NEWS! NEWS! Read all about it!

Countdowns:
Finish My Junior Year: 2 Days
Move out of Dorms: 2 Days
Summer 2011 Finally Begins: 2 Days (can you tell Tuesday night is very much anticipated??)
My 21st Birthday: 23 Days
Leave for Rwanda: 40 Days

I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! Granted, I might still hit a few bumps on the way to the ever closer ending (aka two more finals) but I'm convinced I will at least survive the journey that is the spring semester of my junior year! Success.

So my lease started on the apartment friday. And guess what? The AC broke. That day. What. The. Hell?! I already have a blossoming bond with the apartment maintenance men after only 12 hours of ownership. Very kind gentlemen, but telling me the part needed to fix the AC won't be available until monday morning almost made me throw a famed Rachel Rant and hissy fit. Luckily, I refrained, because they were full of remorse and assured me the problem would be fixed first thing monday morning. Let's hope they weren't fibbing...

Other than the AC mishap, the apartment is coming along nicely. The kitchen is practically complete. I bought the happiest kitchen accessories. I think it may be my favorite room in the house. Green and yellow and just so plum smiley! I have an amazing blender equipped with a food processor so I've already made a handful of icy margaritas and batches of salsa. YUM. Oh the simple pleasures in life...

I'm glad to be cooking again. It is such a wonderful way to turn your brain off and focus on a rewarding craft. I never thought I'd enjoy cooking even a little bit, but after my semester in London I love it to the utmost. Such a perfect start, middle, and end to the day if you ask me. I think I've gotten quite good at it as well, and I always love refining my skills :)

Last night we had an Apartment Warming Party. It was nice, small, and fun (minus the fact that it was freakin hot). Luckily for everyone who attended, I had an ingenious idea to make hand fans out of the card board boxes I had around the house. They really came in handy. How poor college kid can you get? Sitting and hanging out in an empty apartment lacking air conditioning and using card board fans to cool yourself while drinking? So hilariously stereotypical. It was a colleg-y good time, and I have no complaints about it at all.

Today I bought my flight to Rwanda! I am SO excited. It is going to be the trip of a lifetime. I may never come back... haha! I'm going to be playing "Waka Waka" the South African World Cup song by Shakira the whole length of the flight over! Seriously. "It's time for Africa!"

I also got some amazing news the other day. I have been granted permission to take the Foreign Service Test! They don't just let anyone take it so I've officially made it past the first round of cuts! I take the exam June 7th at 2pm! Everyone be thinking about me that day, because I wanna knock this one out of the park! I don't know if I've ever wanted something this bad in my life. If I become an FSO right after I graduate from undergrad, I'd probably be the happiest person on earth. No joke. My future would be set, and I know I'd enjoy my job for the rest of my life. I'd be one of the lucky few who wakes up everyday loving the job I do and the life I lead :) SO EXCITING. I appreciate all the prayers and thoughts ya'll always send my way!

xoxo