Serious Senioritis

Alright, I have to admit, I am falling victim to a severe case of senioritis. Classes are winding down, it is finally sunny outside, and graduation seems so close. The last thing I can do is focus on schoolwork.

But, in more exciting news, Beckee and I have decided to go to Costa Rica after finals! I am beyond excited. The package we got includes two nights in San José, two nights in Arenal, and two nights in Monteverde. The exciting/terrifying part is that we have to drive ourselves from place to place. It is going to be quite the adventure. I just need to get through seventeen more days of classes.

Then, when we get back from Costa Rica, there are a ton of exciting Senior Week events going on! Tickets go on sale this week and are limited, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I get to go on the Martha's Vineyard day trip and the Mohegan Sun overnight trip. It will be a nice way to wrap up my time at Suffolk.

Moving Right Along

Happy Spring Break, blog readers!

So, the semester is more than halfway over, I have a week off from classes, and the sun is shining. I don't think I could ask for anything better.

As much as I would like to sleep in every day during Spring Break, it has been pretty nice to keep busy. I have been working here in Admissions, and tomorrow I will head home for a few days. I am especially excited to go home (minus the part where I go to the dentist) because I will be doing some of my observation hours for Teach For America. Before I go down to the Mississippi Delta for training, I am expected to do preparation work, which includes observation hours at nearby schools. Then, on Saturday, I am headed down to Florida for an Accepted Students Reception! I hope to see some of you there!

Then, when classes start up again on Monday it will be crunch time. I have lots to do before the end of the semester and very little time to do it. Between getting started on final papers, finishing my InterFuture work, and preparing to move 1,500 miles away, I have a lot on my plate. But, obviously I can't complain. It is a plate filled with lots and lots of very good things!

It's Pay Day!

I have had a lot of time for blogging this week. That is definitely a good thing since my time as an Ambassador is limited and I really enjoy keeping this blog! 86 days until graduation!

I meant to write about this in my last post, but last week a bunch of us headed over to the Copley Society on Newbury St. because our fellow Ambassador, Julie, was chosen to show her work at their Annual Student Show! She is pretty fabulous. I am so happy we were able to celebrate such an amazing accomplishment with her!

I am looking forward to next week because starting on Monday, my mom and I are taking a weekly meditation workshop. It runs through the month of March and is at North End Yoga, an amazing studio that I went to fairly often when I lived in the dorms. Now that I'm living in Somerville (and am plagued by having to pay rent), though, I haven't been there in a while. I am excited to de-stress with this workshop, though, and it will be nice to see my mom a bit more often.

Short post today. Time to go to class. Have a safe and relaxing weekend, everyone!

Picking Up Speed

Happy Middle-of-the-Week, blog readers!

For the first time this semester, I have been feeling bogged down with schoolwork and stress. I had been keeping on top of things like reading and assignments especially well, but lately it has been piling up. Hopefully this weekend I can catch up on everything so that the rest of the semester will go smoothly.

Of course there are always events on campus to keep my mind off the never-ending stress of school. Last night, Jonathan Kozol, education activist and author, spoke in the C. Walsh Theatre. I found out about it at the last minute, and am so glad I did. Kozol was so engaging, and especially relevant to me because of my plans to teach in the Mississippi Delta as a Teach For America Corps Member.

Tonight I start up again at my internship at Teen Voices. I will be working with a different group of high school-aged girls from last semester, and we will be working on an article about sexual health among young people. I was very excited when I found out we would be working on this section, since I did my InterFuture research on condom awareness and access in high schools.

I am so happy this week is almost over. It's been raining and dreary, and I am more than ready to have a relaxing weekend at my apartment. I will be working quite a bit at Banana Republic, but I am hoping to find some me-time, too. And then, before we know it, it will be March. Where did the time go? We are just about two weeks away from Spring Break, but for me that also means being two weeks away from my Praxis Exam. I need to take three Praxis Exams in order to receive my certification to teach in the Mississippi Delta, so it is extremely important that I pass. Needless to say, I am a bit stressed about it.

Time to leave the office and head over to Teen Voices. Enjoy...the rain?

Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

It is a slow, snowy Tuesday in the office so I thought I would catch up on some blogging. The semester has gone surprisingly smoothly so far. I have yet to be too stressed out, and am keeping my fingers crossed that things stay that way. We just returned from a long weekend, so that definitely helped keep me sane.

