"Who knew, all we had to do is party"

School is such a time warp.  A week on campus is faster than a week anywhere else, it seems.  Ally and I arrived Saturday afternoon to settle in, and I was welcomed by the accommodations of Veronica at the Green House.  My ID card still worked (take that, res life!), so on Sunday I hauled my luggage back to Habitat where a desk on the upstairs landing and my former room (with both former roomies) became home base.
I can only think of one person that week I never had the chance to see, because everyone was dumped into their full-time routines of being students again.  I was actually pretty busy as well, but before the psychosis of school work really settled in, we had time to do silly things.

... Like dressing up an armadillo that was sitting in the heat duct of the kitchen of the Green House and dubbing him Jacques Dillion.

And cooking food.

And cooking more really delicious food.  

It was fantastic working in the spacious glory of The Annex kitchen, another theme house on campus. 

And staring at beautiful walls in the library while trying to read journal articles with the pitifully ironic realization of being the only one in the library without even taking classes on campus this semester.
#notyetabroadproblems

And celebrating!

Twenty of us jammed into a suite to surprise Holly for her 21st birthday this past Thursday, also on the same day as another friend, so the partying continued all night.  Holly here demonstrates an excellent example of being iced, with a special St. Lawrence dynamic: you only have about 15-20 seconds to finish it, depending on how fast everyone sings, "Weeee like to drink with (name) ..." and so on!  I know our school probably doesn't want to be associated with such a game, but at least the NY Times speculated the game's origins correctly here!

Anyway, that's where the photographic evidence ends for the week.
We stayed warm with layers on layers (once wearing a sleeping bag as a cape), though still exposed ourselves too much at night, hustling around to party.  We drowned inhibitions, stopped caring and danced like fools (that was probably just me), held, yelled, hugged, kissed, and parted with what I'm hoping will only be temporary farewells.  Each goodbye had its own demented beauty-- of desperation, disbelief, reluctance, finality and joy.  Because we know I'm off to do great things while they remain and do great things.

Just another kick ass week with some really wonderful people in the middle of nowhere.  

And yes I know, I am so dramatic.

After stewing in transit purgatory hungover and exhausted, off I was into the Floridian sunset.
Mission 'Nicole-needs-to-keep-her-psyche-in-tact-before-leaving-for-China' has officially begun.

Listening: "Avec Mes Mecs" by Humans.