6 weeks and 5 days...

Yes. You read that right. I only have 6 weeks and 5 days until I board the plane for home. I'm having a few mixed emotions about that. I'm ready to see everyone at home who I have missed so much, but I don't want to leave the good friends I've made here. I am definitely ready for summer, but it is so gorgeous here! So, I only have 20 days of classes left, 1 "study week" with no classes, and 2 weeks of exams. Oh... something I am also ready for is a good home cooked meal! This cafeteria food is just not cutting it!

On to other news, I haven't really been too busy the past few weeks. Last Friday, a huge group from the Hall (where I am living) went to the city to a place called the Woolshed. Ok, so this is a bar downtown with a MECHANICAL BULL!! Those of you who know me know that I really enjoy a challenge (maybe a little too much sometimes). I was so excited to try my luck on a mechanical bull. I don't really understand the appeal, but it was even more appealing once I saw that the blow up ring that you are thrown onto was an American flag. Yep... challenge accepted. The majority of the people who try their hand at a mechanical bull are pretty intoxicated, so I had the mislead belief that since I was not intoxicated I would have an easier time holding onto that bull. Boy was I wrong. Lesson #1: Do not wear blue jeans when you are going to ride a mechanical bull. They make you slide off the bull really easy. Lesson #2: It is just as hard to get onto the bull as it is to hold on (especially if you are a little vertically-challenged). Lesson #3: It is NOT easy! Ok, so I did ok the first time, but the second time (you are given 3 times), I ended up cutting a back flip. Don't ask me how, because I had no control over that. It did look pretty impressive on the video though. :) Anyway, along with the back flip, I somehow managed to hit the side of my face on the body of the bull. I got out of that turn with a nice bruise on the side of my face that was a pretty blue and later on in the week a pretty yellow. That did not stop me from finishing my 3 turns though. My third turn started off with the decision that I was going to run and jump onto the bull to make it easier on myself. I'm telling you, this thing was made for men so it is really hard for a short girl to get on. Well, I ended up backwards on the bull. Once I turned around so that I could hold onto the rope, I did not last long my third turn. It really is not as easy as I was hoping. However, I plan on going back to conquer that bull before I leave! Hopefully I will be posting later that I stayed on the bull for as long as they will allow. :) But, for those of you who would like to try your luck at a mechanical bull, remember: Do not wear jeans (I would recommend shorts) and do not take it lightly. Along with being completely owned by a machine, I had the best time dancing. I had not danced that much in a while, so I was enjoying the oldies being played (Cotton-eyed Joe, Summer of 69, etc.)! I got back that night and realized that I had definitely danced for about 4 hours straight. Oh! I also taught some of the Australians the Electric Slide. They had never seen the dance! I still don't know what they do when the song comes on. I just don't understand.

Fridays must be dancing nights, because last night we had Swing Dance class. Swing dancing is a lot like Shag dancing at home, so I basically knew what to do. What made the class interesting was that there were only 2 males and about 15+ females. So, I ended up being the "male" and learning how to lead. Since swing dancing is so similar to shag dancing, I was doing everything backwards. It was extremely confusing for me and my partner, because I tended to go into the opposite step a few times. Oh well.... It was a lot of fun and next week, I'm going to have a male partner go with me so that I don't get confused! :)