Leaving on a jet plane

I don't know when I'll be back again. Oh babe, I hate to go.

Well, haha, not for a few weeks anyway. Today is September 18. A friend of mine at Keele, Aless, submits her dissertation today. She says after turning in that beast of paper, she's no longer a student. Well, she's both right and wrong. Right in the sense that she is no longer a student at Keele. Wrong in that she is no longer a student. A student's job is to absorb the world around them, process new knowledge and information, make discoveries, question why their world works a certain way, etc. Basically, you are a student until the day you die.

Today is an odd day for me. Firstly, I'm editing my dissertation's first chapter. Plans are to cut a big portion of it. Professor said to ruthlessly chuck out details that have no relation to my argument. He's right and with my second chapter's expanded wordcount, there should be no problem in doing so. I just want the page count for this chapter to be substantial for the info within. Secondly, I'm moving out of my room and into a suitcase for the next 6 weeks. Big yikes. I'm bedless but still working on that monster paper. But I'm taking it with an attitude of gratitude.

1. To my landlord and chaplain for allowing me to stay around and sleep on other friend's floors so I can complete my course and prepare for departure.
2. To my professor for seriously helping me to get this far. I am weeks away from completing my masters, which after this year, is a huge achievement.
3. To my folks for making me stay here like 2 extra weeks so we could get a plane ticket whilst saving $400.
4. To the embassy for offering emergency passports. I pay the full price as an original in London, but when I return home, I mail the normal passport application and my valid emergency passport to New Orleans to receive my new one free of charge.
5. To family and friends both here and at home, thank you for your support, prayers, hugs, high-fives, and really everything you've done.

MWAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!