over into the new students who will arrive in mid-January.

Friday will be my day of packing and running last minute errands. Then one last dinner with friends who are going back to the States for the spring. And then Saturday: Vermont bound!!!