Thursday night a bunch of us went out for fellow Ambassador, TJ's 21st birthday. There was a great turnout and it was nice to spend time with everyone. I also spent a lot of time working at Banana Republic and getting homework done this weekend, but ditched the studying on Sunday for a Valentine's Day celebration with some wonderful fellow singles.

But now it's time to get back to the daily grind. I had my Women in Literature class this morning, which I absolutely love so far. There are only twelve of us and there is a great dynamic between us and the professor. Then, I had an InterFuture meeting, at which we discussed our timeline from now until the end of the semester. Although I have been back from conducting my research in London for almost a year now, I am still working on the United States portion of my study, and need to finish up my project as a whole. I am aiming to have it turned in by mid-April. Eek! So much to do before then.

One of the most terrifying, yet thrilling realizations I recently had was that I will be leaving for Teach for America training (also known as Institute) on June 8th (just two weeks after graduation!). I am sad I won't be able to spend the summer with everyone in the city, but am beyond ready to embark on the next phase of my life. As much as I don't think I can take myself seriously enough to have a real person job and wear real person clothes and surround myself with other real people (the more I think about it, though, I'm not even sure what "real" means) I feel prepared. If there is one thing I have learned after almost eight semesters as an undergraduate at Suffolk, it is that I am capable of more than I ever thought possible. There have been times I have wanted to curl up in a ball and die (difficult classes, roommate issues, InterFuture conferences), but there is nothing more fulfilling than surviving all of these things, and being a better person as a result. That is how I know I'm ready.

So, here's to being ready for life. Or the next part of it, anyways. Enjoy the snow.

Hello February!

I've been seriously slacking on my blogging this semester. With the new paperless system in the office, things have been a little hectic, and there is always tons of work to do.

The start to the semester has been an exciting one, though. I am loving all my classes so far (even my science requirement. Weird), and have enjoyed getting back into a routine. I worked a lot over Winter Break, but still felt like I had a lot of down time. It's nice to be back.

Since I do not work as an SU101 Teaching Assistant in the spring, I have a little more free time this semester. I decided to go back to writing for the Voice, and my roommate, Sarah and I have picked up our radio show for Suffolk Free Radio again (www.suffolk.edu/radio Fridays at 4:00!). This week, for the Voice, I wrote about an improv show I attended last week in the C. Walsh Theatre. Suffolk's improv troupe, Seriously Bent, performed with cast members from the Improv Asylum, and best of all, the show was free!

In very exciting and relieving news, a couple weeks ago I found out that I have been accepted as a 2010 Teach For America Corps Member! I have been assigned to teach elementary in the Mississippi Delta region, so I will be living in either Mississippi or Arkansas. It is going to be a huge change, but I am absolutely thrilled! The scariest part is that I leave for training June 8th, just two weeks after graduation. It is all going to happen so fast!

I am trying not to get ahead of myself, though. I still have a semester to get through, an InterFuture project to complete (eek!), and an internship to get through (starting at the end of the month I am returning to Teen Voices until May).

Starting Anew

Happy New Year, blog readers!

I can't believe it is already 2010 - the year I will graduate from college. I am back in the office a couple weeks early to catch up on hours, but soon I will begin my very last semester here at Suffolk. I will save the sappy, nostalgic stuff for later, but it really will be hard to leave this place.

Break has been a much needed escape from classes and stress. The end of the semester was wonderful, though. Winter Ball was a blast and Haley and Rachel threw an Ugly Holiday Sweater Party at their apartment. I went home for a week during Christmas and spent a lot of time working and catching up with old friends. The picture on the left is me with my best friend Jamie at my house on Christmas day. I came back to the city shortly after Christmas and spent New Year's Eve here in Boston for the first time. My roommate and I went to dinner in the North End and to the Improv Asylum's New Year's show. Then, we headed over to my friend's apartment in Brighton. It was a great way to ring in 2010!

Next week, a friend and I are driving down to South Carolina for our friend's graduation from Marine Corps boot camp. It's going to be a long trek, but I am really looking forward to going. It will be a nice way to wrap up Winter Break.

