Day 137

Woensdag, 21 December 2011

Woke up fine, ate, packed a little bit, and then was about to leave for Tienen for a Rotary event.  I thought Marcela was too sick to come, so I just yelled at her that I was leaving (seeing as how she was taking a shower).  But, apparently she wanted to go with as she was feeling a bit better, but our bus was in 15 minutes.  She changed quick (well, quick for her, I was pacing around because I wanted to go), and we left the house and RACED to the bus stop, seeing as how we left the house like 4 minutes before the bus.

Barely got the bus.  Finally, some luck.  Of course, then it turns into a "Days of our Lives" moment, as Marcela and I like to call them.  See, there's some protests going on with public transit workers, and like Patrick and Truut and everyone was like, oh no, it starts tomorrow it's fine.  I had checked online this morning and seen that yes, it started today, but no one believed me and I wasn't going to argue it.  I texted all the exchange students and emailed our Rotary person like 2 hours before we left to ask if the thing was still going to happen, and they all said yes.

So, back to us on the bus.  About 10 minutes into the ride to Herentals for the train, Marcela gets a text.  And then she just does the loudest, most obnoxious laugh, and everyone was looking at her.  Turns out it got cancelled, and so Santi texted her to say so (even though like 10 minutes before he texted me saying that it was on).  We were just laughing so hard - I just knew it was going to happen, and of course, the one time we had luck with the bus, we don't need it.

We just got off at the next stop and walked back to Lille, seeing as how it was a nice day and it gave us a chance to talk and catch up about everything that happened yesterday.  Got home, just laughed about it for a while, had some food, and packed.  And oh goodness, I don't understand how this happened.  I have so much stuff.  I mean, one box  and my backpack are just filled with school stuff (books, papers, etc - so many because I have a book for basically every class I was in at the school BEFORE we started Dutch lessons - I don't even use any of the books now).  But besides that, I have my suitcases and my carry-on filled up, plus a bag with presents for my next family, plus my trumpet case, plus my blazer which I can't pack, seeing as how there's so much stuff on it.

It's ridiculous.  I never realized how much stuff I have.  I'm so glad my family is coming in April - they're going to have to take so much junk home for me so I actually have room to bring home gifts for everyone.  But finished packing, took a nap (hey, packing is hard!), had dinner.  Had a drink with Patrick seeing as how it's my last night here, but when we were watching TV he fell asleep.  :P  Went upstairs, talked with some other exchange students online and friends online, watched some drumming videos, basically just relaxed.  It's hard to believe it's my last real night at Patrick and Truut's.

Wow, and just realized it was exactly a year ago today that I got the email saying that I was selected to go to Belgium.  Wow.  I can still remember how excited I was - it was like Christmas came early.  Great way to start winter break: ruining my life by making me just look up things about Belgium online.

Skyped with my family to catch up and talk about their trip here, and now it's time for bed.  Slaapwel!