Occupied

Bonjour, blogosphere!

I feel like I owe you guys a last (or maybe not last) "normal" blog before this blog becomes, again, "Stefanie's Travel Blog, Complete With Many, Many Photos All The Time". That is, I am sure you are familiar, how I tend to blog when I go abroad (for reference, see June-August of 2008) and, in case you missed the announcement:

I am studying abroad at Oxford for the months of July and August. It's a UT program, I'm taking two classes: "Gender, Genre, and the Gothic in 19th Century British Fiction" (my professor of this class has been calling us "Triple-G students" so I may just refer to it as my Triple-G class), and a Jane Austen class. I'm reading seven books (Northanger Abbey, Jane Eyre, and Dracula for Triple-G, and Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Emma, and Mansfield Park for my Jane Austen class.) I do have to write papers, I do have quizzes, I really should study while I'm there.

I've been rather quiet about it on the blog and on facebook, because I feel like I talk about it enough in real life, I don't want to beat it to death before I even go! No, I'm VERY excited, I'm going to have a TON of fun, and I'm going to see lots of family and friends when I go. I'm going to start packing (probably tonight when I can't sleep) but I leave on the 5th... and it's the 3rd right now. (!!!!)

Other things have been occupying my time... Miss Emma and some other families I've been babysitting, as well as working at a church on Sunday nights (more childcare) has been very occupying of my time. This is a good occupation (well, it's my JOB), because it's enabled me to save up enough money to save up some good spending money (on fun things as well as important things like food).

I've been spending time with Leslie, who is the girl who will be my roommate when I come back. She is so lovely! We've been seeing movies, eating frozen yogurt, and hanging out whenever we can! Like magic, she will be my roommate when I come back from England.

I haven't had much time to knit, and I haven't really been so good about reading all the books I need to before I go. But I am not worried - I will get it all done there.

One last thing I have been occupied with is my latest piece of fanfiction. I finally finished my initial edits of it (I made the manuscript bleed) and I've been working very hard on making it the best it can be. I'm very excited about this story - I think it'll be well-received!

Anyway, today I am off to hang out with my dad, and I've got a few errands I must run before I head out there. But perhaps I will blog again before I leave... Probably late at night when I'm packing or just need an outlet for the stress!