Then comes time for classes! This semester I am taking Women in Spirituality for my Philosophy minor, The Built World for my 2nd science requirement (ugh, leaving this until the last minute was a terrible life choice), an English Honors Seminar and Women in Literature to finish off my English major. I will also be returning to my internship at Teen Voices where I will mentor a small group of high school-aged girls as they develop a section of the magazine. I had a great time there last semester and am excited to go back.

Time to go give a tour. Here's to one last semester as an undergrad!

Almost done

Happy Wednesday, blog readers!

So, now we are back from Thanksgiving break and there are only two and a half more weeks until the end of the semester. I have been pretty stressed out since we got back, but after this week I think things will start to calm down. I just need to get through a couple research papers and presentations first!

My time at home was wonderful. I was lucky enough to be there for six days and it was so nice to just lounge around the house. I did make a pretty decent dent in my work, though. I also got to catch up with my friends from home which is always nice. We had a low-key Thanksgiving at my house, but then my family and I went to my best friend Jamie's house to have dessert with her family. She tried to take a good picture of me with my brother, but instead we ended up with this.

For the first time since I started college, I won't be spending the entirety of Winter Break at home. Instead, I am going home from the 20th-26th and then am coming back into the city for the rest of break. I am definitely looking forward to being in my apartment without the stress of classes!

Be in love with your life

Long time no blog!

I can't believe Thanksgiving break is mere hours away! I am heading home tonight and am looking forward to a relaxing break from classes. Unfortunately, I do have a lot of work to get done while I'm home. This includes, but is certainly not limited to preparing for my Teach for America final interview next Wednesday!

Anyways, before we get into Thanksgiving break, let's backtrack a bit. The past few weeks have been filled with a lot of exciting things, especially Ambassador gatherings! Earlier in the month, Beckee had all of the Ambassador girls (and Andrew!) over her apartment and we had a blast. Then, last weekend, Kristin had all of the Ambassadors over for a classy potluck dinner party. We took five million pictures and had a wonderful time.

So, needless to say, I will miss being in the city with all of these wonderful people, but am definitely looking forward to cuddling with my dog on the couch for five days. Then, there are only two weeks of classes left when we get back, and then the Winter Ball! Things may be stressful, but there is certainly a lot to look forward to.

And with that, I am heading out of the office and back to the suburbs! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with lots of good food and good company!

Oh, Halloween

Happy November, everyone!

So, this weekend was Halloween. On Friday, I went home to babysit my brother while my parents had their annual Halloween Bash (they think they are 15). It was nice to spend some time with him and eat lots of leftovers from the party. I came back into the city on Saturday morning and went on a literary walking tour for extra credit for my American Realism class. It was a beautiful day for walking and I learned a lot! Now I just need to motivate myself to write a couple pages about it.

I spent the rest of Saturday catching up on my sleep and putting together my Halloween costume (I was an 80's aerobics instructor!). For the most part, I think Halloween is overrated, but I was determined to have a good one since it is my senior year. Josh, one of my best friends from home, had a Halloween gathering at his apartment in Brighton and I went with Beckee and Sarah. We saw a lot of awesome costumes and overall had a really good time.

Yesterday was another low-key day for me. I have been running myself dry during the week and love being able to just sit around and do nothing. It certainly makes it hard to get back into the swing of things during the week, though. This week looks like it will be a good one, though. Tomorrow night, Program Council is hosting a Sean Kingston and Girl Talk concert at the House of Blues and tickets are only $15! I am really looking forward to it.

This weekend looks like it's going to be pretty awesome, too. On Friday, Beckee is getting all the girl Ambassadors together at her apartment for a big slumber party. We had the idea weeks ago and I am so excited it is finally going to happen! There will be lots of food, truth or dare, and absolutely NO Ambassador boys!

Looks like there are a lot of exciting things happening this week! But for now, it's time to get back to work in the office and get through this long Monday of classes!

Fall is Here!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

This week seems to be dragging on especially slowly. I have had so much reading to do and so many papers to write over the past week that I am ready for a long nap. This weekend is Halloween, though, so I probably won't have much time to catch up on sleep!

Despite all the work I have had, I have still been able to take advantage of all things October. A couple weekends ago, I brought my roommate, Sarah, and my fellow Ambassador, Beckee home with me to go apple picking. We went with my best friend, Jamie, and my 4 year-old brother, John. It was a blast! My parents made us dinner and then we headed back into the city. Sometimes it is so nice to spend some time at home.

