End of my First Semester

Yesterday, at about 1:30 p.m., I finished and saved the final draft of my final paper for the Fall 2015 semester. I wrote a cover email to my professor. I attached the paper. And I paused a moment. Then my chosen drill sergeant, Matthew, screamed "DO IT!!!"  I hit the send button. Raucous cheering from Matthew and Michael. The semester was over. 

I can't believe it's done already. Oh, there are lingering remnants--grades to wait anxiously for, nearly thirty library books to return--but the work itself is complete. I have no clue what my grades will look like. But right this minute, there is no required book to read, no research to do, no paper to write. It's done. 

I can hardly believe what I see when I close my eyes and look back on the past four months. I was so scared of being a GTA but ended up loving it. I had health troubles that I had to take care of. I lost one of my best friends. I cried in front of one of my professors. I had a wonderful holiday with my aunt but wished so badly that my uncle could have been there. And I achingly missed my babies. Yet, somehow, I'm still here in Knoxville, in my tiny flat. 

I haven't had the time or the inclination to blog these past few weeks. Yet I had a wonderful time spending Thanksgiving with my Aunt Mona down in Montgomery, Alabama. Her son's in-laws invited us for Thanksgiving dinner, and I found that southern hospitality is alive and well. And I'm now a devotee of cornbread dressing. Perhaps the best part of Thanksgiving, though, was sitting at my sister's table via FaceTime. I even sat next to Uncle Mannie. But, man, did I ever miss the celery and peanut butter!!

I also learned that my time in the south won't be truly complete until I dip my toes into the Gulf of Mexico--I see a trip to Mobile in my future. 

During my visit with my aunt, the two of us managed to eat ridiculously well. Seriously, I even got some decent Mexican food!!  But it was the southern stuff that tickled me. 

Then there was the sightseeing. While most Alabamians shopped on Black Friday or were glued to their televisions watching the Bama-Auburn game, Mona and I soaked up history at the Confederate Memorial Park, the first White House of the Confederacy, the Alabama statehouse, and the Alabama State Archives. 

I can't thank Mona enough for such a wonderful time. Oh, and her two babies helped assuage some of the longing I feel for my own dingo. 

Now it's time to be thinking about getting my tiny flat in order. While I started out with such good intentions for keeping the place neat--well, the "road to hell..." and all that. Today I've slept late, read a trashy romance, and ate Ho Hos. Tomorrow comes the dishwashing, laundry, book-putting-away, cleaning time. But, for now, I'm going to finish this blog and read some more trash to round out my evening. 

It's been a long four months. And I owe a lot of thanks for helping me through it to the other grad students at UTK. Matthew, Alicia, Adrien, Minami, Tess, Chauntelle, Liz, Nolan, Alex, Brad, Michael, Annie, J., Robert, Maggie--you guys helped me so much!!  And Dr. S., Dr. P., and Dr. F., each of whom was so encouraging. Even Dr. H. gets a thank-you for his patience as I learned out to be a GTA. And my California support team of Mom, Dad, Yvette, Brenda, Phoebe, Tricia, Reiner, Joe, Maddie, and Heidi--can't wait to see you all in person in just a week. 

Enough of the maudlin sentimentality. Knighty-Knight from Knoxville.