And Just Like That, I Was Done

Yesterday was my last day in language training.

It is weird, and kind of sad, for it to be over.

And anti-climactic too, since I took my test a week ago.

Suddenly, I was just done.

I asked my teacher if everyone was stupid after their tests, though I did feel less stupid by Friday. She said she didn't know...no one had ever hung around. They just took their test and disappeared. Which is what I suppose I would have done had my test been this week instead of last. But I didn't want to burn the extra leave.

I feel pretty good about my language skills. It still amazes me sometimes, as someone who studied languages throughout high school and college (plus had a grandfather who taught me some German as a kid) that the Department can take someone without a single word in a language and make them able to read and converse reasonably well in less than a year.

So now I settle in to the tasks of preparing to leave. My cleaning, sorting and tossing has to begin in earnest. I have just under six weeks left.

Last night, I broke down and bought my own ticket. I found that by paying for a round trip flight, I could end up paying more than $300 LESS than I would have to pay to be on the same flight one-way if the government "bought" the ticket. So I did it, since I was going to have to pay anyway. I also finally got my parrot's CITES certificate, and this morning, since I now have a paid ticket on the flight, I am going to make reservations for her and my dog.

I also set about scanning some important documents into my computer, not the least of which was the aforementioned CITES certificate. I really really do not want a repeat of what I went through getting her home from Jerusalem.

Why must getting to post be such a challenge EVERY.SINGLE.TIME?