Chocolate makes EVERYTHING better!

Hello again!

I haven't had much to report on this week...so I thought I'd just give you a short overview tonight.

School has really kicked in this week and will be a bit busier for the next few weeks. If feels like the three week stretch in the middle of the semester back home that's filled with papers, presentations, projects and (usually) midterms. But here I don't have midterms, but do have all the other "p's", and at the end of the next three weeks are my final exams! AH! That will be strange, and then to start another block in April as well. Will be different!

I'm currently in the midst of two projects, one for each class. My Consumer Behavior project is a marketing research one, which hasn't been too bad thus far, but does require a group paper. We're testing to see if there's a correlation between seeing images/words and possibly causing actions/thoughts to be triggered about particular products. That project is due on Monday, the 15th and we present our results to the tutorial group on the 23rd.

In Accounting, we were given a case study and are expected to do lots of financial analysis/regression and then give an 'assessment' to our 'manager'. This also requires a paper, Excel work and then a POSSIBLE presentation. There are three groups in our class, and our tutor just picks one group to present the day it's due. So we all must come prepared and we'll have no idea if we're actually presenting or not. Not sure how I feel about that...but if you're already doing the work to prepare everything, might as well present I suppose! This is all due Wednesday, the 10th.

One more group presentation to go in Consumer Behavior, on just a text chapter and discussion (like the one I've already done) - which will be the 16th of March...and we also have something called 'Company Day' for Accounting on the 17th of March. Apparently, an actual Dutch company comes in, gives us a case study, and we work in groups that day to try to come up with the best solution. It's a five hour long day, so I hope that it's interesting!!

Needless to say, the next few weeks will be BUSY, but I'm hoping to still find time to travel here and there when possible. Speaking of THAT - I'm traveling to Cologne, Germany tomorrow, for a day trip with Carolyn. We'll be leaving early in the morning and traveling by bus & train. We'll hang out there for the whole day, walk around, and of course, EAT! I'm especially excited about seeing and eating in the Chocolate Museum! No worries - I'll take LOTS of food pictures. Like always. :) We'll be coming back to Maastricht tomorrow night, probably arriving back at the Guesthouse around midnight. Should be fun! Feels like forever since we traveled, when in fact it's been only a week and a half! Funny how that happens. Either way, it'll be fun to be out walking around in a new city/country again!

Was feeling a little under the weather at the beginning of this week, and so tried out a recipe Miss Karen Toft sent my way to cheer myself up. Nutella, peanut-butter hot chocolate!!! Was a wonderful way to turn my day around and I've been raving about it to anyone who would listen. If anyone else wants to send some great tasting recipes, even those without chocolate, my way - I'll for SURE give them a try!!

Hope everyone is adjusting to March, and that it 'came in like a lamb' for you all as it did here! Hopefully it also goes OUT like a lamb as well, I've had enough of snow and freezing rain. I'm sure everyone back in Minnesota feels even more in need of some Spring weather, though according to weather.com, you all have had quite a lot of sunshine this past week! :) YAY!

Sending FAST SWIMMING vibes out to the Mankato West swim team as they compete at the State Meet today and tomorrow! Greg - swim fast and soak in your last swim meet, I'll be thinking of you!!

Love to all from my small kitchen table in Maastricht!