Life post-thesis

I turned in my thesis Monday!! It was craziness. I slept a grand total of four hours all weekend as I furiously revised and re-revised. It was pretty mad, but it was an overall satisfying intellectual experience - my awesome adviser, Emily Steinlight, being a major reason why. We'll see how I do!

Then I'm done with my writing class already, and my final WWII paper is due Monday . . . and then that's IT! I'm just hanging out in Chicago and enjoying myself (and TRYING TO SELL ALL OF MY FURNITURE!!) until June 15th!! I cannot *wait* for my mom to get here because we're going to have so much fun, and then Garfield we'll get here and we'll all have fun *together* during my graduation day :)

MAPH threw us a "prom" (read: we played music, danced, and drank alcohol) last night, and I had a total blast. I spent the first part of Friday shopping in downtown with two of my closest girlfriends, bought a new dress for prom (on sale at Macy's for $19!!), then we all quickly got ready and headed off to the dance! It was Noir themed, so roughly 1940's style. I even victory rolled my hair for the occasion :) Look at me go, shopping for dresses and doing my hair and shit! Oh, AND: I wore three inch wedges *all* *night* *long*. It was awesome.

I'm getting nostalgic, definitely. I've made great friends here, and I'm just starting to really get settled into the city and my life here. However, I am also very much looking forward to being back in California and getting settled out there. I'm very, very, very happy and thankful though to have had the opportunity to spend nine months out here getting my Master's. It's been a beautiful - and challenging, lesson-filled - life experience.

This was at like 1a Saturday night. My entire thesis, spread out on the floor, getting edited and shit. And that's my iPad in the middle, serenading me with jazz or Chopin. My back *loved* being squatted on cushions and leaning over my thesis all night.

Juliano was hanging tough with me too during my all-nighters

This was Juliano doing a model pose for me on like Thursday or something. I was on my way to class, but I had to snap a quick picture of my good-bye image of Little Dog.

Prom! L-R Kathleen, Zohar, me

This picture is classic. L-R Bonnie and Diego

Me and Anna. She's beautiful and sweet.

Another classic - with Diego now adorning Zohar's headband (it made its rounds). L-R Bonnie, Zohar, Diego

L-R Kathleen, Bonnie, Sarah, Elana, Zohar, and me. I love these ladies.

Sarah and me.

Me, Zohar, and Sarah. Almost the end of the dance.

L-R: Dannie, Georgie (front), Tania (back), Sarah (front), and me