Last week, I started my internship at Teen Voices. I met the group of teenage girls I will be working with, and they were awesome. Together, we are going to be doing the Arts and Culture feature of the magazine, and I think it is going to be a really great experience. The girls seem very outgoing and mature, and I am looking forward to the rest of the semester.

Then, on Saturday, six of us worked at the Students with Students Information Session. It was the last one of the semester, so I was especially excited about it. Unfortunately, it was down pouring most of the morning, but luckily the rain held up while we were out giving tours. During the session, I spoke about studying abroad at Suffolk, and was reminded of how much I miss London. Applying to graduate schools there is one of the many things on my list of potential plans post-graduation, and there are some days when I feel like I need to go back as soon as possible.

And, like I said, this weekend is Halloween! I haven't exactly decided what I am going to be yet, but hopefully I will figure something out. I usually think Halloween is overrated because I never seem to have much fun, but now that it is my senior year, I am going to try to make the most of it and have a good time.

Is it Friday Yet?

I have had the craziest few days. I guess there is no time for senioritis!

On Friday and Saturday I had orientation for my internship at Teen Voices. It was a very long two days, but I am so excited to start working. On the 16th, I will find out which teenage girls I will be working with and which section of the magazine we will be writing for. My first choice is a section called "The Road to College," which I think would blend nicely with my work here in Admissions, but I will be happy with anything! I will be working alongside two girls aged 14-18 for 10 weeks while we come up with a feature article for the magazine. Getting to know and mentoring the girls is also a huge part of my work there. Ah, I am so excited!

Then, on Saturday I went out to dinner with my grandpa, his wife, and her daughter, since they were visiting from Buffalo. We went to the North End (of course), and then did some walking around the city. On Sunday I went home for the day and we all went to brunch. It's nice to go back to the suburbs sometimes, especially when the leaves are falling.

Yesterday I made my way back to my apartment in Somerville and started my new job at Banana Republic. I am a slave to retail jobs, apparently. Everyone there seems awesome, though, and my discount is 50%! Between working there, in Admissions, and as TA, I would like to think that my bank account will stay afloat, but that discount is going to be very dangerous!

I am especially looking forward to the long weekend. I could certainly use a day off to catch up on work and sleep!

Mid-week!

Happy Wednesday, everyone.

Things haven't picked up in the office yet, so there's lots of time for blogging. I just came back from giving a tour, and it's starting to get chilly outside. Soon, it will be time for winter coats! Ugh.

Luckily, today is a fairly easy day for me. I just have one class after I leave the office, and then I'm free to go home. Tonight I need to do a ton of reading and plan for SU101 tomorrow, but hopefully it won't take too long. Tomorrow will be busy, but I'm looking forward to it because there is going to be a performance of August Wilson's Fences in the C. Walsh Theatre. I am going to write an article about it for the Suffolk Voice (http://www.thesuffolkvoice.net/). I wonder how many times I've shamelessly plugged the Voice in this blog. Too many. Read it.

In addition to writing the occassional news article for the Voice this year, I am also writing a bi-weekly column about my experience as a college senior. I think I will spend most of this year in disbelief over the fact that in eight months I will have a college degree, so maybe rambling about it will ease my anxiety. I am actually pretty excited to graduate and get on with the next phase of my life. For right now, though, I am focusing on what exactly that phase will entail. I have a number of potential plans, all of which I will jinx if I write about them here, so stay tuned, and keep your fingers crossed!

Goodbye, September!

Good Morning, all!

It's officially fall here in Boston, and I really can't get over the fact that this Thursday marks the start of October. September flew by, and we are already three weeks into the semester! It has been a good start to senior year, though, and I am looking forward to the rest of it.

I have been having a great time exploring Porter Square, the area in Somerville where I live with my three roommates. It only takes me half an hour to get to school, and there are a ton of great little restaurants and shops near my apartment. Last night, my roommate, Sarah and I went to an adorable little diner and ate SO much. Over my past three years in the city, I think most of my money has gone towards food!

