Last Monday I got up early to go to La Trobe for the last time on official scheduled business: my last exam, Japanese. As the exam itself only constituted 35% of my final mark, I knew I had already passed the subject going in. I nevertheless put in my best effort. When I finished after two hours it felt like a weight had fallen of my shoulders. I had completed my university degree. I had the inner urge to run a lap of honour through the examination venue, but I managed to contain my enthusiasm.

Today my housemate and best friend left on a two month trip for Colombia to visit his family. That meant goodbye for us, as I will (if everything works out with my visa) have gone to Japan by the time he gets back. That made me really realise that I’m done being a student. Well, as my girlfriend says, I will never be done being a student, as life is a constant learning process, but you get my drift. In roughly eight weeks from now I will be exchanging the dry and dusty that is Australia for a new adventure. As I wrote earlier, I’m looking forward to that, but it also means saying goodbye to my current life. It’s exciting, but with a hint of sadness.

Last night I again got caught in a Colombian BBQ. Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time. The Colombians sure know how to throw a party. There was food, drink, music and dancing people everywhere. I guess it’s the dancing I’m most envious of. It seems that Colombians are born with a rhythm that is remarkably absent in my own Dutch culture. When the salsa music starts to play everybody, except for the non-Colombians, flocks to the dance floor. It’s great to watch, and I did give it one little try myself, but it’s so difficult to just get into the rhythm and let go, rather than watching your feet and counting steps. Dancing salsa is one of these things that I’ve added to my list of “things-I-would-love-to-learn-but-probably-never-will”. Playing the drums, like Phil Collins, is another one of those items high on that list, and so is singing like Phil Collins for that matter.