Winding Down

So the semester is (almost) officially over!  I have a class tomorrow evening and a class next Wednesday and I can welcome Christmas break.  I have everything finished for my poetry class and I just have to finish that pesky 20-page paper that keeps hovering over my head for my film class.  At least I have 12-pages already - now to wait for my professor to hand back my rough draft with revision suggestions so I know what I need to do to finish up. 

The end of this semester is exciting for me because it means that I only have one more semester left to finish my graduate program!  When I started my masters a year-and-a-half ago, everyone thought I was crazy to go straight from my undergrad to grad school, but I'm glad I did.  (Although I am so tired of being in school, so it might be a couple years before I apply to PhD programs, but that's the eventual goal!)  I will graduate in May with a Master of Arts in English with a concentration in creative writing.  What exactly will I do with my degree?  Not sure, but I do know I want to write.  A lot.  So that's just what I'll do.

Along with graduation comes the infamous independent writing project.  I need to get a head start on my proposal over Christmas break so I can dive right in once the spring semester comes around.  I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head - I can't wait to get them down on paper.

My first semester of teaching is officially over, as well, except for all of the final papers I still have to grade.  It was a good semester despite going into it not knowing a thing about what I was doing.  I don't do well speaking in front of crowds, but I got over that quickly.  I very much enjoyed my class at the Elkhart center and will miss not teaching there next semester.  (One of my Elkhart students sent me an email that said "I wished I could have had you for all of my classes."  Aww.)   

Justin is finished with his "coursework" for his psychology degree this month!  He has worked so hard and I am very proud of him.  He has a final research project he has to complete in the spring, but other than that, he is ready to graduate!  I can't believe we'll both participate in commencement in May.  I'm excited for us to share that moment with each other. 

Justin and I have been Mr. and Mrs. Samson for a month and a half.  Married life has been great!  It's an amazing feeling to be married to your best friend.  Justin is looking for a different job since his academic career is coming to an end (so excited for him!) and I'm trying to work through the ins and outs of writing.  The things you learn about your spouse as you work through newlywed life together are so exciting and new.  Things I've learned - Justin must watch Craig Ferguson every night, no matter what time he has to be up in the morning.  He doesn't play video games nearly as much as I thought he did.  He is an amazing cook and he is extremely helpful around the house.  I'm sure he is navigating married life with me just the same.  He has learned when I have my hearing aids in and when I don't (and how to handle my hearing impairment as well as how to change the batteries in my hearing aids), that I'm not such a good cook, that I have to read before I go to bed, and that I might be a little bit of a neat-freak.  I love our life together.