well i'm finally done. i've graduated with my masters. i can't even begin to describe how freeing this has made me feel. i was so unmotivated and uninspired to get my work done these last few classes. it was almost painful. and now looking back, what can i say... well, i did a lot of catch up as brendan just mentioned today. i really farted around a lot with my undergrad and all my travels around latin america and the rest of the world. but in the end, i guess i caught up to the rest of my age group in terms of salary and position. but it sure took a lot of catch up.

today, we went out for lunch to our local bar, Hawkeyes. I had two Corona Lights. last weekend we had lunch with my mother and sister and i had two martinis. tonight it took everything in my power not to finish off a bottle of wine. i suspect that alcohol will be my new best buddy. its odd to think that i was staying sober for school and not my job.

the job is going well, i guess. i suppose i've adapted to the chaos and have started to find ways to cope. though i honestly am looking forward to putting that place behind me too. the pace is hectic and i suspect a year of this will burn me out. but i did start taking advantage of the health club and even dragged brendan along who is actually excited about it now and is helping motivate me to go in the mornings before work. its a good habit to get into and it will help bring my body out of the chubby frumpyness that school has turned me into.

next month we're going to yugoslavia for two weeks. we fly into belgrade and meet up with friends and family there for a week. my dying grandparents are saving their last breath to see us, or so they say. then we will go to the montenegro coast and chill out for another week. there's quite a few lovely places to see... sveti stefan, budva, herceg novi, and we'll even go into croatia to see dubrovnik. i've been to all of these places but not since i was very small so i think it will be nice to see them all again now that i'm a grown woman. i look forward to the culture shock brendan will experience.

but before that... summertime in chicago. my favorite time of year. all we talk about is how nice it is to enjoy good weather and how great it would be to live in a place with year round nice weather. san diego seems to come up a lot. i ought to do a little more research on the quality of life out there before i get too excited about the idea.