can't wait to see you

it's funny how time changes things.

just over two months ago, i was desperate to get home after a long, drawn-out term that had been both physically and emotionally draining which was topped by, to put it bluntly, an extremely unkind exam timetable that saw me writing five of my eight exams one after the other. 

i reached near breaking point on Thanksgiving Day, three exams into my five-exam haul, and ended up writing this rather melancholic post as an outlet for how blah i was feeling, as well as an attempt to see... something good in my days, despite how i was feeling. then i put on my brave face, rolled up my sleeves, ate a couple pounds of chocolate (well, not quite... but close enough!), soldiered through my last two exams, packed my mountainous amount of junk up into boxes and suitcases and hit the road. (figuratively, you understand.)

fast forward 9 weeks.

tomorrow - exactly 63 days since making my way home - my sister and i will clamber aboard an early-bird Kulula flight (6:55AM may just equal death, but i'll get back to you on that one) and make our way back to the borough of GHT. 

i know i'll miss home - especially in these last few days, i've experienced things so unique to this town that they made my heart simultaneously swell with love for it and ache to be separated from it - but it's time to go. i'm excited about starting second year - about being reunited with some of the beings i love the most in this world, seeing old friends again, getting to know and love new people, diving into my studies (which may sound weird... but SRSLY, i'm keen!), writing songs and being amazed by the goodness that is my bandmates, being actively involved in the society committees of which i form a part, learning to play tennis (*cue much laughter here, folks*), walking around town, debating and dancing and singing and studying and laughing and living... the list goes on.

something i'm MOST excited about this year is sharing my varsity world with one of the most beautiful girls i know. the wonderful Cathryn - easily one of my best friends in this life - is starting her first year at Rhodes. i found out yesterday that she'll be living in a res that's about five minutes away from my own. i couldn't be more thrilled at the thought of getting to live in the same town as this girl (if you know her, you'll know what i'm talking about) - and not even in the same town, but so close! it fills me up to the absolute brim with joy... careful, i might just overflow with it all right now :)

so, here's to second year... 

can't wait to see you, i can't wait to hold you.

i love excuses...

"why are you all dressed up?"

"why are you acting so precocious?"

"why are you curled up on the couch reading a book instead of doing something exciting?"

"why are you grinning so much?"

"why are you speaking in gibberish?"

"why do you get to decide what's for dinner and where it's at?"
"why are you suddenly wearing an old oversized jersey and rugby shorts now?"

"why is everyone paying you so much attention?"

well, do you want the short answer?...

BECAUSE IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TODAY!* :)

i love having an excuse to get dressed up, to act nuts, to feel loved by people, to do things which i love, to make memories that will last. i know that i should be doing this EVERY day... but i appreciate that there's a special day when i get to feel extra-spoilt and loved and accepted and whatnot :)

i have been so blessed when i look at the people God has placed in my life - my family, my friends, everyone - and the way they honestly adore me, despite how stupid i can be sometimes. 

so here, have some cake... or at least, a photo of the phenomenal cake which my sister made for me (yes, it's real!) 

...and enjoy the rest of my 19th :)

*also because i'm awesome... but hey, that's beside the point.

celebrations

first off, forgive me for being absent, AGAIN, without notice or reason. the last time i posted was right before my return home; i've now been home a total of 6 weeks, all of which have been wonderful. and i'm sure you can guess why!

besides the sheer niceness of just being home, there have been a couple celebrations... celebrations which i'm sure (or almost sure) you also partook in. so, without further ado....

and...

:) hope you all have had the sweetest season possible!

today also happens to be another momentous occasion in my family, because, it's someone's birthday... and that someone is my big brother, Huw :) this day in 2012 is particularly special because today he turned... wait for it... THIRTY! 

how awesome is that? :) i've teased him all day (over the internet... my heart is sad because i can't be in the same place as him today, but i think i've bugged him sufficiently using technological platforms to ensure that he knows how much i adore him ;) ) about turning "old", but i honestly think 30's a pretty cool milestone to reach. 

and how about another reason to celebrate? (they don't stop, really...) as of just more than a month ago, Huw is engaged to be married to the beautiful Mary-Elyse! my heart couldn't overflow with more happiness for the two of them. i'm so unbelievably glad that M.E. gets to be with Huw on his day - considering the distance they usually are from one another. [Huw lives in Johannesburg, South Africa; M.E. lives in the US somewhere. you can tell that i haven't done my homework properly, huh? but it's enough to tell that it's FAR!]

here's a little doodle i made for Huw, since i'm on holiday and have nothing much else to do with my time... (and no, i didn't draw the little critters... they're dings :P)

(and yes, that is, in fact, what my hair is beginning to look like. i'll post a photo soon.)

in other good news, i'm back in the land of the blogging, my birthday is in two weeks (!) and i'm on vacation for another three weeks!

how fares everyone else? :)