Last Two Weeks

I took my first legit final here. Maybe I failed it or maybe I did fine. The systems just too different and I wasn't 100% sure what they wanted from me all the time. But I passed the first mini exam, I went to all the classes, and I did reasonably well on the project... and I'm an international student. I should be able to pass the class, and that's all I need.

I swear I'm cursed when it comes to trips. The last three times I've planned anything involving a car, (and the last four out of five times) something's gone wrong. First it was Allan and the passport, then it was Ainhoa's mom's car breaking down and needing hers, and then this weekend we were essentially snowed in. We were hoping for four days of little road trips, getting the car Sat-Tues. But what looks like it's going to be the biggest snow of my semester fell Friday (when I couldn't really enjoy it) and the roads were still too icy Saturday to go out. Since the car rental place is closed Sunday, it's not like we can start today. And Monday and Wednesday are national holidays, so things are even more complicated!

But I shouldn't complain about these things really. Spain's air traffic controllers went on an unannounced strike and really messed up transportation around here. Apparently Spain has declared some sort of state of emergency that hasn't been used since Franco died. Yikes. My roommate Jaime made it to Switzerland okay (just in time), but my friends Sara and Colleen got stuck in Madrid (at least they live there, so they could just go home to figure things out) and are missing Prague altogether. They're resilient, though, now fighting to get their money back on the original flight and thinking they can still get to Vienna and such. So yeah, not complaining about my road trippettes anymore!

And, I think things will work out fine. I'm down to my last two weeks here, and the hardest exams are out of the way. I've done most of my Christmas shopping. Emily is arriving tonight, we're getting pintxos with my friends... tomorrow we'll go with Ainhoa (and her friend Andrea) to a Basque book fair in Durango, Tuesday with luck we'll get the car and go north to Elizondo and the witch caves. Then Emily leaves - on Wednesday Marketa and I are hoping to go East to the mountains after all (weather dependent). If I can see Ochagavia, the snow-capped Pyrenees, and Javier, I'll be a very, very happy girl. :) Basque final is Thursday but I'm not worried, I am planning to review a bit, and go to take the exam, for my own dignity - but I don't think the credit will even transfer.

This weekend I still might have a bit of fun - maybe a day trip with Ainhoa's car at last? :) And the farewell slideshow for international students... and Christmas party with my friends! I'll also start studying for my final two exams, next week - I'm not too worried about them, there's just Literature and Film and my Literature class, and I've read all the books and watched all the movies. I have to finish up my notebook assignment for Literature, but that's due Friday during the exam and helps me study, so not too stressful. And I'll pack and clean, ship Liisa's Christmas present to Finland and probably a box of things for Germany to Lea's family in Austria.

Friday's my last exam - then I'll go out and party like crazy with my friends, one last time. It's not my ideal way to spend a final night, but that's the general consensus and it /will/ be fun - I just wish we had a quiet time after that. :) Then I'll sleep in, grab my stuff, and head to Bilbao - not looking forward to having to get there and to a hotel with all my luggage, alone, in winter time! My flight leaves early early the next morning, the 19th, and later that day (time difference!) I'll be home. I can actually see it approaching now. How time flies!