:) MEXICO EVE! I won't be blogging for a while because it's off to Mexico for me with the one and only St. Olaf Band to bring instruments and joy to Mexican people. I'm nervous about a few things, one of them being my lack of Spanish skill, but I'm sure this will be a completely wonderful and life-changing time. I'll update ya'll when I'm home again!

LA LA LA! Our pretour concert went really well! And the best part was that my family came! Mom, Dad, Noah, my Auntie Diane and my little cousin Chloe!!! It was sooo exciting to have that much support in the crowd. I was so thankful to be making music for them, just for being able to before heading south. And speaking of that, we're so close to the tour that I can even taste it! My suitcase is packing and I have only two more days of class! I made it! Well, am making it! This is going to be a life-changing experience, I just know it. :) Time to email my boy and then head to bed.

The week has finished! :) I've treated myself to a pretty stress-free weekend to make up for perhaps a slightly more daunting schedule over the last few days. "Under the Tuscan Sun" is a great movie about life in general. I think I'm going to have to watch that one with Jimmy as soon as it comes out on video. Tomorrow is the pre-tour concert, so I better get myself to sleep. Goodnight!

Ugh! Life is so miserable right now! Last night I caught something... a cold? The beginnings of the flu? I don't know. But it's continued through today. I missed rehearsals and morning class. But that's ok -- we've been told pretty clearly that we need to take time out to get healthy before the trip should we fall ill now. So that's not a problem. I guess it's the class that's frustrating me at the moment. It's mostly that the course work seems undoable. I know that it was encouraged to do readings while at home -- hundreds and hundreds of pages, mind you -- but if you had ordered your books like me and they hadn't come, you were SOL. And now, the amount of work assigned is IMPOSSIBLE for anyone to complete each night. The only people who are up to date are those who read most of it over break. I'm sad. :( I know nothing about Mexico or Mexicans anyway, aside from environmental issues and believe me, they've got bigger things to worry about. We have an exam tomorrow and I'm freaking out. I feel like I know nothing. It's 30 points and 30% of our grade. Each question is a percentage point off of your final grade! AHHH! What am I going to do!? Other than FAIL!? I don't want to switch to pass/fail because I need the GE, but what choice do I have if I cannot learn all of Mexican culture by tomorrow afternoon!?

This is all making me hysterical. I think I better stop. I wish Jimmy was here. He would definitely not let me keep worrying manically. But I can't think about that either! No use getting worked up. I'll just miss him more.

Damn computer -- has lost like three of my attempted bloggings in the last week, so here's a short recap of all the things I've been trying to say:

-New Years was wonderful. Jimmy came down and visited for a couple days. We went to the dinner theatre, saw a show and danced. Then we went back to my house and drank champagne with my parents and I got giggly. Haha. He ended up staying an extra night because there was fog when he tried to leave. I also got my Christmas presents from him -- a beautiful teddy bear made of like 20 carefully cut out pieces of wood that interlock and are sanded and stained. It's totally unbelievable how well its made! And then, I got a big, squishy teddy bear to match. He does spoil me!
-Truth be told, every single moment I spent with Jimmy over break was wonderful. He's an extraordinary guy and he's perfect! And, we're perfect for each other. This is all terribly exciting for me!!! I think he's like the guy. If everyone has a person out there that there supposed to meet, with whom they "click" more than anyone they've met so far, then methinks I've met him!
-Campus life before leaving for the great Mexican tour is absolutely exhausting!! We get up in the morning to be in class at 8:30. At 10:30 we rehearse. 12 is for lunch. 1:30 it's back to class. 3:30 is more rehearsing until dinner at about 5:15ish. And by then, all you want to do is curl up into a ball and sleep. Our profs assigned us a ton of reading for such a daunting schedule. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be doable and we have a test approaching on Thursday. Methinks it's time for some major bandie bonding study sessions. ALLITERATIONS GALORE! :)
-I miss Jimmy!!! He's off galavanting around Europe with the Grand Tour (for great con). Certain persons who shall remain nameless would certainly have loved to go on said con tour but they were already engaged in Mexican fiestas. He was delayed a day in leaving because of the weather in Chicago, but hopefully now he's in the air, perhaps close to Amsterdam?? OMG... I can't believe he's so far away! It seems surreal now to think of him being that far away from me and it's only going to get farther. Meg is staying over in their room to visit Jacob. I don't want to go in their room while Jimmy is gone if I don't have to. How odd is that! It would just not be good. I'm sure he's having a great time and hopefully they'll find his luggage at some point! My poor boy... not having his luggage while staying over night in the cities. I miss you, punk! Oh well... Jan will be long, but it'll be good for the both of us.

I better go read some more! Talk to ya'll later!