First of all, I am home and I am not yet settled and so I am going crazy. But I’ll be okay once I have birth control and a new bite guard, because my to-do list will be significantly shorter.

Secondly, I had a daydream two days before I left Dublin that Josh would propose to me at the airport. Crazy? Yes. I mean he just gave me a promise ring in March and for god’s sake, we’ve only been a couple since JULY. Of LAST YEAR.

Doesn’t mean I wasn’t sort of kind of maybe hoping it would actually happen.

When I finally made it through the full day of traveling - the cab refusing to take both me and Sam to the airport because we had too much stuff between us, the $50 charge for having an overweight suitcase, U.S. customs digging through my underwear to find and confiscate Grow-Your-Own-Shamrock-Seeds I stupidly was honest enough to declare, and Chicago security swabbing each of the 23485 electronic items in my carry-on because my external hard drive was clearly a self-operating bomb - I found Josh at the baggage claim, and he walked up and hugged and kissed me, and we found my suitcases surprisingly fast, and we got in the car, and everything was happy and normal. Okay, I thought. It’s not going to happen yet, and that’s fine.

We got home, my family greeted me semi-enthusiastically (I mean, how could I compete with Sonic and the Secret Rings on Wii?), I ate my favorite dinner (meatloaf and mashed potatoes), and just relaxed.

Then, I stood up to get something, I don’t remember what. But Josh stopped me in the doorway of the living room, and gave me an odd look - a mischievous smile. What? Let me get through, butthead.

Then, in front of my mom and sister and brother-in-law and two dogs and cat, he went down on one knee. I could barely hear the words as he breathed them out, but I was certainly tuned in enough to catch them:

“Will you marry me?”

People, let me tell you, I didn’t even have to think about it. I smiled, and with equal quietness, I said “Yes,” then said, “Get up,” and we hugged and kissed and I blushed at my family as they all giggled and cheered.

Then my mom said, “You have to put it on her finger, dumbass!” and Josh took it out of the box and I moved the promise ring to my right hand and he slid on the three-stone white gold band ever so slowly.

I love the way it sparkles. And I loved updating my relationship status on MySpace and Facebook.

The ring is absolutely perfect. Simple and elegant and not round or yellow. And I will of course post a picture as soon as I’m unpacked and fully settled.

It’s going to be a great summer.

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I’m getting in a cab to go to Dublin airport in less than half an hour. After what was probably the most exciting semester of my life, I’m just now realizing how sad I am to be leaving this place.

I miss home, and I am so ready to go back and see and talk to the family I’ve been disconnected from all semester. It’s good that I was semi-cut off, though, because it really gave me a taste of what adulthood will be like, or rather, an extreme of it.

This was a very small program, and I also didn’t realize until yesterday how attached I’d grown to the people here. When I was hugging the boys goodbye it was all I could do not to cry in front of them. I’m never good at keeping in touch with people I leave unless we are constantly pressed back together through school, work, etc. but I swear to god, I’m going to do my damnedest to keep my connections with these people. I love them all too much.

I have pictures from our music video premiere courtesy of Hot Press magazine and my friends who posted them on Facebook. Once I get settled in back home, blogging will be my regular thing again. :)

If there is a piece of wisdom I’ve obtained from this semester that I could deliver to you, it would be, Do not be afraid. Go into the unknown without a single familiar name for 3000 miles with nothing but a couple of suitcases and your desire to grow as a human. I certainly have.

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Dear Josh,

This month was probably the most difficult one we’ve had so far. Being apart all the time really sucks right now. I mean, out of nine months, we’ve technically only been “together” for two of them. Without Skype, I don’t think I would’ve survived this semester. Still, seeing you through a webcam is simply not as good as the real thing.

It seems like we’ve gotten in several… not fights, because that’s not the right word… well, misunderstandings, this month. When your only form of communication with someone is online, it’s really easy to misunderstand phrases, or sign ons and offs. Every time a rift comes between us, I’m never really upset at you. Even if something was said or done that made me feel not-so-great, I would always just think about how much I love you, and how great it is that we love each other enough to care so much about one another. I’ve saved all your apology e-mails, although none were necessary, as you never did anything “wrong.” It’s been a stressful month for me, and I know the distance is taking its toll on you. Don’t worry so much about little things you say. I can still feel your love.

One night when I signed onto Skype this month, I was greeted with this:

It’s your hair and I want you to do with it what you like. I know my reaction wasn’t the best in the world, but if you like it short, don’t grow it back out just for me. I’d rather you were comfortable.

But I do miss those curls on the nape of your neck. I suppose spring break was the last time I’ll have gotten to twirl my fingers in them.

I’ll be home in Kentucky in exactly one week and three and a half hours. It’s not much longer now until we’re together! You’ve mentioned shopping around town for something lately, but you wouldn’t tell me what. I don’t want to put my foot in my mouth later, but I want to guess that it’s an engagement ring. After all, your mother did mention that Friedman’s was closing on speaker phone. I think it would be awfully romantic if you proposed at the airport next Saturday. Of course, I don’t expect you to, and if you don’t do it then or in a month or in a year, I don’t care. As long as you’re still mine.

I’ll be with you soon.

Forever and ever,

Michelle

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I love the WordPress 2.5.1 upgrade because for some inexplicable reason the Add Media buttons now exist.

So here are those damn Tinkerbell checks I got from Wal-mart:

I have had no life the past two weeks thanks to working on multiple music video shoots as well as my own. And boy, do I have a story to tell from that. But not just yet. Mostly because I don’t have time yet. Because my video is due tomorrow evening and I’m not entirely sure my color correction is done. I realize this is probably a foreign language to some of you, but to you editors, the very words “color correction” might make you cringe.

I know you feel me.

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When we left off, Josh and I were making out on the bed. So what happened next? Was there some sweet, sweet lovemaking? Any fireworks?

Well, what do you think? Ahh, we’ve fallen in love at last.

The next day, I look for a job in the paper. Our bills are now due and neither of us has a job yet! I see a listing for a test subject in the Science field. Well, money is money, right? So I take the job, and go to work straight away.

Josh is left in the house. All alone. All day.

He gets a call from a guy he met online named Joseph. He’s happy to have contact with the outside world.

And then he watches TV. Alone.

When I come home that night, I have enough money to pay the bills. :)

The next morning, as soon as Josh wakes up, he tells me he has a surprise for me. I am instantly excited. You know why? HE PROPOSED!

Before we even have a chance to celebrate, though, THIS guy bursts into our home!

Apparently, all those times Josh was outside playing with the telescope, he was SPYING on our neighbor here. So I can understand why he’s upset.

Josh doesn’t seem to do well with confrontation.

But good lord, look at that ROCK on my finger!

Tune in next time…

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