38 days later: assignments will make you in to a zombie.

Now, I know my time left in this country is running out faster than a robber from a bank heist, but a quick head count of Monday, Tuesday and friends revealed I have just 38 days left here. 38! Wait, what? 38? 38! Oh my.

Yes, yes, Mum, Dad, I know. It's great. I look forward to seeing you too. And all of you, UK friends. But the problem is that for all my kvetching and bitching and whining about New Zealand the end of last year, I'm really quite happy here now. The thought of leaving in 38 days makes me feel a little queasy. And it's not just that I have a shitload of work to do before then (hence writing this instead), or that I want to stay *here* particularly, in this country (still the arsehole of the world).

But if I could just move NZ closer to the UK, that'd be grand.

You see, the big difference between last semester and this one is that I've been just living here, like a normal person, not a person on exchange. I haven't been away every other weekend to another green sheep-filled field next to a nice beach. And I haven't had 'home comforts' like Rachel, Nick and JJ and Carlton. Don't get me wrong - those things were lovely, I enjoyed the little road trips, and playing with JJ, and all those Monday morning hangovers. But I feel so much more... calm? content? unfazed? accepting? this semester.

I suppose working at Greenpeace has meant that I've had less time during the week to work (going to London and Australia probably didn't help either) so I've had to be at home more weekends. Luckily, I really like my flat, so that's handy, but it's also meant I've spent a lot more time with my little nucleus of chums, who conveniently mostly live not so far from me, in their own nice flats.

Ok, I have to work. In a minute... Ugh.

I know I have to do it all, and that I'll be sad if I don't or if I do badly, but really I just want to spend time with my friends, and have fun, before I have to go. I am so glad for so many reasons that I didn't give up and come home after Christmas, but it does make it all the harder to come home now (or in 38 days). But, as one of my many mantras reminds me, it's always best to leave wanting more. And definitely better to leave feeling sad than to have a bitter taste in your mouth.

Right. I will blog again soon, and perhaps fill you in on my Oz trip.
A x