I’m back in Illinois for Memorial Day weekend, seeing family and trying to get some much-needed relaxation coming off a mind-numbing semester. Yuka and I have managed to enjoy each other’s company a bit, and we even got each other some nice bracelets, for the hell of it. Just today I got my grades back, a B+ for each class, putting my semester GPA at 3.30, and my cumulative GPA at 3.55. It’s definitely nice to know that some of the stress I’ve put myself through over the last few months has paid off nicely.
Being back in late May has been a very different experience from my usual November/February visits. I’d forgotten how green, and how humid, the Midwest can be. I got to spend an afternoon lounging around the patio at Espresso Royale with Wes, which was great. Today I went down to Springfield and spent a few hours hanging out with my brother Bob, which was also very nice, and then drove to Peoria where I’ll meet up with Esti. It was a little strange driving through downtown Peoria and then into the vicinity of the Bradley University campus, as it brings back some memories of the two years I spent here going to school, nearly a decade ago now. Funny how much things can change, and how much they stay the same.
Tonight I’ll make an obligatory appearance at a campout that’s taking place just outside of C-U, tomorrow I’ll hang with Yuka and some friends who have also moved on from the U of I, Monday I’ll hang with the McCabe clan for Memorial Day, and Tuesday I’ll be back on my way to the land of endless pavement. Life is good.