With my departure date approaching a little too quickly -- though other days, not nearly quick enough, due to the crummy Minnesota weather we've been having lately! -- it's come to my attention that I have A LOT to do yet. I'm sure I'll get motivated sometime in the next few days to actually pack my suitcases... clean my room which has been a disaster since I moved home in December... and, most importantly, organize the stuff I'm not gonna use for the next 2 years in tightly sealed boxes so my siblings can't get to my precious belongings and be tempted to use and/or ruin my things while I'm gone. But all of these things would be accomplished so much more efficiently, if I just continued to put them aside for a little longer and then attacked the situation hardcore a day or two before I leave, pulling an all-nighter, if necessary, to finish stuffing things into my suitcase before leaving for the airport early that Wednesday morning.
You see, I'm a polished and successful procrastinator, having been perfecting the art of doing things at the very last minute since about 7th grade. In fact, some of my very best work has been done last minute: Example 1 - memorizing crazy math formulas the hour before the test WHILE in orchestra rehearsal; Example 2 - starting my beautiful 18-page creative story/character analysis/final paper for my Honors Great Books class at midnight and submitting it via email at 7:55am to meet the 8:00am deadline with perfect timing. Besides, I'd much prefer to spend my last days in America visiting family and friends, relaxin' around a bonfire while making s'mores, and doing stereotypical American things, like lounging at the pool, having a Harry Potter movie marathon in an air-conditioned house, and eating super cheesy pizza and McDonald's fattening french fries.
As I prepare for my departure, I've begun to take note of my "lasts" in America. Last time wearing some of my favorite clothes and shoes that won't be making the trip with me, before packing them away or getting rid of them altogether. Last time substitute teaching (for awhile, anyways) and it couldn't have ended on a higher or more perfect note -- I subbed for music and got to teach the elementary kids my favorite songs and then belt out Justin Bieber and High School Musical songs with the junior high kids! And even last "American" meals, which have consisted of bacon cheeseburgers, chocolate ice cream, fresh asparagus from Mom's garden, Canadian bacon & pineapple pizza, watermelon, and a lots of other stuff, mostly junk I shouldn't be eating but have been craving lately, knowing that I might not get some of this greasy, over-processed, excessively-sugared food for awhile.
This past week has also brought me wonderful last times with many of my friends. In a jam-packed car, we went to the movie theater at 10 at night to see "Hangover 2" and laughed a lot...at the movie cuz it was, well, funny, as well as at the fact that the majority of the audience was comprised of high school kids (which made me feel reallllly old). But these weren't just any kids. They were students. Who I taught. Who, somehow, knew me. Even though I wasn't in "teacher" clothes. Awwwwwkward. Especially when they all stared at me as I walked in. And when some of the girls came up to me and said, "Hey, Miss Hauth! I didn't know you liked movies!" (jeesh, why wouldn't I like movies?!?). And even more so when some of the tough guy athletes gave me that head jerk/nod/bob thing that they do to each other as they strut through the school hallways. Good thing the school year's over and I'll soon be an ocean away, otherwise I'm sure this next school year would allow me to hear and/or be blackmailed with plenty of "Miss Hauth! Remember the time we saw Hangover 2 together?" comments. I'm gonna miss all those kids...
In addition, I also had the opportunity to spend a day with each of my best friends: Erin Kodet (and her husband Andrew), Mya Herscher (and her hubby Dan), and Sarah Jensen (no husband to claim ownership over yet, and now she has to wait until I get back in 2 years to get married...). I had a lot of fun with each of them, although it was simultaneously bittersweet, knowing that it was our last time hanging out and having deep conversations in person, for a long time. A lot of hugs were exchanged, tons of good luck wishes, and even a few tears. They all wrote me a message in the back of my photo album book (which you can view at the link found on the photo page of this blog), and I promised them I wouldn't read what they wrote until I was on the airplane to Africa and officially out of the United States. It's really tempting to go right now and look at what they left me, but so far I've resisted the urge to peek! And I'll have to ignore that temptation for several more days yet. Eleven, to be exact.
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