free at last!!

I am done with two semesters now - and these were supposed to be the hardest semesters of the program!  I finished my last final about an hour ago and am home finishing up laundry and packing my bag to get out of town.  My ride comes in about three and half hours, my flight leaves in about seven.  I can't wait to get back to California, for a month.  I'm excited to see family and friends, to read books for pleasure without guilt, to sleep without an exam hanging over me, and I could continue this list on for a while.

These past couple months have included walking to school in the dark and seeing the sunrise sometimes:

Walking home and watching the sunset - in this case with the moon in the upper left of the picture:

enjoying more little snatches of fall color - this in my front yard:

And having a chair collapse beneath me Monday night as I was sitting STILL (I HAVE A WITNESS) studying:

It was actually terrifying, a slow-motion fall with absolutely no control over what was happening.  I am thankful that I didn't hit the floor too hard because it was slow motion.  My back is sore but getting better and I hope the pain will continue to decrease.  I am now throwing out both this chair and one of the other chairs that has cracks in it so this doesn't happen to anyone else!  Thankfully, my other two chairs are pretty solid.

On that pleasant note, look forward to my next post being from and about CALIFORNIA!