How to Disappear Completely (For TWO Years): Ready to start

I know, I know - it's been a while. But, in case you hadn't gotten an idea from before, we have been really busy here. Fortunately, tonight, I'm going to get the opportunity to breathe a little bit. After being so tired and overwhelmed around a week ago Tuesday that I felt on the verge of a slight mental breakdown, I finally feel like I've caught up to a reasonable place with everything. Granted, I was about to fall asleep in my dinner plate thanks to my last night spent catching up, but then again, everyone else in class is in the same boat, so we've got a good support group(i.e. lots of people to whine to). And now, I'm feeling pretty good.

Just the whole stress of this research paper has been hanging over my head, and it didn't help that I felt a little lost and unable to start in the beginning. But now, I've got my topic settled and my ideas more focused: religious rhetoric in conflicts, specifically in Cyprus. And after working all evening (and a little into the morning - yes, Mom, I am a night owl...), I got positive feedback from my professor at our meeting today, rather than the worried looks he seemed to be giving me at my meeting just two days ago. And all of a sudden, I'll be interviewing experts for my paper beginning next week. It's finally starting to come together!

Speaking of my professor: Lefty continues to amaze us in class. Not only does he bring in fascinating people to speak with us - Nobel Peace Prize nominees and such - but then, in the middle of class, he'll throw out a random and amazing fact about his life, as if it were nothing. For example, he was in Berlin when the wall fell. He worked for years in NATO and the UN.

Oh, he and his wife had a private, sit-down meeting with Nelson Mandela. No big.

And today's tidbit: Kofi Annan (former Secretary General of the UN) is one of his Skype contacts. Again, this is presented as if it's no big deal to Lefty. And then we students look around in amazement: Did he actually just say that he talks to Kofi Annan via Skype?!??!? Yes, yes, he did.

In other news, we leave for Cyprus in exactly a month!!!!!

Here are some pictures stolen from other people: