Connecticut Fever

This last week or so has been very uneventful. "What?" I hear you cry, "uneventful?" How so when this week has marked the holiday where approximately 1 billion cards are sent world wide (second only to Christmas!) and the day when Hallmark and chocolate companies reap in the profits. Why I am of course referring to the day that Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent on the telephone in 1876... no? Alright, alright it was Valentines Day. There I said it. The dining hall was decked out with flowers and hearts and pink and red desserts were in abundance; heart shaped cupcake anyone? Outside students were selling "candy grams -  to be delivered to your sweetheart on Valentines Day"* and people wandered the campus carrying roses, boxes of chocolates and bouquets. Disgusting, happy, lovey, dovey people. I on the other hand spent my evening at a film screening for my Shakespeare and Film Class watching Tim Blake Nelson's fabulous adaptation of Othello. Nothing like a nice tragedy with death and destruction in a room full of virtual strangers and a professor on Valentines Day!**

This week has also seen plenty of reading and the arrival of a few essays so I've been a very busy bee. But I have to admit I struggled. Last semester I very much got into the spirit of working and was relatively pleased with my process of planning, drafting and editing my essays. Well it seems that in 2012 this has all just gone to pot. I struggled. Boy did I struggle, I just could not remember how to write an essay. Thesis statement? What on earth's that? Topic Sentence? Well where does that go? Needless to say I eventually managed to crank something out at half 11 at night and luckily it's just a draft.

The next day whilst, perhaps slightly melodramatically, explaining the impending failure of my degree my friend pointed out that "I probably just need a break, we haven't left campus since we arrived". She was right. FIVE WHOLE WEEKS and I haven't left campus. No wonder I'm going stir crazy and every now and then cracking out into dance, speaking in funny voices and generally being a bit weird. Luckily that is all about to change. As I mentioned a few weeks ago (precisely five actually!) Emily, Rachel and I got together to plan a number of trips and outings and the first big one has arrived.... Philadelphia here we come....

*"And none for Gretchen Weiners" was repeated just too many times...
** I did of course receive a lovely card from Nick and the promise of a romantic meal when I'm back. Definitely holding you to that one!