As far as commuting on the T goes, I have been pretty lucky, but on Friday I needed to come into work to give a tour and there was a disabled train in Harvard Station (the stop after mine), and it was going to be there for half an hour. So, after making various frantic phone calls and finding a cab, I made it into the city and found out that Meg was nice enough to bring the tour group out for me. I met up with them and took the tour the rest of the way, but it was a very nerve racking morning. Thanks for saving my tour, Meg!

This weekend I worked alongside seven other Ambassadors at the Students with Students Information session. We all love working this event, as it allows us the chance to really connect with prospective students and parents. A panel of Ambassadors spent the first half of the event speaking about various aspects of life at Suffolk, and then we took the families out on campus tours. The weather was great, and overall I think it was a hit! I am already looking forward to the next one on October 17th!

On Friday I will be starting my internship for the fall semester. I am going to be an Editorial Mentor at Teen Voices, a magazine made by, for, and about teen girls. I am going to be working on a section of the magazine with a group of high school girls who are on the Editorial Staff as they interview, write, and edit for the magazine. I think it's going to be a really great experience and it will certainly keep me busy!

Time to get some work done in the office. Happy fall!

Busy, busy

Happy Monday, blog readers!

I can't believe we are already in our third week of the semester. So far, my classes have been intense, but I am enjoying them. I am not looking forward to reading 200 pages for Contemporary British Fiction tonight, though.

I think I can justify my procrastination, though, because this Friday was my 21st birthday. My parents came in for dinner and my best friend from home, Jamie, came into the city to go out with me! I was so happy she was here for it and that I got to spend my birthday with so many wonderful people! Then, on Saturday Haley and Rachel hosted an Ambassador gathering at their apartment. It's always nice to get together with everyone outside of the office. A good time was had by all!

On Sunday, I woke up bright and early to go to the InterFuture Research Colloquium. At this event, my fellow InterFuture classmates and I presented our findings from the research we conducted abroad. It was great to see everyone again and hear about how their research went. It was also nice to get feedback from staff members and get into the mindset of doing the United States portion of my study.

This week looks like it will be a busy one. Today I need to buy my tickets for the Sean Kingston and Girl Talk concert hosted by Program Council and tomorrow is the Temple Street Student Activities Fair where I will be working at the Venture Literary Magazine table. The Fair gives students an opportunity to learn about different clubs on campus, and to get free food and prizes. It's always a chaotic, but fun day. I also have a ton of planning to do for my SU101 class on Thursday. My instructor and I are assigning the Suffolk Scavenger Hunt to our students and it is my favorite class of the semester! We send them out in small groups to search for different places on campus. It was a huge success with our class last year.

That's it for now. Time to get back to work in the office. Enjoy the week!

American Soil

Looking back on my last blog post, I can't believe it was almost five months ago that I returned home from London. The summer flew by and we are already getting back into the swing of things on campus. After a semester of doing my own research on my own time, it has been strange taking classes again, but I think it's going to be a good year. After all, I am a senior!

Coming back from London was difficult. Of course, I was a little homesick while I was there, but I would have stayed there all summer if I could have. I came home with $0 in my bank account and went back to work right away. I never stopped thinking about London, though, and can't wait to get back there as soon as possible. One major highlight of the summer was when my host family from London came to Boston to visit some old friends. It had only been a few months since I last saw them, but I already missed them so much and loved getting to see them.

On September 1st, I moved into an apartment with three other girls in Porter Square. It's about half an hour from school and I have loved exploring the area. And it sure beats commuting! As for classes, they seem pretty good so far. I am taking two English classes for my major and two Philosophy classes for my minor. I also recently got a job at Borders to that will keep me busy, too!

Now, it's time to get back to work in the office! Here is to a memorable (and hopefully not too difficult!) senior year!

Hmm

I don't like to admit it, but I have a terrible love for "The Way I See It" quotes on Starbucks cups. 83 days ago, as we sat in Logan Airport waiting to embark on our InterFuture adventures, Beckee and I read one by Youssou N'Dour. It said "People need to see that far from being an obstacle, the world's diversity of languages, religions, and traditions is a great treasure affording us precious opportunities to recognize ourselves in others".

Ain't that the truth. Goodbye, London.

Busy Bee

I clearly have never lived in a warm climate because the fact that it is 60 degrees and sunny has me jumping for joy. I don't want my last couple weeks in London filled with gray skies and rain!

