5 week countdown

Sad realization ... in just 5 weeks I'll be back in the USA for the holiday season. Where has all my time gone? I have so much more I want to do here, and yet I've done so much already. I've been so busy jetting off to different countries on the weekends that I've completely lost a sense of time. So I took this weekend off to continue exploring my Northeast England region.
Today might be the first day with absolutely nothing on my agenda. So I'm thinking maybe I should sort out some schoolwork, book my hostel for Rome, get groceries since I have no food left, and maybe do laundry. Or maybe I'll just sit around with a cup of tea and crumpets, act British, and relax. Then tonight I'm going out with my flatmates and friends to an 80's Pop party at the union. I figure I have to party it up now or never ... it's my last weekend of being a teenager! I turn 20 on Thursday ... that's OLD!
Tomorrow I'm hopping the train to Durham. It's only about 15 minutes away, and it will make for a really nice day trip touring the Cathedral and castle, and just shopping around the town. My flatmate Sarah is going with me, and then we're meeting up with my other flatmate, Natalie, who will already be in Durham for the weekend visiting her family.

Not to much to report from this week except from the Rugby game. Wednesday both the 1st and 2nd teams played in Sheffeild, so we all traveled together on the 3 hour bus ride South. I played the entire 80 minute game for the 2nd team, which was a lot of fun since I haven't played with the other Freshers yet. We lost terribly, but it was all in good fun. I was just happy to be on the field as part of a team and playing my heart out. Sheffield's front row girls were pretty huge and hit really hard, so my shoulders are still quite bruised. Oh well, what else is new? We hopped on the bus, then went to pick up the 1st team, then all 40 of us rugby girls went to pick up our 1st team Vice Captain from the hospital (she got a major concussion) on the way home. Just picture a coach filled with rugby girls dressed in neon and UV glow paint (the rugby party theme this week was Rave) pulling up to the front door of a hospital ... not exactly something you see everyday. We all got our "Rugby Moms" on the bus ride home, too. It was all supposed to be a surprise, but Kelly had requested me as her daughter within the first 2 weeks of the season, so I already knew who my rugby family was. Nothing says 'team bonding' like 3 hour bus ride craziness.

Thursday and Friday were just filled with classes ... boring. Traveling and sports are so much more exciting than lectures and seminars. But my final exams and papers are all due mid-January after I get back to the States, so I figure I have the entire 3 week break to catch up on academic junk. I'm only going to be living in the UK once, why waste my time with classes? Live up the once-in-a-lifetime experience!