I didn't go to Speech class yesterday. Why, you ask? Because it's OVER! Woo! Class ended last Thursday, in fact. I just haven't gotten around to writing about it until now.

The last day of class was pretty awesome, actually. My professor is the coolest, because he took the whole class out to breakfast! I think there were eighteen of us, total. He paid for eighteen meals! Who does that? My awesome professor, that's who!

We started out with about thirty people at the beginning of class, but a lot of people dropped partway through. What we were left in the end was a great group of people; people who loved laughing together, who got along, people willing to be vulnerable in front of one another by sharing some really personal thoughts and experiences through our speeches. Panic attacks, friends dying from car wrecks and terminal illnesses, teachers who taught us to love learning for the sake of knowledge... These are only a few of the subjects touched on as we stood in front of the class every week and poured our hearts out, while remembering to project our voices and to stop saying "so" too often (or "you guys" at all). It was a lot of fun, which I wasn't expecting. I'm actually sad that it's over now. It was a short-term semester and it really did go by all too quickly.

Our last assignment was that we each had to make a toast to someone on some occasion. We did this while we were eating breakfast that last day. A few people went before me. Then it was quiet, and my professor made a comment something along the lines of, "I guess no one else wants an A..."

I stood up, along with two other people. Everyone laughed. When it was my turn, I explained what I was about to say, that I was toasting Joe, because tomorrow, the sixth (one week exactly from the last day of class), is our dating anniversary (as opposed to our wedding anniversary).

I said, "Okay. To J--"

"Don't say 'okay' to begin your toast!" my professor shouted from the other end of the table.

"Oh!" I said, and laughed. I sat down and stood right back up again as a means of starting over, which made a few people laugh, and then I gave my toast. It was short and lovey-dovey, but I think it went over well. When I sat down, I got applause, and a few "aww"s from the girls which was kind of cool. And then people made a few touching toasts to the class. My professor said he was happy we all got along, that we were a great group, and that he was glad we could appreciate and understand humor and bantering. It's true. Not one of us was bothered by his shouts at us to "get out!" when we said something he found astonishing (for example, one student hated tomatoes). And we all found his threats to give us "F"s very funny, simply because of the manner in which he dished them out. He is a great professor, and I'm glad it was such a fun class!

Before we left, each of us took turns seeing him individually to hear our final grade. When I sat next to him at the diner's counter, he said, "Meghan! How are you?"

"Good! How are you?"

"Fine, fine. Listen. Your tribute speech was excellent!"

I was taken aback! I felt so honored that he liked it as much as he did. He said many nice things about it, causing me to beam from ear to ear.

"I'm giving you an A on that speech," he said, "and an A in the class."

"Great! Thank you!" I said.

An A is very good news, indeed. But do you know what is even better news? That A means I've kept a perfect 4.0 average at this current school!! I've taken a few music classes, a Sociology class, and now Speech, and I have a perfect 4.0 GPA!!! I am extremely excited!!! That is something I've never done before, and I hope it bodes well for getting into schools next year.

I'm applying right now, in fact. I'm about halfway through the application process, I'd say. Okay, maybe not quite that far along. But I'm getting there! I'm feeling more than a little apprehensive about some of it, but I've decided to just suck it up, send out the applications, and see what the schools say. Worrying about anything beyond that seems premature at this point.

Before I left, my professor asked me a few things about London. I think I haven't mentioned that here, yet. That's right -- I'm going to LONDON!!!

When I first heard that my professor takes students on a trip to London every year, I knew I had to go. I was so afraid to get my hopes up, because I wasn't sure if I could find a way to get there. The more I thought of it, the more I knew there had to be a way. I planned and schemed and racked my brain. I went to the bank to get information on loans, and that just seemed like a bad idea, after talking to Joe about it (as did any plan involving credit cards). Because, seriously, do I want to make payments to my bank for the next three years? Um, not really, no. I am grateful my husband has the ability to bring me back down to earth when I get crazy. "But it's only three years!" Yeah. No.

Then, two amazing things happened. One, Joe got a bonus from work, and gave me half the money to go. Two, when I asked my dad if I could borrow the other half from him, he said yes, and then said, "It's your Christmas present!" Awww. I have the best, most generous family ever!

Bottom line: I'm going to London! I leave just after Christmas. Joe is staying here, holding down the fort, as my mom always used to say. I'm sad I won't be able to be with Joe over New Year's Eve and Day, but at least we'll have Christmas together! And London will be incredible!! Cold? Yes. But incredible!

My professor used to be a theater and film director, so he knows his stuff, and this trip is a Theatre Tour. Awesome! We're going to see six theater productions in ten days, including Les Miserables, which we're seeing the first night we're there. So help me god, I hope I'm not too jet-lagged to stay awake during it! I've never seen it before, but I've heard the soundtrack a bunch of times (especially, yes, as a teen), I loved it so much that I named my hamster Cosette, and I know I'll love the production itself. I can't wait!

So when my professor asked if I was excited about London, all I could say was, "Yes, definitely!" He said he'd send out another newsletter about it soon. I thanked him and left.

I waved good-bye to my classmates and drove home, singing along with the radio, feeling a weird mixture of emotions. I'm glad not to have to write any more speeches, but I'll miss the time I spent in class.

But now I've got London to look forward to, and I couldn't be more excited about that!