Procrastination!

I'm sitting here, trying to force myself to stop ignoring the paper I need to have written by noon on Friday. Part of me doesn't think it's going to be very hard to write, the other part is simply distracted by the other things going on in my life here as well as thinking about what's happening at home.

Home. I am so jealous of the people who are done with academics by now, or within the next few weeks, for the summer. I still have three and a half weeks of classes left. I have had numerous skype dates with friends over the past few weeks, and a couple more to look forward to this weekend, and it's so strange to be here while hearing about the drama, dullness, and joy of life back in Minnesota. Sometimes I wish I had a friend who knew me inside and out here, or that I could go visit my grandmothers on Mother's Day instead of just calling them (the highlight of my day yesterday was getting to talk to them).

But then I think about it. My experience would be so different if I had someone to lean on. I would have been too comfortable to try as many new things and meet new people and take it all in if I had come with even one person who I knew pre-Auckland. I'm becoming more self-sufficient and I think I'm growing as a person being here.. not that I can really measure that on myself, but I'm positive it's happening. Independent study abroad may be one of the best choices I have made so far in my life.

That being said, here is what I've been up to in the last couple days. On Sunday I watched Jurassic Park: The Lost World with my flatmates and ate some of my delicious black and white brownie pie. I must say, the special effects for this Jurassic Park were better than the original (which was on last week). I think they're showing the Jurassic Park series as a plug for the dinosaur exhibit that's coming to Auckland next month. The commercials for that are on at every commercial break, I swear.

Yesterday I woke up, and even though Mother's Day was the previous day for me, it wasn't for the mothers in my life so I called my mom and both of my grandmas. I talk to my mom basically every week but it was so nice being able to talk to them on the phone - and they were all so surprised! It was excellent and probably the highlight of my day.

Afterward I went to class, and then met up with some other IESers in Newmarket for dinner and ten pin bowling! I'm not exactly a pro at bowling (though I started off really well.. don't know what happened) but it was fun anyway. And I didn't have to pay for it. :)

Today was just dance class and my Italian tutorial (in which we talked about mobbing, exciting I know) and then I skyped with Sam for a while. And right now I'm procrastinating on starting my paper. I have assessments in Kapa Haka and my dance class this week, on Thursday night and Friday morning, and I have absolutely no reason why I shouldn't be working on my paper other than I don't really care. Clearly, being motivated to do work is not my strong point. It's not usually at Gustavus either but it's exponentially worse in Auckland.. promise I'm not going to fail anything though. I'll probably be up late on Thursday though. :-/ Oh well.