Along with April and Tram, the other InterFuture scholars I am here with, I have been making an itinerary for our last weeks in London so that we are sure to see everything before heading back to Boston! Last weekend we went to a comedy night at a local pub and it was absolutely hilarious. It was fun to experience English humo(u)r at its best, and we are planning to go back there tomorrow evening. On Monday, we bought tons of food and had a picnic at Alexandra Park near our house on Muswell Hill, and later we went to see yet another musical in the West End - Spring Awakening - for only 10 pounds! Today, the plan is to check out Little Venice (although my guess is that it won't have anything on the North End), and tomorrow we are going on a tour of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre! There are also a few museums and markets we want to get to before we leave.

Three months ago I never would have thought that I'd still have sights to see in my last few weeks, but the time really does go by so quickly. You think you have all the time in the world, but somehow it slips right through your fingers. I have begun to check out graduate programs in London because I want to come back as soon as possible! And the best part is that it will be significantly cheaper to go to graduate school here than in the US. At the rate I change my mind, though, who knows what will happen?

My research has also picked up quite a bit in these last few weeks. I ended up going to that conference hosted by the Sex Education Forum and it provided me with mountains of information. I am also going into a school a few days before I leave to observe a sex education class and distribute my questionnaires to the students. Until then, though, I have been busy getting myself ready for the Amsterdam conference. We have to do a write-up of our project methodology - how we did our project, who we spoke to, what materials we collected, etc, and we have to prepare a 20 minute presentation on our initial findings. Unfortunately, there will also be a 10 minute Question and Answer session following each presentation, so it will take 7 hours for all 14 of us to present! As much as I am looking forward to being in Amsterdam with the other InterFuture scholars, I am beginning to realize that it is going to be yet another mentally fatiguing four days.

Spring Ahead

I am trying to update more frequently so that I can tell of all my London adventures!

A couple weekends ago, April (the other InterFuture scholar I am living with) and I went up North with our host sister, Ella, to visit the University of Sheffield. While Ella attended an Open House-type event, April and I explored the city and did some shopping. Lucky for us, it was an absolutely gorgeous day! I have really enjoyed getting out of London and seeing other parts of England during my time here.

Then, early last week, two fellow InterFuture girls, who are studying in Madrid, came to visit London for a few days. It was so nice to see them and exchange stories of our lives and research abroad. One of the nights they were here, we went to see the musical Avenue Q and it was absolutely hilarious. I am hoping to get to a few more shows in the West End before I leave. They have great discounts for students.

I also had an interview last week with a health educator at a local school. I loved talking with her, and she even gave me the name of someone else to contact for my research. Tomorrow, I will be attending a one-day sex education conference hosted by the Sex Education Forum, a subset of the National Children's Bureau. The day will be filled with presentations on research and new approaches to sex education. I am hopeful that it will provide me with a lot of good background information for my report, and also an opportunity to network with local health educators.

I really love it here. If I had the money and the means, I would stay for the summer in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, though, I will be going back to work at Aeropostale as soon as I get home so I can start saving for an apartment! I guess that brings me to the fact that I decided not to go to South Africa. It was a really difficult decision, but it just isn't the right time/situation for me. I know I will get there at some point, just not this Fall. I am looking forward to being in Boston for the entirety of my senior year. Although living in the city will empty my bank account, I won't have to get on the commuter rail every day, and I will get to see my friends more often. I think it will be a great year. But, of course, let's not jump the gun - I still have 3 weeks in London!

Chaos

The past week has been absolutely crazy! Last Friday my Mom and Aunt arrived in London and we spent the entire week sightseeing, shopping, and traveling! It was a lot different from the un-regimented, laidback time I have been spending in London for the past two months, but it was a nice change.

We spent Sunday as quintessential tourists: Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, a bus tour around the city, and shopping at Harrods. I also took them to Camden Market, a huge outdoor market with everything you could imagine, and we had dinner at the Tate Modern, an art museum with amazing views of London. Then, on Monday it was time for Paris! We were only there for a few days, but it was absolutely beautiful. I need to go back some day. Over the last few days of their stay, we went on a tour of the Tower of London, had afternoon tea at an adorable hotel, saw Abbey Road, and celebrated my Aunt's birthday. It was really nice to have them here. I had been a little homesick, and it was the perfect remedy. Now I am ready to continue work on my project and enjoy my final month in London!