During class on Wednesday I went to two meetings, one was about studying abroad and the other meeting was orange connection. Both of the meetings had to do with traveling to another area for a certain amount of timer For study abroad I would have an interest in going abroad for a May term so I can get the feel of the country but not stay away for too long. Orange connection is about going to the Chicago area and shadowing someone in your profession for a short time. Both of those I had some interest in, but I think that I want to wait till my junior year to go abroad or go on the Chicago trip. In study abroad we learned that studying abroad doesn't cost much more than being on campus so that takes away one of my worries of studying abroad. I am glad that I was able to learn about these opportunities, and since my adviosor meeting is coming up I am glad I get to plan accordingly to my interests.

It feels great to be home. I am really happy that I get to be home for fall break. I get to see my family and catch up with all the things that I have missed in town since I have been gone. My friends that are still in high school are in town as well which it was really nice to be able to see them as well. I went to go see my grandma today, it was very hard to see her this way, but it was still really nice to see her. Since I have been home my choir director invited me to come to musical practice to see how it is coming along. I really loved hearing a little bit of what the high school is singing for musical this year. I really love being at Wartburg, but coming home made me realize I still love being home as well. Since I have been here it made me realize how much I missed being home and how I should come home and visit more often.

I had my first outfly today! I had a lot of fun during my very first outfly. Me and a big group of people stayed over at one of our two friends room in anticipation of outfly. At 6 in the morning we heard the people screaming that it was time for outfly. When we got out to the bell we heard all the announcements and then we went to breakfast. My friends and I got into the Mensa right away so we got done with breakfast pretty early. I took a nap so that I would be rested for the day before the events all started. Later that day I went to the bouncy houses and participated in all the other activities they had planned. Later that day I did some math homework that was due tomorrow regardless of if it was outfly or not, so I still had to get it done. Later me and my friends went to the movie Castaway. after the movie we searched for Zach Sommers. I had a friend who worked in the special dining and could figure out from the clues where Zach was hiding. We searched and we found him. The prize for finding him was 100 dollar gift card, since their was five of us we split the money and he said he will see what else he can get us. For my first outfly I had a lot of fun and I really hope the next three years of outfly can be just as fun.

I am really looking forward to outfly. I thought for sure that outfly would have been Monday but it wasn't. Since it was not Monday I thought that it might be today. I am really looking forward to a break and outfly would give me a nice break. I do not want outfly to be to close to fall break so I am hoping that it is sometime this week. I want outfly to be tomorrow but I do not want to bank on it. I am really hoping that outfly is sometime this week. People told me that it had to be before fall break, but they also told me that it had to be before homecoming so I don't know what to believe. I have a joke with my friends that outfly is just a joke that they play on the underclassmen. I am hoping that outfly is sometime this week, but I don't want to bank on it and get my hopes up.

I got a call from my mother over the weekend, the cancer that my grandma has is spreading at a very rapid rate. The doctors decided that giving her chemo would just make her feel sick and miserable for the time she has left, since it is spreading so fast and the chemo can't get rid of the cancer they have stopped giving my grandma chemo. My grandma is handling the news really well, she even said at least I will have my appetite back for the time I have left. My grandma said she had a good life and that the one regret she has is that she smoked earlier in her life. She said it made her children not want to be around her while she was smoking, and then when she quit the long term affect is the cancer she has now. I have plans to go visit her during my fall break so I am hoping that it is a good visit and that I get to see her again. The doctors have given her a month left to live and I am happy that I will get to go see her soon.

Music has been a huge part of my life. On campus I have my first performance of Kastle Kapers tonight, at home my friends that are still in high school  are getting ready for their musical in less than a month.  This weekend the music program on campus is going to be performing for the homecoming chapel. At my hometown they re doing the musical Godspell, some of my best friends from high school are in the musical this year. I am really looking forward to being able to perform this weekend for all the alumni that are coming. I am also looking forward to going home and seeing my family and my high school's musical.

This weekend was a good weekend because my parents got to visit. My little brothers didn't get to visit because they got called into work. When my parents were visiting I got some bad news about my grandma. When my parents were here they told me that my grandma was told that she has lung cancer. The lung cancer has been spreading as well so the doctors told her that she has about a year left to live. My grandma is taking it really well and she said she just wants to make the most of the year. It may seem like a long time to people it might seem like well that's not till next year, but when you have been with this person for your entire life it's hard to imagine that she only has one year left. My weekend was ended on a positive note when my older brother came to the area to look at a car and came to visit with me. All of these events have lead me to the conclusion that I need to keep in contact with my family.