I love America!

I must say that I am loving it back in the US.  That is not to say that everything is perfect here, I doubt there is any place where everything is perfect.  But if I had to choose one imperfect place to be, it would certainly be here.  It is probably just because I am so used to the way everything works here, but I do love it.

 

On Monday I finally got caught up with all of my homework!  Thank goodness.  I am kind of worried about this semester.  It took me far longer to finish my homework then it should have.  I really hope that I will have time enough to do all that I should this semester.  I just want to be done.  I am really excited for grad school, and the busy work that is undergraduate studies is starting to drag on me.

Tuesday was the first day of school this week, and the first day of school where I wasn’t half asleep in my classes :)  I am also getting back into the flow at work.  I feel really blessed that I had this job to come back to.  It isn’t that great of pay, but it is something I like doing, and it is extremely flexible as far as my schedule goes.  Perfect for me.

Tuesday night also saw me getting a temp phone, until I can get a WP7 on sprint.  I was also able to watch some TV shows.  I have missed my American TV ever since it was removed from PPStream.  It is good to have Psych and the Mentalist back.  I also bought Castle Crashers to play with my friends in China. (P.S. That means Drew and Lars you need to download it!)

 

Wednesday was my first day going back to the FLSR and spending time with all of them.  It was a lot of fun.  I really wish that there was some way for me to live there again.  We will have to see how everything happens.

Thursday was more school, nothing much special.  Friday was the same.  I do have my group for CS 340 setup now.  The team I have looks like a good group of people, so hopefully the project will go really smoothly.  I also got to read Scott Robertson’s (one of my colleagues at work) thesis.  He did a really good job.  It gives me hope that grad school is doable.

 

On Saturday I found that my Grandpa Darling had passed away.  This was pretty surprising for me to hear.  I had hoped that because I had come from China early I would be able to see him again.  At least coming home has meant that I will be able to attend his funeral.

I have to admit I don’t feel to sad about this, and I don’t really know why.  It seems like such a transient thing.  I haven’t been able to see him since I was in China, and now I won’t be able to see him since he is dead.  But all of these are but temporary barriers.  I will be able to see him.  Because of this I don’t really feel that sad, but rather it actually gives me determination to live as I should.  Through living as I should I allow myself to be with him forever.  This is what I hope for, and thus my response is determination instead of sadness.  Maybe that makes me strange, but for some reason that is how I feel.

 

Even though Saturday had that sad start, the second half of the day was really good.  In the afternoon I went to the Russian house again.  I got to play RockBand with them, something I certainly miss.  It is so fun to just be around my friends.  I am really sad that soon we will all be separating.  We can still do stuff together, but it just won’t be the same then.

After a while we all went to Village Inn.  The ultimate skillet is as good as ever.  It made me so happy to sink my teeth into it.  The conversation was also heavenly.  I have missed the outings to Village Inn a lot.  We were just missing a Cassi and a Drew, and then it would have been perfect :)

After dinner I went back home for my aunt’s birthday party.  It was good just to spend the entire night with my family.  I missed them the most when I was in China, and it is wonderful to have so many opportunities to spend time with them.